Chapter Text
He couldn’t pinpoint when it all began. It must have been about a month ago when his brother started lingering at work for too long. At first, Louis didn’t pay attention, blaming it all on slow-witted students who couldn’t grasp anything without further explanations. On the other hand, no matter how dull and hopeless the student was, after the whole month of studies with his brilliant brother he, with no doubts, could have become a new Pythagoras! Or at least he could have memorized all his theories for sure!
But days and weeks passed, a full month had already passed and William still came home two hours and thirteen minutes later (yes, Louis calculated!) It wasn’t something horrible and irreparable but seeds of doubt had already taken root in his loving brother’s heart. What if William has some troubles? Could he have gotten involved with a bad company? Or messed up with someone dangerous? With every such guess his heart ached more and more.
Brother never explained where he was in the evenings. He would just offer a smile and a dismissive “I’ll be late today”. Any attempt to pry further was met with a shrug— William just muttered something about exam season and desperate students who needed more guidance. But Louis was never a fool! He knew that his brother kept something from him. And with every such absurdly ridiculous excuse his doubts were only growing. So, after a month of worries and guesses, Louis couldn’t handle it anymore. He decided to conduct his own investigation.
It won’t be easy, of course, but for his brother's sake he will try his best!
“So,” decided Louis, sipping his tea slowly, “firstly, I’ll make a plan for the investigation.”
After a couple of minutes intricate scribbles appeared on the white paper. At the centre under number one stood a big university building where all the students lived. Then, everything got too messy to indicate. One could have hardly recognised the state building, a couple of parks, some cafés and… 221B Baker Street?
Impossible, thought Louis, and crossed this little drawing out.
He gazed proudly at his convoluted, nearly illegible scheme and smirked.
“Brilliant. I’ll start tomorrow.” He sighed with relief, turned off the lights and went to his room.
——
The next morning greeted Louis with warm, almost summer-like weather. Sunbeams pierced the curtains, making Louis open his eyes and smile softly. May, what a beautiful month! Normally, on such days, Louis would just lie in for a couple of hours, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Afterward, he would go to the garden to drink his favourite tea and help Fred with the gardening. He liked to contemplate how miraculously the sky changed colours these days: from blue to light pink and to dark purple colours until the darkness dissolved all the sky in itself.
Louis smiled and almost fell victim to the temptation to spend this day just like his heart desired. But he remembered clearly that he had an important and very responsible mission! He put his doubts aside and started preparing decisively for his little trip to university.
He rushed through his morning routine, put on his shoes and glanced at the clock. Louis wanted to reach university as soon as possible and reassure himself that his brother was indeed busy with work and not with anything else. For such a serious and crucial trip, Louis wore his best black suit, styled his hair carefully and put off his glasses to look a bit younger. He stared appreciatively at his reflection in the mirror, then grabbed a simple black hat.
“Now, I am really ready.” He glanced at his reflection one more time and left the estate, smiling viciously.
It was not a long way, besides he had already considered all the further actions, and now he could finally see Durham university. His plan was very simple — just talk to the students and find out how often and how long did Professor Moriarty stay after lectures to explain material to those duffers.
Louis was incredibly lucky that he ended up not being as famous as his brothers. So he wouldn’t have to make up excuses and would just pass for a newbie at university.
He looked around and entered university with a sigh. Louis wandered for some time through the hallways until he found the necessary dorm. The hall was crowded with students scurrying around. They gathered in small groups and talked loudly, from time to time interrupting only to laugh at something. In such a vivacious society, Louis felt like a passer-by, who was ignored thanks only to the large number of people.
Having plucked up all his courage, Louis finally approached two youths who whispered over something on the window sill.
“Excuse me, can you help me?”
“I haven’t seen you here before,” so greeted him one of the youths, obviously annoyed by Louis’s interruption.
“Yes, I will be a freshman and I would like to ask you something.”
Two students looked at each other and led Louis farther down the hallway to the husher and duller part of university, where fewer students were noticed.
“I’m Oliver, and he is my best friend, Charlie. We are studying here at the same faculty.”
“I—” Louis hesitated, confused by what to say, “— am Lucas. Nice to meet you.” He nodded at them and stepped backward.
“So you’ll be a newbie… it’s strange we’ve never heard of you. Usually we all quickly get to know new students here,” he squinted, staring suspiciously at Louis as if trying to indicate a lie in his words. “What noble family are you from?”
“Oh, enough, Oli. He must have just arrived and went to look around, that’s why no one knows him,” reassured him soothingly the second youth and patted slightly on his shoulder. “Do you want us to show you around? Or just interested in students’ lives here? Or maybe something special?”
A youth named Charlie looked at Louis calmly, ready to answer his questions.
“Yes, I am very much interested in this university’s professors.” Guilt prickled at Louis for wasting their precious time, so he deftly redirected the conversation.
“Ah, so which department are you from?”
“Mathematics.”
“That means you’ll have to encounter Professor Moriarty quite often!” happily exclaimed Charlie, looking once again at his friend. “He is really nice, treats his students well and is wise beyond his years. The only thing is…” a youth made a step forward as if afraid someone could hear them, “he became somewhat aloof lately.”
“W-what do you mean by that?” Louis swallowed, feeling shivers down his spine
“Yeh, lately he’s been properly distracted, runs away immediately after lectures...”
“Sometimes he can even lock himself up in his cabinet and, no matter how much you call for him, he won’t answer!” picked up Oliver, his friend’s idea.
“And he doesn’t linger to explain anything to students?” asked Louis, utterly confused.
“He never does so,” Charlie glanced at his friend, all at a loss, “but that all doesn’t matter. These days some more interesting things are taking place, for instance…”
The youths proceeded to tell Louis about lectures and other professors but he listened to them no longer. Horrible awareness took possession of him and Louis finally realised — his brother was deceiving him from the start! Once or twice, Louis could have questioned his statements and assumed that brother was dodging and spending some of the evenings not at university, but he never supposed that William was not sincere with him all along!
Now Louis was more than sure — his brother concealed something, and he could only pray that it was not something deadly serious. He would have to uncover the truth.
“Thank you so much, but I am afraid I must be going now.”
Louis ran away, followed by the confused glances of his new acquaintances. Along the way, he crossed out the first point in his plan and decided that he should share his thoughts with someone who might help him and even be involved in William’s plans. The thought that he might again be excluded from the brothers' cunning plans made Louis feel resentment spreading all over his body. But he tried to wave aside all pitiful concerns for his main goal now should be to find out where William gets lost every evening and what a secret doing must it be, that he even allowed himself to lie to his blood brother!