The Tardis landed, "Right here we are!" The Doctor said, He turned from the console and stepped out. Jess followed with baby Tommy in her arms. The Tardis had landed in a back alley with high brick walls on either side, and brown cobbles beneath their feet. The Doctor was still wearing the brown cardigan and the black suit that he had worn in the highlands of Scotland then he had managed to fight off a cannibalistic spirit called a Wendigo.
The sun was shining as they made their way down the alley and onto a long, quite street, "Do you recognise this Street Jess?"
Jess looked up at a street sign "Henley Street, only about five minutes away"
"Good" The Doctor replied "The walk will do us good the main question now is what are we going to do with him" he said gesturing to Tommy who was cradled in Jess arms
"There's a childless couple on my street they'll love to have a baby like him, what do we propose we do?"
"Dump him on the doorstep and run" The Doctor said shrugging his shoulders at a disapproving look from Jess he added "He's isn't just in a different place he is in a different time so the fewer people who know about us the better, it's a piece of occupational hazard when you are dabbling in Time Travel." Something caught The Doctor's eye and he went over to a nearby lamppost "Hey Jess look at this!"
Jess went over and stood beside him on the lamppost was a small piece of white paper, firstly the word "Missing! Miss Fay Harris a seventeen year old girl is currently missing and has been for the last 3 days, Police are still looking but they are appealing for witnesses or anyone who has any information to come forward"
"Sounds terrible" Jess sighed
"I dunno" The Doctor replied rubbing his hands, "I love a nice juicy mystery keeps the brain active, Well I'll nip of down to the police station see you later"
"Oh no you don't Doctor" Jess said sternly "You're not my boyfriend but I'm taking you home to meet my mother!"
The Doctor sighed "Very well" he said "One thing your mother doesn't slap does she, I've not been very good with mothers."
As they walked away a figure watched them from an upstairs window, it's eyes followed The Doctor and Jess for a way before the fixed themselves on the Tardis, the figure was breathing heavily then slowly it came away from the window and melted into the darkness.
"Here we are" said Jess "number 9 Highdale Street, you could meet my mum and my sisters Olivia and Miranda and little baby Jake you know already of course! You'll like my sisters but be careful no man is safe with them around." The Doctor smiled, Jess went up to the door and rang the doorbell, The Doctor looked around, The Ringsteads lived in a very smart looking cul-de-sac. A few houses away The Doctor The Doctor could see two children playing on the front lawn with a young girl sitting in a deck chair Jess looked the same way
"Hey that's my friend Georgia!" Jess walked over, as she did the door opened and a taller older version of Jess stepped out, the two women looked simlair except this one had mousy coloured hair rather than blonde and here eyes were more green rather than hazel
"well hello" she said "Who are you?"
"I'm The Doctor" The Doctor began "I'm with…"
"Well hello Doctor" the woman responded "I'm Olivia, do you want to come in and examine me"
The Doctor gulped he was clearly feeling very uncomfortable just then Olivia grabbed The Doctor's tie and pulled him inside.
Jess walked over Georgia was the same age as her, a little taller with pale skin and dark brown hair; she told Jess that she was babysitting for the family as the parent had gone out and were due to come back later that night, "Hey Jess when did you become pregnant?"
Jess looked down at her stomach "but I'm not" she replied
"I mean when did you have a baby" Georgia replied indicating Tommy
"Oh, he's not mine, I found dumped outside my home, I'm going to take him to be adopted, me and…" she looked round "Where's he gone?"
"The Guy who was with you?" Georgia said "Tall, Dark hair, black suit?"
"Yes, that sounds like The Doctor" Jess replied
"Your sister has just pulled him inside. You'd better go!"
Jess chuckled "Well I'd better go and rescue him" she turned to head home. As she did, she looked up at the front of the house, which had a pair of white lace curtains it could have been her imagination but they seemed to be twitching as if caught in a gentle breeze. Still with her eyes up Jess asked Georgia "Is it just you in the house?"
"Yes" Georgia replied "Just me and these two and we're all out here playing, Hey I'll be all alone tonight so you can come over we'll talk once it's 8:30 the children go to bed, come over about 7:30 or 8:00 and you could bring your friend too."
Jess smiled, nodded and walked back across the road and rang the bell a second time, This time it was The Doctor who answered he looked terrible, his hair was a mess, the top button on his shirt collar was undone, his jacket had come off and his cardigan was undone. "Jess
I've never been more pleased to see you"
Smiling Jess went in but before she did she was thinking about those curtains they may have been flapping in a gentle breeze, but on the other hand someone could have been up there looking at them if that was the case then Georgia could be in danger.
"So Doctor, what job do you do?" Jess' mother asked, They were all sitting down for dinner, Jess had told her family that she had found the baby and that they should call the police this said they were going to do once they had all had something to eat, The Doctor had stepped into the Ringstead household once before, that had been when he first met Jess he had been asked by the General Intelligence Network or G.I.N. to track an alien criminal trapped in a mirror and had been using the 'Bloody Mary' Urban Legend, together they had managed to trap the criminal and Jess had gone with him, according to her mother Jess had only been gone for a couple of hours but Jess knew she had been gone at least two days,
They were all sitting at the table, Jess' Mum was at one end with Jess on one side and Miranda on the other The Doctor sat next to Jess and opposite Olivia who was still giving him seductive glances across the table.
"I'm a Doctor?" he replied
"I know that" Jess' mum replied "but what type of Doctor? Are you a GP?"
"No" The Doctor admitted "I'm a Doctor of Criminology; I'm involved with the disappearance of Miss Harris!" After dinner Jess said that she was going to see Georgia The Doctor went with her up to the front door, as they walked across the road he said "I'm fighting off your sister, I don't know how much more I can take?"
Jess laughed then she asked "Why did you say that you're a Doctor of Criminology? Have you got a Doctorate in Criminology?"
"Yes" The Doctor replied "University of Edinburgh July the 14th 1892"
"So it's over 100 years old"
"121 to be precise my dear. Anyway you go and enjoy the company of your friend and I'll take little Tommy here" He was holding the little boy in his arms now "I'll take him to the police station, I'll say I found him on my doorstep, you go and enjoy yourself what with Bloody Mary, The highly advanced Alligators and the Wendigo it's about time you let your hair down, I won't be long I'll also try and see what information I can get on this Fay Harris case"
"Ok!" Jess replied and smiling she went in unseen by either her or The Doctor they were being watched through the white lace curtains of the upstairs room.
Jess went up and knocked on the door, Georgia opened the door and both girls went inside.
It didn't take The Doctor long to find the police station he looked at his watch it was only 8:30 he opened the door and walked in. A middle-aged man in a blue shirt and black tie was standing behind a counter filling out a pack of forms, he looked up as The Doctor entered
"Hello" he said "What can I do for you?"
"Hello" The Doctor smiled "I would like to hand in an unknown child"
"I see" the policeman replied he took a piece of paper and a pen and began writing "First question: Name"
"I don't Know" The Doctor replied
"You don't know your own name?" The Policeman repeated
"I do! My name is Doctor John Smith, Criminologist and I found this baby on your doorstep"
"A criminologist" the policeman said with a tone of surprise
"Yes," The Doctor admitted "I'm interested in the disappearance of Miss Fay Harris, is there anyone I can talk too?"
The policeman looked a little confused but nodded "there is only one here at the moment give me a minute, he reached out and picked up the receiver of a telephone that was on the counter
"Hello, oh hello sir, sorry about the disturbance but there's a man here, he says he's a criminologist and that he's interested in the Fay Harris case… ok… ok… yeah" he put the receiver on the cradle "Through you go Doctor Smith, in the lift, fourth floor second door on you left the guy is a DCI Fletcher he's leading the investigation"
"Thanks" The Doctor replied he walked over to the lift and made his way into it and pressed the button for the fourth floor.
Down in the living room Jess was sitting on the two-seater sofa, in front of her was a bottle of white wine and two glasses, Georgia had just put the two children to bed, and now both of them were watching "Sex In The City" on the built-in DVD player. Perfectly relaxed Jess was indeed wandering what The Doctor was up to, just then the phone rang.
There was cordless phone not too far away, Pausing the DVD Georgia rose from her seat, walked over and Georgia picked it up "Hello?" she asked, there was silence "Hello?" Georgia repeated "is there anyone there?" no-one replied then there was a click and the dial tone could be heard, whoever was on the other end had just hung up,
"Who was it?" Jess asked,
"I don't know" Georgia replied
"Quick" Jess said "Dial 1471"
Georgia did and the familiar female-slightly robotic voice could be heard
"You were called today at eight forty-seven pm, the caller withheld their number" Georgia hung up
"Number withheld" she said "Must have been a wrong number" she said back down and joined Jess on the sofa, "Anyway we'll have plenty of time to watch this movie, Mr and Mrs Murphy said that they wouldn't be back until late" Georgia picked up the DVD remote and pressed play.
The Lift bell let out a loud 'PING!' and the metal door slid open, The Doctor stepped casually out he seemed to be at the end of a long corridor, on one side was a large round window showing the sun setting, and the sky now a deep shade of indigo looked like a scene from a romantic novel, there were doors on both his left and right, and soon he found one that had the words D.C.I. P. Fletcher, he raised his hand and knocked after a minute a sleepy man's could be heard "enter" it yawned. The Doctor pressed on the handle and then went in. the inside of the room was small with dark blue paint on the walls a large desk with a thin, middle-aged man sitting behind it, he was wearing a white shirt with an unbuttoned collar with a cheap tie hanging around his neck his hair was dark with tints of grey and he hadn't shaved stubble clung to his throat and lower jaw "Are you the Criminologist?" he asked
"I am" The Doctor replied "Name's Smith, Doctor John Smith"
"Detective-Chief-Inspector Paul Fletcher" Fletcher stood up and the two men shook hands
"Pleased to meet you Doctor Smith"
"Just call me 'Doctor' now tell me all you know about the disappearance of Fay Harris"
Fletcher sat back down, "Before I do, let me tell you something first" he leaned forward resting his elbows on the desk top high above them was a cheap 40 watt bulb that was hanging directly over him, and was casting sinister shadows across his face, under his eyes and the lines of his jaw. "This case isn't on its own"
"You mean there have been other disappearances?" The Doctor enquired
"Disappearances… and murders and I ask you another question. Are you afraid of clowns?"
The Cordless phone was ringing again "We'll never see the end of the film now" Georgia said and pausing the DVD again she picked up the receiver "Hello?" she said there was silence, Georgia was about to hang up just then a chilling male voice could be heard
"Have you checked the children" it said, Jess got up and walked over to join Georgia both were standing looking at each other, then the man's voice spoke again "Have you checked the Children" then there was a click and the dial tone could be heard, that man had hung up again
"That was creepy" said Georgia
Jess was trying to keep calm; she knew that if The Doctor was here he would have done something. "Probably just some hoax or a prank call. You know a couple of kids trying to scare us"
"It could have been Mr. Murphy?" suggested Georgia "Ringing to check the kids then he got interrupted"
'This did seem plausible' Jess thought 'But surely the father would have called Georgia by name and would have explained how things were going' but she didn't want to frighten Georgia. "Let's just sit down and try to relax" Jess said so pressing play they carried on.
"You see" Flechter began "It began nearly five weeks ago, we have clear ideas of what this person's MO is."
There was a big brown file on the desk in front of The Doctor "how many victims?" he asked
"14" fletcher replied "11 dead, 2 missing and 1 in a serious condition"
"How serious?"
"She's in a coma!" Fletcher explained "with regards to the victims that were murdered the killer seemed to enjoy two methods. Firstly some of the early victims were strangled and had multiple bruises on their neck and throat. In line with someone putting their hands around the victim's throat. Then another group were also strangled this time the killer used some type of cord as their bodies all had one long bruise look" he indicated a series of photographs each showed a woman's throat in a fat dark line across it
"15" The Doctor said looking at a piece of paper
"Pardon?" Fletcher replied
"This is a list of all the victims and the extent of their injuries you said there were 14 but according to this list there were 15"
Fletcher looked at the list over The Doctor's shoulder "Yeah Michelle Collins, She was saved by chance her boyfriend arrived and she called the parents, when they arrived they searched the house, no sign of any intruder but the family's children were dead. Parents accused both Miss Collins and her Boyfriend, but while they were being questioned another girl was attacked"
"I've been looking at the ages" The Doctor said "They seem to range from 14 and 15 so mid teenagers to 21 and 22 to young adults and all the victims are female. Did they have anything else in common apart from the fact they were all woman and relatively young…" his eyes suddenly widened "What do you mean the family's children were dead?"
"That's the other thing they had in common" said Fletcher "all these girls were babysitting and the both they and the children died"
The Phone was ringing a third time, once again Georgia answered it, "Hello?" she said
then the voice came again "Have you checked the children?" it asked
"Is that you Mr. Murphy?" Georgia asked, just then there was a click and the phone went dead.
Georgia hung up it was clear to Jess now that she was becoming a little bit frightened her hand was shaking and there were tears in the corners of her eyes, "I have an idea" Jess said
"Let's ring the restaurant where the parent said they would be dining?"
"Here it is" said Georgia pulling a piece of paper from her pocket, Jess dialled and put the
phone to her ear. It rang twice then a woman's voice answered "Francis' Restaurant this is Linda speaking how can I help you?"
"Hello?" asked Georgia "This is Georgia Davies, I was wandering a friend of mine is dining there and I wish to talk to him"
"Certainly" the woman's voice said "What's the name"
"Mr. Murphy, Mr. Alan Murphy"
There was a pause then the woman came back "I'm sorry madam but Mr. Murphy and his wife left at least half an hour ago. I'm sorry but we can't help you"
"Ok, thanks" replied Georgia and she hung up "They left about half an hour ago, now what are we going to do?"
Jess was running out of ideas, then she had an idea "dial 999" she suggested, her plan was to get hold of the police or if possible The Doctor. Georgia nodded it was clear that she understood then she dialled the number
"All these girls were babysitting?" The Doctor said, "But what has this to do with Clowns and what happened to the girl who survived?"
"I only explained that some of the earliest victims died via strangulation, then some of the later ones met a more gruesome end they were viciously attacked with a bladed weapon"
"What sort of bladed weapon" The Doctor asked
"We're not sure, the killer tends to swap some small wounds we can determine. Like in some cases the killer used a large knife but there are more gruesome weapons that they use mainly to kill their victims" The Doctor was looking at the photos some were pretty graphic, in his travels The Doctor had seen many organisms die some had been shot, stabbed, gassed, drowned, hanged, stoned and beheaded. But these women had been virtually dismembered.
"The most chilling part of this case was that written above the bodies were the words
'Beware the clown' it happened above all the bodies always written in the victim's blood."
The Doctor shivered "But did any victim's get a good look at the killer?"
Fletcher shook his head "but the killer leaves no forensic evidence either." Just then the phone on Fletcher's desk rang "Excuse me" he said, The Doctor nodded and returned to the photos.
Georgia was on the phone "Hello, Hello Police please listen someone has been calling us, scaring us and hanging up… has he been threatening us?" Jess shook her head "No, He hasn't made any threats towards us… What? Please, you've got to help us!" Georgia pulled the phone away from her ear "He says he can't do anything but we can report the prank caller to the phone company"
"Ring the police station and ask for my friend The Doctor!"
Just then the phone rang and this time is was Jess that answered it she pressed the button but didn't say anything the voice came again "Why haven't you checked the children?" it asked and there seemed to be more menace in the voice this time
"Who is this?" Georgia said sternly but there was a click and he had hung up again,
"Georgia" shouted Jess "Ring the police station and ask for my friend The Doctor!" Georgia was up and dialling the number instantly.
"I need to see this Michelle Collins, then we can hatch a plan" The Doctor said "I presume you are leading the investigation?"
Fletcher nodded just then the phone rang again "Fletcher here" the detective said raising the receiver to his ear,
"Oh sir" came the voice of the policeman in the waiting room "I'm glad I caught you is Doctor Smith there?"
"Yes he is. Doctor" he said, The Doctor looked up "It's for you" Fletcher explained and passed the receiver over
"The Doctor speaking"
"Doctor Smith" the desk constable said "I've received a 999 call claiming that a friend of yours is receiving some unusual phone calls that are frightening her and her friend, We can't do anything about it as they haven't been threatened so I said…"
The Doctor had removed the phone away from his ear, his eyes was wide with horror "Jess!" he stood up and hurried from the door "Fletcher" The Doctor shouted "Get as many men as you can over to number 9 Highdale street" and The Doctor ran out of Fletcher's office
"I think I'd better go upstairs and check on the children" Georgia said and she went to the foot of the stairs
"Do you think it's a good idea?" Jess asked
"I don't know" Georgia said "But something must have happened" slowly Georgia climbed the stairs, the last thing Jess saw was Georgia's trainers disappearing up the stairs, Jess was on high alert now, everything that she had done with The Doctor was telling her to keep calm, she dimmed the lights, just then the phone rang, gently Jess picked it up
"Your friend has checked the children" the voice said "I think you should come and check on her?"
"Who is this?" Jess said her voice cracking with emotion, "Whoever you are go away!"
"Come and see me" the voice said, Jess hung up straight away
"Oh Come on Doctor" she pleaded tears forming in her eyes "Where are you?" she dialled 999 a third time "Hello Police please" she said "Can you send someone to help me please"
"Ok, ok" the operator said "give me your number and I'll trace the call. But try and keep them on the phone for as long as you can, what's your name?"
"Jess, Jessica Ringstead!" Jess said
"Ok Jess Ringstead we'll do our best"
"Ok" Jess said and hung up, Only a minute later, the phone rang "It's me!" came the voice
"Your friend has checked the children, why haven't you?"
"Look go away? I don't want to see you?" Jess said
There was a pause then the voice asked "Why have you dimmed the lights?" Just then there was a crack of lightening that lit the room Jess suddenly felt very alone and very scared
"Can you see me?" she asked
"YES!" Came a hoarse whisper
"Right" Jess said "You've scared me, I'm terrified, isn't that enough?"
"NO!" The voice had become just a whisper
Jess was breathing hard "What do you want?" she asked
There was a long pause then came the voice "I want to wash my hands in your blood!"
Jess hung up instantly and the phone rang immediately "LEAVE ME ALONE" She screamed
"It's me" came the voice that Jess recognised was a policeman, "We've traced the phone call, It's coming from an upstairs room of the very house you're in, I've send for police but you have to get out, understand. GET OUT OF THERE!" Jess put the phone down. From where she was she could see the front door, he hurried forwards and opened it, but then some sort of invisible force pulled her back. She found herself at the foot of the stairs. The first two step twisted up so the bottom of the stairs was a 90 degree angle. Jess walked up to the bottom and looked up the stairs she could see nothing but darkness.
Just then there was another flash of lightening that lit the landing above her and Jess screamed in a second she was gone. What she had seen in the flash of lightening was a clown, dressed in baggy colourful clothes with blue and white make-up and a bright red nose, but in his white gloved hands he had been holding an axe and he was staring at Jess with the look of a madman.
Jess ran out into the street slamming the door behind her she ran over the road and pounded on her own front door with all her might, as she looked she could see the house and a face in an upstairs window, it was the clown he reached out and with his index finger drew a smiley face on the glass in blood. The Door opened and Jess fell through.
The next few hours went by incredibly quick Jess was sitting on the sofa her face was pale her eye puffy, red and swollen. She had told her mum and sisters all about what had happened just then there was a knock at the door, her mother took an umbrella from a stand not far away and opened the door on the chain "Who is it?" she asked
"It's me" came The Doctor's voice, Jess' mum unlocked the door and he walked inside.
"Where is she?" he asked
"she's in the kitchen" her mother said just then there was another knock on the door, The
Doctor looked through the spyhole "It's alright Mrs Ringstead, He's a policeman" she opened the door and DCI Fletcher entered he hadn't changed much except he was now wearing a suit jacket and cream coloured overcoat. They all sat around the table
"I'm Detective-Chief-Inspector Paul Fletcher. Doctor John Smith is helping me on the case.
We have a massive break through once Miss Ringstead has overcome the shock we can be able to get an idea of what this culprit looks like."
Jess was shaking The Doctor put his arms around her, it looked like Jess was about to say something "What is it Jess?" The Doctor asked "What did you see?"
"C-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c. CLOWN!" Jess said loudly
"You saw a clown?" Fletcher asked
"Of course" The Doctor said, "Fletcher I take that the house across the road is now flooded with policemen"
Fletcher nodded "So I'm going to take Jess down to the police station and you're going to lock us in a cell for our own safety. Then in the morning we are going to search for clues, but I'm pretty sure that with the right resources I can create a plan to apprehend this mysteries killer" Fletcher nodded and escorted The Doctor and Jess to his car.
Jess woke she had, had a terrible night, the image of the axe-holding clown was burned into her memory, she awoke to find herself lying underneath some type of silk blanket and everything was black, she sat up and she could feel pockets and buttons, it wasn't a blanket it was a jacket. A black suit jacket she looked around she was sitting in a police cell with the a massive dark blue door in front of her, just then there was a clank and the sound of keys rattling in the lock for a moment she feared it maybe the clown, then the door opened and The Doctor walked in, followed by a policeman, the policeman was carrying a brown paper parcel, while The Doctor dressed in the dark brown cardigan but had changed into a white shirt and an emerald green bow tie was carrying two cups and a milk jug on a tray, Jess jumped up, ran forward and threw her arms around him, "Hang On Jess, I know your pleased to see me but not when I have got mugs of steaming hot tea, give me a minute" he put the tray down "Constable Pugh" he nodded towards the constable that was standing behind him
"Has brought some you some clothes from home, we put you in here for your own safety, you've had a hectic night" he picked up his jacket and put it on "I'm off to see DCI Fletcher, Constable Pugh will unlock the door in about a quarter of an hour, your welcome to join the inspector and me or go home! So I'll see you later today, TTFN!" and so saying he walked out of the room with one of the teacups in his hands.
Jess quickly changed into a loose-fitting top and another pair of jeans, though she was wearing the same shoes. When Pugh opened the door she went out to join The Doctor. She found him in DCI Fletcher's office the two men sat behind a table with files on it, there was another man sitting not far away with a laptop open. The Doctor smiled as Jess entered "Ah Jess glad to see you've come to help us, Jess this is DCI Paul Fletcher, he's leading the case, Fletcher this is my friend Jess Ringstead who is so far the only witness in the case" Jess shook hands with the inspector.
Fletcher gestured towards the man with the laptop "This is Griffen he'll take down the details of the culprit and create an e-fit" Jess sat beside him.
After a few minutes, the face on the screen was identical to that of the clown "The Make-up and wig could be all we have to go on" Fletcher said looking at the e-fit
"What happened to Georgia?" Jess asked but she could already fear the worst, Fletcher sat down
"Miss Davies was murdered brutally as were the two Murphy children"
Jess looked like she was about to cry "I told her not to go upstairs"
"We can't find the murder weapon" Fletcher replied "And written on the wall above Miss Davies' body in blood were the words 'beware the clown'"
"An Axe" Jess said "The Clown was holding an axe"
"I see, She was killed on the Murphy's bed, there was blood everywhere and even though forensics are there we have no clues as to who it is and from what you've told us" Fletcher said "It appears that the killer was waiting upstairs, you received a number of phone calls asking you to check the children?"
Jess nodded "then they got more and more personal in the end I asked him what he wanted?"
"And what did he say?" Fletcher asked
"H-He said he wanted to wash his hands in my blood" Jess' face crumpled and she burst into tears, taking a pure white handkerchief from his jacket pocket The Doctor passed it to her, just then the door opened a dark haired girl entered she had tanned skin and bright blue eyes.
"Doctor" said Fletcher "This is Michelle Collins, Miss Collins is the only other girl to survive an ordeal like you. This is Jess Ringstead" the two women shook hands.
Michelle gave her statement and Jess couldn't believe it, like her and Georgia, Michelle had received a spate of phone calls asking her to check the children, she had ignored them, but slowly she had become more and more scared, so she had called her boyfriend Justin who had come armed with a baseball bat just in case and had rung the parents.
"Well" The Doctor said "Now we need to spring a trap, we need the following things"
Michelle Collins was rolling on the carpet playing with her baby brothers Jack and Steve, Michelle was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine, The Doctor was tinkering the telephone attaching what looked like typewriter to it "What are you doing?" Michelle asked
"Fixing a scribing recorder" he said "so if we have funny calls late tonight all will be written done on paper." They weren't allowed in the Murphy's house so they were in the house next door to Jess'. The Doctor, Michelle and Jess were all in the house. Next door in Jess' house DCI Fletcher was waiting with a large amount of policemen, the plan was like this.
Instead of putting little Jack and Steve to bed, they would wait until the first call came, then either Jess' Mother or sister would come and get him. That would just them and the clown, then the trick was to wind the clown up so either he could come down or they would storm upstairs.
The Doctor had promised that both girls and children would be perfectly safe.
Michelle paused for a minute looked up and spoke to Jess, "Hey Jess, your friend is he a bit…" she tapped the side of her head with her index finger
Jess chuckled "No! he maybe a tad eccentric, mind you wearing a brown cardigan with a white shirt and a green bow tie any man would look eccentric, but He is probably the best thing we have to helping us"
"BINGO!" The Doctor shouted "Everything's set now let me see, the time is now quarter-to nine. Let the waiting begin."
They had only been there for about ten minutes when the phone rang, The Doctor pressed a button on his contraption and Michelle picked it up, pressed the button with the green icon
"Hello?" she asked, but there was silence, Jess had a nasty feeling of Daja Vous, just then there was a click and the phone went dead
The Doctor beconed and got Jess and Michelle to gather around "Right now this is the plan!" he said whispering "Michelle take Jake next door to Jess' house then ask D.C.I. Fletcher to get himself and as many men as he can here in 2 hours, that'll make the two hour countdown, also tell them to come in the back door and be as quiet as they can!" Michelle nodded then taking Jake by the hand she led him out of the room. "Jess I need you to stay with me! This could be very dangerous and perhaps both me and D.C.I. Fletcher may not be here to help! Ok!" Jess nodded, just then the phone rang again, The Doctor put his thumb up.
Jess answered it but she didn't say a word just then the chilling voice came through "It's the children's bed time, where is the child?" The Doctor motioned with his hands and Jess passed him the phone he put it down! The voice was still talking! "You have to check the children, time to put the children to bed" The Doctor then took a brown paper bag from the pocket of his jacket, unfolded it, clasped his fist around one end and started blowing it up like a brown paper balloon it got bigger and bigger, then he held it over the phone. Jess put her hands over her ears.
"one, two three" The Doctor counted then 'BANG!' He popped the bag, and the phone went dead "That'll buy us a few minutes" The Doctor smiled "But I bet that's given him a headache by now!"
The Doctor was right nearly an hour and a half went by before the phone rang again, this time The Doctor answered it "Haberdashery Department, how may I help you?"
"You're not a woman!" The Chilling Voice said
"I'll take that as a compliment!" The Doctor replied
"Why haven't you brought up the children?"
"If you're so anxious the check the children, check them yourself" and The Doctor hung up.
"I'm trying to wind him up" he said rubbing his hands with glee, then the phone rung again and he said the same introduction "Haberdashery Department, how may I help you?"
"You're trying to wind me up?" the chilling voice said
"I'm sorry" The Doctor replied "I don't think we have one in your size how about, what size is your inside leg?"
"Where are the children?" The Voice growled
"You do know your inside leg?" The Doctor "I can offer you suits made from Harris tweed, Corduroy and pin-striped. Would you like your jacket single or double breasted and how many buttons on the cuffs? 2, 3 or 4?"
"If you don't bring the children up to bed, I'm coming down to get them" the voice said almost snarling,
"If you want Gentlemen's shoes try the third floor!" he said and hung up. Jess was on the verge of crying
"There could be an axe-wielding clown upstairs and your talking like Mr. Humphries from 'Are You Being Served?'", The Doctor winked. Just then Jess heard the sound of a door opening from the back, Jess turned expecting to see the clown, but to her thankfulness it was D.C.I. Fletcher followed by five police officers. "Ready Doctor?" he asked The Doctor nodded "at the next phone call we'll head upstairs" said Fletcher, at that moment an upstairs door opened shining light out onto the opposite wall and down the stairs
"GO, GO, GO!" Shouted Fletcher, then pandemonium filled the house, as the five police officers ran upstairs there came the sounds of a struggle and then the officers came down wrestling a familiar colourful figure to the ground. As the officers parted Jess recognised the clown instantly Fletcher stepped forward and snapped a pair of handcuffs on the clowns wrists.
"Do you recognise him?" The Doctor asked
Fletcher shook his head "No I don't, but whoever you are, Your under arrest." As the officers led the clown to the front door, a small silver item fell onto the carpet, from another pocket of his jacket he withdrew his handkerchief, he bent down and picked it up
"What is it?" Jess asked
The Doctor toyed the device twisting it round in his hand "I don't know, Could be alien, but I'm not sure?" he withdrew another device from his pocket it looked like a scanner which Jess normally saw at the supermarket, it was black and appeared to be made out of plastic with a bright red trigger underneath, pressing the trigger there came a whirring noise and a small sphere about the size of a ping-pong ball emerged on a long Ariel the scanner began to click, as The Doctor brought the two items together the scanner clicked faster and louder.
"Well it's not alien! It's man-made, but it's giving off a mass about of mild frequency energy"
"In basic English" Jess replied
"In my hand" The Doctor explained "Is a very small engine. But what type of machine could this engine power, Time Machine? Energy Beam? Electro-Magnetic Field? Eureka!" he said snapping his fingers "It's a teleport stick, that's how the clown has been getting in and out of the house without being detected! I wonder?" he turned the device around in his hands and pressed a button on the bottom just then the machine to power up. Grabbing Jess' hand the two disappeared.
Jess had no idea what had just happened but she had experienced the feeling of being sucked down into a dark hole. The feeling had lasted only for at the most three or possibly four seconds before suddenly felt the sensation stop and her lungs flooded with oxygen. Inhaling deeply she paused to catch her breath it was then that she noticed that The Doctor had let go of her hand she looked around "Doctor?" she called for a moment she thought she had gone blind as all she could see was total pitch blackness.
Just then a hand felt her face, she cried out and threw her hands out in front of her and felt something soft and delicate, "Jess" came The Doctor's Voice "That is my bow tie your feeling and I hope it is Jess, hang on…" A beam of clear light shown around the area, Jess looked closely the light was coming from a torch that The Doctor was holding. Taking the torch, Jess looked around they appeared to be in some sort of metal tunnel In the light of the torch Jess could see The Doctor was bent double, with his back and shoulders up against what would be regarded as the ceiling. "Where are we?" Jess asked
"Give us a minute," he said, reaching into the pocket of his jacket and took out his sonic screwdriver and began to twist the end there came the sound of rapid bleeping followed by a loud bang, and an icy blast hit Jess intensely "What have you done?" Jess asked
"Just found a way out?" The Doctor said, he made his way towards the opening. A sound from behind her, made Jess turned around and shone the light down the opposite end of where they were, in the light of torch Jess could see what looked like a small pile of rag, as she crawled forward and slowly a pair of eyes gazed right back at here "DOCTOR!" she called out.
In less than an hour Jess was sitting in the back of a police car, the teleport stick had taken both her and the Doctor to the back of Ford Escourt Van, and what Jess had once thought was a pile of rag was actually Fay Harris and the other missing girl under a dirty old blanket.
Harris had gone to hospital and using Jess' mobile The Doctor had been able to direct both the ambulance crew and D.C.I. Fletcher to the scene.
The Doctor was talking to Fletcher and soon both men walked over and got into the car. "We're going back to our main police base" Fletcher said "The van will be taken for forensic analysis in the meantime Doctor and you too Miss Ringstead I want you to explain some things that don't add up for me?"
Soon they arrived at the main police station and D.C.I. Fletcher escorted both The Doctor and Jess to his office. Once there The Doctor examined the Teleport Stick, and had then given him a demonstration of how it worked. Then Fletcher then went to the interview room to interview the clown. The Doctor, Jess along with Michelle then went to the small room and were looking through the two-way mirror. Stripped of the clothes and red nose along with the wig and make up, The man sitting opposite Fletcher and the Clown looked nothing alike.
Fletcher switched on the recorder and began the interview.
"So first things first, What's your name?"
"Evans, Andrew Evans" the clown replied
"I thought you looked familiar, Andrew Evans. The one time mild mannered scientist yet if my memory serves me correctly you have been in trouble numerous times for having dirty thoughts about teenage girls. You were sent to an institution so how did you get out?"
As the interview continued much of the sinister case was revealed, Evans had said that when he was a child he was abused by his own babysitter and his passion with clowns had lead him to create such a deadly scheme. He had been keen on science but this other passion meant that no girls would fancy him, he had managed to create the secret of teleportation and had used the stick to get into the houses, he would drive around in his van and seeing that there would be a babysitter in the house change into his clown costume and use the Teleport stick. The Doctor then realised that if he had the stick upon his person when he was arrested then he would have avoided capture.
"Why did you kill the children?" Fletcher asked
"You have never lived till you see the fear on their faces and phoning down stairs give me such a lovely thrill"
The Doctor shivered then realised that both Jess and Michelle were holding his hands.
"Only question remains" said Fletcher. "Why did you kidnap Fay Harris?"
"She saw me" Evans replied "I developed a conscience I wasn't thinking and I took her same with the other girl." He began to rub the palm of his hand "Such pretty eyes and soft hair she is beautiful" he said and an almost twisted sensation of pleasure crossed his features.
"Men like him make me sick!" Michelle Collins said
"Trouble is that people like do exist" The Doctor added
"Well" replied Fletcher, "Andy Evans is going nowhere soon. Thanks to you Doctor we've got him for 12 counts of murder and 2 cases of abduction and one of excessive GBH on our victim who's in hospital! Sadly we have no charges as he did nothing to either of you! But one of the murder charges is for your friend Georgia Davies"
Jess nodded "I'm just glad he's locked away". Fletcher walked all three to the main door there they bid farewell to Michelle Collins she shook hands with Fletcher and hugged The Doctor and Jess.
As they embraced Michelle whispered "You were right Jess" she whispered "He's not mad, he was our best chance of survival, Take care of him" then she skipped down the steps and over the road to where her boyfriend was waiting by the car he put his hand up to them, then they both got in and drove away.
Fletcher turned to face The Doctor and Jess "Can I offer you a life back to Highdale Street?" He asked, Jess nodded then she asked "Can we go to another place", Getting in the car they drove off. Soon they arrived at the Alley where the Tardis was and all three walked down there "I bet it's been a while since you've one of these D.C.I. Fletcher?" The Doctor asked
"I've never seen one before" He replied "Heard of them, the old bright blue police phone box. Taken out of service before I was around, I remember though my grandfather saying that once when he was an average bobby on the beat he saw one, sat all alone in a junkyard in Totters Lane. When was it 1960s, now let me see it may have been?"
"63?" The Doctor whispered in Jess' ear
"It was in the early years so it may have been 65? Or 64? Now wait yes I remember it was 1963!"
"Told you so" The Doctor whispered again, he walked forward and took a key from the pocket of his cardigan and unlocked the door, "Well Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fletcher,
I guess this is cheerio!"
"What you mean, that you're going?" he asked
"Yeah" the Doctor replied
"But what if I need you in helping me with another case?" Fletcher asked
"Call me" The Doctor said "You know my number!"
"What is it?" asked Fletcher
"Try 999!" The Doctor smiled then he winked and stepped inside
"He's a man of mystery " Jess explained, "But thanks" she shook hand with the Inspector and stepped inside. Just then she popped her out between The Tardis door and she asked "there is one thing" she asked "What happened to the baby, the Doctor brought in?"
"We're using our contacts with social services, but we're having trouble finding the mother. The only reason we're trying to make sure that she herself is safe, but no luck yet. However as it's a baby there are many couples wanting to adopt."
Jess smiled and went back inside.
Jess turned to see The Doctor at the controls; "Tommy is going to be safe" He looked up and walked towards her,
"Well four adventures! Do you still want to travel with me?" Jess walked forwards and hugged him "Michelle asked me to keep an eye on you and I promised, so you're stuck with me"
The Doctor smiled and then ran back to the console "No where do you want to go!"
"No more Earth" Jess said "I want to see another planet!"
"Any planet?" The Doctor replied "I know just the place"
Outside D.C.I. Fletcher was walking back down the alley "Lovely girl" he muttered to himself "Wanting to know about that little baby… hang on!" he said "How did she know about the baby" he turned and walked back to the Tardis but just then the light on the top began to flash and a sudden gust of wind that tugged at the tails of his coat and drove him back slowly it de-materialised and in a few minutes it was gone.
Slowly Fletcher looked at the spot where only minutes before a police box had once stood, he remembered his grandfather saying that the following day after he had seen the police box in Totters Lane it was gone the next day and now the same thing had happened to him. "Listen to me, Doctor" Fletcher said loudly "I don't know who you are, but I safely say that one day we will meet again and next time it'll be more than a homicidal killer dressed as a clown" and so saying he got back into his car and drove off.