The Unfinished Case// A Sherlock Story

III

Sherlock and John quickly make it back to their flat, John plopping down on the couch while Sherlock rushes to his desk and pulls out his computer.

"What are you doing, Sherlock?" John asks slightly irritated before standing up to walk over to Sherlock.

"Tell me the legend of Crimson Rose," Sherlock requests still continuing to type on his computer.

"Well, there's this legend where a girl dressed in black fends her city during their darkness hours. She is most popular for mercilessly killing her victims but also popular for her signature warnings"

"A black rose and a riddle"

"Correct. The legend is not relatively old but it's what parents tell their children at night. 'If you don't do this you will find a black rose tomorrow', 'she will get you if you don't go to sleep', you know stuff like that. I remember hearing it during the war, one of the soldiers said that when he invaded the other side's base they were all gone, the only thing left in the abandoned base was a single black rose."

"Interesting"

"Other than that she has been relatively quiet, only appearing when necessary. Soon she was forgotten and was considered nothing more than a legend. No one has proof of her existence and there are no records of her either. Nothing but a ghost tale in my opinion," John says as he sits in one of the chairs.

"Knowing the government, they probably tried to hide her up. Deleting every detail about her making it look like she never existed." Sherlock theorises as he closes his laptop angrily, coming up with nothing.

"All we can do is wait for her next move then beat her at her own game," John speaks rubbing his face with his hands.

"You say that she also leaves riddles right?" Sherlock asks turning to look at his partner.

"Yes"

"Then why has she been giving us poems. What is she getting at? When will the riddles begin? How will we know when we solve them?" Sherlock trails off as he exits the apartment to get his coat and scarf.

"Where are you going?" John asks too tired to follow him

"For a walk. Clear my mind. You stay here and go play with your baby or something," Sherlock says before closing the door and stepping foot onto the streets of London once again.

The amount of excitement Sherlock was feeling was new for him, he just had to know who Crimson Rose was. What her motives were. How she was able to set up her whole scheme. It dawned him that there was someone else out there who was, in a way, more intelligent or as intelligent as him.

He continues walking under the rising Sun. People were beginning to awaken as the Sun rises higher and higher into the sky. Sherlock sighs as he makes a final turn into an unfamiliar street. He continues walking until he hears the sounds of footsteps behind him. He quickens up his pace but so does the footsteps behind him. Sherlock abruptly turns and so does the stranger, only for the stranger to run into Sherlock.

The stranger was nothing more than a little, frail girl with a letter in hand. Her face was completely filthy and her clothes were raggedy, she must live on the streets. Sherlock looks at her for a minute before his eyes land on the piece of paper she was clutching in her hand.

"What can I do for you little girl?" Sherlock asks trying to sound friendly as possible.

"I-I-I don't know, a pretty lady told me to give this to you"

"Pretty?" Sherlock thought. Pretty to her social standards but for a little homeless girl on the streets, anyone who hands her a few pounds is considered magical.

"Ok," Sherlock replies as he grabs the letter. Before he can ask the girl to describe the mysterious lady she dashes away. Sherlock doesn't bother running after the girl and he opens the letter.

"Where water flows upwards I there reside;

behind humans' creation is where I do hide

While inside I dream of how up I could fly

and rising outside I see all under the sky"

- C. R

The letter read. A clue to the next location, Sherlock thought as he makes his way back to his flat. The first riddle of many to come Sherlock concluded as he ponders about the answer.