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

Chapter Seven

It's definitely one of those times that I'm happy that Bart's labs are open 24 hours a day. We've been cooped up in Baker Street with no new leads for days. I just hope this isn't another dead end.

Molly is just finishing off her shift when we arrive. Her eyes are drooping slightly as she heaves her bag onto her shoulder, yet they widen considerabley when she sees us.

"Oh, Sherlock," she says in suprise.

"Are you wearing a new shade of lipstick?" Dad queries. "It suits you."

"Oh," she says again, blushing to the shade of her lipstick. "Yes ... um ... thanks?"

"We need to use one of your labs," dad says, dropping his tactic of using compliments.

"But I was just about to - "

"Please?"

"Oh, alright then," she sighs, and leads us up to our usual lab. "What do you need?"

"We're trying to analyse this," I say, holding up the bottle. "The more hands in, the better."

"So why's Sherlock having us analyse a bottle of woman's bubble bath?" Molly asks me softly a while later as we each hole a pipette over seperate petri dishes.

"Oh don't worry," I tell her. "It's for a case." I see her shoulders relax slightly as I say this.

"I wasn't -"

"Molly," I say, raising my eyebrows slightly. "It is a little obvious." Molly blushes and keeps her head down as she finishes her test.

"Oh!" Dad cries, standing up suddenly from his stool. "Of course!"

"What is it?" I question, dropping my pipette into the solution and jogging over to where he looks over to me, excited.

"Polonium," he tells us all as John and Molly gather around us. "A slow-acting poison and practically unidentifiable if you don't know what you're looking for."

"So each time Helen or Julia used it, they were killing themselves," I expand, and dad nods in agreement. "Well I think that narrows the murderer down considerabley."

"Don't you think we should warn Helen first before we barge into her house?" John queries. "She could keep an eye on Doctor Roylott to ensure he doesn't make a run from it. I think we owe her an explanation before we bang her stepfather up." I nod in agreement and take my phone out, immediately dialing her number and placing it on speaker phone.

"Hello?" Helen's voice answers.

"It's Sophia Holmes," I reply. "The bottle of bubble bath your stepfather gave the both of you has tested positive for Polonium."

"Which means?" Her voice catches, as if she already has an idea.

"Your stepfather has been poisioning you."

"But that's impossible," she cries. "He promised he'd tested it - it was safe."

"Give it here," dad says, taking the phone from me. "How idiotic can you be?" He asks, and John shifts slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the tone he's giving the woman. "He wasn't going to tell you it was poisioned, that would be ridiculous. No, this wasn't an accident. Your stepfather killed your sister in cold blood, so unless you want to be reunited, I suggest you listen."

"But I don't understand - the snake bite!" Dad paused as he let out a sigh of annoyance.

"Your stepfather is clever. He pricked Julia's ankles with needles from his clinic to deflect attention onto Percy - your sister's fiance - and his snakes. But his genius had it's weak point - Julia's phobia of snakes. Anyone who really knew Julia would know that she wouldn't go near them. That was his mistake."

"Oh my god," I hear her mutter.

"Helen," I say, snatching the phone back off of dad. "We're coming over now, but we need you to keep an eye on Doctor Roylott. He knows something's going on, he'll try and make a run for it. Don't make it obvious you're watching him." I disconnect the call, grab my coat and whisk out of the door.