𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 // 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐬

p2 ten

the only sound that could be heard was the lit fireplace as it crackled and the footsteps of the 3 of us. a figure sat slumped in an arm chair. me and enola stood behind sherlock as he came to a stop. he placed his hand out blocking our path.

i pushed his arm away and walked over to the figure. i gasped slightly when i realised who it was. "william lyon." i managed to breathe out. enola and sherlock looked at me confused on the reason behind me knowing him aswell as them. "his family arrange most dances. he's also sarah's love. oh no she's gonna be a mess when she finds out."

i put my hands on my head, stressing as i imagine sarah's reaction. sherlock pulls me over towards him. he hugs me briefly before inspecting the body himself. "my theif in a taper crown hat." he says.

"stay unemotional. there's nothing more we can do for him now." sherlock says looking at me. "we need to keep our minds fresh and our eyes sharp."

"he was seized." enola speaks up touching the fabric that covered williams arms.

"yes and searched." sherlock said. i began wondering around the room.

"for the document he took?" enola asked rhetorically.

i walk over to wear enola stood. "a knife?" i asked.

"no bigger." she replied. "a cutlass. heavy boot scuffs and scratch marks from a cane that has a metal ferrule. grail."

"but at whose behest?" sherlock spoke. "there was another in this room."

"this cigar had a holder." enola held up a cigar. "and traces of wool.

sherlock and enola inspected it carefully. "astrakhan, the finest." he said. enola continued looking at the body, i could tell she was in deep thought.

"where did william steal from? the treasury office?" enola asked quickly.

"yes." sherlock raised his eyebrows confused.

"the office of lord mcintyre, treasury minister." enola said matter of factly.

"how did you come to that?" i looked to her.

"i think what william stole was proof that lyon and mcintyre were conspiring together."
she said.

my eyes widened remembering the times sarah told me vaguely about her plan getting justice for something. i was always confused by her ideas however it all hit me like a wave. "corruption."
i said.

"yes." enola looked at me. "fuelled by greed. mcintyre has been secretly profiting from the factory."

"they changed the match formula to a cheaper phosphorus, and its deadly." i explained remembering what sarah would tell me, not noticing my brother walk in and vice versa he hadn't noticed me either.

"enola? enola i was concerned for you. you left me out there in the dark, and i nearly tore my..." i turned around to look at tewksbury.

"tilly! and sherlock holmes how do..." he began raising a challenging brow at the pair of us.

enola quickly cut him off. "not the time."
she motioned her head towards the body.

"oh my..." tewksbury jumped. "is he..."

"stay unemotional." enola warned him. i looked up at sherlock and smiled slightly as enola mirrored his earlier quote. he snaked his hand round my waist and held me close to his side.

enola turned back around until tewks spoke up, "who did this?"

"lord mcintyre." enola said.

"no." i said quickly. sherlock nodded agreeing with me.

"but it all fits." the young girl furrowed her eyebrows.

"no one has sat in this chair. no marks on the carpet, no indentation." sherlock let go if my waist and i instantly felt cold where his hand previously was.
"the cigar has been smoked, but cold."

"and look, no ash." i point out. the good thing about sherlock is you learn alot from his ways.

"no lips have touched that glass." enola said.

"exactly." sherlock replied quickly. we all look toward him listening intently to his information. "these clues have been planted for us to find, to mislead us from the true villain. this has all been staged."

"by who?" enola questioned as sherlock began walking across the room. we watched as he wandered.

"not mcintyre, but by someone who had a lot to lose without that document. someone who knew what they were up to and was blackmailing them." sherlock was now on the other end of the room looking at an object. "my opponent. someone who likes a game."

"did they get what they wanted?" tewks asked.

"no i dont think so." sherlock replied. enola walked over to william.

"poor william." she said grabbing his hand. i looked at his lifeless frame, i sighed sadly. tewks came over giving me a quick hug to make up for not being able to earlier.

i chuckle slightly as i realise how tall he is. "you're getting to big. i miss when you were tiny."

he laughed and ruffled my hair, i swatted his hand away. enola held what looked to be a corner of a paper.

she rushed over to the table and sherlock stood beside her. me and tewksbury stood on the other side of her.

"they did get something." enola said.

"mae's terrible music." sherlock said.

"'the truth of the Gods'" the girl read.

"could be biblical, mythical." sherlock suggested.

"theatrical?" tewks piped up.

i look to him quickly, "you're a genius. the Gods is the top row if the theatre." i explained to the confused looking holmes'

"the balcony." tewks continued. "doesn't everyone know that?"

it's crazy how many people can live extremely different lives. and things that may be normal in one family like theatre and dances can be hugely unfamiliar to others.

"this isn't music." enola realised. she analysed the sheet if paper. "its a map."

and with that being said we headed off.