The Game's Afoot

Chapter Four

I wasn't quite sure how I ended up massaging a corpse's body the next day.

 But I was pretty sure it all started when my parents dropped me off to stay with my Gran. I was staying the night with Grandma Hudson so my parents could go on this business trip for work. Which was completely fine with me because I have the best grandma I could ever ask for. 

 I was dropped off in the morning at 221B Baker Street, then Gran needed to go get something from the grocery. But we had lunch on the stove so she asked Sherlock and John to at least be aware that I was downstairs.

At that point, it gets a little unclear, but I think John didn't just want to leave me alone, and so Sherlock told me to keep up and they brought me along. Now I am in a cold room in the morgue, massaging a, thankfully, clothed, corpse. So this is what Gran puts up with on the daily.

Sherlock opened the door and walked briskly next to me and started inspecting the body, "Wonderful job, now get out, John's taking you home, make sure you wash your hands." I went to the nearest sink and scrubbed my hands. Sherlock was still muttering something about clues and a game. I rolled my eyes at all of the ridiculousness.

John met me outside the building, "Hello Emma, sorry about Sherlock, he forgets about his emotions sometimes." He got in the front seat of the car and I pulled open the car door.

I shook my head, "It's okay, at least now I can say I did something interesting over the weekend..." I looked down at Doctor Watson, "Why would he have me massaging a dead person? More importantly, I'm fifteen. I shouldn't be taken on, as Sherlock says, cases."

John nodded, "But its probably safer than staying in that flat alone. Now get in, I need to drop you off before Mrs. Hudson finds out you were with us."

I scrunched my eyes, "Don't tell me he's in trouble with the government?" 

"No, but there is this guy, Moriarty, who will basically do anything to get Sherlock to solve cases, including hurt his landlady's granddaughter." John waved to Sherlock, who was sprinting out of the building, "Come on, let's get you back."

"Alright," I slid into the passenger seat next to John.

 So I was dropped off at Gram's house and I walked in, waving goodbye to the couple. They had to get to the police office for a countdown case or something. I was expecting to see Grandma Hudson, but she wasn't back yet. I looked at the clock and anxiety rose in the pit of my stomach. Breathe in counts of four... She probably just got held up at the supermart, she's probably talking with one of her friends... 

It was probably just being spooked and seeing the dead body, then hearing about Moriarty... But I couldn't shake the goosebumps off me. 

I walked over to the stove, expecting to see a burnt lunch, but the burner was off and the pot was in the sink. Not only that, it was in a bowl on the table, seasoned, and someone had eaten a large portion of it as well. I froze, "You should know. If you're still in my apartment... I have a kickbutt grandma. And I am semi-armed."

I grabbed the butcher knife from the kitchen block, holding it out in front of me. I moved quietly out of the kitchen, pointing it at the window and back hallway. I put my back against the front door of 221B Baker Street and pushed the door open with my elbow.