The curious case of Sherlocks Heart (closed)

[such_a_bad_man]

"Perhaps not a resident, Mrs. Hudson. It could have been someone that takes Baker Street to get home. Speaking of those police, we should get down to the crime scene," Sherlock added, looking at John. As they made for the stairs, Sherlock stopped and turned back to Mrs. Hudson.

"Please do not undo any more of my work by touching the things on the wall, Mrs. Hudson. It's hard enough keeping anything straight with you around," He murmured, turning to follow after John.

When they hit the street, it was just a few blocks to the crime scene. With their added stop, Lestrade was already well into his investigation along with the coroner examining the body. "Let me guess, Lestrade, no one saw anything and the victim was stabbed once through the torso and had their neck snapped, yes? That is why we were notified of this body in particular?"

 

[Asa]

Yeah that's right. But your attacker jumping from above is out unless its Bloody superman. No one has broken into any of those flats and the roof is a good 6 floors up where the body was found.

John looked at the body muttering with the coroner.

The victim managed to get away from the first attack. Neck was probably broken here but the stab didnt happen here.

John began walking around a corner.

Look there fire escape. Couple of floors upat its lowest point.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"Then there must be a blood trail. A stab that the murderer has been using isn't superficial." Sherlock said, pulling out a flashlight and scanning up and down the street for any sign of blood drops that lead to this crime scene.

Sometimes, it was Lestrade's own weakness that kept him from solving cases, Sherlock thought to himself. He'd never say as much; John had taught him that such observations do nothing but sour their relationship. If that happened, Sherlock's endless stream of cases would dry up and then he'd really be idle and puttering around his house like Mrs. Hudson.

 

[Asa]

John continued to look moving closer to Sherlock. He has been directing people away from this and you can female detective was the one looking over the scene. Pointing out thing to Lestrade would fine.

He studied the ground closely. Wrapper from the fish shop close to the last victim.

John had it bagged for fingerprints and continued to study the scene.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"Fish shop... I wonder if they have a camera. Our murderer may have followed him from there. If we're lucky, we may have them on video," Sherlock said excitedly. So far, their murderer had been careful, but they needed a break and this may have been it.

Hustling down the street to the shop, Sherlock looked around the area, hoping there was a camera that followed the victim's path. "Get Lestrade to pull the videos for the last few hours from the cameras there, there and there. Quickly, we may be nearing our foe." Sherlock said, sending John off to find the detective as he scanned around for evidence of the blood trail he was hoping to find.

 

[Asa]

John nodded and went to tell Lestrade. Lestrade called in the request. John talked to the shop owner asking about the dead man but the shop owner had never seen them before.

Neither of the last two victims have ever been in here that the owner and staff know of. Lestrade will have the videos anyway in a few hours.

Now what?

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Sherlock cursed internally. Yet again, they had nothing concrete about the murderer. He looked around, frustrated that nothing they tried yielded anything concrete. Taking a breath to calm his nerves, he looked at Watson.

"We retire to 221B and update our wall. We also take a nap; I have a feeling we'll be busy tonight as our attacker claims another victim," Sherlock reasoned. With all their running around, he needed a few hours sleep. If for no other reason, it would clear his head and he might come at things fresh tonight.

 

[Asa]

John nodded and started walking a nap would be nice though he had Hope's it would turn into a good nights sleep. Arriving at the flathead could have sworn he saw Mrs Hudson exiting whether thought was a closet door on the landing leading downtown the unused basement flat with a cup of tea. Shaking his head dismissing it as her simply looking for something he went up to their flat. Plopping down in the chair he too studied the wall.

I cant get past how the sulfur smell seems to be confined to just the spot where the body is found. A scent like that will usually contaminate all the air around the source.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Sherlock returned to the room with his printouts of the latest victims. Adding them to the wall, it was clear they were running behind. Not only where they nearly out of wall, the number of victims was truly staggering at this point. "This many attacks, this many victims and nothing?" Sherlock frowned. "No one is that clever or that careful."

He stood, hand on his hips, staring at the victims. He was getting nowhere... "I go do with a cup of tea..." He murmured, turning away and looking at the steps. "Mrs. Hudson has-"

Sherlock paused. "Tea... why would she take tea down with her if she were looking in the basement?" He murmured. Then, he was off like a shot down into Mrs. Hudson's rooms. "Mrs. Hudson... were you entertaining someone downstairs?" He asked her rather pointedly.

 

[Asa]

That's not really any of your business Sherlock. What if I was? I am the landlord not you so go solve your case and let me drink me drink my tea in peace.

She was a tad more about than usual but not completely out of the ordinary especially if she and the next door shop owner had a tiff.

John just rolled his eyes and opted for a nap.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

As much as Sherlock hated to admit it, Mrs. Hudson was right. She was the landlady and he had no right to intrude as he had. "Apologies, Mrs. Hudson... I'm... just very tired." He murmured, backing out of her flat and heading upstairs. John had already laid out on the couch so he made for the bedroom.

Slipping out of his clothes, he slid into his bed, restlessly tossing and turning as he couldn't get the case out of his head. Eventually, exhaustion won out and he passed out for a few hours, leaving the world unsupervised for a while. He shuddered to think of what would be waiting for him when he awoke.

 

[Asa]

Midnight... another victim. A change... escalation on the attackers part perhaps. Two through and through stabs and the broken neck was less exact in appearances the poor bums head was literally facing 180 away from the chest.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

The call from Lestrade snapped Sherlock out of his nap. He didn't move as quickly this time; this victim could wait. When he saw the crime scene and the body, however, he paused.

"No... no, this is all wrong. This seems more like a crime of passion rather than the calculated attack of the other victims." He says, looking at the overkill of the neck snap this time. "This poor soul's nearly had his head torn from his body... What do we know of this one? Another criminal like the others?" He asked, looking at Lestrade and his partner.

 

[Asa]

Dog fights... illegal animal trade... guns... smuggling... grandson of wealth and power turned his back on the family way of doing things for quick easy money. Officially I have to say this is horrendous but honestly it couldn't have happened to a more perfect target. Been trying to take this one down for years.

Lestrade shook his head. John and the coroner began talking and pointing rapidly before standing.

Whoever did this... is injured... same calculated stabs for the most part but the attack itself... too quick... they wanted it done with they were in pain. Look at the angle. The blade still very clean but the angle.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"Injured? You're quite sure?" Sherlock asked, looking at the second thrust. It wasn't on the same straight line as the other attacks, let alone the first stab on this victim. It is strange the first stab didn't kill them as well.

"Isn't this another victim that participated in dog fighting? Weren't there others that were guilty of the same practice?" Sherlock asked, his mind flashing back to his wall.

 

[Asa]

Lestrade nodded yeah the bum and one other were too of the food. Hain in illegal dog fights in London if not beyond. Cant say many will be sad to see them go. Money the only thing keeping them out of prison.

John looked over. Think our unknown assailant was attacked by one of those dogs?

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"It's possible. With the dogs they use, there's bound to be a blood trail this time. Lestrade, I think we may have a thread to follow. Have your men look into other criminals involved in dog fighting and have them surveilled. If the attacker doesn't come for them tonight, they may soon. John, let's see if we can't find blood this time."

Sherlock set off with John. This time, he felt a bit more hopeful. They may yet find their attacker if they were wounded this time. The sooner he closed this case, the more the world could return to normalcy.

 

[Asa]

The limited blood trail led to a warehouse. No signs of anyone in there now but it was possible that they had gotten bandaged up.

Another dead end.

John grumbled.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Sherlock stalked from one end of the warehouse to the next. "No, no... there would be some trace if they paused to tend to their wounds. A discarded sterile wrapping, a smear of blood on a wall..." He grumbled, looking over everything for some sign of how the attacker fled the building once they got here.

 

[Asa]

Even a sign in the dust where the blood trail stops would be nice.

John was exasperated by it all.

It's like we are dealing with a ghost or something.

He paused.

And yes I know how insane that sounds.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Sherlock shook his head. "It is insane, John, so I will thank you to purge such useless suggestions from your thoughts..." He snapped, placing his hands on his hips again. Dropping his head, he scratched at his head vigorously, mussing his hair in the process.

"I will crack this, John... I will figure this out..." He promised before breezing out of the warehouse. He made one more pass around the exterior of the building. A drop of uncleaned blood. An errant hair. A scrape of a shoe. Something. There had to be some evidence of their attacker leaving this confounded warehouse.

 

[Asa]

John walked out seeing the sun beginning to rise and sighed.

Breakfast?

Tea... when was the last time either of us ate anything?

John hailed a cab and motioned for Sherlock.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

Sherlock sighed. John had a point. If they hadn't found something by now, they'd never find it. Besides, it wouldn't do him any good to pass out from low blood sugar.

"Fine... may as well head back home after. One more night wasted and we're no closer. Maybe we should lie in the next time they call... not like we're adding anything to the investigation at this rate..." Sherlock muttered, beating himself up for appearing so common in the face of this new case.

 

[Asa]

We will find something Sherlock... but if they are badly wounded the killings will stop and give us time to think.

John said sitting back in the cab. They could luck out and the attacker be dead that would end the case for them.

 

[such_a_bad_man]

"At this point, Watson, them dying from their wounds tonight might be the only way they could stop..." Sherlock said, sounding defeated.

The cab pulled up at the cafe and Sherlock breezed inside. Finding a booth, he ordered coffee and a muffin for himself as he sat and stared out the window. Watching the city come alive outside, he wondered if he could solve this case as the evidence wasn't enough to point to a suspect.