The Baker's Detective

| The Discovery and the Turnovers |

John gives the driver Diane's address when they get inside the cab, and Sherlock transitions his thoughts from Lily — and Molly, really, based on their conversation — to the case.

Michael is likely responsible for the ears, if the ears are really Diane and Jared's. If they're not, he's still probably the one responsible for their disappearances — and possibly deaths. That brings up the question of whose ears they are, but there's no use dwelling on that until Molly is finished with tests. For now, he'll see what he can find in terms of DNA samples and possible evidence, and ask Lestrade what he has on the investigation of Diane and Jared's disappearances.

As they likely won't be interrogating any witnesses or possible suspects, he supposes it's fine that Lily isn't currently here, though she might've picked up on evidence he or John could miss. It's lucky the case seems open and shut — though Sherlock will keep an open mind. They can always search the houses again with Lily if need be.

"Did Lily seem alright to you?" John suddenly asks.

Sherlock turns to him. "What?"

"Did Lily seem alright to you?" he repeats. "She seemed a bit... off today. I thought you might've noticed."

Sherlock thinks for a moment, going back over the day so far, how Lily behaved, the things she said. He frowns. "She wasn't as..." fairy-like, he thinks, though instead he says, "joyful as she usually is." Granted, wanting to make Molly cherry turnovers seemed very Lily, but not quite the rest of her behavior. She was... troubled.

"Yeah. Like something's bothering her." They're quiet for a moment, both wondering. Sherlock remembers what Molly said to her, thinking that could have something to do with it. John sighs. "I suppose she'll tell us if she wants to."

"Maybe it was the ears," Sherlock supplies, noting how she didn't like looking at them and the aversion she had to them in her flat yesterday. It hits Sherlock that she seemed fine then. Taking care of everyone's refreshments, yes, but her normal self. Maybe it was Rosie being there, or that whatever's upset her happened between then and this morning. Or both. But Liam didn't seem bothered by anything — granted, Sherlock's only met him one time, so how would he know?

Unless he's the thing that bothered her. But why would the fairy guard upset the fairy?

"Maybe..." John says as the taxi stops in front of a normal house, save the police presence. Lestrade is outside while a few officers can be seen inside the open front door. Sherlock pushes Lily from his mind for the moment to focus on the case again.

"Hey," Lestrade calls. "John gave me the run down on the phone, but I'm still a bit lost here."

"And?" Sherlock replies, unsurprised.

Lestrade rolls his eyes. "We've had this missing person's case for a couple days now, haven't turned up anything. This ear business is clearly a development, but Susan didn't tell us anything."

"Her friend Miriam said she was freaked out and thought it might just be some prank," John answers.

"And what do you think it is?"

"Most likely human ears, and most likely Diane and Jared's," Sherlock says.

"Most likely sent by...?"

"Michael."

The only thing Sherlock can't figure out is why Diane's ex-husband would send Susan the ears. To rub it her face? Tell her what he did? Was he possibly in league with Susan's med-student ex-boyfriend? Asking Lily might prove to narrow things down, once he sees her again. Hopefully whatever's bothering her will have gone away. If not, he might have to make it go away; he wants her input if he can't figure it out from observations in the house alone. He wants to be certain. The case seems open and shut, but these specific motivations are another story, not to mention the whereabouts of Michael.