Where is Watson ? - entry to 5 Minute Freewrite by @mariannewest Monday prompt "detective"

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When Elodie Holmes was six Watson went missing. As long as she could remember Watson had been part of her life, his soft plushie bear form her steady companion on all her adventures. She was desperate, where could he be? She walked up to the blue rocking chair in the nursery where she had last seen him and there on the ground was partial footprint in what seemed to be chalk -no flour! The thief had left a clue and she was determined to find him and reunite with her friend come what may.

She snuck down the hallway, down the stairs into the servant's wing. Once in the kitchen she opened the heavy pantry door, it took a little effort but she got it to open wide enough to squeeze in. She searched the pantry for a bit then discovered right next to the bag of flour, that was almost as large as herself, a leaf. Another clue ! “Be very afraid fiend “ she whispered “I WILL find you”. Inspecting the leaf closely she decided that it was not from a tree but that it had to have come from the rose bush in her parent's garden.

She slipped from the pantry and out the back door to see what she could find. The bush was planted at the east wall next to her fathers beehives. She approached carefully, as not to upset them. The bush itself was in full bloom, rich and fragrant with large pink roses that climbed up and over the wall, as if they were trying to escape. Between the myriad of petals that littered the ground she found her final clue a small pile of ash. She had to make sure, but she was confident she had unmasked the bear thief! Like her father had taught her she took a close look at the ashes, texture, smell, the way they fell apart and sure enough!

Elodie ran inside the house, up the stairs down the south hallway to her father's Study. She opened the door and there sitting on his lap while he was smoking his pipe was WATSON! She looked up to her father with indignation. “ May I have my bear back “ she said under her breath “ you absolutely may “ he answered smiling. She caught a glint of mischief in his eyes as he handed her her furry friend. “You kidnapped my bear” she said gruffly. ” And yet he faired much better then the cookies you kidnapped from cook this morning I might add” He answered. “ Elodie quickly avoided his gaze. She should have known, nothing ever escaped him. "Shall we make a pact to leave our life of crime behind us and henceforth focus on detecting” he said pulling her into his lap. “yes Father “she said tiredly nestling against his chest , pulling Watson behind her. She loved the way her father smelled, a mixture of spice and tobacco, her eyelids fluttered as he began to rock her and she fell asleep right then and there. Being a detective was hard work …

Writing notes:

This was written for the 5 minute freewrite by @mariannewest - the prompt was “detective” to join in on the fun go HERE I wrote the ending first so I had to race to catch up to it I cheated by about 30 seconds , LOL .

_{(Image credit Dave Renike and a portrait of the fair jubilee made by myself turned into this here universal truth meme)}

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_{art courtesy of @PegasusPhysics}

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