Against the Odds

Chapter 9: The Game Thickens

They walked into Bart's morgue, following Lestrade who was reading his file for them as they approached Connie Prince's body. "Connie Prince, fifty-four. She had one of those make-over shows on the telly. Did you see it?" He asked Sherlock who replied flatly: "No."

Sherlock began to walk around the body as Lestrade explained: "Very popular. She was going places." Sherlock retorted bluntly: "Not any more. So," he began to recite the facts they'd been told, "dead two days. According to one of her staff, Raoul de Santos, she cut her hand on a rusty nail in the garden. Nasty wound."

He, John and Rose examined the deep cut in the webbing between her right thumb and index finger. Sherlock finished: "Tetanus bacteria enters the bloodstream... Good night Vienna." He said derisively. John murmured: "I suppose."

Sherlock's eyes narrowed as he murmured: "Something's wrong with this picture." "Eh?" Lestrade asked, and Sherlock explained impatiently: "Can't be as simple as it seems, otherwise the bomber wouldn't be directing us towards it. Something's wrong." He began to examine the woman carefully, taking out his small magnifier.

Rose noted the several scratches on the woman's arm, almost like claw marks, but very faint. She also noted the tiny pinpricks on the woman's forehead, just above her nose- probably where she got her Botox injections. Sherlock murmured: "John?"

John hummed in response and Sherlock asked: "The cut on her hand: it's deep; would have bled a lot, right?" John replied: "Yeah." Sherlock pointed out: "But the wound's clean...very clean... and fresh." He stood up, closing his magnifier.

"How long would the bacteria have been incubating inside her?" He asked and John replied: "Eight, ten days." Sherlock saw Rose's brows furrow and he gave a half-smile, waiting for John to put it together as well. It didn't take him long and John breathed: "The cut was made later."

"After she was dead?" Lestrade asked and Sherlock replied: "Must have been. The only question is, how did the tetanus enter the dead woman's system?" John was looking at the body thoughtfully and Sherlock said: "You want to help, right?"

"Of course." John replied and Sherlock ordered: "Connie Prince's background, family history, everything. Get me data." John nodded, saying: "Right." He left and Sherlock turned to Rose. "Do you have work today?" She shook her head and he said: "I need you to help me on something else."

She nodded again. Both glanced at Connie Prince and then turned to the door. Lestrade said: "There's something else that we haven't thought of." Sherlock replied lightly: "Is there?" Lestrade retorted: "Yes. Why is he doing this, the bomber?"

That made Sherlock pause and he stopped with his back to the DI, looking a little anxious. Rose saw his face and stopped hesitantly as well while Lestrade came up behind Sherlock and asked: "If this woman's death was suspicious, why point it out?" Sherlock replied nonchalantly over his shoulder: "Good Samaritan."

He began to walk away but Lestrade pointed out: "Who press-gangs suicide bombers?" Sherlock turned to Lestrade as he shrugged and corrected light heartedly: "Bad Samaritan." Lestrade said sternly: "I'm... I'm serious, Sherlock."

Sherlock's face became serious as the DI emphasized: "Listen: I'm cutting you slack here; I'm trusting you, but out there somewhere, some poor bastard's covered in Semtex and is just waiting for you to solve the puzzle. So just tell me: what are we dealing with?"

Sherlock looked thoughtful and then his lips curled delightedly as he replied: "Something new." He turned and walked away while the DI looked after him in disbelief. Rose looked at him apologetically before she trotted out after Sherlock.

********

Sherlock was pacing before the wall behind the wall that he and Rose had covered with information from all the cases the bomber had given them, starting from the beginning. The DI stood slightly behind, Rose with him although she was staring intently at the wall. Sherlock muttered as he paced: "Connection, connection, connection. There must be a connection."