19. The Many Mouths of Aaron Colville

Complete story — includes the ending

Bite marks on two murdered women echo the trademark of Aaron Colville, a man convicted as a serial killer who subsequently died in prison. This raises the question of Colville's possible innocence. The bite marks are traced to ex-con Alan Vikner with the help of hacker collective Everyone. However, when he is brought in, Vikner shows that he has dentures; eight sets were made from the same mold (of Colville's teeth) for inmates at Colville's prison. Eventually, Sherlock and Joan eliminate all the convicts as suspects. Finally, Sherlock realizes that the person who stands to benefit the most from exonerating Colville is his mother, who has sued the city for millions of dollars in his alleged wrongful conviction. Joan has a connection with the murders, as she was a part of the operating team that tried to save Colville's life. She suspects that the doctor in charge recognized Colville and may have deliberately erred in the resuscitation procedure. She has no proof, and the doctor tells her that he himself is not sure if he did or not.