Next chapter = done! this is a long one but personally I think it's the best one so far... enjoy!

"JOHN!" Sherlock cried "We've got a case!"

John came downstairs after being in his room for half an hour. Sherlock noticed his bloodshot eyes; he'd been crying.

"Hurry up John!" said Sherlock, who was secretly worried about his friend, but didn't know how to comfort someone, he didn't have that past experience.

"What about Marie?" he said.

"Who?"

"My daughter!"

"Oh... Well bring her along if you must but she can't touch anything."

"Sherlock I don't think..."

"No you shouldn't that's my job."

John frowned and looked at him.

"Is she coming or not?"

John sighed and went into the kitchen where the girl had remained. "Would you like to come with us?"

"Where?" the girl asked.

"To a suicide case."

The girl stood up instantly and nodded with a small smile. This was going to be good.

The three of them left 221B and got into a taxi. They drove to a huge mansion surrounded by police cars and an ambulance. Lestrade greeted the trio at the front gate.

"Brought your daughter with you then... Are you sure that's a good idea John?"

"I'm sure she's mature enough." said John smiling slightly. Mature. That was the first time someone had called her mature. A small smile crept up on Marie's face. That was the first time she had been complimented in years.

They entered the crime scene and straight away Donovan told Anderson the 'freak' was here. Sherlock ignored them as usual. No point arguing it was a waste of time. John and Sherlock looked at the dead body. Male, late twenties, high pressured job, well paid job, single...

"He was found by his maid, hung from the chandelier with his wrists slit." said Lestrade while Sherlock was examining the body.

"What time was this?" John asked while trying to work out how long the man had been dead.

"He was found at 5am when the maid first started her duty."

"None of the other staff noticed?"

"No all the staff were told to go home early. They claim he was drunk, but we're doing a blood test to see if he was."

"What time did they leave?"

"Around 8pm, an hour after he returned from work."

"And he's been dead for around sixteen hours, making the suicide at around 9pm.

It fits with their story..."

"He was murdered." said Sherlock with a smile.

"Sherlock, what have I said about enjoying-" he was interrupted by a giggle coming from Marie. They all turned and looked at her. She stopped laughing and turned away to look at the body. She crouched down so she could get a closer look. John and Lestrade carried on talking but Sherlock continued to watch the girl. She pulled up the blood stained sleeves and studied the slit wrists-

"Sherlock." John and Lestrade were looking at him.

"What?"

"Who killed him?"

"I don't know yet, who works here?"

"Sherlock everyone left at 8pm."

"Not everyone John. The murderer must have been in the house when the staff left. Lestrade told me was no sign of a break in and no one was seen entering the building on the security cameras. See John, when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Marie looked up when he said that. She liked it. She just wished the police had thought that when her mother died.

"How do you know he was murdered?" asked Lestrade nodding in agreement to his previous statement.

"His foot was fractured, showing that he was trying to get away but was prevented from doing so, it hadn't had medical treatment so it was from the night he died. A man with that amount of money would have a private doctor on hold. Also there are two bruises on his neck, one from the rope and one from the tie suggesting he was strangled with his tie first then hung on the chandelier to make it look like he'd killed himself." while he was talking he noticed Marie had left. Good, he thought, now he didn't have any distractions. "he also had bruises from where he was dragged down the stairs so the murderer was strong but not strong enough to carry him. Could be a young woman or an older man-"

"Definitely an older man." said Marie who suddenly appeared again after going to look at the study where the victim was last seen alive. "His wrists, they had slight bruises in the shape of finger marks on them but only large male hands would be able to reach across both wrists. Look." she picked up the victim's arms and put them next to each other. "My hands are much to small to be able the clasp them together but if I do this..." she took the arms between her arm and hip. By this time Donovan and Anderson where also listening to the girl.

Sherlock just looked at her in shock. "You can see where the murderer kept his hands together to stop him from struggling. He must have strangled him with his tie while holding his hands or there would be no point to only using one hand.

Then after he killed him he thought he would be clever and try to make it look like suicide caused by depression by cutting his wrists but they were made with fluent movements across both wrists... If I adjust them here... There. You see the straight lines from the clean cuts. They were also all done with the same hand so the victim couldn't have done it, it would have been physically impossible. Also the murderer must have been left handed as the cut is deeper on the right arm and gets less deep as the knife would have moved to the left and there are four marks on his right wrist with the smallest being on the far right so it must have been his right hand holding them together. There was also no knife with his blood on, it must have come from the kitchen and cleaned, and why would a dead man clean up after himself?" she stopped and looked at the adults surrounding her to see if they were following. They all looked surprised at her knowledge.

"You figured all that out just by looking at his wrists?" asked Lestrade.

"Yeah, it's simple really..." she replied.

"Looks like you got some competition freak." said Donovan. Anderson chuckled.

"Shut up Anderson. Just looking at you has dropped my IQ by at least 10 points." said Sherlock, frowning. How could she have known that? She was right, it was simple but how could a 15 year old child figure that out?

"After this deduction it's obvious who the killer is." she continued "It was obviously a left handed, male member of staff in his mid fifties... Sherlock." she said and looked at him. She could already tell how he didn't like the fact a child knew as much as him so she let him take the final glory.

"The butler." he said, glad the girl had let him finish. "All day he has been itching his right hand between his thumb and first finger where he must have accidentally cut himself. He has been uncomfortable around the police when they were questioning him; he blamed his awkwardness on his shock. Also he has been trying to 'help' them by getting tea or whatever they may need, but made the mistake of only using his left hand to pour and write, making it clear he is left handed. The tired bags under his eyes show that he was awake trying to dispose of the body in a way that looks like his boss had committed suicide and had a sleepless night of regrets. His motive, easy. His daughter was recently attached to the victim but he left her for another woman, only to be dumped a week later. The butler suffers from schizophrenia and so has been paranoid about what the man may do for the last month. The only way he could prevent his doubts and worries was by disposing of the man. Honestly Lestrade, I thought this was going to be an interesting one. Oh well." Sherlock finished with a small smile and turned to John.

"How cliché." the doctor added.

"Donovan, arrest that man, take him down to the station."

"Yes sir." said the sergeant and left, quickly followed by Anderson.

"Thanks again Sherlock, John and er... What's your name darling?" Lestrade asked.

"Marie." she said with a small smile. "Marie Jackson"

"Well thank you very much Marie. See you soon Sherlock, John." the detective then left them.