His Favorite Melody

Catching On

As they arrived, Melody looked out the window. One of the houses had a little cluster of police vehicles outside of it, with uniformed officers going in and out.

Sherlock and John, now climbing out of the cab, Sherlock helping Melody.

"Did I get anything wrong?" Sherlock asked as they walked towards the entrance to the building.

"Harry and me don’t get on, never have. Clara and Harry split up three months ago, they’re getting a divorce. Harry’s a drinker -"

"Spot on, then! Didn’t expect to be
right about everything." Sherlock interrupted.

"-- Harry is short for Harriet."
Melody's eyes lit up as Sherlock processed the information. She had been right!

John faltered to a halt, staring at the cluster of police vehicles. "Look, what exactly am I supposed to be doing here?" He asked.

"Your sister." Sherlock grumbled.

"No, seriously, why are we here?" Mel asked.

"There’s always something!" Sherlock cursed. Mel simply rolled her eyes at him. They were getting closer now. The scene looked so bleak and real. Sherlock lifted the tape cordon and allowed Melody to walk under. Suddenly, a woman was blocking their path.

"Hello Freak." She said smugly.

Melody practically growled at the woman.  Where did she get off calling the most brilliant man on the planet a freak?!

"I’m here to see Detective Inspector
Lestrade." Sherlock replied, seemingly unphased by the name.

"Why?"

"I was invited."

"Why?"

"I think he wants me to take a look." Sherlock replied in a condescending voice.

"Well, you know what I think, don’t
you." Sally bit.

"I think you should blow it out your bloody arse." Melody grumbled, just loud enough for Sherlock to hear her.

Sherlock bit back a snicker but still smirked. "Always, Sally. I even know you didn’t make it home last night."

Sally just looked at him, dead-eyed, apparently used to his deductions. She looked to John, who was just standing there, so out of place. Her gaze then flickered to Melody, who was slightly hidden behind Sherlock.

"Who’s this?"

"Colleague of mine, Dr. Watson. Dr.
Watson and my friend Melody Hudson- Sergeant Sally Donovan. Old friend." He said, sarcasm dripping in his voice at the last line.

"A colleague, how’d you get a
colleague?? Or a friend??? A female at that." She scoffed.

"Did he follow you home?"she asked John.

"That's not far from the truth, actually." Mel reasoned.

"Look, would it be better if I just -" John started.

"No!" Sherlock objected.

Sally rose her walkie-talkie and spoke into it."Freak’s here. Bringing him in."

Melody nearly leaped at the woman. Had it not been for Sherlock holding her back, the woman would be bleeding on the ground.

"Don't. She isn't worth you going to jail over." He whispered in her ear.

Mel clenched her fist and took a deep breath. "I swear, Sherlock,  if she calls you that one more time,  I'm going rip her teeth from her mouth." She swore.

Sherlock put an arm around her shoulder.
"I'm sorely tempted to let you." He admitted quietly.

Anderson strode through the front door, glowering at Sherlock.

"Anderson! Here we are again." Sherlock exclaimed in fake joy.

"It’s a crime scene. I don’t want
it contaminated. We clear on that?" Anderson replied in his snobbish voice.

"And is your wife away for long?"

"... Don’t pretend you worked that
out. Someone told you that!"

"Your deoderant told me that." Sherlock replied with a satisfied grin.

"My deoderant??"

"It’s for men -"

"Of course it’s for men, I’m wearing it!"

"So’s Seargent Donovan." Melody said, finally catching on.

A quick panicked look was exchanged between Sally and Anderson.

"Oh! And I think it just vapourised! May I go in?" Sherlock questioned. 

Anderson, red-faced blustering, tried to retaliate. Unfortunately for him, Melody was the one he decided to confront, which only irritated Sherlock further. "You listen to me, okay. Whatever you’re trying to imply -"

"I’m not implying anything - I’m sure Sally just came round for a lovely little chat and happened to stay over." Sherlock snipped.

"And I assume scrubbed your floors,
going by the state of her knees -" Melody added slyly.

"Right, just go in, just go in!!" Anderson glowered, then stood aside. Sherlock swept in, pulling Melody along. John, bemused, followed the pair.

"Well done, Melody. You're catching on to things rather quickly." He complimented.

"Well," she said with a proud smile, "I did learn from the best."

They traveled down a dark, narrow hallway with peeling wallpaper. The corridor led to an open door at the end, where DI Lestrade stood, waiting for them. He was in full crime scene gear. "I can give you two minutes."he offered as they approached.

"I may need longer."

"He'll be fine. Two minutes is ample time." Melody assured Lestrade, who simply raised a curious eyebrow. Mel shrugged and gave him a crooked smile.

Sherlock was already confidently striding past Lestrade and Mel into the kitchen. It appeared grimy and disused. There were a couple of uniformed policemen, and the room had been set up as an operations base for the investigation.
Sherlock tossed a crime scene coverall to John. "You’ll need to put this on."

Lestrade looked at John - bemused but pissed off.

"Who is this?"

"He’s with me."

"And the girl?"

"Also with him." Melody supplied.

"No kidding. Don't suppose you're actually. ..with...him,are you?" The detective asked, noticing how close the pair were standing.

"Not that it's any of your concern, Detective Inspector," she chuckled, "but no. Sherlock and I are simply friends at the current juncture."

John started pulling on the coverall, as he registers that Sherlock and Mel are making no move to do the same.

"Ok, but who is he?"Lestrade asked, referring back to John.

"I told you - he’s with me." Sherlock said, rolling his eyes.

John indicated to his coverall before speaking. "Aren’t you two going to - ?"

Sherlock chilled him with a look, and Mel shook her head.

"Oh no, love. Sherlock never wears those, and I'll be standing outside the door. I don't particularly fancy being up close and personal with a body at the moment." She explained simply.

"Right. So where are we?" Sherlock asked before following Lestrade up the stairs.