"Hello, I'm Val," I say.

There was a round of nods and mumbles before Mary spoke. 

"Wow! that bread does look amazing! Let's bring it down to the kitchen shall we?" She brightly exclaims, sending me a wink.

"Lets! we'll be back in a moment," I say, following the other blonde out the door. 

as soon as i closed the door i burst out laughing, clutching the wall of the staircase. Mary took one look at me and covered her squeal with her hand.

"Mary what the actual fuck," I laugh.

"You do realize they invited you because they think you killed a guy right?" she mocks, not even bothering to explain her side.

"Girl I know. Plus we both know that I did in fact kill him, BECAUSE you were un available," i smirk.

She says nothing before she bursts out laughing once more. 

"You're married??" I giggle.

"yes yes! John and I are very happy and often take turns babysitting sherlock, the man can't be left alone," she mumbles.

"Tell me about it, that's literally why i'm here!" I exclaim.

"Oh r-" she started but was interrupted by the door slamming open.

"There's been another killing, c'mon John, Mary there's more to this than we thought," sherlock says as he scurries down the stairs.

"Mind if I join? I'd really like to see how your...thought process works," I ask.

Sherlock gives me an odd look before signaling we all follow.

"I'll call a taxi," John says, fumbling for his phone.

"no need, I can drive," I say.

"You drive?" sherlock asks.

"I do, but you would have figured that out for yourself by now, after all you are a famous detective," I tease. I knew he didn't know because, again, he can't read me.

John looks at Sherlock expectantly as if he would respond with some sort of blunt snarky comment but he just stood there, scanning my face to see if there was anything he could read. 

"Right then...your car?" Mary asks awkwardly, a smirk still resting comfortably on her face.

"Yes this way! I've parked down the block" I say.

--

Sherlock followed her every move, trying to catch any crumb of a detail about her, but he just couldn't read her. He turned his gaze to John and analized everything from his head to his scuffed shoes, easily able to see any extra detail on him. 

The group stopped walking once they reached a clean black Porsche, it looked almost brand new with off-white leather seating and its shimmering logo. 

"Now, tallest should sit in the front...the backseats are a squeeze, so john and mary you go in the back and Sherlock can ride up front with me," Val says, holding out her keys.

Sherlock gave her another puzzled look but didn't argue. He sat down next to the well dressed blonde and huffed. 

"Sherlock can you open the- oh you know what don't bother" She mutters, noticing he wasn't even listening.

She leans over sherlock, her elbow resting on his knee as she reached the door handle, giving it a tug. Sherlock was confused as to what just happened, he caught a small whiff of her hair, coconut and chai filling his nostrils, it was one of the only things he could properly identify about her. 

"Sherlock, can you please get out for a sec so the Watsons can access the backseat," she sighs.

"Oh, yes of course," he says. 

Once everyone was properly seated in the car, Valerie steps on the gas heading towards her familiar crime scene. 

----

Once the four entered the parking garage detective lestrade came strutting towards them with a notebook in hand.

"Who's this pretty lady?" He winks, gesturing to Val.

"Focus Lestrade," Sherlock mutters, causing a smirk from the pretty blonde. 

"Well as I said in my message, It's clearly done by the same killer," the detective explains.

"How do you know? No offence Lestrade but you aren't the brightest," Sherlock says flatly.

"That's how," Lestrade answers, his hand gesturing to the message written on the concrete. 

"Oh how fun! Sherlock this is perfect for you!" Mary says, winking at Val from John's side.

"Oh shut up," He mutters in response. 

"Shot to the head...clean...rich french man...sexist...there must have been someone who saw the killer enter or exit...Lestrade when was the body found?" Sherlock asks.

"Um well, an hour or so ago?" He responds. 

"The killer must have had a car...smell...dryness of blood, the victim was killed yesterday evening...but how was the body not found until morning?" He mutters.  

"Maybe the killer just walked out?" The blonde speaks up. 

"Impossible, they would have been seen," Sherlock scoffs.

----

I mentally roll my eyes at his response. I walk over to the detectives and grab a pair of gloves and slip them over my hands past my wrists. I then make my way to the man I previously killed the evening before. Bending down I shove Sherlock's leather-clad hand away from the body, much to his annoyance. 

"What are you doing?" He growls in frustration.

"Shut up," I reply, to this he is shocked and keeps his mouth shut as he observes my actions. 

I trace my latex-covered fingers over his blazer before slipping my hand into his pocket and grasping his heavy set of keys.

"Keys, to this entire hotel, casino and parking garage. Before you ask, you can tell by the logo embroidered on each key. This silver one is more distressed then the others indicating its frequent use compared to the other two on the chain. My guess is this key opens the door to this parking garage which if you notice was a private garage only, and a key is needed to access the premises. Since the man was rich and sexist I assume he takes a new lady down here every evening and then leaves them on the streets afterwards. Terrible man really, womanizers are not sexy." I say, handing the set of keys to his open palm. 

"Wha-" He starts but I cut him off.

"Ah let me finish Mr. Holmes. Here is his other pocket he has a wedding ring, showing he is a married man but takes it off frequently to have affairs with other drunk women." I explain, holding out the well-worn ring to the mop-haired detective.

"She's good, forget John, Sherlock recruit her!" Lestrade jokes. 

"HEY!" John yells. 

I let out a low chuckle before standing up and taking the blue gloves off my hands and throwing them in the small baggy for trash. 

"Why do you think they walked out?" John asks.

"well, there is one car in this garage and if i were the killer id pretend to be one of his side pieces to get close to him and ambush when we are alone. Make sense? if She came in with the man she wouldn't have taken a vehicle," i Explain to the short man. 

I get no full response from anyone except some shocked looks and subtle smirks.

-----

"You really should stay here! I'd love to have your company in the mornings!" Mrs hudson requests. Her hand rested on my back as she showed the spare room she had across the hall from room B.

"Well, maybe it would be nice to have some more company while I'm here," I smile.

"Oh good! I'll make the bed for you and you go pick up your belongings!" She claps.

----

Sherlock groans as he steps out of the shower, his hair sticking to the side of his sharp cheekbones. He rubbed his towel intensely through his wet mop of curls before dragging the towel down his face in exhaustion. He lifts his head to face the foggy mirror, his gaze catching the red strokes covering the surface. He gently brushes his fingertips over the words, lipstick...

"I've missed you..."