"There are a couple of details that must not be overlooked. If you had looked closer, Dr. Watson, you would have noticed flakes of skin under her fingernails. Particularly noteworthy are the brownish flakes under her right index fingernail."
"Blood?" Lestrade was skeptical.
Holmes shrugged. "Further analysis is needed of course- which the lab could easily take of. Though this is the most peculiar of all." He lifted the pale lifeless arm.
Lestrade was as puzzled as I was. "What is?" he asked, surprisingly deferential.
"It's clean." This significance of his curt reply was not lost on me as I realized what Holmes was trying to say. Of course! If she had slit her own wrists, there would be a blood trail either down her inner arm or along her hand. Blood does not simply dripped from the wound to the floor and leave no trace; its high water content dictates that given the choice, it willalways "run along" a surface rather than fall freely through the air. Well, unless her wrist was right next to the floor-
"She was found with her left arm across the chest and her right arm at her side with the wrist facing upwards," Holmes interrupted.
How did he know what I was going to ask?
He chuckled. "Don't be so surprised doctor. Your face is an open book." Turning his attention to Lestrade, who still seemed rather confused, he continued, "Well, Lestrade, I don't think there is anything more to be learned here. Perhaps a visit to her family to ask about her "kinky boyfriend" would be appropriate. You may still turn out to be right."
Lestrade nodded, regaining some of his usual airs. "Of course. I'm heading over there right now. I'll keep you posted." With an abrupt nod, Lestrade left.
"Now, I recall that you said you would schedule this woman's autopsy for tomorrow morning, if I'm not mistaken?" Holmes asked me, as he opened the victim's jaw and looked inside her mouth, giving a little gasp of excitement.
I nodded. "Yes, tomorrow morning." Who was this guy and how did he ever get Lestrade follow his suggestions? Lestrade, who wouldn't even listen to his own mother!
"It would be great if I could take a look at your toxicology reports when you're done. Particularly as to what she ingested."
"Sure. Looking for the aspirin?" I ventured to ask.
He shook his head.
"Then what do you expect to find?"
"You haven't figured it out yet, doctor?" Holmes cried incredulously. "You've seen all the evidence necessary to determine the cause and manner of death."
"Are you saying she was murdered, Mr. Holmes?" I was in disbelief. I knew that the evidence was inconsistent with a suicide by wrist slitting- but murder?
"Yes, Dr. Watson. This is definitely a homicide." He was serious. "In fact, I
believe she was poisoned."
Thanks again to snowwolf for her review!