Sherlock - The Game Is On!

The Final Problem- Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Third POV

Sherlock walks along a narrow corridor and turns into a room which is much smaller than the cell. Although also grey in colour, the walls have been messily daubed with red paint so that it looks like they're heavily covered with blood. He looks around as he walks deeper into the room, John and Mycroft following him. "Someone's been redecorating."

"Is that allowed?"

"She's literally taken over the asylum. We have more to worry about than her choice of colour scheme."

The room is about twenty feet wide. At the far end is a large window, made up of three panes of glass, looking out over the sea. A small glass table is a few feet from the window and there is an envelope on it. Mycroft runs his fingers over the paint on part of the wall. "Barely dry. Recent."

"It's for our benefit." Sherlock determines.

Behind them, the door through which they just came has slid shut. On the wall between the doors, a large screen now activates and Eurus appears on it:

- - As a motivator to your continued co-operation, I'm now reconnecting you. - -

She lifts the remote control and clicks it. Jim's voice comes over the speaker and his red tinted image appears on the screen:

- - Fasten your seatbelts! It's gonna be a bumpy night. - -

There's a brief screech of static and then the little girl's voice can be heard:

- - Are-are you still there? - -

"Yes, hello?" Sherlock steps forward towards the sound. The little girl doesn't respond immediately. "Hello. We're still here. Can you hear us?"

The girl is sitting on the floor in the aisle of the plane. The plane jolts constantly, either suffering turbulence or fighting against the automatic pilot. She continues to sound scared and tearful whenever she speaks:

- - Yes. - -

"Everything's gonna be all right. I just need you to tell me where you are. Outside, is it day or night?"

She sits up taller and looks towards the windows.

- - Night. - -

"That certainly narrows it down to half the planet." Minecraft blandly responds, folding his arms. Sherlock turns to glare at him. "What kind of a plane are you on?"

- - Um, I don't know. - -

"Is it big or small?"  John steps forward to question.

- - Big. - -

"Lots of people on it?" He questions further.

She looks along the aisle. In front of her, the majority of the seats contain unconscious adults.

- - Lots and lots, but they're all asleep. I can't wake them up. - -

"Where did you take off from?"

- - Even the driver's asleep. - -

"No, I understand; But where did you come from? Where did the plane take off?"

- - My nan's. - -

John smiles sadly as she anxiously speaks.

"And where are you going?"

- - Home. - -

"No, I mean what airport are you..." A click of the call, Eurus's appears on screen once more. She begins to sing-song:

- - Enough for now. - -

She leans close to the camera, her eyes wide.

- - Time to play a new game. - -

The younger Holmes brother turns away with frustration.

- - Look on the table in front of you. - -

Sherlock and John stand by the sides of the glass table whilst Mycroft stands a few feet away.

- - Open the envelope! If you want to speak to the girl again, earn yourself some phone time! - -

Putting the pistol on the table, Sherlock picks up the envelope. "This is inhuman; this is insane!"

"Mycroft, we know." John presses firmly. Lowering his eyes, Mycroft has a look that's exasperated. Sherlock opens the envelope and taken out the contents.

- - Six months ago, a man called Evans was murdered; Unsolved except by me. - -

Sherlock starts laying three glossy photographs side by side on the table. As Eurus continues to speak, a bright light comes on at the end of a beam above Sherlock's head. He looks up and sees a hunting rifle resting in a rack which has been attached to the side of the beam.

- - He was shot from a distance of three hundred metres with this rifle. Now, if the police had any brains they'd realise there are three suspects, all brothers. Nathan Garrideb, Alex Garrideb and Howard Garrideb. - -

Sherlock has been looking towards the screen while she spoke but now looks down at the photos spread out on the table.

Each one is of a different man. The first, wearing grey trousers, a blue shirt, a brown corduroy jacket and glasses, is in an outdoor car park and the word 'NATHAN' has been written on the picture. The second man, wearing a dark blue suit, is standing talking on his phone, perhaps in an office environment, and the photo is labelled 'ALEX'; And the third man, wearing a white T-shirt and black jumper with a dark jacket and trousers, is walking near rocky cliffs and his picture is labelled 'HOWARD'.

Above the three photos the envelope, laid face-up, has the word 'EVANS' written on it.

- - All these photos are up-to-date, but which one pulled the trigger, Sherlock? Which one? - -

"What's this? W-we're supposed to solve this based on what?"

"This. This is all we get."

- - Please, make use of your friends, Sherlock. I want to see you interact with people that you're close to. Also, you may have to choose which one to keep. - -