How They Met Alice (BBC Sherlock Fanfiction)

Chapter 76

(ST. ALDATE’S SCHOOL, Alice’s POV: )

Greg’s car drove into the grounds of the boarding school and pulled up outside the front entrance. Two police cars were already there and a woman was standing in front of one of them, leaning against the bonnet and wearing a shock blanket around her shoulders and crying while a uniformed female police officer talked reassuringly to her. A man, probably a plain clothed police officer, was talking to her but walked away as Lestrade, Donovan, the boys and I got out of the car and approached. The woman blew her nose on her handkerchief.

“It’s all right.” The female officer comforted.

“Miss Mackenzie, House Mistress. Go easy.” Lestrade told Sherlock. I grabbed the detectives arm and gave him a threatening look to emphasize. He just looked back at me blankly. We stayed back and let Sherlock walk over to the woman on his own.

“Miss Mackenzie, you’re in charge of pupil welfare, yet you left this place wide open last night.” He began sternly. “What are you: an idiot, a drunk or a criminal?” He demanded, his voice rising angrily. He grabbed the blanket and abruptly pulled it from around her shoulders. She gasped in fear as he glared furiously at her. I was about to go over but John grabbed my wrist and stopped me, looking exasperated.  “Now quickly, tell me!” Sherlock commanded angrily.

“All the doors and windows were properly bolted. No-one – not even me – went into their room last night. You have to believe me!” She replied tearfully, cringing in terror. Sherlock’s demeanour instantly changed and he smiled reassuringly and gently took hold of her shoulders.

“I do. I just wanted you to speak quickly.” He said sincerely. He looked at the nearby police officers as he turned and walked away. “Miss Mackenzie will need to breathe into a bag now.” He said clearly. She sobbed in distress and the female police officer hurried over to comfort her as I ran ahead of the others to Sherlock.

“What was that!?” I hissed, trying to get in front of him as he walked. He ignored me. I pursed my lips angrily and backed up to John as Sherlock led us into one of the dormitories.

“Six grand a term, you’d expect them to keep the kids safe for you. You said the other kids had all left on their holidays?” John said, glancing at me but not registering the anger on my face. Sherlock had already looked in a cupboard beside one of the beds and now dropped to his knees and peered under the bed.

“They were the only two sleeping on this floor. Absolutely no sign of a break-in.” Lestrade replied. Sherlock picked up a lacrosse stick lying on the floor and got to his feet while looking at the stick closely. He briefly wielded it as if using it as a weapon but then decided it wasn’t used in that way and dropped it to the floor again. “The intruder must have been hidden inside some place.” He added. Sherlock went over to a wooden trunk and opened the lid as I sat on the bed. Amongst the other items inside the trunk he found a large brown envelope with a wax seal on the back, which had already been broken as if someone had opened the envelope. Inside was a large hardback book, and suddenly I was by his side. Checking the envelope carefully first, he then took the book out and looked at the cover. The book was ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales.’ He looked along the edges of the book and then riffled the pages quickly. Finding nothing of interest, he looked up.

“Show me where the brother slept.” He ordered. I sighed, thinking that this was going along a lot faster than usual. We were taken to another smaller dormitory and Sherlock looked around, going to stand beside a bed which was facing the door. The door has a frosted glass pane in it. He looked towards the door while gesturing down to the bed. “The boy sleeps there every night, gazing at the only light source outside in the corridor. He’d recognise every shape, every outline, the silhouette of everyone who came to the door.” He said quickly.