You're in Sherlock (Sherlock × Reader)

The Empty Hearse: Chapter 5

The first set of clients went fast, it was a married couple who claimed neither of them had emptied their bank account, but someone had stolen all their money. It was an easy case, too easy. The husband was the one who emptied the account because he was having an affair on his wife, and he'd clearly spent the money on lavish things such as botox. You'd given the wife a card for one of the best lawyers you knew and sent them on their way. Molly sat back quietly, taking notes as you and Sherlock worked.

The next case had been even easier, and drove you practically insane. It was a girl who had been brought in by her step father. She was crying upon entering the flat and you knew it was going to be a rough one. She'd been talking to a man online for months and they'd started dating, but one day the emails stopped. It broke the girl's heart and she swore off dating, staying home with her father, who took her wage as it came in. It was obvious the father had posed as his daughter's online boyfriend, just for the money. You had a few choice words to share with the man before they hurried from the flat, the daughter twice as hysterical as she'd been when she first showed up.

Running bored with client cases, you lounged on the couch, looking at the fireplace as you dangled upside down. You puffed up your cheeks, noisily blowing out air as you thought of what else you could do. You lightly kicked the wall with your foot and you sat up, remembering the article you saw on the papers the other day.

"Hey, remember that skeleton article-" Before you even finished your sentence Sherlock was already phoning Lestrade.

Lestrade agreed to take you to the crime scene as he wanted to get both yours and Sherlock's opinion on the case. No one had even come close to figuring it out. Once you arrived he peeled off the police tape to let you through the door.

"This one's got us all baffled." He sighed, turning the door handle that led down into a basement.

"Hmm. I don't doubt it." Sherlock commented as you and Molly followed him down. Once you entered the basement Lestrade stepped through a section in the wall were the drywall and bricking had caved in. You ducked through it, brushing off your coat as you studied the scene. Lestrade flipped on some lights the police had set up to help them navigate the room as there was no natural lighting.

What you saw was rather interesting. In the middle of the room sat a desk, behind the desk in an office chair sat a skeleton in a tux. The room appeared to be very old, and everything around the skeleton was coated in a thick layer of dust. You hummed, approaching the skeleton to take a closer look.

You and Sherlock both quickly got to work as Sherlock pulled out his magnifying glass, getting a closer look at the material that the skeleton's clothes were made out of. You scrunched your nose as many different scents hit you all at once.

"What is that, cedar wood?" You pondered, sniffing again. "New mothballs and... carbon particulate?" Sherlock took a couple sniffs along with you and nodded.

"And?" He questioned, looking over at you. You looked at him, taking another deep sniff as you narrowed out each individual sent.

"Fire damage." You concluded. Sherlock stood, opening his phone as he held it up for a moment. Molly smiled from the across the room, looking up from her notes to look back and forth between the two of you.

"What is it? You're onto something, aren't you?" She asked, watching as Sherlock scanned his phone. You bit your lip in thought as you turned around the room, before looking again at the skeleton.

"Maybe..." Sherlock spoke, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "Shut up, John." He whispered quietly, shaking his head to the side. You looked up from the skeleton to grin at him.