The Mysterious Case of Ava Lawrence vs Sherlock Holmes

On the Scene

I wondered around London for a bit, not really knowing where I was going but being sure to remember the way back. Stopping at a small coffee shop I was so relieved to finally have a hot chocolate. Did I mention that I am seriously addicted to chocolate? Thinking to myself whilst sitting outside the cafe, Max was lying down next to me on the ground; I started to wonder what happens to me in the real world or whatever. I mean I must have parents here but what about Dad? For the moment I was fine and that was what mattered, I just needed to focus on staying out of everyone’s way, especially Sherlock, and try to get home. Speak of the devil I noticed the dynamic duo rushing down the street across from me. Max also raised his head and stared at them. He is really smart, he doesn’t actually need a lead, he just follows me around but it’s illegal not to use one so I do anyway. I decided to leave my hot chocolate (shock horror) and follow them to wherever they were going, something told me that it was to that dead pink woman. Maybe I should help them with their cases, I thought to myself, but that would probably disrupt some sort of universal law, oh god, I’m so confused. I continued walking down the street as inconspicuously as possible. They turned a corner and when I followed I saw the bright yellow tape that was signature of a crime scene and remembered the house from a Study in Pink. Yep, I was right. This brought to attention a dilemma, do I help them with their cases or not and even more importantly do I stop Sherlock from faking his own death.

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Max and I stared at the house for ages before seeing Sherlock and John walk out, I could also see Sergeant Donovan and Anderson there. Oh this is when Sherlock leaves John behind; maybe I’ll be able to help John. Sherlock would definitely know if I started following him and I don’t have much to do so why not. After seeing Sherlock walk away while John was talking to Sergeant Donovan I slowly made my way towards John’s position. Max decided to help me out on how to approach this and leapt on him whilst licking his face. “Oh my god I am so sorry,” I stated as quietly as I could, remember I’m still very shy. John looked up in shock before recognition crossed his face, “Oh it’s no problem, I love the buggers,” he laughed as Max finally calmed down and sat next to me. John then realised that Sherlock was no longer around and he sighed in defeat. “What’s wrong?” I asked him, I was going to have to feign ignorance for the moment. “Oh nothing, it’s just Sherlock, he’s disappeared and I have no idea how to get home, now I’m going to have to pay for a taxi.” I looked at him pointedly, “You could walk home with me, I was on my way back anyway,” I asked, still not meeting his eyes. “Alright, sounds good, it will be nice to meet the mysterious neighbour,” he replied jollily. We started on our way when something occurred to me, “Why am I mysterious?” I asked. “Well because Sherlock had no idea you lived there, and according to Mrs Hudson you have lived there longer than he has. She described you as a nice quiet girl who kept to herself, although she was shocked that he hadn’t seen you at St Bart’s and the police station, since you’re a criminologist and everything.” I gaped at him, I’m a what now. Of course I have always been able to read people like an open book and I guess in this universe I decided to make that my career, that is so awesome.

We continued the polite banter before I thought it was a good time to bring up the murder, “So what were you guys doing in a crime scene?” I asked innocently. He chortled, “I wish I knew. I was dragged there by Sherlock where he asked me to start analysing the body, it was pretty gross.” “But aren’t you an army doctor?” I questioned, “This stuff should be easy for you.” He glanced at me awkwardly before saying, “I don’t remember saying that I was an army doctor.” Shit, great now you’ve done it, “Um, no, you didn’t but Mrs Hudson told me a bit about you when she said a new person was moving in.” He glanced at me again before seeming to relax, thank god for that. We turned the corner onto Baker St and I released Max from his lead, I could see that John was surprised by the fact that he didn’t run amuck instantly. We reached the door when it hit me that something had changed already. John was supposed to go and see Mycroft on the way home and I had stopped that from happening, god I hope that doesn’t matter. I rushed inside and ran to my flat shutting the door behind me. I heard John say, “Well nice talking to you too,” before heading up the stairs. I slid with my back against the door to the ground and started taking deep breaths, okay just remember what’s going to happen next, I told myself. John sends a text message to the fourth victim then they go on a wild goose chase looking for the killer in a taxi, they think that it’s the passenger but it is really the taxi driver. Should I help them, I mean Sherlock nearly kills himself this episode and I could probably change that. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and realised that they were going to the restaurant. “She’s really nice but very quiet and seems afraid of everything, almost out of place; she also guessed that I was an army medic. She said that Mrs Hudson had told her but I could tell she was lying,” a muffled voice came through the door, of course John knew I was lying. Sherlock seemed to grunt in response and when I looked out my keyhole he was trying to look into it, I gasped in shock and stepped back, terrified that he had heard. He glanced up yet again at the peep hole before clearing his throat and stepping back, I think he heard but he made no moves to suggest he did. “Come on, this can wait,” he told John and they both moved out of the building.

I sighed in relief and tried to figure out how to help them, now that I had made the decision to help them I realised that it was going to be very hard not to get caught. Come on think, I told myself. This is probably a really stupid idea but it’s the only thing I can think of, I thought as I started to write on a piece of paper. I made sure to make the writing completely different to my own so that he wouldn’t be able to distinguish it as mine. I only wrote two words on it, vague enough for him to have no idea who wrote it but clear enough for him to figure out its meaning, I then jumped the steps two at a time and slid the note under his door. I ran back to my flat, locked the door and sighed deeply. God why is this so complicated. Deciding that I needed a much deserved break I went to my chocolate stash which I had found in the cupboard and turned on the TV, settling in for a cartoon marathon until they got back home. Unfortunately for me I had forgotten that a rather noisy group of police men were going to precede him which meant that I couldn’t really focus on what I was watching. Finally I heard the familiar voices of Sherlock and John and waited until they had climbed the stairs and gone into their flat before following. I hesitantly knocked on their door and waited for a response. The door opened and I was faced with the one, the only, Lestrade. I almost fainted but kept my composure and as usual didn’t look anyone in the eye. “Who’s this then?” he asked in his usual husky tone. “Just a neighbour,” I heard Sherlock respond as he came towards the door carrying the note I had left, I made care not to look at it so as not to draw suspicion to myself. “Why ain’t she speaking, or looking at anyone for that matter?” Lestrade continued, I would say he was being rude but he seemed pretty stressed. “Don’t take it personally, she is chronically shy,” Sherlock answered whilst coming to a stop right in front of me. “Although she does seem to be very clever, I mean she is a criminologist after all.” “Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Your name wouldn’t happen to be Ava Lawrence would it?” Lestrade questioned. My head shot up and for the first time in a while I looked someone in the eye, “Yes, yes it is,” Sherlock answered for me, obviously being able to read me well enough to answer.

“You’ve missed 2 days of work already, you were supposed to start Monday,” Lestrade seemed to be getting very cross. “Huh, I didn’t think your eyes would be green, how interesting,” Sherlock mumbled to himself. I recovered my face with my long hair and took a step back, “Sorry sir, I will be at work tomorrow, I’ve just been sick is all,” I whispered quietly. “Make sure you are,” he yelled after me as I made my escape down the stairs. “Why was she here?” I heard John ask Sherlock on my way down the stairs. “She probably just wanted to know what was going on,” Sherlock responded but something in his tone made me turn around and lock eyes with his ice blue orbs. My eyes widened in what I guess you could call fear and I almost jumped before dashing down the stairs and running into my flat. “Oh I do wish you wouldn’t scare her like that dearie, she is such a nice girl,” I heard Mrs Hudson say through the wooden door.  “Hmmm something tells me she is a lot more than that,” Sherlock’s voice echoed through the building.

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