Dial M for Mystery
A fic I wrote…off the top of my head. It's romance darling…love it…
Now…take heed…
Disclaimer: Not mine. Not rich. Not happy
Rating: PG…I hear people get antsy these days…sigh its so hard to write
Spoilers ???? Don't thinks so.
- - - - Dial M for Mystery - - - -
Ness Street, Chicago
The man hurried down the street and looked at his watch. He was late, the night was dark and there was a flickering lamppost making the reading of his notes impossible. He was dressed for dinner with his girlfriend Lorna. "Lorna, we've been together for 3 years now…oh maybe I should just be straight with her…" he scratched his head and kicked the lamppost angrily. It stopped flickering for a moment and then flashed green. He looked up and then noted a glow coming from the sub-street door under an abandoned building. He walked over to the cast iron railings and frowned. "What on earth?" There was a flash of green and he disappeared.
- - - - Elsewhere - - - -
"Martin" a soft voice called. "Marrrrtin…MARTIN!"
Martin leapt several feet in the air and fell off the stool in the chemistry lab. The remaining students laughed as Martin pulled himself up and glared at Diana. "What is it Di?"
"Chemistry class ended five minutes ago" she stated.
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because I didn't feel like it" smirked Diana. She stepped out into the hall and froze, her eyes glazed over as Marvin appeared at the end of the hall. Martin waved a hand in front of his stepsisters face and then followed her gaze to Marvin. With a Humph he went to brooding in the shadows.
"Hi Marvin" Diana said dreamily.
"Oh…uh…Hi" Marvin said. "Hey is that dance on this Friday?"
"Yes" Diana smiled.
"Okay" Marvin said. "I'll have to get a date…better start working on that". He turned and walked away. Diana sweat-dropped and Martin couldn't help but grin.
"And you say I'm dense" he smirked.
"He's not Dense you blonde birdbrain" snapped Diana, her rage dwarfing Martin. "He's being subtle in his advances! Got it?" Marvin gulped and nodded.
Java appeared from the stairwell. "Diana and Marvin fighting again?"
"Just debating certain points" sniffed Diana. There was a familiar beep-blip-beep and Diana groaned. "We all know what that means," she grumbled.
MOM was looking for them now and after finding the doorway in a locker they were zapped straight to MOM's office. She was stirring a vial of purple liquid. "Hello Agents" she said.
Martin picked up the vial she had put down as she stood up and commenced the briefing. "Ness Street, Chicago…Jason Keels was last seen by a traffic camera walking down that street. Witnesses reported a flash of light that night… and then he was gone. The eyewitnesses were all too far away to pinpoint what happened but we know it was near an abandoned building that used to be a speakeasy. Billy is already working on researching it for us."
"Billy my man" Martin grinned and did their little handshake as the alien floated in.
"Agent mystery watch out!" exclaimed MOM. Martin turned around.
"What?" the vial flew out of his hand and exploded at MOM's feet. Her outfit, hair and desk were turned vibrant purple by the huge burst of smoke.
"Agent Mystery" MOM said coolly. The portal opened behind them.
"Martin in trouble" Java said helpfully. Diana grinned with glee.
"Uhhh…duty calls! Gotta flee—I mean go!" Martin yelped as they vanished.
"Get me some Iodine, black polish and a very good whitener please Billy" MOM said stiffly.
"Lorna Grey is the girlfriend of Jason Keels" Diana said. "We should check him out first". Java and Martin nodded as they parked the jeep and walked to the door of the apartment. Lorna let them in and instantly burst out crying when they mentioned Jason.
"I was there until the restaurant closed," she sobbed. "And they I found out he'd not gone home or anything!" she continued to sob into Martin's shoulder. Not that he was complaining. She was a pretty part Native American girl. The fact she was a girl was all he'd needed to comfort her.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he's found" Martin said.
"Thank you" she sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue Diana handed her. "No one goes near that place," added Lorna. "The old Speakeasy is haunted. Back in the 1920's the clientele went missing. Owners too." She dabbed her eyes. "No one wanted to be anywhere near the Ace of Diamonds club since. It was one night in April in the 1920's…there was a big flash and the entire building became totally empty but not a single thing was damaged"
Martin nodded and patted her on the back. "Hey…why don't you give me your number and I can call you to check---"
Diana hauled him away and smiled at Lorna. "We'll call if we find anything" she beamed and dragged Martin out the door, followed by Java.
"This is the place," Diana said. The sky was already getting dark. "He must have disappeared around here somewhere". She walked over to the flickering light and groaned as her shoes squelched. "Ugh! Gross"
Martin was over with the Slime analyser in no time. He scooped up the black goo and scanned it. "Its chemical residue from people brewing their own alcohol" he said. "But its got some weird fragments in it, like it came in contact with something crystalline and then chemically reacted…"
"Java no like bad feeling" Java said.
There was a flash of green light and everything went Dark…
The sounds of a party woke Diana she groaned and put her head under her pillow. There was something poking into her thigh but she ignored it, her head was pounding and she needed a drink…her throat felt like the desert. It must have been a dream she decided and yawned. She opened her eyes…she was blind with a yelp she touched her face and found a silk mask over her eyes. Diana slowly pulled it away and gaped.
The room was luxuriously decorated, it was coloured in sombre winter colours. She stood and looked around. She was wearing a rather short red dress with sequins. She felt her chest was latched down so her long beads hung down straight. She looked around in a daze and then noticed her reflection. She stared.
"Oh—oh---oh no way" she mumbled, her voice rising. She touched the mirror and then her face. She was wearing a short one-piece sequined red and black dress with a red and black feather boa, her hair was pitch black and swept into a bob that clung to her head with a small sequined head decoration that was held on by long pins. She stared and touched her face. She was wearing clattering bracelets and a beautiful diamond and ruby necklace. And – A – Wedding – Ring!
"HOLY-"
The door opened and a big muscular man stepped in. "Mrs Russell" he said in a thick New York accent. "Yous is spozda be at de party". Diana managed a smile and nodded, the sounds of music and glasses clinking.
"Uhhh…okay? Be right there?" the man waited patiently by the door. Diana managed a smile and walked towards the door. "You is forgetting your mask"
"Uh---oh---yeah" Diana picked up the red and black Masque with the lace on it and the elegant silver stick holding it up. The mask was meant to be tiger it seemed. She walked out into the hall and headed to the party followed by the muscle man. "hey - - eh - -Buddy" she said with a smile. "Where's my husband?"
"Oh, what would ya do without good ole buddy? Mistah Russell is in his office he sent for ya after yerz nap was done" Buddy said with a big grin.
"I - okay" Diana said. "Where is the office?"
"Yeah deez decorations make the ole speakeasy a little harder to be easy in just over der" the man said pointing at another staircase that led to the opposite landing in the house. Diana smiled and made her way towards the staircase.
"Dinah! Dinah darling!" someone touched her shoulder and Diana turned. It was - - Jenny! "How are you Dinah honey" the woman raised a peacock mask. "You know I'm still so ENVIOUS of that diamond ring Marcus gave you!" she looked at Diana with jealous eyes. "But I'll get one for myself or I'm not Jessica Stone! Oh there's Margot! MARGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT"
"That - was creepy," muttered Diana. She sighed and hurried up the steps to the office. She'd have to pretend to be Dinah Russell. The guard at the door looked like… no way…was that the Cowardly Constable from their druid adventure! ?
"Mr Russell your wife is here" he said as he opened the door for her. Slowly she entered and stared. Dressed in a black tuxedo with silver lining and a silver shirt was MARTIN! She looked around.
"Where's my husband?" she asked.
"Man Mrs Russell you slay me" the guard laughed. He shut the door.
"I am so glad I'm not the only one…hey ya think the reverse vampires did this while working with the time fairies?"
"The only fairies around here are in your head Martin" Diana said. "look I'm glad we're both here and that I don't have to pretend to be your wife - " she frowned. "Is your hair actually---brushed?"
"Yeah I haven't had time to spike it. I look like a total dork"
"No it---looks nice" Diana said.
Martin grinned. "So what do we do?"
"Well we can only assume there's a way out" Diana said. "We must be in some parallel dimension or…"
"Time warp" martin said as he held up a calendar. "20th of April 1922, masquerade ball and special brewing night for new drink"
"Martin, this is the night everyone disappeared" Diana said. "We have to work fast and find out why or – we could disappear as well!"
"I bet this is what happened to that Keels guy!" Martin said. "We should see I he got put in his past body! Then maybe he can help us out…I don't want to be married to you for any longer then I have to be!"
"Mutual" Martin muttered.
He put his silver tiger mask over his face and followed Diana out. They descended the stairs and various people said hello and great party and so on and so forth. "Dinah! Marcus!" the woman in the white gown and swan mask hugged them tightly. "SOOOOOO glad you're joining us. Quick you must have a picture taken!" they stared. It was MOM.
"Uh well - " Martin began.
"O'TOOLE!" MOM shouted. "Take their picture." The man with the camera rushed over and grinned. "Now a nice lovie-duvvie one!" MOM said. "Get closer." Gingerly Diana and Martin moved closer. "No, closer" they did. "Now a Nice big kiss I'll accept nothing less."
"We have to" muttered Martin out of the corner of his mouth.
"I know…no tongue," Diana said. They kissed, the flash went off and the world faded out in the white blast of light. The small explosion was pretty loud it drowned out about everything else.
"Take the picture O'Toole" MOM said.
"Yes Mrs Orwell-Morton" O'Toole said. The flash went off…and that wasn't what had just happened. So if that wasn't the flash what was it? Martin didn't have a chance to see if it happened again a slightly spooked Diana pulled away and flashed a smile.
"Now that's a lovely one!" MOM grinned. She sauntered away with O'Toole in trail.
"Ah the queen of Media got you" nodded Marvin. "Don't worry it'll be on the society pages about 3 times - - then she'll get you again" he was dressed in a bartenders outfit and offered the champagne to the pair, they accepted so as to look "normal". "Don't worry bosses" he smiled. "Baby Bobby is still asleep upstairs. I left that weird Jerry Keels dude looking after him. I swear his sci-fi ideas would make a fortune. Did you hear his thoughts on phones that don't need wires? How do you dial if its not connected?"
He rolled his eyes and someone shouted "Michael" from across the room.
"That's me. Just thought I'd tell you that Bobby's okay" he turned and walked away
"Keels" they said and hurried up the stairs. "Buddy" Diana said. "We're just going to check on Baby Bobby…eh…would you be a doll and point us in the right direction I've gotten lost in all these streamers and I'm not sure which way we're heading!"
"I gets that" grinned and pointed up the stairs. They followed the hall.
"okay we need a systematic check for which door is the nursery depending on sun angle, Feng Shoe direction and origami preperation!"
"It's not Feng Shoe Martin and -"
"Whatever. Now the baby would be in the room that doesn't face the rising sun because that would wake him up…"
"Martin"
"So I'd say he's somewhere"
"Martin the door says Nursery" Diana said. Martin blushed and they opened the door. Sitting in a chair reading a newspaper was Jason Keels.
"Hi Mrs Russell and Mr Russell" he said awkwardly.
"Jason!" martin said
"What did you say?" he murmured.
"It's okay we're agents from the centre your girlfriend called us to find you and we got stuck here…" Diana said.
"Oh that's a relief I've had to hold my tongue on so much here so I didn't get flung out. I don't know what's going on I've been here since "morning" but I amn't sure how much time has passed in the real world or our world or…"
"We think it's a time loop," Martin said.
"Says the man who was involving a plot by vampires and fairies about 10 minutes ago" Diana said. She looked at the pictures on the wall and opened two double doors. There was a luxurious four-poster double bed on a raised piece of the floor on the other side of the room.
"That's your room," he explained. "You're both madly in love - - are you boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Step siblings" Martin said, as he looked at the baby in the carved wooden cot. Baby Bobby gurgled and sighed in his sleep.
"Well, whatever, the fact is I found weird rocks in the basement with the brewing stuff. They're mixing some dangerous stuff down in the cellar tonight…weird and dangerous stuff…when I touch the rocks I see other stuff. Here's the thing, I saw you two having a fight about a woman called Jessica Steel and then "Dinah" threw a wrench at the machine and it exploded and then…nothing else".
"Jessica Steel. That's Jenny in this time. I guess when she causes the fight she sets off a domino effect that leads to the time paradox being caused. We solve this and get back to December 2004 for the Christmas Dance".
"How do we get back?" Martin asked.
"In the handbook it clearly states that when a time limbo is broken and all parties released from limbo automatically" Diana said.
"Handbook?"
"Your doorstop"
"Oh yeah! That's a good doorstop" Martin grinned.
"Right we'll go and take a look at the rocks" Diana said as she took a closer look at the pictures on the wall. It was a real shock it looked like her and Martin were in love… DINAH AND MARCUS now they were in love. Ugh no! Not HER and MARTIN no way in hell.
"The brewery is in the cellar, you should hurry" Jason said. "Things might get messy soon the disappearance was accompanied with a flash of green light around midnight on the night it happened. We have to hurry and get out of here before that or who know what will happen."
Diana nodded and she and martin made their way down to the cellar on Jason's instructions. The huge metal orb was rattling, shaking the pipes attached to it as steam popped out at various intervals.
"Don't even sneeze" Martin said. "This thing looks about ready to blow."
Diana kneeled down beside the strange rock formation that composed a corner of the cellar. "Look at this" she said. "If I know my astro-geology these are meteorite chunks"
"The old meteorites causing trouble again" sighed Martin with a shake of his head.
"He have to figure out what happened to cause the fight that made Dinah through a wrench at the machine" she reached out. "Jason said these things gave him a vision…if we can stop the fundamental catalyst from starting and stay well away from this machine around midnight we can stop the happenings" she touched the rocks.
Dinah walked into the cellar. Jessica was kissing Marcus. "Marcus!" she exclaimed. Jessica spun around grinning.
"Oh Dinah it's not what it looks like" Jessica said.
"It isn't Dinah" Marcus said.
"We would never hurt you Dinah" Jessica said
"Get out Jessica before I take this wrench and do something extremely justified with it," hissed Dinah brandishing a large wrench. Jessica scampered out and grinned at Marcus over Dinah's shoulder.
"I swear Dinah nothing happened. You have to believe me darling" Marcus said.
"Do I?" snarled Dinah. "I don't have to do anything."
"She told me you were waiting down here for me and then she just… kissed me I promise you - YOU - are the one! You're my other half, my soul mate and the only one for me! Jessica is a manipulative shrew with nothing in her brains you're the Ace of Diamonds, sharp and beautiful I married YOU"
"Oh and I'm supposed to believe you? HOW DARE YOU!" she hurled the wrench down. It hit the machine. "How could I have believed you?"
"Because I-" and the brewing machine exploded.
"Oh" Diana said. "The last moments together were a fight so much went unsaid… it's beautiful and sad" she sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a silk handkerchief.
"We have to keep this room locked until midnight" Martin said. "You have to stay with me no matter what to stop Jenny luring me away"
"It's Jessica and you don't have to worry, why would you go with her?"
"Because she looks like Jenny"
"Good point," nodded Diana. "We keep you and her away from the boiler and no one will set it off by being anywhere near it". They hurried back up the stairs to the party and locked the cellar door. Diana slowly linked the muscled arm of Martin and put her mask to her face again as they walked out onto the dance floor.
"We should dance" Martin said. "Keep Jessica away"
"Can I remind you that you usually escort me to the dances at school and often stand on my toes?" Diana asked.
"Well I've improved a bit I took dance class---" he bit his lip.
"Dance classes? From who? You're not in dance class with me" Diana said.
"Well…MOM gave me a few lessons…" Martin said as he blushed. "I guess I didn't want to humiliate you again…" Diana watched him blush deeply.
"That's very considerate of you Martin," she said. The waltz began and Diana allowed Martin to lead…he didn't step on her toes once…and in the silver and black tuxedo he did look very dashing.
"Mrs Russell" one of the waitresses said. "There's a phone call for you in your office. They said it was important"
"Okay" Diana said.
"They also said it was private" added the waitress. "Also Michael wants a quiet word about the drinks with Mr Russell." This sounded bad but they had to keep up appearances.
"Okay" Diana said. She followed the waitress to the office of D. Russell on the upper floor and walked over to the phone. The line was dead, just then door slammed and locked. "No!" Diana gasped. She ran to the door but it wouldn't open. "I can't believe I fell for that trick" she groaned.
Meanwhile Martin was in the small hall behind the bar. Someone pulled him into the cellar doorway. "Hello Marcus" a husky voice purred.
"Eh…Jessica" smiled Martin slowly. "What's the problem?"
"No problem I just wanted a word" she said as she played with the tie pin that had a heart on it. "This is the pin that Dinah gave you for your first anniversary last year" smiled Jessica. "And that lovely diamond and ruby ring was your gift to her. I really adore that ring by the way" she smiled.
She leaned him against the door…there was a click and he watched her drop a key into the neckline of her dress. "Jessica I think we should go back to the party"
"Then you'll have to get the key"
Okay this was JENNY for heaven's sake no matter her name this was her even if it was a time loop and probably her past life…but why did he feel he'd be betraying Diana if he gave in?
"All Dinah is---is a singer who got daddy's inheritance when he died" Jessica said. "I'm a model honey…how about a kiss?"
"No" Martin said. "Really I think we should go."
As he tried to avoid her advances Diana had given up banging on the door, the party couldn't hear her and the waitress was obviously not going to help even if she was around. Finally Diana resolved to get out herself. She looked around there wasn't much on the desk…she reached up to run her fingers through her hair…and found one of the pins.
She pulled them out and kneeled at the lock. "Thank you Charlie's Angels" she muttered recalling the book called "How to Be One of Charlie's Angels". Lock picking was chapter 5. She pulled the door open and immediately punched the shocked waitress who was counting money. The woman fell aside and didn't get up. The cellar door was locked when she reached it.
Diana had wanted to be a singer and dancer as a child but never felt good enough…so she'd ended up with a very potent voice anyway. "MAR---CUS" she shouted.
"DI—NAH?" he shouted back. "The doors locked!"
"Stay back!" Diana shouted as she ran from the corridor. "Buddy! I need help!"
"What is it missus Russell?"
"The cellar door. Break it down"
"Yes Missus Russell" Buddy said. He shoulder tackled the door twice and the third time broke it down. Jessica tried to pull Martin into a kiss. He ducked under her arms and Diana punched her out. "Right what's the time?"
"11:50" Martin said.
"Come on" Diana smiled. "We just have to keep this place clear" she said. "Buddy would you escort Jessica off the premises?"
"Certainly Missus Russell" grinned Buddy. "Never liked her anyway. She always stared at that ring of yours". Diana looked at the circle of rubies that surrounded a beautiful diamond. "Course she was always after Mr Russell's pocket book anyway. You'd better hurry, your song is up"
Diana froze. "Song?"
"You have to sing" Buddy said. "Remember? The people unmask themselves while you're singing. It's the second party since you two got married…its tradition"
"You can do it" whispered Martin. "You just punched out someone."
"I can't it'll be me barfing in the tuba at the 5th grade recital all over again"
"Don't worry I know you can do it Di."
Taking a deep breath Martin led Diana out into the crowd. "Besides this could all break up and let us home any second now"
"ladies and gentleman" the leader of the band on stage said. "Mrs Dinah Russell" Diana shakily moved towards the stage.
"PICTURE BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE" Mrs Orwell Morton exclaimed as she and O'Toole sauntered up. "Barry O'Toole get this perfect picture and it's a raise. Now you two kiss"
With a deep breath Diana kissed Martin and caught him by surprise. He was warm… and soft and he tasted like that horrible bubblegum he popped but that smelt really nice. There was that flash again and the drowning of the crowds…and that wasn't the camera just yet.
The camera dazzled them both out of the kiss. Martin and Diana looked each other in the eyes and then Diana slowly made her way up onto the stage. The music started she opened her mouth and…
The green flash filled her sense. She could smell the light and suddenly she was back in Chicago. "Diana Okay? Where you and Martin go?" Java asked.
"Ow" Jason Keels groaned from the lamppost he was propped against.
"We were back in the 1920's in the original club that was abandoned because…" Diana stared at the club it now had "Ace of Diamonds" on a bronze plate beside the door. "What…" she murmured.
"Diana" Martin said. "Wasn't that club abandoned?"
"Yeah" nodded Diana.
"No it wasn't…was it?" Java asked.
"I amn't sure what has happened" Martin said. "But I'm really confused…" He kicked the lamppost. A flat compartment door dropped off and something fell out. It was an envelope that was yellowed by years and heavy. Diana picked it up and opened it. The picture was of Dinah kissing Marcus…the picture that O'Toole the short reporter had taken the first time around. There was another, the second kissing picture and then there was a picture of Dinah on stage with Marcus nearby cheering her on as she sang.
"What else is in there?"
"Hang on" Diana pulled out the ring and the tiepin. Then there was something hard rolled up in a piece of notepaper. Diana unwrapped the small package. "A meteorite fragment" she said. "To whomsoever finds it" she read. "Memories of something we don't recall Dinah, Marcus and Bobby Russell". She and Martin touched the rock.
Dinah came off the stage. "Well another masquerade ends beautifully"
"Not as beautiful as you" Marcus said. "I Love You"
"I love you two Marcus" Dinah said as she hugged him. Jerry Keels appeared with the woken Bobby who he handed to them. "The Ace of Diamonds says: Free Drinks" Marcus called and the crowd cheered.
"That's beautiful" Diana sighed. A white limo pulled up and MOM climbed out.
"Well done you three you've stabilized the time lines, people have complete souls again, that time limbo had trapped fragments of their souls and prevented them from finding their soul mates now they can move on" MOM said. "Billy will make sure that the meteorites are cleared out of this building as apparently they interacted with the alcahol when the pump exploded. In case you're wondering Baby Bobby grew up very well and his family still owns the club."
"Our little boy's all grown up" a misty eyed Martin sniffed.
"Martin! The Dance!" Diana said.
"Oh right…did Marvin actually ask you out?"
"No" admitted Diana
"Still want to go with your big step-bro?"
"Sure" she smiled. Jason suddenly leapt up.
"LORNA!" Jason exclaimed. "She probably thinks I stood her up…I have to propose before someone else does…but what if she rejects me?"
"Mr Keels" MOM said. "Hop in we have a wonderful little confidence builder in here". She winked at the agents and Keels climbed in.
Back At the School…
Diana was dressed in a long white gown that was tied up at her neck and had no sleeves or straps other then the one that held the neck and body of the dress to each other. She wore the ring and couldn't help but notice the strange looks from Jenny to the ring.
"Shall we?" Martin spun her around. She'd been expecting his usual powder blue tuxedo…but now he was wearing a black and white one. She smiled and the tango began. To her less-then-absolute amazement he didn't stamp on her toes once.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the music cut and Diana and Martin stopped dancing. "Tonight we have a very special performance". Martin had a mischevious look in his eyes. "Diana Lombard is about to perform for the entire school a round of applause!"
"MARTIN!" blazed Diana but the spotlight clunked on at her and stunned her like a dear in headlights.
"You can do this" Martin whispered as he put an arm around her waist and led her up on stage. She walked like a zombie to the microphone and looked out at the expectant crowd. Someone coughed. She looked down at her ring and the face of Dinah Russell looked back. She leaned voer to the band.
"Do you know "Could It Be Magic?" by Donna Summer?" she whispered,
"Yeah hang on its on the database" one of the musicians said as she pressed a few buttons on her digital screen before her.
"This is for someone special" Diana said. She looked at Martin and smiled and he smiled back and they understood that maybe they shouldn't have been arguing so much because maybe it was just their way of dealing with something else.
Diana closed her eyes as the slow beginning played.
Oh baby it's been so long
I've waited so long And now that I have you
I want you to come
Come, come, come into my arms
Oh baby I need you I need you
Come come come into my arms again
Spirits move me every time I'm near you
Whirling like a cyclone in my mind
Oh sweet peter, angel of my lifetime
Answer to all answers I can find
Baby, I love you, come, come, come into my arms
Let me know the wonder of all of you
Baby, I want you now, now, now, and hold on fast
Could this be the magic at last?
Spoken:
Oh hold on to me
Don't let go
Come into my life
Dont't let go
Oh....
Baby, take me high upon a hillside
High up where the stallion meets the sun
I could love you, build my world around you
Never leave you till my life is done
Martin watched her. She came down off stage as the audience applauded and took his hand. She led him out to a balcony. "Diana I'm - "
She put a finger on his lips. "Don't say a word," she said.
She kissed him and there was that damn flash again…
THE END.
Well? Did my attempt at romance do the trick? Tell me! I wrote this as a bit of a challenge for myself. I don't believe in Romance but I wanted to see if I could do it. What did you think?