"Ah, Hello Molly!" Holmes greeted the woman with long brown hair in a high ponytail who was just starting her shift at St. Bart's morgue. She had her hands on a human heart she was about to dissect and nearly dropped it.
She always got so fiddly in Sherlock's presence no matter how hard she tried to ignore it. Dammit.
"Might we have a look at Annie Jackson?" he looked at her softly. Molly Hooper put her heart back in the metal bowl and bit into her lip nervously.
"I was instructed to keep you away…" She said, unsure of herself.
"Oh" The consulting detective seemed hurt by the news. "Is that a new hairclip?" he pointed at the butterfly that hugged her ponytail. She knew his methods. He could always melt her. "Come on, no one will know" he winked his green eye at her. Molly held her breath and obliged.
…
Kelly was praying for death, never had she wanted it more than now and that was saying a lot. Where was the man now? How long could he take?
Her shoulders hurt so much; the back of her head was throbbing heavily and her cheeks were hot and stinging from all of the slapping. She was glaring angrily at the open bible on the chair; the only furniture in the barely lit room.
…
Sherlock was examining the bruises and cuts on the body closely; his nose almost touching the cold skin as he was looking through his square magnifier. Molly and John stood back and watched him in action, Molly trying to hide her admiration.
"I was right about the telephone cord" he mumbled "And…" he was gently touching her pale hand. "A metal chain; thin but strong enough to support the weight of the body. It cut through the skin while she was still alive; waiting for him to kill her". He was looking at the dried blood on her wrist.
"You're sure it was the chain? They looked a bit self-inflicted to me" Molly's voice was low.
"No, I knew a girl once who allowed me to examine her self-inflicted cuts; this is definitely from a metal chain; have a look at the erratic lacerations". Molly's eyes widened a little. She never did like to hear him talk about other female acquaintances. No matter what state they were in.
"You're sure the murderer is a man?" John coughed trying to get Sherlock back on track. He knew exactly who Sherlock was referring to and the subject always made him uncomfortable.
"Balance of probability" Holmes replied without taking his eyes off the body in front of him.
"Because he undresses them?" Watson tried. Sherlock shook his head.
"These girls might have been skinny but he would have to use his own force to cling them up like so; besides a woman might have been more prone to resort to physical torture. Remember this killer hates his victims" Sherlock explained. Talking faster than the speed of sound it seemed. Watson had learned to keep up over the years.
"So a man, and he'd have to be quite strong?" Watson offered.
Holmes stopped what he was doing and straightened himself up and hastily removed his latex gloves.
"I need to get to a crime scene" he grunted. "Thank you Molly Hooper" he winked at her and out of the door he was. John straight behind him. Leaving the woman flustered and trying to clear away the evidence of him having been there.
…
Lucy sent Kelly yet another text. Kelly could be headstrong but she had always replied to her texts within minutes. They had a bond those two; and it unnerved her that there had been no reply since last night.
Had she done something to offend her? Of course that had to be it. The silent treatment. She would come 'round soon. It wouldn't be the first time one had misunderstood the other.
…
Celia had not slept at all when she showed up at work; she had tried to hide the dark rings under her eyes with makeup but Greg looked straight through her when he handed her the coffee which had become a ritual by now.
"You look like you need more than coffee" he joked. She gave him a small smile.
"It's just Lucy; she's so angry with me like it's my fault" she quickly took a sip of the magic black liquid trying to supress her emotions.
"Well it's not. She's just a teenager, that's what they do" he winked at her. Obviously trying to help her survive the day of work she had ahead of her.
"I don't even know where she spent her nights this week; a few years ago she was my happy little girl… We told each other everything" She took another large gulp and felt the caffeine slowly take effect. "But at least I've still got my daughter" she nodded at herself, reminding herself of the task at hand. Greg nodded too. She straightened her back and put on her business face.
…
The man finally returned and she turned her head to look at him. So much hate met her in those eyes. He was carefully moving her long hair out of the way and put the cord around her neck. She was shivering. Her phone beeped once again. The man paused for a second before he tightened the cord.
"Ready?" his whispering voice asked her.
"Fuck you!" she managed to say before her throat closed.
…
"When did you last speak with Annie?" DI Yellow was interviewing the sister of the 4th victim.
"She called me in the afternoon; on Monday" The young woman was putting up a brave face. "She just needed a chat; just broke up with her boyfriend you see". She reached for a paper towel despite her eyes not being damp yet. But she knew the tears might come any second. They were never far away these days.
"I'm sorry" Celia said carefully. "Do you think we could talk to him perhaps?" She coughed.
"You don't think he…" The sister's bloodshot eyes were wide.
"Not necessarily. Would there be a reason for us to think he might have had a grudge against Annie?" DI Yellow looked into the eyes of the young woman that had now grown damp.
"Billy was good news for her; I've never seen her as happy as when she was with him. They split as friends though" She was drying her eyes.
"Thank you; I think we better stop here" Celia smiled kindly at the grieving sister and clicked the button that stopped the recording. "We'll catch him I promise" She vowed as she showed her out.
"That won't bring her back though" her voice was cracking and Celia's chest cramped.