Madeleine flew out the black door of 221b Baker Street, narrowly missing a passer-by as she ducked into the waiting taxi. A grin spread wide on her pale face as she sat down opposite her father.
"What's that?" Sherlock asked, his tone low.
"My coat." She replied, pulling the offensive item of clothing around her.
"It's blue."
"Yes."
"It's exactly like mine."
"Saint Mary's College, please." Madeleine evaded his eyes, looking over her shoulder to the cabbie. Her father huffed and looked out the window as the car turned into the street.
A small smile played upon Madeleine's lips as she twisted back around. Her gaze shifted to John, who was sitting awkwardly in the silence.
"What is your theory, Doctor John?" the girl spoke up. The older man ceased to watch the cars speed past and looked over at her.
"About Rebecca Thompson?"
Madeleine nodded.
"Well, I thought she was raped, but apparently that's not the situation. Sherlock said something about 'self-inflicted' bruising? So maybe she killed herself, but then that wouldn't really explain the pentagram on her side with the Heparin."
"So you think it may have been a set up?"
"Well, yeah."
"A little like that case you did when Sir Harry Downing was murdered, Daddy," Madeleine smiled when Sherlock's gaze fixed her.
"You read his website?" John asked.
"Of course I do. Daddy's adventures are always so intriguing. The homework from school is quite mundane, but at least the 'hidden messages' on Daddy's website give me something to do," she shrugged.
There was a brief pause, as John raised an eyebrow and Sherlock debated whether to return the compliment or not.
"Which reminds me, I saw your report card, Madeleine," the detective started.
"Was it all right?"
"Straight As. However, the grades hardly cover the expense of rebuilding the science lab you destroyed, plus the 52 pounds owing to the library for overdue books," Sherlock replied, feigning a sneer, but John could see a glimmer of pride in his eyes, and it wasn't just the reflections of the lights from cars. The smile on Madeleine's face widened, and it was quite clear that she could see the glimmer too.
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The taxi pulled up outside a large Victorian-style house. It looked gloomy, the lights from the police cars, vans and floodlights doing little to penetrate the darkness.
"Oh, good, sniffer dogs." Sherlock clapped his hands in false delight as he stepped out of the taxi after John. The trio made their way to a small pavilion set up on the gravel.
"Sherlock, finally!" DI Lestrade detached himself from a group of younger officers and came to greet them.
"I hope your elephants haven't trampled all over the evidence," Sherlock spoke loudly enough for the rest of the people in the tent to hear. Several pairs of eyes turned to look at him. One pair in particular, Sherlock was not pleased to see.
"We've left everything the way it was, though no doubt you'll do something rash and blow it all up," called Sergeant Anderson as he made his way over to them. Sherlock rolled his eyes, turned around and stalked out of the pavilion.
"Has anything been found?" John asked.
"What's a girl doing at a crime scene?" Anderson shot back, looking Madeleine up and down.
"I'm their tour guide," she replied lightly.
Sherlock stormed back in, stepping in front of Madeleine.
"She's my apprentice, she's learning. What are you doing at a crime scene Anderson? I hardly think you could do anything to help," he seethed.
"At least I don't-"
"We found a silver chain, where the body was found," Lestrade answered John, cutting Anderson off. "It's on the table over there, if you want to have a look."
Anderson muttered something under his breath before going back the way he came.
"Right, thank you." John nodded his head.
"We also found a girl."
Silence.
"She's alive, though she won't identify herself. We've tried to get her to talk, but she won't."
"Where is she?" Sherlock asked.
"In an ambulance on the other side of the driveway," Lestrade told them.
Sherlock grabbed Madeleine's wrist and dragged her out of the tent, only dropping it when they had reached the ambulance.
"Maddy!" the girl cried when she saw them. She was short, with blond hair and big brown eyes. A bright orange blanket was draped around her shoulders, and she pulled it a little more tightly around her when Sherlock's tall figure came to stand behind his daughter.
"Madeleine," Sherlock muttered. John smiled and snorted, trying to mask his laugh.
"They left me! They took Becca! I don't know what's happening, the police found me in the woods and then brought me here, but I can't tell them anything, Maddy. I'm sworn. I need to find Becca," the poor girl sobbed, outstretching her hand to Madeleine's.
"This is Lucy Brookes," Madeleine told them, smiling weakly at the girl.
"What exactly did 'they kick you out' of?" Sherlock asked. Lucy peeled her eyes from Madeleine and stared up at the man.
"I can't tell... I can't," she pleaded. Sherlock looked away and them back, plastering a soft smile on his face. He bent down to the girl's height, still smiling.
"You're safe now Lucy. If we're going to find 'Becca' we need to know what happened to you," he whispered.
Both girls stared at him; Madeleine with a raised eyebrow, and Lucy with widened eyes.
"The Coven," was the inaudible reply.
xsherlockx
"That was a flat out lie!" John started as they left Lucy at the ambulance.
"A little white one, I think you'll find, John. The girl wouldn't speak otherwise," Sherlock replied.
"What's she going to do when she finds out Rebecca is dead though?" the army man asked.
"Cry, I'd expect. It's really not my concern. Madeleine, could you please take us to her room?"
Five minutes and three flights of stairs later, the three of them pushed open a white door and entered the dormitory room. Madeleine flicked on the light switch, and the dark room suddenly sprang to life.
The walls were a dull pink colour, which matched the white carpet. Five single beds were set up with their heads against the walls. A bay window at the opposite end of the room looked out onto the driveway with its many police cars. It looked as though most of the ornaments, bits and pieces, and clothing had been already taken from the room, so there was not much to look for.
"What are we looking for?" John asked, a little perplexed as to what they were doing in an empty room. Sherlock didn't reply, but stepped forward to the window to look out.
"Lucy and Rebecca were in this room together," Madeleine said, sitting down on the edge of one of the beds.
"How many girls went to this school?"
"Three hundred and four."
"And nothing came up about a Coven or anything?"
"Not that I can recall..." Madeleine trailed off.
Sherlock's phone beeped in his pocket, and he fished it out to retrieve the text.
"How's the case? Heard another girl found dead. Give Madeleine my love. Mycroft"
Sherlock growled, and turned back to look out the window. All the small figures were crowding around the pavilion.
"What's wrong?" John asked.
"Another girl has been found," Sherlock replied.
"Alive?"
"Dead. Mycroft 'sends his love', Madeleine," said Sherlock, turning back toward them.
"Do you know who?"
"No, but I have a feeling we're about to find out," the detective answered, crossing the room and disappearing
Thanks for reading.
I am aware that Madeleine is turning into a Mary-Sue, yes. But everything I seem to write appears to just turn her into a different type of Mary-Sue.
I am also aware that my Sherlock is quite depressing at the moment... I think I'll make him a little more bouncy and excitable in the next chapter.
Please Review :)
Much thanks.