Martha Topping Ring ! Ring ! Mrs Hudson ’ s cheerful voice lept up the stairs . It was always so pleasant to hearing her in the morning . Light footsteps crept closer to my back , followed by a recognisable tone , “ Client !” Sherlock stated calmly , lounging back into his worn chair . Striding over to mine , I replied “ I know ” A smug expression crawled on Sherlock ’ s face .
“ How ?” “ Sorry ?” “ How did you know it was a client ? All you heard was the doorbell . How did you know ?” “ How did you know ?” I asked , keeping a straight face . As Sherlock ’ s assistant / friend , I should be used to the sudden interrogations but he still always catches me out . I stared around the flat . On top of the mahogany fireplace , lay the skull that often took my place when I had to go help Mrs Hudson solve her sudoku . Pages of unsolved crimes lay beside it , stabbed with a long knife . Tickling the corners of the paper , a fire blazed , filling the room with stuffy warmth . Large doors gracefully opened revealing a clattered kitchen full of science equipment and animal eyes . The fridge even held a human head ! On the the wall , to the right of Sherlock , a yellow smiley face was painted on the wall covered in bullet-holes from times when Sherlock was “ Bored ”. Beside it was a landscape of string and notes . Pictures of suspects and victims were sprawled across the surface . Sherlock exhaled , “ Watson . Oh , Watson . You really do have the worst answers .” I rolled my eyes . At that moment the door swung open , slamming against the wall . Entered an average-sized man dressed in ink-stained clothes and shaggy hair into the room . Mrs Hudson came hurrying after him ; mopping away the dry mud his heavy boots dragged behind him . “ Are you Sherlock Holmes ?” he shook the room as he spoke , yet he still trembled slightly . “ Yes .” Sherlock replied smoothly . “ I am in need to tell you about a strange case I have come across this morning .” “ Go on .” he added interested . “ It well … it ’ s … it ’ s about my thumb .” Sherlock whispered to me out of the corner of his mouth “ Don ’ t think of a title for your blog .” “ People love the titles .” I replied sarcastically . “ Don ’ t think of a title !” sharper this time . “ Already have . Sherlock Holmes and the Adventures of the Engineer ’ s Thumb !” He grinned at me . I grinned back . “ Hello ?” Our attention snapped straight back to the man , for a moment I forgot someone else was in the room .