Lost and Found (Sherlock x Reader)

The Great Game (Part 4)

Carl Powers.

That was what the picture of the basement flat on Baker Street and the mysterious pair of trainers was all about. Carl Powers, a boy with big feet, owned this pair of trainers. This was figured out based on the fact that the shoes were large enough for a man to wear, but there were traces of a name written in them. Obviously, no adult would write their name in their shoes. Sherlock quickly came to the realization that the shoes were the property of Carl Powers. The first case he was ever interested in. One he just could not solve because the shoes were missing. But now...

"Poison."

"Hmm?" You hummed from your spot in the kitchen.

"What are you going on about?" Mrs. Hudson asked.

"Clostridium Botulinum!" Sherlock declared slamming his hands down on the table.

Mrs. Hudson gasped and shakily exited the room. You gave Sherlock a stern look for upsetting the landlady, but he either didn't notice or chose to ignore you. He instead looked to John who was entering the kitchen from the living room.

"It's one of the deadliest poisons on the planet!"

John obviously had not yet connected the dots as he stared at Sherlock blankly.

"Carl Powers!" Sherlock reminded him.

"Oh, wait, are you saying he was poisoned?" John asked.

You felt the instinct to roll your eyes.

'Yes, John! He was poisoned!'

Sherlock was now standing up and observing the shoelaces he had hung up from the trainers. "Remember the shoelaces?"

"Mhmm."

"The boy suffered from eczema. It'd be the easiest thing in the world to introduce the poison into his medication. Two hours later, he comes up to London, the poison takes effect, paralyses the muscles and he drowns."

"What? How-how come the autopsy didn't pick that up?" John asked.

Sherlock opened his mouth to answer but he was just a bit too slow for you.

"Well, it's virtually undetectable. Nobody would be looking for it." There was a silence that stretched out after you said that. You looked up after a minute and noticed both John and Sherlock staring at you. Sherlock seemed both shocked and impressed.

"What?" You asked. "Am I wrong?"

"No," Sherlock answered quickly. "No, you are exactly right."

And then he was right back into the case. You looked away with a slight blush on your cheeks.
Sherlock stepped around the kitchen and sat before his laptop. The forum was open on his own website.
He typed into the message box: "FOUND. Pair of trainers belonging to Carl Powers (1978-1989)."
The detective sat up straight to point at the shoelaces, continuing with his explanation, "But there were still tiny traces of it left inside the trainers from where he put the cream on his feet." You nodded along in understanding as Sherlock went back to typing. "Botulinum toxin still present. Apply 221B Baker Street." He hit one final button on the keyboard and sent the message.

"That's why they had to go."

"Because if the shoes had been left, there would have been a possibility that the poison would be discovered," You said, finishing the thought.

John then chimed in, "So how do we let the bomber know?"

"Get his attention," Sherlock responded.

"Mhmm."