A/N: As stated in the summary, this story is a case-fic that I'm submitting to a contest. So feedback is very important in this case. Without further ado, it's time for murder!

The Adventure of the Mysterious Crone: Prologue

My good friend Holmes and I encounter many kinds of people throughout the course of our travels. As such, we are often exposed to humanity at its every extreme.

Holmes often mused that the catalyst behind people's actions is often mired in many layers of deception. Often times what we can only scratch the surface of the matter.

I am very much reminded of the time a graveyard was struck with a murder most foul. Of an ethereal figure gliding among the stones under which the dead sleep. Including a man that had been placed there against his will….

October 29th, 12:32 p.m.

Location: Hogar de los Muertos cemetery

"And that, my dear Watson, is why I've learned to never underestimate a seemingly harmless opponent."

Iris Watson continued to take notes on Holmes's story on a Ms. Irene Alder as they approached their destination: a cemetery where a corpse from a recently ended case was being held. It had been a straightforward stabbing that didn't take too long to resolve. This visit Holmes was doing with was at the behest of Scotland Yard, to make sure there was no loose ends that needed to be addressed and if so to allow the cemetery to bury the body.

Once they reached the cemetery Holmes and Iris went straight to the main building, walking a path between neat rows of tombstones. Along the way Iris noticed a single headstone in a solitary corner of the graveyard, but it was too far away to read whatever was on it. Holmes knocked on the door of the office with a flourish.

The door opened, revealing a person with a hunched back who was wearing a brown hooded cloak. Almost no features of their face were visible, aside from a long, hooked nose. They also appeared to be using the shovel they had with them as a walking cane.

"Mue heh heh heh…..welcome to the home of the dead," the person said in a raspy but clearly female voice. "You must be the people Mr. Paz was waiting for. Come in, come in."

Holmes and Iris entered the building along with the mysterious woman. They were led the front of the office of the funeral director/graveyard owner, where the woman knocked on the door before saying, "Mr. Paz, a pair of wandering souls are here to see you."

The door opened to reveal a Spanish man with tan skin, thinning brown hair, trim mustache, and a slight beer gut that was visible under the black jacket and pants combo he wore.

"Oh, this must be the detective and his little assistant that the cops were going to send over. I'm Descan Paz, owner of this establishment," Mr. Paz said.

"And I am Hope N. Vane, but you can call me Hope if you wish," the woman added.

"A pleasure to meet you both. I am the one and only Sherlock Holmes!" Sherlock said, twirling in place.

'And I'm Iris Watson!"

"Good, Good. Have you been showing them all the sights, Hope?" Descan said.

"That I have, Mr. Paz." Hope answered. "They haven't woken any of the sleeping here if that's what you're wondering."

Mr. Paz chuckled. "We'd be having problems if they did. Okay, that's enough joking around. I suppose you'll be wanting to see the corpse now, Mr. Holmes. If you'll just follow me…..you too, Hope."

The party of four made their way to the viewing room where the corpse of a young man was laid out on a steel table, stab wound visible on the man's torso.

Holmes noticed that Mr. Paz and Hope had fallen silent, right hands over their hearts and heads bowed respectfully. Besides him Iris was visibly rattled at the sight of the dead body.

"Ms. Iris," Hope said suddenly. "If you need to leave to collect yourself, no one will think any less of you."

Iris started at Hope's words. "I can handle myself just fine!" she said with all the confidence she could muster. "I'm the assistant to Mr. Holmes, after all!"

Hope had no further commentary, so Holmes and Iris went about inspecting the body in front of them. Nothing was found to be wrong with the body, so eventually Holmes signed paperwork on behalf of Scotland Yard releasing it into Mr. Paz's custody.

"Lucky you two choose to do this," Mr. Paz said. "My schedule for tomorrow is absolutely packed."

"But isn't that always the case, Descan?" Hope asked.

"True enough. That's the thing about our line of business- la muerte nunca toma descansos!" Mr. Paz finished, and then he and Hope laughed at what was clearly an inside joke between them.

"Hope, guide Mr. Holmes and Ms. Watson back out while I move the body back to the cooler so that it can be buried tomorrow." Descan ordered.

"Right this way, guests…."

Hope led Holmes and Iris as far as the door back outside, then seemed to stare intensely at Holmes.

"Can I help you, Ms. Vane?" Holmes said.

Hope held up her shovel as if using it as a measuring stick, then said in her usual rasp, "Mr. Holmes. If you don't want to find yourself next on the steel table back there I would avoid waterfalls. Think of it as friendly advice."

"Well, my travels aren't going to take me anywhere near those," Holmes said nonchalantly. "But I'll be sure to be careful if I do find myself at one. Sherlock, out!"

Holmes and Iris left the cemetery, already talking excitedly about what their next case might be like. Behind them, Hope closed the door of the main building.

October 30th, 10:24 a.m.

Location: Hogar de los Muertos cemetery

A small squad of police officers stormed the grounds of the cemetery, searching for whatever had been the reason for the anonymous call they had received earlier today. The first thing they'd noticed was a trail in the dirt which seemed to originate from main building and go off somewhere. Half the team went into the building while the other half followed the trail. Along the trail they found a woman dressed in a cloak laying unconscious on the ground, a shovel with dirt on the blade a couple feet away from her.

As a couple officers attended to the woman, a few more continued to follow trail, which ended at a grave that was stuffed into a remote corner of the graveyard. The officers stopped and stared in horror at the sight that was waiting for them.

The grave had been partially dug up. And inside the hole was the face of the dead Descan Paz, mouth filled with dirt, forehead bloodied, and a frozen expression of fear.

A/N: Yes those references to Holmes canon were intentional. So I'd like to hear from everyone- just from this prologue alone, what do you think happened? I have already decided how this case will play out. But correct guesses will be rewarded at the end of this story. See you next time! Please review.