I'm briefly back after vacation. I'm going through some hardships rn and I'm still without a laptop so I couldn't predict when I'll throw out my next update. If there's any mistakes, I wrote this on my cell phone so my bad.
SO to Joanlockaholic who commented with Michael's last name. Finally some relief to that damned question
Michael is taunting all of them. That much Sherlock knows. He must have eyes on the outside watching their every move. Upon Captain Gregson's orders they submitted a BOL for Watson. Ever since he's waited by his phone with baited breath. The Brownstone is unbearably quiet in her absence. Leo is with Oren until Watson is found. His eraticism would do the baby no good.
His phone rings again and he answers within seconds. "Hello, Bell?"
"We got something." The tension in his chest loosens for a second. "Cashier at a grocery saw Watson and she gave her a weird receipt. She's bringing it in with her when she comes to questioning."
"I'll be over within an hour."
When he arrives Mrs. Rivera is already sitting in the briefing room, hands folded in her lap. From what he can deduce she's showing no signs of apprehension or guilt. He's nearly certain that this woman is nothing more than a pawn in these sickening games.
"There you are. She wanted to wait to speak to you." Bell nods to the seat across from the woman. She's elderly, likely no younger than 65.
"Me?"
"Unless you know another Sherlock Holmes out there." Bell tries to joke. Yet he can see the same desperation in the young detective's eyes. They're both keenly aware of what Michael is capable of yet neither of them able to prove it for a proper search warrant. "Mrs. Rivera, this is our consultant Sherlock Holmes."
"I know." The older woman nods. "You saved my nephew once. Whatever I can do to help find your friend, I will."
"Wonderful." Sherlock sighs. "Can you confirm that this is the woman you saw?" He slides a photo of Watson he'd saved on his phone across the table.
"Yup. That was her."
"Can you describe what she was wearing?" Bell chimes in.
"Black dress, looked pretty expensive. Kind of made her stand out considering it was nearly six in the morning."
"What did she buy?"
"Camping stuff. Some rope, couple of hooks and stuff, food." Rivera shakes her head. "I thought it was weird but she said she was going camping with her fiancé this weekend." The word settles a rock in his stomach.
"Was she alone." His words must come out too biting as Bell shoots him a look.
"Yeah. Walked out alone too." Just as he thought. A dead end lead. He's playing a game with all of them.
"And what about the weird receipt that you described on the phone?"
"When she signed I thought her name looked weird. I put it off with sloppy handwriting but then I saw her on the news." She digs into her purse before pulling out a piece of white paper. The ink on it confirms everything she said about the purchase. Yet on the line where her signature is usually scribbled isn't her name.
He casts a look to Detective Bell to confirm that he sees the same thing. He's got the same perplexed look as he studies the writing. Its hurried and nearly illegible but he almost swears he can make on two distinct words.
"Baby monitor?" Bell echoes his thought. His mind runs rampant with thoughts. Why would she write this? Was Michael watching her through the baby monitor? Another thought rips his stomach apart. The same baby monitor Oren took with him to watch Leo.
"We must go. Now." He pushes away from the table nearly knocking over his chair in his haste. "Thank you Mrs. Rivera you've been a world of help but I'm afraid we must leave immediately."
"Sherlock?" The detective follows him out of the building where he marches briskly towards his squad car. "Sherlock what the hell man?"
"Watson is trying to tell us something about what happened that night. I believe Michael may have hacked into Watson's baby monitor for who knows how long. If he threatened Leo it would've gotten her to leave of her own free will. She knew where I was and was able to guide them out of the house where he could steal her away without my notice."
"That still doesn't explain where we are going."
"Oren has the baby monitor. He could still be watching."
"Leo..." Marcus gasps. His realization seems to finally kick him into gear as he rushes to the driver's seat and hops in. He speeds out of the parking lot blasting the sirens at full volume. The drive is tense with no words spoken between the two men, however the anxiety hangs in the air all the way up until Bell pulls into Oren's driveway.
Marcus holds a hand across his body to signal to stay back. He realizes its more for Oren's good than his own. If Sherlock were to march in their right now he'd likely knock over anyone and anything in his pathway. Instead he bounces on his toes waiting for the older Watson to answer the door.
As soon as Oren grants his permission for them to search Sherlock is brushing past the man. His heart thunders in his chest so loud that he can barely hear Marcus giving a status report to, who he assumes is Oren's wife, in the living room. His chest loosens a little when he sees Leo's dark eyes staring back at him. He's sitting up in his crib, chubby fists waving his pacifier in the air as if he's waving. Leo seems to look around the room curiously before realizing the absence of his mother. His face scrunches up in a look that signifies his loud cries are to come.
On instinct he swoops in, picking the little boy up and bouncing him from side to side. He mimicks Watson's movements gently taking the pacifier from his tiny fingers and placing it in his mouth. Sherlock's not entirely sure what compels him to do it but he begins talking to the small child.
"I'm sorry." He whispers. "I should've heard something. I should've been able to help her." Leo sets his head on his shoulder sniffling. "If I'd have known Michael was back sooner..." Mentally he can hear Watson scolding him for blaming himself for this mess when clearly Michael was a sociopath longing for attention. "You have my word Leo, I will get your mommy back." He mutters against his soft hair.
Once he's sure the boy is settled again he sets him back into the crib. He creeps quietly over to where the baby monitor lies, inspecting it in the dark light of the bedroom. As he's flicking through the setting he notices two words flipped around. Its strange since, for extra per caution, he'd hired one of his irregulars to add extra features to the thing. He wouldn't make such a trivial mistake.
He clicks the button that lines up with the mistake on the screen. The screen flashes for a second before popping up with one word, 'Michael.'
He beams with pride. God knows how she's managed to do it but this should be enough to get a warrant.
"That's my girl." He whispers into the silence of the room before marching off to the living room to report his findings to Bell.