"I'm sincere in everything I do, Mr. Holmes," Natasha replied dryly. And it was more or less true. A part of her training in the Red Room had been to learn how to fool yourself. If you completely and utterly believed what you were saying when you said it, others would too. It was also the easiest way to fool any kind of lie detector, really. Sincerity in the moment had never failed her, and had been how she'd always been able to find out everything she needed from a mark, often when barely having to speak herself.
Her words about Sherlock's skills were in fact true, though she'd known that by saying them, she would be flattering him, and thus it would cause him to feel a little more at ease and a little more interested in the entire situation. Almost everything Natasha did or said was calculated; there were few people who had seen the truly vulnerable parts of her, the ones that were unscripted.
"Moriarty is one, but he hasn't been sent back yet," she said. "Irene Adler is another, and Mycroft Holmes." And then there was John Watson, but she suspected that would be the first name he'd see when he checked the list, and she wanted to wait for his reaction there. As he opened the laptop, Natasha picked up the mug of coffee and sipped, then idly stepped over to the table since he so graciously suggested it. She didn't sit down, but she did take a look at what he'd left out - the files and reports, and the pictures. One ear listened to Sherlock as he clicked through the drive and scrolled down, even as she sipped her coffe casually, studying the various crime scene photos.
When he spoke again, it was soft, and she nodded without looking over. "For a few months, yes. In fact, he was a member of the Council." His question wasn't one she'd expected, but it was easily answered as Natasha glanced over at him, before walking to his chair to stand behind him and see where he was in the list. "No. I didn't meet either of you. It seems I missed the two of you by a few weeks, in fact." Another sip of the coffee, before she continued, changing the subject just slightly.
"I'm sure you're wondering how the Council plays into this. It seems that the leadership of Preya has encouraged them to gloss the disappearances over, and to discourage others from looking into it. Not all of the Council members agree with taking that particular route, but they can't outwardly defy the leaders."