The Other One *Editing*

Chapter 13 - 221B Does 'Normal'

OH MY STARS! Where do I even begin!! So much has changed since I last updated (which yes as per is toooooo long ago) I have dropped out of university (it wasn't for me) and am currently working 2 jobs (stressy). I have been working really hard on rewrites because I started this story 3years ago and the beginning was too cringy for me to read. I really struggled with this chapter because I couldn't find a place for Lizzie and she's the whole point of me writing this so i'm trying something a little different for this and especially the next chapter that I hope you will all like! Thank you so much for putting up with the long waits and for nearly 27K reads all your support means so much! Sorry for the massive intro! On with the show ->
~EK xxx

The pair sat in silence. Lizzie's head on Sherlock's lap, eyes closed. Sherlock keeping completely still so he didn't disturb her. "I was thinking." Lizzie said, cutting the silence.
"Oh?" Sherlock said, surprised by her sudden speech. "I thought you were sleeping."
"We never sleep on a case Sherlock." Lizzie scolded, turning to look up at him. "Anyway, I was thinking, Carl Powers. No medical or family history of fits- suddenly dies from one. How did the police not treat that as suspicious?"
"They're incompetent." Sherlock stated.
"Well yeah. But even they must have noticed such a big thing as the shoes."
"Where are you going with this?"
"Well the killer must have considerable power over the police to prevent them from investigating further." Sherlock mulled this thought over for a second. Thinking back to when he had first investigated this. How fast the police shut him down. "I suppose."
"But not only that but, they must have thought even with this power there was a chance they may discover something on the shoes, sooo..." She trailed off as Sherlock's eyes widened. "There must be traces, however minute somewhere on the shoe the killer didn't want them to find." Lizzie sat up grabbing her phone from where Sherlock dropped it. "I'm gunna top up my knowledge on traceable, fit-causing poisons. You go back to that shoe- take it apart if you have to but find some trace of something."

By the time John returned the siblings were back to working in silence, as though nothing happened. The closer it got to the deadline the more stressed the flat got. John desperate to save the life, Sherlock determined not to fail this case again.

Lizzie was thanking Mrs Hudson for her cup of coffee when Sherlock shouted. "Clostridium botulinum!" Causing Mrs Hudson to cringe a flea the room. Lizzie sipped her coffee smugly knowing her theory had been right. "It's one of the deadliest poisons on the plant!" John stared at him blankly, clearly lost. Lizzie noticed the bags under his eyes and realised he wasn't coping as well as them with the lack of sleep.
"Carl Powers."
"Oh, wait are you saying he was murdered?" Sherlock walked over to where the shoe laces were hanging from a make-shift washing line.
"Remember the shoes laces?" He said, pointing at them and pausing long enough for John to nod. "The boy suffered from eczema. It'd be the easiest thing in the world to introduce the poison into his medication. Two hours later he comes up to London the poison takes effect, paralyses the muscles and he drowns."
"That's the thing about poisoning," Lizzie said, cradling her mug. "you don't need to be there when it takes effect." Sherlock nodded at her.
"What-how, how come the autopsy didn't pick it up?"
"It's virtually undetectable. Nobody would have been looking for it." He said, between taps on John's laptop. "But there were tiny traces of it left inside the trainers from where he put the cream on his feet."
"That's why they had to go." Lizzie said, sipping her drink again.
"So how do we let the bomber know?" John asked, still concerned for the woman.
"Got to get his attention," Sherlock said, looking at his watch. "Stop the clock."
"The killer kept the shoes all these years."
"Yes," Sherlock said looking at John, testing him. "Meaning?"
"He's our bomber." As soon as he finished his sentence the pink phone rang from the side.

Sherlock listen carefully to the woman on the other side before saying loudly and clearly. "Where are you? Tell us where you are?" Sherlock balanced the pink phone between his shoulder and ear, pulling his own phone out of his jacket and chucking it to Lizzie. Working out the code with a glance Lizzie unlocked the phone and pressed Lestrade's number. "Greg, its Lizzie. He's solved it. The address is..." Lizzie repeated the address Sherlock had said word for word. "Go get her please." Both Holmes hung up the phone at the same time. The room empty knowing they'd solved the case.

"Well," Lizzie said breaking the echoing silence. "Dinner time I think." Sherlock glanced up at her, his eyebrow raised. "What?" She said, defensively. "She's safe now, the case is closed and none of us have eaten in over twelve hours." As if on cue John's stomach grumbled. "See!" She said, pointing at him. "Now scoot both of ya." She added pushing them out the kitchen closing the door behind them. She gave a large sigh and smiled at the messy room before rummaging around trying to find anything edible.

After a half hour she appeared balancing plates on her arm. "Bon appetite!" She said passing them out. "Didn't know you could cook Lizzie." John said, kindly.
"It's just an omelette." She shrugged. "I was a university student once I got used to cooking with limited ingredients." John looked at her stunned as Sherlock tucked in as though his sister hadn't said anything unusual. "It was either this or head on toast."
"You made the right choice." John said tucking into his own food, deciding to ask about university when he was more awake.

They finished their meal in silence and John soon excused himself to go to bed. "The case is over Sherlock." Lizzie said, standing in front of her big brother, smiling at his empty plate. "You can sleep now."
"I will, I need to finish processing it."
"Are you?" Sherlock looked up at her. She was frowning down at him, her arms crossed and green eyes glaring. "Don't bother lying. " She said, holding her hand in front of his face as he opened his mouth. She disappeared into his room and came back wearing one of his old t-shirts and carrying his duvet. Lizzie curled up on the sofa under it. "If you need a board to bounce off." She said, before tapping into her phone and plugging her headphones in.

John came down the next morning to find both siblings eating breakfast at the kitchen table. Lizzie was sitting crossed legged in her chair downing a large black coffee while Sherlock grumpily bit into some toast. Sherlock broke his glare with his sister to say. "John, Lestrade's summoned when you're ready."
"Oh, okay." John replied. The sight of Sherlock eating two meals in a row, even if it was begrudgingly, was surprising to John but he guaranteed Lizzie was some how involved. "I won't be coming with you." Lizzie said, sipping the last of her coffee and jumping up.
"Where are you going?" Sherlock asked suspiciously.
"Got to go get my baby." She winked, as she walked out.

There we go my lovelies I hope you enjoy please vote comment and if you want to have a chat just DM me on insta:     
(@/basilpitch)
~EK xxx