We were at Dr Roylott's house. We'd eventually got there after visiting Percy again - he had an alibi, Sherlock was frustrated.
Helen was there this time and was complaining about feeling ill. We weren't sure if it was grief over her sister's death or something else.
"We need to live here for a night, Doctor." Sherlock stated. Roylott looked at him, shocked.
"Is that okay with you?" I asked. Sherlock hadn't told me this plan of his so I was just playing along.
"Is that really compulsory?" He asked.
I looked to Sherlock.
"Yes, it will further the investigation of your stepdaughter's murder, isn't that good Doctor Roylott?" He said, getting intensive.
"I suppose you can - if it helps." The man reasoned.
"Great." Sherlock clamped his hands together. "Where will we be staying?"
•
We were led upstairs and into a large bedroom. It continued the theme of the rest of the house - white, glossy and expensive.
"This is- ...was her bedroom." He choked.
There was one big bed in the middle of the room.
"I'll sleep on the ground." I said, looking at it.
Sherlock didn't hear me as he was swooshing about and inspecting the place.
"I'll leave you two to have a look around. Please find Julia's killer." He said sobbing.
"We'll try." I assured.
He nodded sadly and shut the door.
I watched Sherlock dart about for a while. I looked at my phone: 20:27.
"Wow, it's late." I said.
"Time?" He asked.
"Half eight."
He nodded. "Right." He put his mini magnifying glass back into his jacket and stood upright. "She came home from a night out, but didn't get too drunk."
I nodded to confirm I understood so far.
"She came in, got undressed and went into a bath." We walked through into the bathroom. "Washed then got out."
I nodded again.
He paused for a second then clutched his head, shouting, "Aargh! I can't think!"
I froze - he was quite intimidating when he was angry. He stormed back into the room and sat down with his hands in a prayer position. I sighed then looked out of the window.
•
It was around 10pm now and he was still in his mindpalace. I put my jacket on the ground and took a pillow from the bed. I lay down and slowly fell asleep.
When I awoke I was lying on top of Julia's bed and Sherlock was standing at the end, staring at me. I coughed, "How- uh, how long have you been there?"
"4 hours."
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Why?"
"I was thinking, while waiting for you to wake up."
I nodded awkwardly, getting up and checking my phone: 03:12. I rubbed my face. "You worked it out yet?" I asked.
"No." He muttered.
"Okay then."
We sat for a few minutes in silence - Sherlock went into the bathroom to have a look around again.
"Maybe the poison was in the bath?" I suggested. Sherlock looked to me, his eyes were fixed on my face but his mind was somewhere else - he was thinking again. I sighed...this could take a while. I placed my handbag on the bed and sat down.
Twenty minutes later and he was back.
I heard a "yes" coming from the bathroom and made my way back in. He was throwing bottles of shampoo, conditioner and soap on the ground. "No...nope...nope...no...not that..no." He grabbed a large pink bottle from the side and stared at it.
"What is it?"
He ignored me, still reading through the ingredients. He turned the front of the bottle towards me. "Roylotts. It's Dr Roylott's company."
"Oh." I said. This was getting mysterious.
•
Sherlock had woken up Helen and brought her through to the room. He showed her the bubble bath. She told us that her stepdad made it and gave it to her and her sister to try. It wasn't out in shops yet, but was tested and perfectly safe - apparently.
"We need to take this to Barts, thank you for being so hospitable." He said to her.
"Oh, right." She said.
I grabbed my stuff and ran after Sherlock, who was making his way outside.
"It's four in the morning! Can't we do this tomorrow?" I shouted, rushing over to him.
"But you won't be here tomorrow, remember?"
"Why not?" I asked - truly confused.
"Work, doctor, Mary and John." He said sharply.
"Oh right, yeah. I really should get some rest though." I said as I tried to keep up with him.
"After Barts, okay?" He snapped.
"Fine." I said, pushing my hair away from my face.
We called a cab and went to the hospital again. It was dark and eerie. We walked through the halls and surprisingly he knew excactly how to get to the lab, in pitch blackness.
"There's a morgue in here, isn't there?" I whispered to Sherlock.
"Yes, why?"
I sighed. "Even more terrifying."
He pushed the door open. Before he could get in, something fell and smashed in the distance. I shrieked and grabbed his sleeve.
He reached for the light and pressed the switch. They came on in sequence, lighting up sections of the room at a time. There was no one there.
"Oh god." I whispered. "Oh god, no."
Sherlock chuckled, "It's just gravity."
"No, Sherlock, something was here."
"It's your mind playing tricks on you."
Sherlock walked over to the worktop and starting trying to figure out what the poison was. He was adamant that it was in the bubble bath.
•
He did tests and experiments until he got his results. "It's in the soap." He announced, grinning. "Slow acting poison."
"So, was it on purpose?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Oh. What do we do?"
"We need to get to Dr Roylott." He said, already running out the door.
"Again with the running." I sighed to myself - following after.
•
We got to the house. Sherlock ran ahead and forced the door open.
"I'm not sure this is entirely safe." I said, chasing after him again.
"Not at all." He smiled.
We rushed through the house - he wasn't there. We found Helen in her room. "What's happening?" She asked.
"Your stepfather murdered your sister, and is slowly killing you -- topping you up with slow acting poison everytime you have a bath." He replied.
She was shocked, to say the least.
"Nicely done, Sherlock." I hissed.
"Thank-" he looked at me, "oh sarcasm."
I nodded.
Just as we were about to give up I wandered into the kitchen. I was horrified by what I saw. My body stopped and I froze to the spot. "O-Oh no, Sherlock..." I said, my voice breaking with every syllable.
"Sophie? Where are you?" His deep voice echoed throughout the house.
"Ki- Kitchen." I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.
The large footsteps made their way in, stopping at the moment he saw it.
•••