Author's note: More reviews and followers! Woohoo!
Mind: See, you just have to be a whiny little bitch about it.
Me: Thankfully you are still in possession of your trademark tact...
Mind: Sarcasm. That was sarcasm.
Me: Well done.
Sherlock and John looked at each other. For a moment, time seemed to stand still.
Then, Greg cleared his throat and glanced at the picture Sherlock was still holding again. "Jesus" he mumbled.
"Greg, I am not prone to swearing, as you well know, but I think you have hit the nail on the head" Sherlock answered, giving him the picture and starting to pace up and down Harry's bedroom.
His DI shook his head and put the picture back on his bedside table. "Do you know anything about Harry's ex-lover?"
"Just that she broke things off when she realized she was only the lover and not the girlfriend. I only saw her one time, when the girlfriend as well as the lover had broken things off, and I don't have enough data..." Sherlock was trying to make sense of it all, to find a theory that didn't include Harry as the murderer, if only to please –
He was only trying to help John, and he knew it. But still – it was better than becoming like Moriarty; cold, a psychopath, a consulting criminal, and enjoying it too. He had to find another explanation, if only for his blogger's sake.
Greg swallowed, then asked, very quietly, ""To transfo0rm the victim into someone else"... didn't you say something like that?"
"Yes I did" Sherlock replied, still pacing.
"Sherlock..."
"The picture itself isn't conclusive evidence" he responded curtly.
Greg sighed. "I know, and I'm on your side, remember? But still..."
And, just like that, Sherlock felt bad for having treated Greg like that. It wasn't his DI's fault. There was no reason to treat him like he had treated him – well, before he jumped. He trusted Greg, it was as simple as that.
"I know it doesn't look good... But still, the picture is no proof. So she has an ex-lover who looks like the victim... that might well be true for a certain percentage of the population. And the DNA on the victim's fingernail... we still can't disprove her story."
The DI nodded. "Works for me. I'd rather not have to arrest John's sister for as long as I can help it. Although I have to bring her in again – we still need a DNA sample."
Sherlock turned around and returned to the living room without another word, knowing that Greg wouldn't hold him against it. Harry stood in the middle of the carpet, glaring daggers at every policeman or forensic guy that might happen to be in her vision.
Then she realized Sherlock had entered the room and decided to glare daggers at him instead.
"And? Found anything of interest?"
Sherlock wanted to tell her about the picture, but he knew it wouldn't be a good move. When he heard Greg exit her bedroom, he turned around and knew by the slight nod the DI gave him that he'd pocketed the picture.
Greg spoke. "Miss Watson, you will have to accompany us to Scotland Yard again – we need to take a blood sample to compare it to the blood found on the victim's finger nail."
"I thought I already told you she scratched me?" Harry sounded indignant, even angry, and Sherlock decided to take this as a good sign. Innocent people got angry when you accused them of something they didn't commit. True, she could be playacting, but he chose not to think about that.
"Yes, but we need to confirm it. Would you please go with Sergeant Mellows?"
She went with the Sergeant, grumbling all the way, and Sherlock stayed in the middle of the room, lost in his thoughts, while Greg was talking to one of the forensic techs.
He only came out of his mind palace when the DI approached him.
"They found nothing... At least nothing that could tie Harry to the crime just like that. They certainly didn't find anything that looks like a belt used to strangle someone."
"Good. That's good" Sherlock answered, absent-mindedly, trying to chase away the feeling that he'd missed something.
"I'm not sure it is" Greg answered enigmatically. "Because we have to take her in regardless, and I hate the thought of what it will do to John if we can't rule her out..."
"Don't you think I do too?" Sherlock shot back sharply, immediately regretting what he'd said. "I didn't mean..."
"I know you didn't" Greg said, to Sherlock's relief not looking particularly concerned or hurt. "Let's just bring her in, alright? If you want, I can wait with the interview until you brought John the news".
"I would prefer that" was all Sherlock answered, before strolling out of the flat, Greg's worried look following him.
He might not know Sherlock better than John, but he had known him longer – long enough to realize that the consulting detective was – for lack of a better word – confused and lost.
And that was never a good sign.
The last time he'd seen him like this, Sherlock had –
No. That was over and done with. He'd promised himself never to bring it up again. It was enough that Sherlock was back where he belonged, safe and sound. No need to remember the three lost years, where not only the consulting detective's, but the life of everyone who cared for him seemed to hang in limbo.
So Greg just shrugged, nodded to the remaining forensic techs, and left the building to drive back to Scotland Yard with Sherlock.
The spent the ride mostly in silence; to be honest, Greg was rather worried what Sherlock was thinking. God knew, his own thoughts were far from pleasant – but Sherlock was John's best friend. And he probably didn't want to tell him that they brought in his sister.
Again.
Even though John already knew that they would bring her in, even though they brought the best news imaginable at present – they hadn't found anything to tie her to the crime, at least – it wasn't a conversation either of them was keen to have.
But it would probably be easier for –
"That's... nice of you, Greg, but you don't have to" Sherlock interrupted his train of thought. The DI sighed.
"I would ask you how you knew that, but let's be honest – it's utterly pointless."
But Sherlock smiled at him a little after he'd said that, so maybe his thought process hadn't been so pointless after all.
When they arrived at the Yard, Harry had already been brought in the interrogation room. Sherlock pulled Greg aside.
"I'd be thankful if you could bring her to Molly yourself and make sure she stays here... There's something I have to check out".
"I assume you'll tell me in time?" Greg asked, raising an eyebrow, not in the least surprised. H was, however, surprised when Sherlock suddenly put a hand on his right forearm and squeezed it. "I promise you, Greg."
"Well then..." and the DI had to clear his throat, because all of a sudden, his voice sounded a little croaky. "I'll... do what you said." And he turned around, walking towards the interview room, Sherlock smiling to himself behind his back.
Before his so-called "death", he'd never put any importance on making people feel better about themselves. But while he still didn't think that it was absolutely necessary, he couldn't deny that it made him feel better as well.
He made his way to Greg's office, relieved to see neither Anderson nor Donavan on the way. Maybe they were crying over the lost opportunity of insulting him, or they were actually doing their job, for once, though he shuddered at the thought. But at least they weren't here to make John even more miserable.
He smiled when he found John asleep at Greg's desk, his head on his arms. So he got two more hours of rest. It wasn't much, but it was something.
He gently shook him awake. "John?"
The doctor mumbled incoherently, and Sherlock smiled again. Would it be anyone else, his blogger would already have woken up and most likely scared the other person – most of his girlfriends had been surprised at his reaction when woken up, though they should have known, really, with John being an experienced soldier – but whenever Sherlock tried to wake him, he tried to get a few more minutes of sleep. There was something unbelievably trusting in this attitude, something Sherlock couldn't explain and wasn't even – although normally he would have tried – keen to explain. It was just – the way it was, and that was enough.
And then John's head went up, he saw Sherlock and remembered, and because of the worry in his eyes, Sherlock really wished he'd let him sleep a little longer.
"Sherlock? What's going on? Was Harry – "
"Brought in. To give a blood sample. We didn't find anything in her flat, don't worry" Sherlock said quickly, not wanting his blogger to worry more than he already did.
John sighed relieved. "Thank God for that."
Now came the difficult part, and Sherlock didn't know how to say it. "Listen, John, I have to check something – "
"And you don't want me to come with you". John finished. It was a statement, and Sherlock flinched at the resigned tone in the doctor's voice. At this, John smiled. "No, I understand. Really, I do. Just..."
"Don't worry, I already promised Greg I'd tell him what I did, and we both know he'll tell you as soon as he finds out".
John smiled again, though this time, it was thankfully a real smile. "True. Just take care."
Sherlock left the station feeling rather guilt, because he didn't know if he'd find something to exonerate Harry or put a nail in her proverbial coffin.
He'd forgotten to look for the belt, he'd realized on the way back from Harry's flat, and it was likely that the killer had got rid at it at the nearest opportunity – she would have to have been particularly cold-blooded to wear the belt or put it in her pocket, after she'd committed murder with it.
It took him less than an hour to find the right bin – as usual.
What wasn't usual, however, was that he was feeling worried –
Because the murder weapon looked slightly familiar.
Author's note: I'm really sorry for the late update... again. I'm trying to keep up my schedule, but it's not easy. Let's just say I tried, alright? This "real life" some of you have been explaining to me can be really demanding. My God, even later than yesterday...
Also, once again, this chapter is shorter than I'd like it to be, but again, that's life for you.
Oh, and sorry for the continuing cliffhangers. I just love chapters with cliffhangers. You might have noticed.
I hope you liked it, please review.