John smiled at Mrs. Hudson as she sat his coffee before him, just the way he liked it, too. Sherlock was already at it with an experiment at the table.

"Sherlock, have you no mind? We're trying to have breakfast over here."

"Yes, it would be nice if you brought up the paper every morning from now on. Good idea, Mrs. Hudson."

The elder woman threw her hands in the air and sat it next to John. She grabs it every day since it's always right next to her door to begin with. It took him this long to notice? Sherlock continued along with a shake of his head and a twist on the dial of the microscope.

John's phone dinged, indicating a text message. Great timing, as he felt the silence was too awkward.

Can you and the consulting phone ignorer come in for a case today?

From Lestrade.

"Are you busy today?" John asked his flat mate.

"Obviously, can you not see I am already working?" Sherlock replied with his usual sarcastic tones.

"Lestrade asks us to come in today."

"I know," Sherlock held up his phone after pulling it out of his robe pocket. "He's done called four times and texted me seven."

Consulting phone ignorer.

"Doesn't interest you?"

"No."

"You don't even know the specifics."

"Neither do you."

"Maybe it's already on the front page," Mrs. Hudson said as she pointed at the paper before John.

John and Mrs. Hudson huddled around the paper, coffee in hand as they looked it over.

"In summary, nineteen women have been killed, all in exactly the same way, but DNA tests have proven that they were all murdered by different men."

"Exactly the same?" Sherlock murmured.

"That's the impression I'm reading, dear," the landlady replied.

Sherlock finally looked away from what he was examining and to his phone.

Have you read the paper?

Answer your phone.

I have a case for you.

Answer your phone.

Answer your phone.

Answer your phone.

Answer your phone.

Sherlock called the man back, sighing deeply.

"I want facts before I even decide if I'm getting dressed. If it's even worth getting dressed for."

"Did you read the paper?"

"I want the facts from you," Sherlock bit through the phone.

Lestrade let out an audible sigh as the phone was placed on speakerphone and sat next to the microscope so Sherlock could continue on with his experiment.

"Oh this sounds important. I should leave. Ring me if you need anything, boys."

Mrs. Hudson gathered her coffee cup and left the boys to their business.

"Alone now?" Lestrade asked annoyed.

"Yes, sir, go ahead," John answered.

"Nineteen women were tortured and murdered in the past three months. They don't seem to have been related at all, except for the way they were murdered. Knife wounds from the torture and a single silenced gunshot to the side of the head. The exact same place, same bullet type, everything."

"So how have you gathered the different kinds of DNA?"

Another sigh. "The women were all raped before death. After examining the bodies, the women all appeared to have been forced into sexual activities. All also, in the exact same way. Just different sperm samples."

John crinkled his nose and forehead. "You'd been able to gather even all that from these bodies?"

"We've been trying to find links and ways to track this murderer and get rid of him already. But nothing."

"And the suspects are all nineteen different men?"

"We've tracked these men by the DNA sampled from the specimens, and all of them have solid alibis or something of the such. We need Sherlock's help."

Sherlock's eyebrow raised. "Resorted to begging? Why hadn't I been called sooner?"

"You know your policy better than any other. Is it interesting enough for you?"

"I can look."

"Is that a yes?"

"I can look," Sherlock repeated.

"I take that as a yes. We'll accept to help," John interpreted.

"Then I'll inform you of your first and foremost job when you get here in an hour. See you then."

Lestrade hung up and Sherlock pocketed his phone.

John drank the last gulp of his coffee as he stood up. "I suppose I'll get ready. Are you going to get ready?"

"When I feel like it."

John cringed and changed his footing. "This morning has been quite eventful, hasn't it?"

"Very."

"Especially for this early."

"Mhm."

John stared some more. "Are you excited at least?"

"I'm busy."

John shook his head as he retreated to his room to ready himself.

It has been too eventful for a normal morning. He hadn't even made it through his plate before the case landed on that plate.