A/N: Hi guys. This may not be TWOH, and that is still ongoing, it's just that this is a side project of mine, so I can be constantly writing, and plus it allows me to delve into murder-mystery writing as well, which is something that I haven't really done in a while.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters; all are owned by CBS and the Elementary writing team respectively. Any characters that are of my own design will be mentioned below.
OCs: Emmi and Aria Stumph
Joan quickly made it down the stairs into the lounge. She picked up her handbag, and had just made it to the door when...
"Watson!"
Letting her head fall to the wood of the door, Joan turned and walked down to the kitchen. "What?"
"We have our killer in custody."
"That's good. Was it Jack Farringdon, like we predicted?"
Her companion nodded; a triumphant smile plastered on his face. "Come on, we have to go down to the station, Captain Gregson is in need of our assistance."
"I can't. I have to be somewhere."
"Well it's certainly not a date, judging by your casual clothing." Sherlock gestured toward her running shoes.
Joan headed toward the fridge. "I'm meeting an old high school friend. There's a baseball game we're heading to."
"Ah, the nation's favourite pastime. I guess shooting something isn't highly revered as I thought." Sherlock briefly looked down at his phone. "Ah,"
Joan became concered. "What is it?"
"Mr Farringdon confessed. Captain Gregson has cut a deal of a reduced sentence if Mr Farringdon gave the name of those that helped him."
"That's good. Want to go down to the station any way?"
Sherlock looked at Joan in surprise.
"I can tell her that I can't make it. It's fine."
Arriving at the police station, Sherlock and Joan were met with a large group of high school students outside of the Captain's office.
"Joan, hi," Detective Bell caught the two in shocked confusion. "After a baseball game, there was a fight between the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts High School and Hillcrest High School in Queens. Few kids got hurt, and one caused damage to some cars with a baseball bat."
Joan huffed. "So much for that baseball game with Janey." She glanced over Detective Bell's shoulder. "Only one girl?"
"Huh?" Bell turned and also looked at the girl; she was curled up next to a young man, with a bloody lip and the forming of a black eye. "Yeah. She and some of her buddies tried to break up the fight, but they ended up getting involved. The captain is talking to the ones that started the fight."
The trio began their walk to the captain's office when the door was opened, and a large group of young men left it. "Joan, Sherlock. I guess you know what's happened."
"Yes, Detective Bell filled us in," Sherlock replied.
Captain Gregson pointed to the remaining cluster. "I want you four that stopped the fight to come in."
"We were heading home after band practice, and then we head all the shouting from outside the school gates," One of the four said.
"So-"
"Aria."
"So, Aria, what did you do?"
"We went over and tried to see what the problem was. Daniel Ford told us to leave, and then the fight started up again."
Captain Gregson noted this all down. "Now, Daniel Ford didn't tell us what the fight was about, can you tell us?"
Before Aria could answer, there was a knock at the office door. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, Captain, but there's been a 911 call out to a suspected home invasion."
The address in question was five doors away from the Brownstone.
Aria and her friends were allowed to leave, after Captain Gregson wanted to ask no further questions of them. Also, it gave Aria an advantage to receive a lift home, seeing as it was her address.
Sherlock and Joan entered the property, seeing the carnage that littered the floor. There was smashed glass, screwed-up balls of musical scores, even a kitchen knife was seen.
What they did not expect to see, however, was the body of Aria's mother.
"Watson, please go and inform Miss Stumph of her mother's murder." His voice was tense and filled with anger. Sherlock's fist was clenched tightly.
Joan could see Sherlock's odd behaviour, but didn't want to question her friend further. "I will."
Sherlock stood and stared at the body; he remembered how small Emmi was when they both attended university - still she was that girl from his accommodation halls. Emmi had filled out a since her pregnancy. It made her petite frame softer, more fragile. Nothing about her had changed, by the looks of her: she still had the long blonde hair; still had the little tan-coloured mole on her chin; still had the small rampant lion tattooed onto her right wrist.
The chilling cry of anguish from Aria enveloped Sherlock's ears. The noise surrounded them, and appeared to block out the other noises around him.
There was a brief breeze and a bump against Sherlock's body. It was Aria, clinging on to him for dear life.
Sherlock settled himself onto one knee, and let Aria's skinny arms smother his neck, and her tears to wet the crook of it. He wasn't aware of his movements, but Joan came back into the room, and found her friend cuddling a child in comfort.
Sherlock hadn't spoken since she was asked to leave the room, and, to her knowledge, he made not a sound.
There was a small noise, however, that caught Joan's ear.
Eight little words.
"It's going to be okay. I've got you."