AN: Doyle has first dibs on ownership of stuff in here.
I gingerly flipped open the thin file, a bit apprehensive and yet at the same time curious. Inside were three 8x10 pictures clipped together. The first was a picture of the victim. I felt a pang of sadness, contrasting her then beautiful smile with her now frigid body lying in a cold, stainless steel cabinet.
Holmes sat down on my desk, observing my reaction as he ticked off facts. "Christina Lee, who you performed the autopsy on this morning. A very charming physical therapist at Children's Hospital who was prone to occasional bouts of maniac depression. Found dead in her bathroom, as you know."
I set her picture aside and picked up the next one. Again, it was an Asian female in her twenties, youthful, exuberant- with some resemblance to me. I felt a chill travel down my spine. This was getting a bit too creepy.
Holmes continued. "Jacqueline Chen, a pharmacist, was found dead in her bedroom last month after what appeared to be a single self-afflicted gunshot wound to the head. Toxicology also showed a lethal quantity of-" he paused dramatically, "Dalamane in her bloodstream."
My fingers trembled uncontrollably as I picked up the final picture. I was beginning to sense a horrific pattern- Asian girl in her late twenties found dead with a deadly dose of Dalamane in her bloodstream.
"Michelle Tang. A second year pediatric resident also at Children's Hospital, found dead in her bathroom two months ago."
"Dalamane?" I croaked, knowing the answer.
Holmes nodded. "There's more, Dr. Watson. All three of the victims died on the 15th of the month." He hopped off my desk and began to pace.
"Could be coincidence," I offered meekly.
He was growing impatient. "Look, Dr. Watson. Even though the first two cases were classified as suicides in the database, I know these women were murdered. Austin Reingold is the key. Now, you need to tell me what you know about him so I can wrap this up." He pulled up the nearest chair and sat in it, facing me, leaning against the wall and propping his long legs on my desk.
I nodded meekly. "I guess you know that it is Dr. Reingold, right? He's a pediatric oncologist."
Holmes closed his eyes. "Yes, I was aware of that."
"Dr. Reingold and I are good friends-" I began carefully, before being interrupted by Holmes, who was still reclining with his eyes closed.
"The whole truth, Dr. Watson. It makes my job some much easier."
I swallowed uneasily. "Sorry. It's just part of my life that I want to forget."
"Please continue."
I took a deep breath. "Austin was my…"