You're In Sherlock

Part Four: Pink? (A Study In Pink)

Word Count: 2,270

            "Upstairs." Lestrade answers. You, Lestrade, Sherlock, and John climb the stairs. You notice Sherlock is not wearing coveralls. "Jennifer Wilson, according to her credit cards - we're running them now for contact details. Hasn't been here long - some kids found her." We enter the room. The room around us, dark, sombre, peeling wallpaper. And in the centre, pink. A woman in a a bright pink coat, and pink shoes, lies dead, sprawled face down. For John, the sight brings him up short, shocks him. You and Sherlock are in your element now, eager, like bloodhounds, almost quivering.

"Shut up!" Sherlock snaps.

"Didn't say anything." Lestrade says a little spooked.

"You were thinking. It's annoying." He says. An exchange of glances between You, Lestrade, and John. Lestrade rolls his eyes, used to this. But John is fascinated - what the hell is Sherlock doing? Sherlock's stepping to the body, eyes flicking, absorbing every detail. You don't want to interrupt his process so you observe from afar. You notice a blizzard of details - fast, close. The wedding and engagement ring. Panning along the outflung hand. She has scratched a word with with her fingernail into the wood of the floorboards...

RACHE

            She's left handed, pulse, float, fade - very fast, a glancing thought. Rache: German (n.) revenge. He's kneeling by the body. Runs a hand over the coat, looks at his gloved fingers. Now he slides a hand under her collar, checks his fingers. They're wet. He's now quickly going through her jewellery - necklace, earrings, bracelet - all clean.  Her wedding and engagement ring - dirty- Through the lens, so close on the rings. He's pulling them from the flesh of the finger, examining the interior curve of the ring - it is slightly brighter than the exterior.

"Got anything?" Lestrade asks.

"Not much." Sherlock says.

"She's German." We glance around. Anderson is observing, sardonically, from the doorway. "Rache is German for Revenge. She could be trying to tell us something." Sherlock is tapping away at his mobile, doesn't even glance at him.

"Yes, thank you for your input." Without looking up, Sherlock reaches over and closes the door neatly in Anderson's face.

"She's German?" Lestrade asks.

"Of course she's not Ger-" You get cut off.

"Of course, she's not. She's from out of town though. Planned to spend a single night in London, before returning home to Cardiff. So far, so obvious." Sherlock steals your line. You are a bit irritated but ignore it.

"Sorry, obvious?" John cuts in.

"What about the message though?" Lestrade asks.

"Dr. Watson, what do you think?" Sherlock asks John.

"Of the message?" He guesses.

"Of the body, you're a medical man." Sherlock replies.

"We have a whole team right outside--" Lestrade commented.

"They won't work with me."

" I'm breaking every rule letting you in here."

"Yes. Because you need me." The two men go back and forward. Lestrade lowers for a moment. But it's true, damn it!

"Yes, I do. God help me." You stare at Lestrade. He lowers his head. John raised his eyebrows at you. He turns, strides across the room, leans his back against the wall. You glower at Sherlock. Do your worst.

"Dr. Watson!" Sherlock stares at him. He gestures John towards the body. John, uncertain, looks to Lestrade.

"Oh, do as he says, help yourself." Lestrade says in defeat. John finds himself, stepping forward, kneeling by the body. Across from him, also kneeling, You and Sherlock are watching him intently.