Sophia Holmes and the Speckled Blonde (Sherlock's Daughter Fanfic) *Completed*

Chapter Five

"I just don't get it!" dad yells one morning, a few days after the start of our case, shooting more holes into the wall. It has been tense in 221B over the last few days, nobody knowing where the case could go next. It wouldn't be the first time we would leave a case unsolved, but there's still something which nags in my mind about this whole thing.

"Are you sure we're looking at murder?" John questions, taking his hands down from his ears as dad stops shooting for a moment and as I look up the various snakes I had seen at the flat and compare them against the poison they inject their victims with.

"No, it's definitely murder," I say. "But i just don't see how a snake could be released into Stoner's house, get up to their bedroom, kill Julia as she's sleeping and then get away without being seen. Somebody must have seen something."

As if on cue, dad's phone begins to vibrate and then ring as a call comes through.

"It's Helen," I say, tossing the device over. I watch anxiously as dad accepts the call and places the phone to his ear.

"Yes, it's me," he says, and his eyes widen. "Calm down. Repeat that again." I exchange glances with John. This isn't good. "Alright, phone again if you feel any different." Dad takes the phone back down as the call ends. "Helen is beginning to see the same symptoms Julia had in herself. She said she woke up this morning feeling tired and depressed. She doesn't know why."

"So whatever happened to Julia is happening to Helen now?" I confirm. "So is our murderer hunting down the family, slaying each member as they go? Why leave it so long between their mother and father's poisionings to kill the daughters?"

"I don't know," dad admits. "And I hate not knowing."

"Wait," John says. "You said that she could be Julia's murder all over again, but couldn't it just be grief?"

"It's been almost a week," dad says, frowning. "Surely she should have recovered from it by now."

"Sherlock," John warns. "Sentiment."

"A feeling I'm sure I'll never get my head around," dad says and I hear my name mentioned as John mutters something which is otherwise incomprehensible. I bite my lip and think for a moment more, pressing my fingers together and breathing in as I go through the standard proceedure. What to do when all else fails. When we're back to square one.

"I know what we need to do," I perk up, attracting the men's attention. "We need to relive Julia Stoner's last night alive. Maybe it could throw up some more things that we've perhaps missed."

"Brilliant, Sophie," dad says. "We'll also be able to observe Helen's behaviour and make sure nothing attacks her during the night."

"Alright, seems as though you two are sorted," John says. "I guess I'll see you two back here tomorrow then?"

"Oh no," I smirk. "You're coming with us."