"Sherlock! What did you do that for?" Mrs Hudson squealed, recoiling.
"He wasn't who he said he was," Sherlock muttered. "Nurse Hughton?"
He turned to a shocked nurse staring at him as if he had just turned into a steam train.
"Do you recognise this man?"
The woman slowly approached the unconscious man and flipped him onto his front.
"No, I don't recognise hi- wait," she said, her face contorting in confusion. "Why is he wearing Dr Paju's badge?"
A thorough investigation was conducted, but the report given 2 days by Mrs Hudson later to Sherlock was nothing he hadn't deduced from looking at the man for a second.
The substance in the vial was poison, the man had switched clothes with Dr Paju after sedating him and leaving him in a stockroom and the man didn't work at the Hospital. In fact, research showed he had an extensive criminal record and the man was now in custody.
Why would anyone want to kill Sophie? Maybe she had a secret? More likely, it was to do with her new association with him. It still didn't stop him visiting her the next day.
Sophie was conscious, but she spent most of her time sleeping and healing, and was when he arrived. A dutiful nurse quietly observed her.
It was then Sherlock noticed the notebook on the bedside table. It hadn't been there the last time he had visited. He snatched it up and read the first few pages. They were filled with scribbles.
Codes?
Ceaser Cipher
Modulus (26?)
Ceaser Shift
Several codes had been tried and had failed. Sophie finally had time on her hands, but it became apparent after they first 35 pages that her attempt to crack the code had not been fruitful. Ceaser Cipher and Modulus had been crossed out. She was still in the process of trying Ceaser Shifts. On the 36th page, in caps, underlined twice and with several quetsion marks following was KEYWORD??????
It was just then he heard a small croak.
"Sherlock?" Sophie croaked. A nurse rushed over, bearing a tray of medicine, food and drink.
"I'll leave you two to it," she said with a friendly smile.
"I see you've been trying to solve the code," he said.
"Yes, so I'm guessing you know what we need to solve it," she replied.
"Well," said Sherlock. "No time like the present."
YOU ARE READING
Young Sherlock | School of Deduction (Book One)
Mystery / Thriller- COMPLETED - (To be edited.) Sherlock Holmes is far from your ordinary human being, and now he's moved to London he's realised that either he is exceptionally intelligent or that everybody else is exceptionally stupid. Maybe even both. But when h...
