The Baker's Detective

| The Poster and the Inn |

After eating, Lily, Sherlock, and John head out to the Barkley's. John was reluctant to leave Rosie, but Lily's mum insisted it was fine and her dad brought out a bunch of Lily and Liam's old toys he'd dug out of the attic. Rosie seemed content, so John went along and promised to be back soon.

Uriah drives them as he wants to stop at his own house anyway for something else to eat and a break while he waits for them to investigate.

"I told you," he says, as they drive up to a house crowded with officers and a few passersby. Caution tape is around the perimeter. They get out and see an officer coming towards them, not looking very happy under his thick mustache. He almost looks familiar to Lily, but she can't place him.

"Mr. Holmes," he says. "I'm Officer Brent Davis. I just received a call that you would be here." He turns to John, then Lily. His bushy brows furrow. "Wait a minute. Is your father Emmet Marlow?"

"Yes!" Lily says, shaking his hand. "I'm Lily."

"Yes, you are!" His face brightens. "I went to school with your father. You look just like him!"

"Yes, I get that a lot."

"He made a little rocking chair for my daughter when she was a toddler. I believe that was the last time I saw you." He puts his hand closer to the ground. "You were only this high. Wow, I'm old. Are you a detective now, then?"

Lily struggles to answer. "Well... I tag along with Sherlock and John, if that counts."

"Let me show you in. What do you know about the case?"

"What was on the news, really."

As they enter the house, Sherlock takes in a deep breath. "I miss that smell."

"What?" Lily raises a brow. "Cigarette smoke? I didn't know you smoked."

"Not anymore," John says pointedly.

"I know, I know, Mum." Sherlock turns to his left, toward the room that seems most occupied by officers and activity. Markers are on the floor where the Barkley's were found, though there isn't much evidence itself marked. "Reiterate it all — the whole case as you know it, that is. We were told much of it could be town gossip." As Sherlock closely observes the entire room, Officer Davis begins.

"Nancy Barkley's niece was in town, has been for a few days. Her name is Mary Gray. She said she and her aunt went out to a small get together with some of Nancy's friends. James stayed home. On the way home, she said they met a man she'd never seen, but he wanted to talk to Nancy. Nancy stepped away to talk to him, Mary said she heard her call him Henry. When Nancy came back to Mary, she told her not to mention the man to James, and they went home. Mary went to make some tea for her and her aunt, while Nancy came in here to talk to James. They started fighting, according to Mary, and she only heard a few words." He turns to another officer. "What were they, exactly?"

The officer pulls out a notepad and flips through it. "'David,' 'coward,' and 'my life.'"

Officer Davis nods. "After that, Mary heard a scream, and then she ran to the room, but it was locked. Couldn't find a key, nothing. She went outside and looked through that window-" he points to the large window on the front wall "-and saw them both on the ground. When she called us, we had to break the door down to get to them. James had already passed, and Nancy was rushed to a hospital. That's what we know so far."

Sherlock turns to Lily. "Do you recognize those names? Henry? David?"

"I mean, they're common names, but I don't know anyone with them."

"Have they completed James' autopsy?"

"Not yet," Officer Davis replies.

Sherlock walks back across the room and looks at the door, which is now broken. He looks closely at the knob and the lock, on both sides. "And the key hasn't been found?"