americas_son | (no subject)

"Yes."

He has no intention of telling her how they found out, of course.

Virginia is simultaneously annoyed that no one could be bothered to mention any of this and save her the trip, relieved that she doesn't have to do it herself, and guilty about both.

"How's he doing?"

"Half wrecked and half relieved," he answers truthfully.

Abruptly, Virginia remembers last night's meeting with Jason Connolly. She hadn't forgotten about it exactly - the conversation had gotten odd at points, and while she'd hardly expected that either of them would be one hundred percent open with the other immediately, certain points have taken on an ominous cast in the light of today's events - but it hasn't been at the forefront of her mind.

The subject of Tony was one on which he hadn't held back, hadn't been able to hold back, and that they had talked about. Ways to work together to gather evidence, to put together an airtight case, because god knows it would have to be flawless to have even a chance of holding up against a man with Obadiah's power.

Now she wonders, again, just what he hadn't been saying.

He was on duty last night at Obadiah's apartment. The security tapes for the night are missing.

Considering the condition Obadiah was in, she should probably find those two facts more alarming than she does.

(She's too tired to keep much of it from ghosting across her face, sadness and resignation and suspicion. Too preoccupied to wonder why Sherlock is making such a remark so openly.)

She nods. "I'm going to be on duty for a while longer, if you two need anything. Just call Obadiah's office."

"Thank you," he says quietly. "If we need something, I will. Do you want a cup of tea or similar before you go?"

Jarvis is perfectly capable of shooing Cal out of the kitchen should it prove necessary.

"Yes," she decides before she can think about it. "That would be wonderful."

She desperately needs the break. Stark Industries won't explode if she takes an extra twenty minutes before she goes back.

"This way, then," he invites, turning back the way he came.

"Thank you," she says, following him down the hallway.

"It is the least I can do."

Now he just has to hope that Cal is willing to be shooed. That is a complication he does not need.

The kitchen is empty when they arrive, but Sherlock's former cup of tea has somehow managed to spill itself all over the counter. Oops.

He sighs and gets out a dishcloth to clean it up.

"What would you like?"

"Green tea, if you have it," Virginia answers. "If not, black is fine."

She takes a seat at the kitchen table, suppressing a sigh as she does so. She just spent an hour in a car, and much of the evening before that at her desk, but she still feels as if she hasn't had a chance to sit down all day.

"Green tea it is."

His ex-tea having been dealt with, he turns his attention to the kettle, then the cupboard.

"Thank you," Virginia says again.

He shrugs, leaning back against the counter. "Think nothing of it."

"So who was it who got here before I did?" she asks.

Good question.

On the one hand, telling her probably wouldn't give her anything she doesn't already have. On the other hand, Jason Connolly did not know that Obadiah was dead, and Sherlock can hardly explain that he has invited the vampires who murdered the bastard into his home. There are not very many configurations of the available truths that she is likely to find palatable.

Well, be damned to her palate, then.

"No one official," he says lightly, "but I make it my business to know things."

Virginia's expression turns a bit wry. What else could she have expected?

"And how much did your mysterious source tell you?"

"If I cared to, I could find out the number and placement of the bloodstains on his carpet."

It sounds like mild hyperbole, but it is in fact literally true. He has no doubt that the other Sherlock would happily offer up a detailed description of the scene.

Someone in the police, then. Unsurprising. Probably the only reason no one's leaked Obadiah's death to the press yet is that a big enough bribe hasn't been offered.

There's a reason why having evidence against him for Tony's sake was so important.

"I see," she says.

He shrugs.

"I know that the vultures have not yet begun to circle round the company. I imagine it won't be long, however."

Virginia straightens up in her chair a little.

"Yes, that was another thing I was hoping to talk to Tony about. Obadiah doesn't seem to made any arrangements for the company in the event of his early death. I've been keeping the lid on that for now, but frankly that's only going to work until someone realizes that I was in Obadiah's employ, not Stark Industries'. Tony's position is going to become very precarious very soon."

"He could very easily take up that mantle. If he cared to," Sherlock says. "I am not sure that he will. Not immediately."

There are, of course, ways around that.

"His window of opportunity is extremely narrow," Virginia says, "especially at his age. Even if he did have the power on paper, it wouldn't be difficult for the board to dance around his instructions, and if they don't respect him, they will. There are a couple of board members in particular who won't lose any time in leading a coup. He can talk to the legal department about how to prevent that, and I can advise him on choosing a temporary figurehead who can probably be trusted not to make a power grab, but time is not something he has at his disposal."

"It is possible I could bridge the gap until he is ready to take command."