Sherlock can hear John picking up the items he'd pointed out. Good. He would have much preferred John had been working with him during the whole case, but when Violet Hunter had contacted him for the first time, the two of them had been in the midst of another of their tiffs. He'd of course advised Miss Hunter on the spot - as is written in his notes (that he had only written out in case this situation would arise) - that she should decline the employment offer even with the promising sum of 50,000 pound/year pay.

"He didn't ask," Sherlock points out as he starts to heat olive oil in a pan. "He practically demanded it or there'd be no job for her," he points out. He looks over at his flatmate, curious to know if John sees the significance in that fact.