16. For All You Know

Complete story — includes the ending

A woman named Maria Gutierrez vanishes in 2011. Her body is found three years later. Sherlock wrote a signed note found in her purse, giving his address and a meeting time, but says that he does not know her. However, he was a heavy drug user then, which caused blackouts and memory loss. Maria worked as a cleaner at the offices of Councilman Robert Barclay. Junkie Oscar Rankin knew Maria and had boasted of knowing Sherlock. Maria met with Sherlock and brought bloodied clothes belonging to Barclay. She had seen him take off the clothes and throw them away. Barclay had been having an affair with Kelsey Prior, a friend's wife, but when she tried to end it, he stabbed her. Barclay decided to dump his bag of blood-stained clothes somewhere secure, but found that it was missing. He guessed that Maria had taken it and lured her from Frobisher Motel in Bayside, where Sherlock often stashed witnesses who were in danger. Barclay killed Maria and hid her body, and Sherlock, high on drugs, forgot her. Barclay confesses. Sherlock encourages Oscar to quit heroin and gives him a paid reservation at a rehabilitation center, feeling responsible for Oscar's condition.