Mamihlapinatapai & Redamancy (Discontinued, may one day re-write but unsure :c)

Chapter 2 -Questioning

Warning: Mentioned Transphobia and hormone/conversion therapy (No, Holmes and Watson are not transphobic. It is one of the victim's colleagues)

The two men arrived at the house of the most recent victim exactly ten minutes and forty-five... forty-six... forty-seven... etc; seconds after leaving the flat and entering the cab. 

Holmes exited the carriage as soon as they had arrived, leaving Watson to pay the driver their fair and to join him when finished. The detective knocked on the door, waiting for about a minute before knocking a second time. He checked the knob, the door having been left unlocked. Holmes glanced at Watson, who gave a curt nod and allowed Holmes to slowly open the door. They slipped inside the house, Holmes closing the door behind them as he began observing.

"This is the home of Silas Vasily, age twenty, killed by strangulation. We are simply here to search for any common threads." Holmes informed Watson, keeping his voice low for fear that there may be some other unwanted guests somewhere in the house.
"I know your methods enough to know that by now, Holmes. Worry not, I have both my cane and my gun, as I'm sure you know." Watson reminded, gently tapping the pocket in which his gun was deposited.

Holmes nodded, taking in the room before them. They were obviously still in the entrance to the house, however, in front of them lay the sitting room. The walls were lined with bookshelves and had a beautiful roll-top desk in front of the large windows, a plate with stale crackers and a half-eaten, slowly rotting apple accompanying them. Two chairs sat in the middle of the room, a lamp and a table placed between them. The flight of stairs and the kitchen were to the left and had beautiful marble counters, the stairs instead made of hardwood.

The two got to work and inspected the house, looking for anything at all that may have been out of place or abnormal. Watson gravitated to the bookshelves, checking the books for any sort of hidden paper of some sort. He found a book of codes, frowning as he opened to the page with a folded down to mark its place. He opened to that page, stepping back as a piece of paper fell to the ground. He picked it up, chuckling as he read the notes.
"Seems the man was interested in Alan Turing. Has an entire page of just notes all about the enigma code." Watson chuckled softly, earning nothing but a non-committal hum from Holmes.

The blonde frowned, placing the notes back into the book and the book back on the shelf. He examined the bookshelf closest to the desk, noting the many psychology textbooks that lined the wall. He turned to the desk, crouching down to open the drawers. He pulled out files about the human mind, mostly researching why people fell in love if there was a possible way to shut down your needs for human contact, and about the many sexualities and gender identities; as well as the negative effects medical castration 

He also pulled out medical records and governmental paperwork.
"Ah. So the man was transgender... Holmes! Do you think this could have anything to do with it? Many people don't take too kindly to the subject just yet." Watson called.

Holmes scoffed.
"No, Watson, no one knew. His boss was homophobic; that's why Doctor Vasily got the funding he did. He's a man with many secrets, so lying to his boss about this being about some of his research being about the effects of hormone therapy was a half-truth; his employer thought he was studying how to improve its deadliness, he was studying how to outlaw it and prove it was not beneficial." The detective answered.
"He lives alone, you know, he doesn't even have a spare room. He hasn't been in contact with anyone except his colleague Thomas Laurier, who we will be visiting soon." He hummed.

Watson nodded, sighing in resignation as he looked down at the folders still in his hands. He opened it, reading some of the reports, eyes widening in surprise.
"Christ, he went far with the secrecy. Most of his notes on conversion therapy are in atbash- he really didn't want his boss to understand any of his work..." Watson bit his lip and set the file down, a deep and sorrowful frown on his face.
"The work seemed almost completed, too. Looks as though he almost had a breakthrough." He noted.