The Detectives Daughter

Chapter 4: A Study In Pink: Texting

~ Brookes POV ~

Once we got back to Baker Street I quickly showed and changed into black leggings, a dark grey hoodie and black combat boots. I re- applied my make, foundation and mascara then re- entered the living room.

Dad was lying across the sofa with his hands in a praying position and breathing heavily... Mind palace. I rolled my eyes then picked up the tennis ball that we were throwing earlier and sat in his black arm chair side ways. I lay back facing the roof then throw the ball upwards making it hit the roof with a thud then caught it and I do it again. I throw it a third time.
"STOP THAT!" Dad shouts.
I jump and look at him. I open my mouth to speak up the ball hits the top of my head, "OW!"
Dad chuckles quietly and relaxes on the sofa once again. I scowled,
"You did that on purpose... Prick," I muttered. Dads eyes shot open,
"First warning," Dad smirked then closes his eyes again. My mouth gapes open!
I hate that warning things parents do stop their child from doing anything wrong. Dad did some research and found that grounding your child is a brilliant way of getting them to behave. You get three warnings and after my third warning I either can't go to a crime scene for between a day to a week or I have to go under cover for one of my Dads cases and I don't get any say in how I look, sound or do!

I stay quiet. Suddenly I hear the front door slam shut then heavy foot steps up the stairs. John must be back!
"Dad's fault we felt you, I had no choice in the matter and if it makes you feel better he made me climb into a bin, look though someone else's rubbish for that case... and I got hit on the head by the tennis ball. Again!" I speak quickly and point at the case that's in the middle of the floor. John chuckles and sits in the red arm chair that's in front me. He looks over to my Dad and raises a brow,
"What are you doing?" John asks suspiciously.
"Nicotine patches, helps me think," Dad shows John the THREE patches on his arm. I always read the box and they saw ONE!
"He's trying to stop smoking... bad for his brain work," I shrug at John. Dads been trying to stop smoking for a while.
"Good News for breathing," John stated.
"Ugh breathing, breathing's boring," Dad moans from the sofa. I swear sometimes I'm the parent whose trying to stop a teen from going off the rails... the last time I checked I was sure I was the teenager here.
"Well, you asked me to come, so I'm assuming its important?" John looks between Dad and I. Dad turns his head towards us,
"Ah yes, can I borrow your phone?" Dad asks.
"My phone?" John asked to confirm that's what he came here to do.
"Can't use mine the numbers on the website, there's a chance the number could get recognized," Dad explains his phone issue and continues his 'thinking'.
"Brooke has a pho-,"
"NO, he's not having my phone ever again. Last time I let him use it I had a crazy lady texting me," I cut John off. I'm not even going to go into detail about that event. I had to change my phone and my number!
"Er... what about Mrs Hudson?" John's are still on me. He seems shocked at my reason for not letting Dad use my phone.
"I tried shouting but she didn't hear me," Dad shrugs. I scowl at him. I didn't hear him shout her, I hum the rhyme 'Liar, Liar pants of fire'. Johns doesn't hear me but Dad does,
"Two warnings, one more and you're grounded," Dad turns his head to look at me. I smirk and decide to test him,
"How long?"
"Two week's, one for being cheeky and the second for testing me," Dad smirks at me then turns to John.
"I was on the other side of London," John pointed out and he looked a little frustrated.
"It was no hurry," Dad assured him with a little shrug. I watch John huff and give is phone to my Dad.
"So this is about the case then?" John asks me. I smile, he's catching one.
"Her case," Dad whispers. Poor John looks a little lost.
"Obviously the murderer had the case. Number one mistake... Oh yes by the way we didn't kill her," I smile sweetly at John who's mouth is slightly gaped open. I hear Dad growl in frustration... What's wrong with him now?
"It's no use, we'll have to risk it," Dad mutters.
"Risk what?," John asks while looking a little confused.
"John there's a number on my desk, I want you to send a text," Dad hands the phone back to John. John gives him a sarcastic smile that I had to smile at.
"You brought me here to send a text!" John growled ever so slightly. I shook my head, nice one Pops... what a way to annoy the new flat mate.
"Text yes the number on my desk," Dad confirmed him. John picks up the number and I notice he looks out the window... he looks worried?
I quickly pull out my phone and send a text while John talks about some one he met,

(TEXT)
What did you do to the poor Doctor?
And don't lie!
- BH

I stuff my phone back into my pocket and re- join the conversation.
"On the desk the number," I nod towards my Dads desk. John picks up the bit of paper and reads the name and number on it.
"Jennifer Wilson... Its that the dead women?" John looks at Dad with confusion. Dad and I roll our eyes in sync.
"Yes that's not important right now, Have you done it?" Dad turns to John who simply nods.
"Have you done it?" Dad asks again, he getting a little frustrated at how slow John's typing the number in. I shake my head, Dad can be so impatient. I can be to but not as bad as he.
"yeah, hang on," Johns says with a little frustration in his voice.
"Text 'what happened at Lourstein Gardens? I must have pasted out. 22 Northumberland street, please come," Dad instructed John as he typed the words into the phone then pressed send.
Dad sits up then opens the pink case. The case smells like that dam bin!
"That's the pink ladies case?" John looks between Dad and I.
"Yep, that's the thing I went bin diving for," I scrunch up my nose at the memory of jumping in the bin.
John gives me a sympathetic look then looks back at Dad.
"So... how'd you get this?" John nods at the case. I roll my eyes.
"Brooke just explained that she went into a bin to get it. The bin was down an ally, the colour of the case would have draw attention, especially if you were a man. Therefore he'd have to get rid of it without being seen. It would only take minutes to see that she left the case behind, so the alley had to be big enough to fit a car down," Dad explained. John looked shocked at how he got all this information from hardly anything... what can I say my Dad's good.
"You got all that by know the case would be pink?" John asked. He didn't look like he believed us.
"Well it had to be pink obviously," I shrug. Honestly does John do not know that some women love to have accessories that go with their outfit.
"Now look, what's missing?" Dad asked John.
John looked at him with confusion then looked at me for help,
"Her phone. There was no phone on the body and there was no phone on the body. We know she had a phone because that's the number you just text," I explain to John. Dad nods at my explanation.
"Maybe she left it at home?" John suggests. I shake my head.
"She had a string of lovers. She was careful about it so she didn't leave her phone lying around," Dad explains.
"Oh," John mumbles.
"By the way just to let you know, in case you didn't you just text a murder," I alerted John of his resent actions. He looks at me slightly shocked and I smile sweetly.

*BEEP**BEEP**BEEP**BEEP*

Johns phone starts to go off. He picked it up, he looked like he didn't no weather to answer it or not. John looked at Dad for help, Dad shook his head.

"A few hours after his last victims and he received a text message that could only be from her," Dad explain while looking at the phone as it stop ringing. Dad got his coat and scarf.
"Well?" John asked Dad.
"Well you could sit here and watch telly," Dad looks at the TV with distaste. I begged him for ages to buy a TV, a girl needs her soaps. I love Coronation Street and Eastenders!
"I like company when I go out, and Brooke enjoys meeting new people. We think better when we talk out loud," Dad explained while putting on his coat and scarf. I walk towards the door and wait for Dad.

I check my phone- 1 new message from Mycroft.

(TEXT)
I simply asked him if he was going to stay with you
and if he wanted some money to stay with you...
Plus information about what drama you two get
up to.
- MH

I giggle. Only half a lie but I'll get over it.
Dad stands next to me,
"Problem?" Dad looks over to John.
"Yeah... Sargent Donovan," John looks between us.
"Ignore her Doc, she's just annoyed at us for announcing her affair with Anderson. She'll say anything to make us look bad," I explain to John. I really do hate Donovan for that! What's her problem?
"She said you two get off on this and... enjoy it," John looks between us and the floor,
"And I said danger, and here you are," Dad observed John.

Dad put his hand on my back and we walked down the stairs. I waited by the door... I smile to myself. I hear foot step coming down the stairs. I knew John couldn't resist danger.

John and I walk out the front door where we meet Dad and begin walking down the road.

"Angelo's here we come," I whisper. I love Angelo's, it's one of my favorite restaurants.