It's almost impossible to avoid the calming feeling one sense when he is now flying above the land. As John now gazes outside his airplane window, looking at the same scene since 6 hours ago. A cloudy sky equal to his own thought right now. His mind has been wandering around the big blue sky for quiet sometimes.
He and Sherlock aboard the plane to Singapore almost immediately when they finally found out about Molly and Rosie's whereabout. But he still can't brushed the feeling of something enormous are waiting for them. As much as he know Sherlock's talent, he can't help but wonder are they reading to much into things. And what worried him the most is, even though they know they need to go to Singapore, but where should they look when they arrive?
So again it's another lurking in the dark with Sherlock Holmes.
The man in question is sitting next to him reading a book.
"Haven't you read that book already?" John asked.
"Mhmm, just want to take another look.." Sherlock said.
"Sherlock, there's something bothering me."
"Off course, you've been sighing to the window the whole time."
"How do we found them when we arrive? It's not like Molly gave us an address."
"That, I'm afraid, we need to do a little research first." Sherlock said.
"Can't we do the research before we come there?" John asked.
"Nope."
"Did Mycroft know we coming here?"
"Nope."
"Great, I bet he is going to call me later." John said grumpily.
"So you will be the one who's going to break the news." Sherlock closed his book smiling.
A couple hours later they arrive at the Changi airport. As they take a taxi to the hotel, the humidity of a tropical island quickly kicking in.
"How are we going to look for clues in unfamiliar place." John fanning himself when they wait for their hotel room to be prepared in the lobby.
"Well, we still have our main clues." said Sherlock positively.
"What? The orchid? How can an orchid leads the way?"
Sherlock doesn't say anything
He approachs one of the receptionist.
"Excuse me." Sherlock said to the receptionist. "If I want to know anything related to the Vanda Miss Jaquim, the national orchid, where should I go?"
The receptionist smiles. "Are you a fan of orchid, sir? If you like you could visit the botanical garden. There's all kinds of orchid exhibition there." he said.
"Very well. Thank you."
Sherlock leaves the receptionist and comes back to John who still sitting down in the lobby fanning himself.
"Lets go, John." Sherlock invited.
"But, we didn't even come to our room yet." John complaints.
"There's plenty of that later. Come on."
John has no choice but to follow Sherlock.
***
They arrived in the Botanical Garden a couple hours before lunch. As soon they set foot on the premises, John knows they should have change they clothes first. They still in their London winter attire, which is very not suitable for strolling a large garden in tropical weather.
"So we need to go to the National Orchid Garden.." Sherlock said.
"And is that far?" John asked.
As they stroll the roads of the garden, John envy those people with jogging shoes, shorts and T-Shirt. In his attire is an ankle boots, perfectly fine if its snowing, a jacket that he had taken off and a jeans, which now is heavy and sticky due to sweats. After a few minutes walk, they arrived at the Orchid Plaza. The Garden itself is impressive. John stands as he observing the lushius green garden along with the beautifull flowers.
"If Mary is still alive I will take her here." John whispered to himself.
"Come on John, lets get inside to the orchid garden." Sherlock said lively.
They enter a winding road with large number of plants on each side. The road is preety narrow, in result there's a feeling that they have enter another world, almost like Alice in Wonderland.
"Excuse me, where I can find the national orchid?" Sherlock asked one of the lady there. She seems quite familiar with orchid as she busy documenting all the flowers there.
"Ah, you mean Vanda Miss Jaquim?" she said. "Here, let me take you there." said the lady enthusiaticly.
When the lady take them to the flower, they have no choice but to pretend admiring them.
Sherlock confusedly looking for clues, but there is nothing there but flowers and greenery.
"Lovely isn't it." said the lady who took them there.
"Ah yes, yes. Very lovely." Sherlock said quickly.
"Are you an admirer to sir?" the lady now asked John.
"Ah.. um.. yes, off course that is why I am here. To see Miss Vanda's lovely orchid." John said awkwardly.
"It's true they are lovely isn't it. But it wasn't Vanda's. It was Agnes's orchid."
Sherlock turns around. "What did you say?"
"Well the one that hybrid the orchid is Agnes Joaquim. An Armenian born who lived here along time ago in Singapore." the lady patiently explained.
"Where is she now?" John asked.
The lady chuckles. "Well sir, it has been a long time, isn't it. Off course she is dead now, you can find her tomb here in The Aphostolic Armenian Church."
Sherlock's eyes widen. "Thank you so much. Come on John, we made a mistake."
John exhaustedly follows Sherlock. "We should have brought some water." he said.
Once again they are now hop on a taxi, heading to the Apostolic Armenian Church of Singapore.
"Why didn't I think of that. I should've google it." Sherlock regreted.
"Why don't you?" John asked.
"My battery died. Haven't charged it yet."
"You should've asked mine." John offered.
They arrive at The Apostolic Armenian Church of Singapore. So far everything in Singapore feels vibrant and modern. Coming to this church takes them to the old tales of Singapore, before all the tall buildings arrived. They enter the quiet church and quickly make way to the tombstones in the garden.
Finally they find what they are looking for. The tombstones of Agnes Joaquim.
They stare at it for a moment. On the tomb there's a writing :
In loving memory of Agnes. Eldest daughter of the late Parsick Joaquim. Born 7th April 1854. Died 2nd July 1899. Let her own work praised her. Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.
"Now what?" John takes a look at their surrounding. There's not a soul in there.
Sherlock take a couple more seconds to stare at the tomb. Than he take a deep sighs as now the heat and the humidity finally got into him. "Nothing. Let's go back to the hotel." he said.
***
When they finally get their hotel room, John soaks in showers for almost 30 minutes. It could've been longer if he's not interrupted by Mycroft's call.
"See. I told you your brother will call me. Like I'm sort of a nanny. Charge your phone will you?" John took the phone to the bathroom as Sherlock charging his phone.
He turns on his phone, and he gazes it in surprised.
"John!" Sherlock called.
"Dear lord, what is it?" John comes back again.
"Look at this." Sherlock said in amazement.
Instead of a welcoming note from local network company, in his cell phone's screen appears a unique welcome note. It said :
"Welcome to Singapore Sherlock. Care to unlock me?" And under it there's 6 digits password display.
"I think this is a message generated if my phone is in the designated location. Which means we guess our clues back in London quite right." Sherlock said excitedly.
"Another password." John mumbled. "Molly had been hanging around with some tech engineer I supposed."
But Sherlock excitedly welcome the challenge.
"6 digits. What could it be?" Sherlock talked to himself. 5 it could be Agnes or Vanda. 7 should be Joaquim. But 6..."
"I wonder what we might unlock." John said.
"Maybe their location." Sherlock said.
John now intrigued. "How many attempts do we have?"
"Don't say. Probably one."
John sighed. "Do your thing then."
Sherlock thinks again. It has to be related to what they have known until now. But is it about what they know in Singapore or in England? But it's still has to be about Molly.
Molly.. she died in London, and now she came here to Singapore. What did she do when she arrived here for the first time?
Sherlock hesitantly put some numbers to the password display.
"What did you typed?" asked John curiously.
"Molly.. she is dead now in London. And now she came here to Singapore, she was rebirth. She must used another name as a disguised."
Sherlock whispered a name. "Agnes.. she change her name here."
Sherlock then shows the number he entered as password. "741854.. 7th April 1854 the birth date of Agnes Joaquim, it was written on the tombstone back on the church." Sherlock explained.
Sherlock press the "submit" button. And now the screen moves to a google map page.
"What on earth is that?" John asked.
Sherlock laughs ecstaticly. "It's an address. Here in Singapore."
Now John who said the words. "What are we waiting for?"
***