Against the Odds

Chapter 29: The Beginning of the End

They clambered out of the police car, Donovan ordering the troops as they entered the abandoned factory: "You, look over there. Look everywhere. Okay, spread out, please. Spread out."

They all split up, searching amongst the machinery when Sherlock suddenly dashed forward. Marie followed and saw him stooping down to look at a lone candle surrounded by candy wrappers.

"This was alight moments ago." Sherlock murmured urgently as he felt the still hot candle wick. "They're still here!" He called and John and Lestrade hurried over as well. Sherlock looked down at the wrappers, examining it as he muttered: "Sweet wrappers. What's he been feeding you? Hansel and Gretel."

He picked one of the wrappers up, sniffing it and then licking it, making a face almost immediately. "Mercury." He stated and Marie stared. "What?" Lestrade asked while Marie demanded, aghast: "And you just licked it?"

Sherlock ignored her, explaining: "The papers- they're painted with mercury." John groaned as Sherlock continued: "Lethal. The more of the stuff they ate-" "It was killing them." John finished despairingly.

Sherlock pointed out: "But it's not enough to kill them on its own." He looked around the empty factory as he murmured thoughtfully: "Taken in large enough quantities, eventually it would kill them. He didn't need to be there for the execution. Murder by remote control. He could be a thousand miles away."

Sherlock glanced at the wrappers again as he murmured: "The hungrier they got, the more they ate ... the faster they died." He paused and then smirked a little as he conceded admiringly: "Neat."

"Sherlock." John and Marie chided, and Sherlock glanced at them. But they were interrupted as Donovan yelled from the other side of the factory: "Over here!" The group quickly strode to where Donovan's voice had sounded from.

But as they got closer, the police force stopped Sherlock's group. Lestrade looked at them apologetically but Sherlock conceded. They simply followed the officers back to the car, Sherlock recognizing that they needed to let the professionals attend to the children first before he would be allowed to see them.

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Sherlock was waiting impatiently outside the interrogation while John and Marie sat in the waiting room seats. They all looked up as Donovan said smartly: "Right, then. The professionals have finished. If the amateurs want go in and have their turn..."

Sherlock just moved to brush past and Lestrade quickly intervened as he said to Sherlock: "Now, remember, she's in shock and she's just seven years old, so anything you can do to..." Sherlock supplied helpfully: "Not be myself."

Lestrade sighed as he said: "Yeah. Might be helpful." Donovan led the way in, stepping aside to let Sherlock into the room with the little girl. John and Marie stayed back, not wanting to overwhelm the poor girl. Marie examined the little girl, who sat with her head bowed and the psychiatrist sitting soothingly beside her.

Sherlock sat down in the seat opposite the girl, saying softly: "Claudette, I..." The girl looked up and suddenly began to scream in sheer terror. Sherlock quickly tried to calm her as he said: "No-no, I know it's been hard for you, Claudette."

The girl continued to scream, her eyes filled with fear. Marie's face had blanched, and Sherlock said urgently, but starting to get up to back away: "Listen to me..." The girl just screamed louder as he moved, shying away and Lestrade grabbed Sherlock as he ordered sharply: "Get out!"

He dragged Sherlock out quickly, and Sherlock followed without protest, still stunned as the girl continued to scream, terrified of him.

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