The next morning, Alex woke up to the smell of bacon. She was up as soon as she heard it.

"Hey! I know that smell!" She said. "BACON!"

She ran into the kitchen and saw Mrs. Hudson frying bacon and John and Sherlock eating at the table. Alex burst into the kitchen and bounced around Mrs. Hudson. 

"Bacon, bacon, bacon, bacon!" She said. Mrs. Hudson had to hold a plate above her head so Alex didn't knock it down.

"Calm down, dear!" Mrs. Hudson said. She set a plate down. "There you go."

Alex gobbled it down, her hunger consuming her. She couldn't remember when she'd last had bacon. Sherlock paid no attention, eating his breakfast. John, however, clutched his stomach.

"I think I may be sick." He said, pushing away his plate. Alex, who had finished everything, not just her bacon, stole it. John gaped at her. "Hey, stop, that's mine!"

"Eh, you snooze you loose." Alex said. "Here, you can have it back."

"Thank you." John said.

"So, when are we going back to Scotland Yard?" Alex asked, leaning back.

"As soon as your brother is done eating." Sherlock said. "Obviously, you and I are done."

"I'm done." John said. "Let's go." 

They all got in a cab and went to Scotland Yard. They went into the building and up to Lestrade's office. Lestrade told them everything that had happened. 

"She lives in Cornwall. Two men broke in, wearing masks, and forced her to drive to the car park." He said. "Then they decked her out in enough explosives to take down a house. Told her to phone you. She had to read out from this pager." Lestrade pushed a pager across the desk. John took it.

"And if she deviated by one word, the sniper would set her off." Sherlock said.

"Or if you hadn't solved the case." John said.

"Ah...elegant." Sherlock smiled. Alex turned to face him.

"Elegant? That woman could have died." She said. "Well...she's scarred for life."

"What was the point, why would anyone do that?" Lestrade asked, looking disgusted.

"Well, like I told Alex, I can't possilby be the only person in the world who gets bored." Sherlock said, the memory of him shooting the wall crossing his mind. The pink phone chirped. 

"Here we go again." Alex sighed. "I should have just gone to our parents eh, John?"

"No. You've proved yourself useful." Sherlock said, ruffling her hair before opening the message. Alex blushed.

"You have one new message." The automated voice said. The phone beeped four times.

"Four pips." John observed.

"It's a countdown, idiot." Alex said.

"First test passed, it would seem." Sherlock said. He showed a picture of a black car to Lestrade. "Here's the second. It would seem abandoned, wouldn't it?"

"I'll see if it's been reported." Lestrade said, picking up the phone on his desk. Sally came into the room

"Freak? It's for you." She said, holding out the phone to Sherlock.

"Alex, come with me." Sherlock said. He pressed the phone to his ear once he was outside the office. "Hello?"

"It's ok that you've gone to the police." A male voice said, breaking off at parts, just like the woman had done. 

"Who is this?" Sherlock asked. "Is this you again?"

"But don't rely on them." The man continued. "Clever you, guessing about Carl Powers. I never liked him. Carl laughed at me. So I stopped him laughing." 

"And you've stolen another voice, I presume." Sherlock said.

"This is about you and me." The man said. 

"Who are you?" Sherlock asked. He paused, hearing something that sounded like strong wind on the other line. "What's that noise?"

"That's the sound of life, Sherlock. But don't worry. I can soon fix that." The man said. "You solved my last puzzle in nine hours. This time, you have eight." The man hung up after that.

"We've found it!" Lestrade called from his office. Sherlock was still stunned by the phone call.

"Come on, Sherlock." Alex said. Sherlock followed her outside.

They went to a the place where the car had been abandoned. It looked shabby and Alex didn't like it one bit. They walked over to the car and Lestrade started to explain what he knew.

"The car was hired yesterday morning by Ian Monkford. Banker of some kind, city boy, paid in cash." Lestrade said. "He told his wife he was going away on a buisness trip and never arrived."

 Sherlock began to investigate the car while Sally spoke to John and Alex. Alex shifted uncomfortably.

"You two still hanging 'round him?" She asked.

"Of course." Alex said. 

"Oppisites attract, I suppose." She said, smirking at them both. "Which one of you is he dating, exactly?"

"Niether." Alex said. 

"Alex, I can speak for myself." John said.

"You should get yourselves a hobby. Stamps, model trains. Safer." Sally said. 

"I'm safer with him than I was where I lived before." Alex said, walking over to Sherlock. He was investigating the front seat.

"Before you ask, yes, it's Monford's blood. DNA checks out." Lestrade said. Sherlock ignored him, taking something out of the glove compartment. He handed it to Alex.

"Put it in your purse." He whispered. Alex obeyed. Sherlock stood up and looked around. "No body?"

"Not yet." Sally said. 

"Get his samples sent to the lab." Sherlock ordered. Lestrade nodded and looked at Sally. She gaped at him and then walked away indignantly.

Alex followed Sherlock over to Ian's wife. She was about as tall as Alex and had black hair and blue eyes. 

"Mrs. Monkford?" Sherlock said.

"Yes?" The woman said, sniffling. "Sorry, but I've already spoken with two policemen."

"Oh, we're not from the police, we're-" Alex started.

"Sherlock and Alexandra Holmes. I was a very old friend of your husband's. We, uh...we grew up together!" Sherlock said, turning on the fake tears.

"I'm sorry, who?" Mrs. Monkford said. She blinked more tears out her eyes. "I don't think he ever mentioned you."

"Oh, he must have. This-this is horrible, isn't it?" Sherlock asked, wiping tears away. "I mean, I just can't believe it. I only saw him the other day. Same old Ian, not a care in the world!"

"Sorry, but my husband has been depressed for months!" Mrs. Monkford said. "Who are you?" 

"Really strange that he hired a car." Sherlock said, ignoring the question. "Why would he do that? It's a bit suspicious, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't!" Mrs. Monkford said indignantly. "He forgot to renew the tax on the car, that's all."

"Oh, well, that was Ian! That was Ian all over!" Sherlock laughed.

"No, it wasn't!" Mrs. Monkford said. 

"Wasn't it?" Sherlock said, turning back into the Sherlock Alex knew. "Interesting." 

They walked away and John followed them. He had been watching from the side, but he hadn't interferred. 

"Why'd you lie to her?" He said.

"People don't like telling you things." Sherlock explained. "They love to contradict you. She reffered to her husband in the past tense, did either of you notice?"

"I did." Alex said.

"Sorry, what?" John said.

"I referred to her husband to the past tense. She joined in." Sherlock said. "Bit premature. They've only just found the car."

"You think she murdered her husband?" John asked. Sherlock was wiping the fake tears out of his eyes.

"Definately not. That's not the sort of mistake a murderer would make." Sherlock scoffed.

"I see." John said. "Wait, no I don't. What do I see?"

"Fishing!" Sally called. "Try fishing."

John nodded and turned back to Sherlock. Alex had pretended not to hear Sally. She hated the woman with a fiery passion. 

"Where now?" John asked.

"Alex, the card." Sherlock said, holding out his hand. Alex rummaged through her purse before pulling out the buisness card Sherlock had found. "Janus Cars. We found this in the glove compartment."

They got in a cab and went to Janus Cars. They went in and were quickly admitted to the manager. John sat in the chair and Alex and Sherlock paced around the room like nervous cats.

"Can't see how I can help you three." The man who owned the place (Mr. Ewart) said.

"Mr. Monkford hired the car from you yesterday?" John pryed.

"Yeah, fine motor." Mr. Ewart said. "Mazda RX-8."

"Guazumtite." Alex said. Sherlock laughed and the owner ignored her joke and continued.

"Wouldn't mind one of them myself." He said.

"Is that one?" Sherlock asked, pointing to a black car.

"No, they're all Jags." Mr. Ewart said. "I can see you're not much of a car man."

"But surely you can afford one." Sherlock said. "A Mazda, I mean."

"Yeah that's a fair point." Mr. Ewart said. "Yeah, you know how it is, it's like working in a little sweet shop." 

Alex stopped paying attention and sat on the floor. John looked at his younger sister, concerned. He was worried she felt sick or light headed.

"Alex, you alright? Want to sit in my chair?" He asked.

"I'm fine, John." Alex yawned. "You just keep doing what you're doing."

"Nice holiday, Mr. Ewart?" Sherlock asked. He had moved over to where Alex was and she had her head resting on his hip.

"Eh?" Mr. Ewart said.

"You've been away, haven't you?" Sherlock said, having noticed the tan marks on Ewart's skin.

"Oh, no, it's the sunbeds, I'm afraid...yeah." Mr. Ewart said. "Too busy to get away. My wife would love it though, a bit of sun."

"Have you got any change for the cigerette machine?" Sherlock asked. Alex removed her head.

"Sherlock!" She gasped. "Don't you dare-"

"What?" Mr. Ewart said. 

"I noticed one on the way in and I haven't got any change, I'm gasping." Sherlock said, ignoring Alex. Alex disapproved strongly of smoking. She felt it rotted people's lungs. Mr. Ewart got out his wallet and looked through it.

"Um, no, sorry." He said.

"Oh, well, thank you very much for your time, Mr. Ewart." Sherlock said.

Well, that was easy. He thought. He went over to the door and opened it.

"Come on, you two." He said to John and Alex.

As they walked out, John pulled some coins out of his pocket and offered them to Sherlock. "I've got some change if you still want to-"

"Nicotine patches, I'm doing well, remember?" Sherlock said, pulling up his sleeve.

"So what was that all about?" John asked.

"I needed to look inside his wallet." Sherlock explained.

"Why?" John asked.

"Mr. Ewart's a liar." Sherlock said.

John went back to the flat and Alex went with Sherlock to St. Barts. Molly allowed him into the lab, where the sample of Ian Monkford's blood was waiting for him. He unrolled a little brown wallet like pouch and had Alex hand the liquids he needed that the pouch contained to him.

"You want to do it?" He asked her.

"I couldn't possibly..." Alex started.

"Come on." Sherlock said. 

Alex came over to him. He put an eyedropper in the liquid and inserted the liquid into it and handed the eyedropper to Alex. Her hand was shaking and Sherlock steadied it as she squeezed the liquid onto the small drop of blood. The liquid and the blood combined made a sizzling sound, which was interrupted as the pink phone rang. Alex jumped. Sherlock picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?" He said.

"The clue's in the name. Janus Cars." The man said.

"Why would you be giving me a clue?" Sherlock asked.

"Why does anyone do anything?" The man retorted. "Because I'm bored. You and I were made for each other, Sherlock."

"Then talk to me in your own voice." Sherlock smirked.

"Paitence." The man said and hung up.

Sherlock focused back on the drop of sizzling blood. He picked up the slide it was on and smiled. He had it. He knew what had happened. He called John and then they went back to where Lestrade was.

"How much blood was on that seat, would you say?" Sherlock asked. 

"How much? Uh...about a pint." Lestrade said.

"Not about, exactly a pint." Sherlock corrected. "That was their first mistake. The blood's definately Ian Monkford's, but it's been frozen."

"Frozen?" Lestrade said.

"There are clear signs. I think Ian Monkford gave a pint of his blood some time ago and that's what they spread on the seat." Sherlock said.

"Who did?" Lestrade asked.

"Janus Cars. The clue's in the name." Sherlocks said, repeating the bomber's words. 

"The god with two faces?" John asked.

"Exactly." Sherlock said. "They provide a very special service. If you've got any kind of a problem, money troubles, bad marriage, whatever, Janus Cars will help you dissappear. Ian Monkford was up to his eyes in some kind of trouble, finacle most likely, he's a banker, couldn't see a way out. But, if he were to vanish, if the car he hired was found abandoned with his blood all over the seat."

"Where is he now?" Alex asked. 

"Columbia." Sherlock said.

"Columbia?!" Alex exclaimed.

"Mr. Ewart of Janus Cars had a 20,000 pacer Columbian note in his wallet, quite a bit of change too. He told us he hadn't been abroad recently, but when I asked him about the cars, I could see his tan line clearly. No one wears a shirt on a sun bed. That plus his arm-" Sherlock was interrupted by Lestrade.

"His arm?"

"He kept stratching it. Obviously irritating him and bleeding. Why? Because he'd recently had a booster jab." Sherlock explained. "Hep B, probably. Difficult to tell at that distance. Conclusion: He's just come back from settling Ian Monkford into his new life in Columbia. Mrs. Monkford cashes in the life insurance and she spilts it with Janus Cars."

"Mrs. Monkford?" John asked.

"Oh, yes. She's in on it too. Now, go and arrest them, Inspector, that's what you do best." Sherlock said to Lestrade. He, John, and Alex all started to leave before Sherlock shouted, "I am on fire!"

For some reason as they left, they lights shut off behind them. They were consumed by blackness. Alex tripped and fell on the floor. She got up and brushed herself off.

"Turn them back on! You have to wait until I'm, like, out of the hallway!" Alex said in a Russian accent.