When Mycroft showed him the message being broadcast nationwide, his first thought had been Molly.
He didn't believe for one moment that Moriarty had returned from the dead. He knew a corpse when he saw one. And Molly had confirmed that Moriarty was dead once she had completed his autopsy.
So he knew for a fact it wasn't the Consulting Criminal. But there was the possibility that he hadn't destroyed his whole network as he had thought.
And if that were the case, then that meant that Molly's life was in danger.
"Get me to Bart's immediately," he ordered as soon as he was in the car.
For once Mycroft offered no argument. He was well aware of what Molly had done for Sherlock over the years. And the precarious position that those decisions could now place her.
As soon as Sherlock burst through the doors of the morgue at St. Bart's Hospital he knew his worst fears had been realised.
Molly Hooper was missing.
Lestrade, Donovan and Anderson were already hard at work trying to establish the events after the broadcast.
The broken sample dishes on the floor proof that Molly had seen the message that had been played on a continuous loop.
"Did you miss me?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Did you miss me?"
"Did you miss me?"
When Sherlock pulled out his mobile, Lestrade waylaid him.
"I wouldn't bother," he said. "Her bag, mobile and coat are all still here."
Sherlock frowned. 'Why would she leave without taking anything with her?'
"Is there any sign that she was taken against her will?" he asked carefully.
"No," Lestrade responded. "CCTV footage shows her leaving in a hurry, but of her own accord. She didn't receive any messages as far as we can tell. She saw the broadcast, dropped the samples on the floor and then left the morgue."
Sherlock let out a small sigh of relief. As good news went it wasn't much, but it was something.
But the question remained. Where was Molly Hooper now?
Deciding there was nothing more he could do here, he left Lestrade and the others to get on with their investigations.
Once he had his brother's assurance that he had people already working on tracking down how the transmission had been sent, and by whom, Sherlock left.
On the street outside the hospital the Consulting Detective scanned the immediate area. "Where are you Molly Hooper?" he murmured.
He turned his collar up against the wind and made his way down the street, hailing the next cab that came along. It was time to get the Homeless Network into action. Time was of the essence.