Chapter 2: Caroline's Day-
The following morning brought no ease to John's concern for his friend, but rather it itenstified with the Dawn, as if the light of the early morning glancing off their mirror, saw no reflection when Sherlock came rushing into their living room, like an autumn gale, ecstatic,muttering to himself as wind does through the lonely trees of winter.
He rushed to the skull and lifted it up, cradling it almost like a woman does her baby. "Caroline, darling!" he cried. "I promised you _did I not?I promise you that I would get justice,and for years you have sat on my mantel, patient as the Virgin Mary! Always waiting! No more,Caroline! No more waiting. Now I have evidence, variables, something to solve with!" John nearly dropped the tea pot, and slowly turned around. Sherlock cradled the skull "rock-a bying" it in his arms,chanting "Soon, soon,you shall rest in peace very soon,Caroline..."
"Wait..what now?" John asked, face gone wan. Sherlock looked up."She's waited on our mantel long enough for justice,don't you think? She's been waiting, even longer than I've lived here, now her day has come. Caroline's day."
"Sherlock,what are you talking about?"John asked horrified. "This really isn't funny, what have you come up with?, some kind of sick case for your skull, 'cause you've gotten bored? You'll get a case, just, stop that _it's ...creepy..."
Sherlock staired blankly at him. "I'm serious, John." John was shaking his head confused. "But Mrs. Hudson, the skull, I thought you named it, because she wanted you to?" Sherlock smiled, "I did. Mrs. Hudson wanted a name ,wanted a girl's name, conveniantly. What better name than her own? Out of respect for her, I stopped saying it aloud. But at Mrs. Hudson's request, I started again. It would be wrong to give her any other name than the one that is rightfully hers.."
John's jaw dropped. "So the skull, DID belong to a woman?!"
"Yes?"
"Did you know this woman?"
Sherlock grew quiet..."Yes..."
John felt sick..."How?"
Sherlock smiled. "Schoolmates. She dated my roommate. We were friends. She listened to me, despite that I sounded like a lunatic. My Caroline..." he smiled.
"Justice now. She's waited too long...The bloody denim I examined last night,is evidence from a murder that matches the description of the group of serial killers that took her life. I have something to work on,it 's been too long..Forgive me, old friend..." He staired into oblivion. Then looked up, smiled, took the skull under his arm. "Thrill of the hunt! See you later,John!" he winked, and clicked his tounge, and was out the door.
John stood in the silence of the room,feeling faint for a few minutes, before he was throwing on his coat.
"Sherlock,wait !" he shouted, and clambered down the stairs.
