Deduction of the Heart

Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

The London streets were pack as usual on a bright, busy Monday morning. Children going to school, adults going to work. Down at the University of London, in a lecture hall, students were an hour into a two hour lecture about Mayan culture. Some were taking notes, others taking naps; but one student was more interested in the conversation between two male students behind her. She was of about average height and weight, long golden, copper hair, an ivory complexion with bright brown eyes.

"Didn't you hear? They found another dead stripper...." One of the males said.

"That makes like what four right?" The other asked.

"Yeah.... My cousin bartends in one of the clubs where the last girl was found... She said that the girls are all terrified..." His friend told him.

"I think anyone would be..." The girl in front of them sighed as she went back to the lecture.

'Why strippers? Well after three kills makes this guy a serial killer' she thought to herself. After the lecture, the girl walked out to get a coffee.

"Amanda!" A female voice called from behind her, she turned to see a small young woman of about 19, with long auburn curls, pale skin and bright green eyes. She stopped on front of her.

"You were supposed to wait for me!" She said out of breath.

"Sorry Dana, it slipped my mind... Like how it slipped yours about my name..." She stated as they walked.

"Oops. Sorry Serenity..." Dana smiled,

"Why do you want to be called by your middle name and not your first?"

"Because Serenity is more unique than Amanda... It's one of the most common names ever..." She told her as they arrived at the cafe.

"I know too many Amandas and no other Serenitys..." They took a seat as a waiter came to take their orders.

"Have you heard about the stripper that was found?" Dana asked.

"Yeah...over heard two guys talking about it during my morning lecture..." Serenity told her.

"People think it's some sort if ethical cleansing... Killing girls who take off their clothes for money..." Dana told her as they got their coffee.

"I don't think so... If it was an ethical cleansing... They would go after prostitutes as well..." Serenity suggested as she sipped her coffee.

"Or their working their way up there..."

"A lot of people on edge about it... Since no one seems to know what's happening..." Dana said nervously as she sipped her coffee.

"It's understand able..." Serenity said as she picked up the paper.

"The last think this city needs is dead strippers..."

"Don't do it..." Dana said.

"Do what?" Serenity asked as she read the paper.

"You know what! Go investigating...." Dana told her.

"Just because you're a forensics major...."

"Forensic Psychology.... And I'm not going to investigate..." Serenity half-heartily lied.

After that coffee break, the girls broke off to their afternoon classes. Dana had a chemistry lab and Serenity had an orchestra rehearsal. She got out her violin, and began playing. Her mind was still on this case, she was going to investigate.

Sneaking passed the police tape, Serenity walked the crimes scene.

"She was already on edge because of the other killings... He got the fear he wanted from her..." Serenity began. "She kept looking over her shoulder,making sure she wasn't being followed... Once she let her guard down, he tossed her against the wall, his hand over her mouth so her screams weren't heard... He then rapes her...then choked her to death... He has a god complex, likes the feeling of their lives escaping through his hands... He's confident, narcissistic... But doesn't have control in his own life..."

"That's a quite impressive observation..." A deep, rich baritone voice said behind her. Serenity turned slowly to see a man behind her. He was about 6', lean but muscular, piercing blue eyes and a mop of curly black hair. He was wearing black trousers, a purple button up shirt, a charcoal grey trench coat with a royal blue scarf.

"Given your knowledge of criminal psychology... I would say that you're a student... One that's very dedicated to her studies but always has time to have coffee between classes with an old friend or when it's time for violin practice..."

"How did you know all that? Who are you?" She asked him, a bit scared.

"For starters the lanyard in your pocket is the same for the ids at the University of London for it's students, your observation shows extended knowledge of criminal psychosis, which shows a dedication to your studies... The coffee stain on your jeans suggested it was spilled while not paying attention during a conversation with a friend and last but not least the violin rosin on your hands suggested strings player, your posture said either violin and viola, but the ticket in your back pocket is for new violin strings..." Serenity gaze at this man bewildered.

"Oh my god... You're Sherlock Holmes aren't you?" She asked,

"The Consulting Detective..."

"So you've heard of me..." He stated, rather full of himself.

"Of course... One of the best crime solving minds... I've visited your website..." She told him.

"You're working on this serial stripper killings..."

"I am and it seems that you are as well..." He walked up to her, towering over her.

"I'm not really working it... I just came to get a bit more insight..." She said to him, trying to hide her blush, 'he smells good...'

"Why don't you come work for me? You have a great mind... Not as great as mine but you'll get close after working for me..." He tells her.

"What's in it for me?" She asked him.

"An internship with the London Police, a portion of what I get paid and full access to evidence during each case... You'll still attend your regular classes and activities..." He tells her.

"But I do warn you... This is very dangerous... You would be putting yourself at risk every moment of everyday.... And I don't care about your personal life dilemmas, you will forget about them once we begin... I don't give praises for average only for extraordinary... And you follow my directions without question...Do you understand?"

"Yes... When do I start?" She smirked, earning an eager grin from Sherlock.

"Serenity Heartnet at your service..."

"Well Miss. Heartnet, let's get to work..." Sherlock started walking the crime scenes as well.

"You were on the right track...but there's a part missing..." He looks to her.

"Like why... Why these four girls... They all worked at different strip clubs around the city... They all lived in different areas of the city..." She said as she thought.

"They all have blonde hair, blue eyes each between 5' 4" and 5' 6".... They're surrogates... He's killing them until he works up the nerve to confront someone who has wronged him... The rapes suggested infidelity and strangulating suggests its personal.." Serenity suggested. Sherlock walked up to her.

"Like I said extraordinary.... Let's go..." Sherlock walked off the scene, and Serenity followed him.

With in a matter of hours they caught the man before he kill again. Kenneth Sanders, age 45, his wife, whom was a former stripper, cheated on him with an old buddy of his. He wanted to build up the courage to kill her before he did. The consulting detective and his intern managed to solve it in hours, Sherlock quite impressed by his new companion. So was the London Police.

Over the next four years, Sherlock and Serenity solved hundreds of cases together, making the London Police Department looking like saints while they were in the shadows. But someone was noticing them. Serenity and Sherlock were unaware of the adventures they were to insure in the future.