Loving a Holmes

Molly Hooper

Further along a narrow corridor another door slides open and Sherlock and I walk through the doorway, Sherlock holding the pistol in both hands lowered towards the floor while the other two follow us. We're in a small room with black walls and floor and no window and the room is only dimly lit. Unlike the previous one, there's no red paint on the walls. A wall screen is currently showing only pouring water. In the middle of the room resting on two trestles is a light brown wooden coffin with brass handles and no lid. Light shines down onto it. Sherlock and I walk across and looks down into the coffin, then he and I raises our heads to look for the light source. There's a narrow open chimney in the middle of the ceiling from which daylight is coming. The lid of the coffin is propped up against the far wall, its underside facing the room. The speakers click and Eurus' voice is heard. "One more minute on the phone."

The speakers squeal momentarily and then the little girl's voice comes from them. "Frightened. I'm really frightened."

"It's okay, don't worry. We don't have very long with you, so I just need you to tell me what you can see outside the plane." I speak up, calmly.

"Just the sea. I can see the sea."

"Are there ships on it?"

"No ships. I can see lights in the distance."

Sherlock sighs. "Is it a city?"

"I think so."

Sherlock turns and looks at John who is standing at the side of the coffin. Mycroft, standing at the other side, speaks quietly. "She's about to fly over a city in a pilotless plane. We'll have to talk her through it."

"Through what?"

The little girl speaks up again. "Hello? Are you still there?"

Sherlock nods. "Still here. Just give us a minute."

Mycroft speaks quietly so the girl can't hear him. "Getting the plane away from any mainland, any populated areas. It has to crash in the sea."

John looks at him as if he can't believe what he's saying. "What about the girl?"

Mycroft speaks in a firm whisper. "Well, obviously, Doctor Watson, she's the one who's going to crash it."

"No, we could help her land it."

"And if we fail, and she crashes into a city? How many will die then?"

"How are we gonna get her to do that?"

"I'm afraid we're going to have to give her hope."

I speak loudly so the girl can hear. "Is there really no one there that can help you? Have you really, really checked?"

"Everyone's asleep. Will you help me?" She whimpers.

"We're going to do everything that we can."

"I'm scared. I'm really scared."

"It's all right. I..."

I stop when there's a click on the speakers. Eurus comes back onto the screen in front of us. "Now, back to the matter in hand. Coffin. Problem: someone is about to die. It will be as I understand it a tragedy. So many days not lived, so many words unsaid. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera."

Sherlock sighs and speaks exasperated. "Yes, yes, yes, and this I presume will be their coffin."

"Whose coffin, Sherlock? Please, start your deductions. I will apply some context in a moment."

Sherlock has been pacing around but now he turns towards the head of the coffin again and blows out a noisy breath. "Well, allowing for the entirely pointless courtesy of headroom, I'd say this coffin is intended for someone of about five foot four. Makes it more likely to be a woman."