deal or no deal | Sherlock Holmes

19

𝐸𝓋𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒

It had been a few hours since I'd left Sherlock's flat. I had him drop me off at my office, I'm sure I'd get in the way. That's how I normally feel. I've gotten caught up on all of my paper work. I just solved a minor crime.

The Fruit Felon was stealing produce from Mrs. Graves fruit stand. Turns out it was a young boy that was trying to feed his family. Mrs. Graves had mercy on the boy and said he could make it up to her by working for free.

It's a silly case but it's still a case. I'll take anything I can get. You see I had originally thought that when I'd found Enola that it would give me business boost. However I was wrong since it wasn't that impressive to most.

What can I say? I am no Sherlock Holmes.

But any who, I'm now on my way to my mother's flat to retrieve my flat key. I need it as soon as possible, I'm still in my clothes from last night. I should really start leaving some of my clothes at Sherlock's. I should also figure out where my spare key went.

I bring my hand up and give the mahogany door a firm knock before twisting the handle. Silly woman always leaves her door unlocked, just gotta give a slight warning before barging in unannounced.

"Mother!" I call out. "I've come to retrieve my key." I walk through her sitting room and into the kitchen. "You'll never believe what Sherlock got himself into last night..." It was at that moment that my words failed me.

My mother, slouched in a kitchen chair, lifeless. Colorful bruises dance across her face, her thin lips are busted up, and something sharp has been lunged into the right side of her neck. I don't know how I didn't smell it before. Death. Her yellow dress is now stained with blood. Her pale white skin now looks grey and wilted almost. Like a rose with no water.

A sob catches in my throat. My vision becomes hazy as tears fill my eyes. I reach a hand towards her and press against the left side of her neck. No pulse. She is gone.

"No no no..." my breath hitches as I let out a gut wrenching sob. I can't control any part of me right now. I'm sure her neighbors can hear me. I drop onto the floor and rest my head on her knees and grab fistfuls of her dress. "Why God?... Why her?" I'm a mess. Tears violently escape my eyes, I'm drooling like a wild man, my ears are ringing, I feel as if I can't breathe. Like all I can do is cling to her like a puny toddler. Is this how she felt? Helpless? No. I can't think like that. But then again there isn't much else to think about. My poor defenseless mother was brutally murdered. And I wasn't here to save her. No one was here for her when she needed them most.

***

What happened next happened so quickly that I barely had time to process it. There was a knock at the door a hard one. It seemed familiar but it was like I hadn't heard it in ages. I can feel the quick and heavy footsteps, they made the floor vibrate.

The three men seemed startled. Like they knew what to expect but then they didn't. They look just as startled as I did. Minus the tears. They certainly don't have enough compassion for those. Two out of the three men are officers, I don't even budge when they bend down to handcuff me. I know what it looks like. My mother is dead, and I'm covered in her blood. It certainly looks bad. I look like a criminal.

They stand me up and go through their usual routine. I don't fight back, I'm too weak and it'll just make this look even worse. They bring me out and place me in the back of a carriage. I'm sure I'll stain these nice seats. The third man climbs in the back with me.

An officer holds up a hand. "Sir I don't think that-"

"I insist." He snaps before shutting the door in their faces. That voice. I know it all too well. What is he doing here? "Evangeline?" I blink through my tears to look into his face. My senses are all out of wack but I know who I am seeing.

"Mycroft?"