Spurlock Holmes Chapter 2

Vincent nods his head, wondering why he felt so uncomfortable around such a supposedly homely-man, at least from what he had heard about Sherlock Holmes. He took a deep breath, about to tell the detective his problems when Mr. Holmes suddenly holds up his hand. He puffs on his pipe a bit more, walking closer to the stout man. "Hold on there just a second…you said your name was Gregory Vincent, did you not?" he asks, peering into the short man's face. The newcomer can't help but cough as smoke blows into his face. "Er, no, Mr. Holmes, it is Vincent Gregory." "Aha!" Holmes shouts out while backing away, causing the short man to jump from surprise. "I see that you have changed your name to protect your identity. In reality, your first name is Gregory but in a matter to prevent your name from spreading to unwanted ears, you have told me that this is your last name instead!" He points his finger at the stout man, the flames of the fireplace flickering in the background. Vincent shakes his head fervently, saying, "What? Of course not! Why would I do a thing like that?" Holmes gives a small smile. "Ah, no need to try to hide it. I am a great detective and I can sense these types of things." Vincent sighs deeply, throwing up his hands. "What are you talking about? Fine! My real name is Gregory Vincent! NOW can I tell you my problem?!" The detective takes his pipe out of his mouth, gently setting it on the armchair. "Why yes, dear stranger, why didn't you say so in the first place? Alright then, Greg, tell me why you have come to be in my grand presence, the best of the best of the best detectives to solve this impossible case for you!" The short man was getting rather annoyed, but he kept his temper down. "Well…" Just then, his attention shifted to the chair that was placed slightly behind Mr. Holmes. His eyes widened. "Uh, sir….the pipe…the uh, armchair…" The detective turns around to see the whole arm of the chair being caught aflame, as the pipe had fallen and the burning ashes touched the delicate fabric. He laughs, saying, "Woops. How silly of me to leave my pipe there!" Vincent puts his hand to his head, wondering how Mr. Holmes could hardly be fazed by such a thing and why he seemed so unprofessional. "If it takes this long just to tell him my problem, I can't even imagine how long it'll take for him to solve it!" he mutters to himself as he watches the detective put out the fire with a pitcher of water that was on the sidetable nearby. Mr. Holmes turns around and smiles. "Heh heh, sorry about that, Greg…"