Neither Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor Poirot are my creations or property. They are being used solely for my (and I hope, your) amusement.

Ill Met By Moonlight

Chapter One - The Locked Room Mystery

A taxi drove up the long driveway lined with trees to the large old grey Elizabethan manor house. A short elderly man with a balding head but impeccable waxed black moustache got out of the taxi and quickly paid the driver. There was a constable guarding the front door who looked at the arrival with considerable scepticism as he slowly mounted the stone steps.

'And you are, sir?' he challenged the short elderly man.

'I am Hercule Poirot,' he announced. 'Your superior, Chief Inspector Japp, is expecting me I believe?"

The constable's manner changed completely as soon as Japp's name was mentioned. 'Of course, sir, please go in'. He knocked at the heavy door and another constable opened it. 'Monsoor Porrit,' he told him.

Poirot tried not to wince at the mispronunciation of his name, he should be used to it by now after living so long in England.

He walked into the hallway and looked round. It was a typical English country house, large, a little shabby and as usual, not very well heated. Poirot thought longingly for a moment of his smart and tidy flat in London, which was very comfortably heated.

'Poirot!' Japp hailed him. He had learnt how to say Poirot's name after a long time and a lot of practice.

Poirot beamed. 'My dear Chief Inspector Japp, I am very pleased to see you.'

'And I am pleased to see you, Poirot, I don't mind telling you. This case has got me baffled. Come into Sir Jasper's study and let me tell you all about it.'

Poirot allowed himself to be shown into a study. There were several ashtrays and racing papers scattered over the desk and the leather bound books that lined the bookshelves. The dust lay thick on them. Sir Jasper had clearly been fond of smoking and racing but not reading.

'Tell me all about it,' he invited Japp. Japp didn't waste any time but launched into the mystery.

'This is the family home of Sir Jasper Nyecombe. On Saturday, he had a dinner party. The dinner party consisted of the family, Sir Jasper, his wife Lady Winnifred, his sons Elliott and Anthony and his daughters Sarah and Monica. Their guests included the local vicar and his wife, and several young people, friends of the children. I say children but they were all in their twenties. Everyone arrived for the dinner party and all was going well until it was time for dessert. Suddenly, the servants heard screams coming from the dining room. They tried to get into the room but the door was locked. They could hear a great commotion and the screaming continued for some time until suddenly all went quiet. The man servants, the butler, the valet, the chauffeur and the boot boy had been trying to break down the door and eventually succeeded. What met their eyes was a horrible sight, Poirot.' Japp paused and Poirot could see that even Japp, a police inspector of many years who was hardened to unpleasant scenes, was moved. 'Everyone in the room was dead. There was blood everywhere."

'What killed them?' asked Poirot.

'We don't know. That's the truly horrible thing about the case; they had all had savage bite marks as if a wild animal had bitten them. Yet the servants heard no roars. And how could a wild animal have got into the dining room undetected? The place was in a state of complete chaos, chairs overturned, crockery smashed. There was no one living left in the room. And nobody left by the door which was locked.'

'The windows?' asked Poirot.

'Also locked,' Japp informed him. 'And there's more. We've questioned the servants and they say that there were two extra, unexpected guests at dinner. They turned up at the last minute. Friends of friends of Sarah Nycombe. That would make 13 guests in all but there are only eleven bodies in the dining room. Where did the other two guests go?'

Poirot stared at Chief Inspector Japp and then smiled. 'A mystery indeed, Mon vieux, but do not fret, you now have Hercule Poirot on the case, and Hercule Poirot will not fail you!' Japp tried to look as impressed as Poirot obviously thought he should be.

'Well if you can solve this case, Poirot, I shall eat my hat!' he declared.

'Please Chief Inspector Japp do not make such a rash promise,' begged Poirot. But Japp laughed, obviously thinking that his hat was completely safe.

'Where have the bodies been removed to?' asked Poirot.

'Yes, moved to the mortuary of the local hospital, St Elizabeth's but the place hasn't been cleaned up yet. I suppose you'd like to have a look, Poirot?'

'Indeed I would. One more thing, Japp, my good friend Captain Hastings will be joining me shortly. He was unavoidably detained in London.'

'I'll let the constables know to let him in.'

Japp led him to the dining room door, which was locked. Producing a key, Japp unlocked it and motioned Poirot in. The dining room had been restored to order.

"Were the men of the party, frail and feeble?' he asked Chief Inspector Japp.

'I know what you're thinking, what could overpower five men? And some of them, Sir Jasper and his two sons at least were all very hale and hearty. Sir Jasper was ex military.' Poirot nodded thoughtfully. He looked around the room, a typical English dining, all dark furniture and silver candlesticks. The stone fireplace and surrounding wall had stylised plants and fretwork carved into it

'Is there anything unusual about this room? Any secret passages?'

'Not that we know of,' answered Chief Inspector Japp.' I've questioned the servants."

'I would like to speak to the servants, in particular whoever spoke to the last minute guests,' said Poirot.

'That would be the parlour maid and the butler. I'll ask for them to come to the library.'

'No, no," objected Poirot,' I would rather see them in the kitchen on their home territory, to make them feel more comfortable.' Japp led him to the kitchen where several servants sat gossiping and sipping cups of tea. They all fell silent when Chief Inspector Japp and Poirot entered the room.

'We'd like to speak to Miss Carteret the parlour maid and Mr Mosley, the butler.' Japp announced.

'I'm sorry; Mr Mosley and Miss Carteret have both got the afternoon off. They won't be back until after teatime,' Mrs Wesley, the cook, a plump, middle-aged woman told them. Japp growled with frustration, 'I haven't got time for this."

'Then go, my friend,' Poirot told him. 'I will wait for them to return. In any case, I am expecting Hastings who had offered to drive me to our hotel.'

Captain Hastings drove up the drive to the manor house. He got out of his big new car and identified himself to the constable.

'Ok to leave it here constable?' he asked. His ramrod straight bearing and patrician accent got a completely different response from the constable to the one that Poirot received.

'Of course, sir. I'll keep an eye on it, don't you worry,' the constable told him giving the car an admiring glance.

Captain Hastings smiled. 'Good man,' he said.

The other constable admitted him to the house and told him where to go. As he walked down the passageway, a door opened and a maid peeped out. She seemed very surprised to see him and stopped short.

'Good evening,' said Captain Hastings courteously.

'Good evening, sir,' she replied. She had a cockney accent Hastings noticed. She had dark hair and big dark eyes with a guilty expression on her pale face.

'And what have you been up to, my girl?' asked Captain Hastings jovially.

'Oh nothing sir!' she exclaimed.

'Then why do you look so guilty? Out with it!'

'Oh sir, I have been a little naughty. They told us not to go into the dining room but I couldn't resist having a little peep. Please don't tell on me sir!' Her big dark eyes were beseeching.

'It's all right, I won't tell on you as you say. But you have been very naughty. Now away with you and don't do it again.' He dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a shilling coin to give to her. As he handed it to her, he was surprised to feel how very cold her hand was. 'You need to get yourself warm, go and have a nice cup of tea,' he told her. 'Tell the cook I said so.'

'Thank you sir, you're very kind,' she murmured. 'But Cook told me to go find the gardener and tell him his tea was ready.' She moved off towards the door.

'Off you go then,' replied Hastings and went towards the library, very pleased with himself.

He found Poirot alone in the library.

'My estimable Hastings!' was the response from Poirot. 'I am so very glad to see you!'

'Steady on, old chap!' said Hastings, moved. Then said suspiciously, 'Why are you so very glad to see me, Poirot?'

'Because it means that we can now go to the hotel which I trust will have some of the trappings of civilisation such as heating or hot baths or tisanes. One can but hope.' Captain Hastings laughed. 'Good old Poirot! Well, yes, I have my car so we can go now.'

Just then there was a timid tap at the door.

'Entrez!' said Poirot.

'Please come in,' corrected Hastings, frowning at Poirot.

Two servants popped their heads around the door. Mr Mosley was a tall; stooping man with immaculate grey hair and Miss Carteret was a slim, pretty young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes. (Just Hastings' sort, Poirot thought to himself). They both looked anxiously at Captain Hastings and Poirot.

'You wanted to see us sir?' they both chorused at the same time.

'Yes, I am Hercule Poirot, I am a detective and I have only a couple of very simple questions to ask you,' he told them reassuringly.

'Yes sir,' they both again chorused but Poirot noticed that the butler's hands were shaking.

' Which of you greeted the guests and took their coats?' asked Poirot.

'I did, sir,' answered Miss Carteret.

'Ah bien! Now, what can you tell me about the two guests who arrived at the last minute?' Miss Carteret wrinkled her nose.

'It was a man and a woman. He had fair hair and she was dark.'

'Very pretty with big brown eyes,' added Mr Mosley.

'I suppose,' dismissed Miss Carteret, 'but he was very good looking, very slim and a way of looking directly at you when he spoke to you.' He had clearly made a good impression on her.

'Did you catch their names?' asked Poirot.

'No, sir. We told the police all this, please sir.'

'I'm sure you did ma petite but sometimes when you talk about it again you remember a little detail that you might have forgotten the first time,' explained Poirot. 'Now, is there anything that you have now remembered that you did not tell the policeman before?'

Again, Miss Carteret wrinkled her nose; it obviously aided her thinking.

'No,' said Mr Mosley firmly. She started to reply in the negative as well and then suddenly exclaimed,

'Oh I remember! But it was such a little thing,'

'Yes?' Poirot asked encouragingly. Captain Hastings smiled at her.

'He had very cold hands, very cold. I remember thinking it was funny as it was a warm night, the night of the dinner party.'

'Did the young lady with him also have cold hands?'

'Oh, she wasn't a lady. She was a medium. I heard the young masters and mistresses talking about her. She was going to give a séance after dinner.' Replied Miss Carteret.

'Cold hands?' enquired Captain Hastings. '

'That's right, cold as ice.'

'Funny co-incidence,' mused Captain Hastings.

'What is?' asked Poirot.

'Why the maid I just met had very cold hands.'

Poirot's head whipped round to face him. 'Describe the maid,' he ordered.

'Young. Pretty. Dark hair and big dark eyes. Very thin.'

'Very thin?' queried Poirot.

'Yes, her uniform was far too big for her.'

Miss Carteret frowned. 'But all the maids have proper fitted uniforms, the mistress was very particular about that,' she stated.

'Well, you wouldn't forget this one. Very thin, very pretty, big dark eyes, cockney accent.'

'We don't have any maids from London,' said Mr Mosley slowly.

'Hastings, where exactly did you meet this maid? It could be of the utmost importance,' said Poirot.

'Coming out of the dining room. She confessed that she'd been for a look even though they had been told to stay away.'

'Mon dieu!' exclaimed Poirot. 'Quickly! There is not a moment to lose.' He turned to the table in the library and lifted up two silver candlesticks. 'Mr Mosley, where is the family bible?' Mr Mosley pointed to a small table with a very large bible with gilt edges. Hastings, bring the bible and come now!' Hastings, mystified, did as he was told.

As they hurried to the dining room, the door to that room was suddenly flung open and a man ran out of the room and down the corridor to the main entrance.

'Stop!' yelled Hastings. The man looked back, he had a young face with blond hair, which suddenly transformed into the face of a monster, snarling, with yellow eyes. Hastings was so shocked that he stopped still and Poirot cannoned into him from behind. The monster ran on and out of the main door. Hastings came to his senses and ran after him. He was in time to see his car careering across the courtyard and out of the drive.

'Hastings!' called Poirot and Hastings returned to his friend. He was in the dining room and holding a candlestick, was looking at the stonework, suddenly he grunted with satisfaction and pressed against the wall. The wall swung open to reveal a dark hole. Poirot holding his candlestick aloft peered in and uttered an exclamation.

'Hastings quickly!' Hasting shoved to this side and peered in. There was a white shape lying in the darkness. Hastings bent down. It was a young girl, in her underclothes, lying on the floor; He picked her up and carried her out into the light.

'Is she dead?' asked Poirot. Hastings looked more closely at her. He could see her chest rising and falling. She had a trickle of blood on the one side of her pale neck.

No, she's alive,' he answered.

'We must send for a doctor immediately,' said Poirot. 'Luckily, they were not very hungry so they did not drain her. The fiends! To leave her inside that chamber knowing that we might never find her.' A thought struck him. 'The policemen guarding the entrance, Hastings, go and find them.'

Hastings came back a few moments later. The look on his face told Poirot everything.

'Both dead, I'm afraid,' Hastings reported. 'Their necks have been broken.' He paused and then burst out, 'And they've taken my car! My brand new car, Poirot!'