Human Error - Sherlock Fanfiction

Chapter thirty two - the charred corpse

It's obvious that we're at the scene of the crime when I look outside of the window and see a number of police cars with their emergency lights flashing bright red and blue. I notice that we were at a hotel, the building quite old yet it's beautiful architecture was something that attracted people to it. Police officers are scattered everywhere, discussing their work among other colleagues and talking to various guests to see if they had noticed anything.

Some say there are good cops and bad. But I say that's an oversimplification. They can be honest, courageous, corrupt, devious, malicious, cunning or stupid. And that's just my short list. My dad was a cop, and he was all of those things. Not all at once of course. But the right blend of circumstances could bring out any one of those things in him -- except, he was never corrupt. He only signed up to protect and serve, maybe he was old fashioned, but he believed in public service. He saw the worst of humanity on a daily basis and it tested him. It tested his faith in the goodness of people and his natural optimism.

And now, even though I don't regularly work with Sherlock for cases, I feel like I was getting an true understanding to what my father had to deal with.

I get out of the vehicle, and Sherlock passes the driver some cash before getting out with me. Eventually, we make our way towards the scene, following directions from the dark-haired woman I had met before on the night I bumped into Sherlock again. I didn't take a great liking towards her, hence why I couldn't remember her name. She was irrelevant to me.

On the ground floor of the hotel, there was an inside pool in the middle of the room, the whole area taped off by police tape. The smell that surrounded the room gave off a scent that was almost like badly cooked beef. Stepping closer, I noticed there was a corpse in the water, the skin and clothing melted together, the body charred and disfigured badly by gruesome burns. I cringe a little, but also the mysterious and eerie atmosphere makes me feel a little excite to whats about to come.

"It's a little too cold for a BBQ, don't you think?" Sherlock says nonchalantly, and the woman who was still irrelevant to me gives him a look.

Because John wasn't here, I thought maybe it should be my responsibility to let Sherlock know what was right and wrong to say -- but then again, besides the dead body floating in the pool, where would be my entertainment?

"Yeah... anyway," Lestrade cleared his throat, ignoring Sherlock's comment. "You got here just in time, we were about to pull him out and check for any source of ID."

"It's probably burnt, just like him." I add.

"Uh, yes. Most likely." He nods in agreement, "This case seems a little weird. And you like the weird ones, don't you Sherlock? We could really use your expertise."

"Were there any witnesses?" Sherlock asks, glancing around the room for any evidence.

"Yeah, a couple of woman were relaxing by the pool when it happened. They say he just ran into the room aflame before jumping into the water to get rid of the fire."

"Did the witnesses say his entire body was on fire? It look's that way from how burned the body looks, but I can't see the whole thing to be sure." I speak up curiously, folding my arms against my chest.

"His whole body was on fire, according to them. We'll have to see what the body looks like when we pull him out." Lestrade answered, gesturing to the pool as the medical examiners approach it.

"CCTV?" I inquired.

"Nothing. It shows them running down a hallway and towards the pool, on fire, before jumping in. That's it really."

"Very nice. Me and Eleanor will take a look around the building now." Sherlock announced, turning on his heels and heading towards the door. Lestrade seems to understand and nods, knowing he'll need to have a browse around the hotel in order to deduce what had happened. I, however, follow after Sherlock like a lost puppy.