Chapter 3
Pelz walked away from his flat, shaking his head. He'd found the first time he'd met Smytty that the man wasn't exactly "same ol' same ol'." Indeed he was the most unique individual he'd ever met. Now, Smytty had come back sporting a totally different appearance and manner. If that didn't prove his uniqueness, nothing would. And, based on the dilemma he'd presented, he needed his former partner's help... and Pelz was happy to provide it.
The Meridicon - residents of the Seven Cities were called Meridicons - headed down to the seedier part of the capital and entered a bar. Pulling up a stool, he waited until the bartender moved towards him. "Hello, Frantz. How are things tonight?"
Frantz gave him a cold eye. "Nothing for you to pick up here, Pelz," he told him bluntly. "And I'm not interested in any of those waxing wavestones you tried to pawn on me the last time. This is a bar, not a bazaar."
Pelz gave a short, nervous laugh. "Hey, I just thought you might want to get in on the craze, ok? I'm not selling anything now." He closed down that line of conversation. "Just give me a beer."
The bartender took a slow breath, pulling a draft of extremely thick-looking beer before placing it in front of his semi-frequent customer. "You gonna pay with krekkers this time?"
"Yeah."
Frantz held out his hand. "Cash up front." The would-be customer looked affronted at his words. "Hey, I'm a business man."
Pelz dug into his trousers and pulled out a ratty wallet. Pulling out 100 krekkers, he threw them on bar. "You're a hard man, Frantz."
Seeing the krekkers on the bar, the proprietor finally released his hold of the beverage, gathering the moneyto put in his cashbox. Seeing Pelz's eyes following him as he attempted to go to the other side of the bar, he stopped and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I know that look. What do you want?"
"I want to know the word on the street if there's any new young girls available."
"You looking?"
"Let's just say, I have a client with a taste for them and some serious krekkers to pay for it."
"I never knew you to traffic in such commodities before. You said even you had a limit. Besides, aren't you some sort of private eye or something now?"
The conman lifted his beer and took a sip before shrugging. "Well, when you've gone without a decent meal for awhile, it's amazing how low that limit can go. Got to survive after all and the peepers business isn't paying the bills right now."
Frantz looked around for a moment before returning to Pelz. He looked at the bar in front of him. "You know... I never noticed that large scratch there before. It'll cost me a pretty krekker to fix that up."
"I'm willing to share some of my profit... for the right girl."
The bartender seemed to consider his words before leaning forward. "I've got a few ideas where you can get a girl. Question is, how much is your client wanting to spend?
"Not just any girl. He likes exotics. You know, sort of elfen? Dark hair and light eyes."
"Haven't heard much about any elves available."
"Elfish," Pelz said emphatically.
"Human?"
"Yeah." The Doctor's friend took a long drink of his beer. "This needs to be kept quiet though, you know? Would hate to have anyone trying to get in on the deal. Means more for the two of us, eh?"
Frantz nodded slightly. "Absolutely. Again, haven't heard anything. Still, if'n something does reach my ears, I'll let you know."
Finishing his beer, the set-up man pushed the empty mug back to the bartender. "Great. I'll stop in tomorrow."
"Well, I'm not sure I'll have the girl you're looking for by then. Gotta give me a little time," Frantz protested. "Got my own sources to check, you know."
Pelz got up from his stool. "Yeah... well, we might get lucky. Sooner we find such a girl, the sooner we'll be rolling in krekkers."
The proprietor tapped on the bar. "Of course, my sources are going to want money up front. An' seein' as we are partners on this venture now, I assume that you are willin' to part with your share of their fees." He held out his hand, indicating exactly what he meant. "That is, of course, unless your client really doesn't want that fine elfin girl."
Knowing he'd hooked the suds-shover, the red-haired man shook his head. "Sorry, but can't. I came to you first but if you don't want in..."
"Now that just ain't fair. You come in here with an offer but you expect me to put in the money all alone? You know I can get the girl. I just want to make sure that, seein' as we are partners, we get the kind of quality our client is lookin' for."
"Just let me know if there's any talk."
The bartender gave him a hard look. "Right." He pointed at him. "Just don't expect me to pick up the tab at the end. You've already taken enough frees from me. You ain't gettin' anymore."
"Trust me, I get you. Sheesh, you act like I've never made it worth your while to let loose on the info."
"Yeah, well, the last time, your scheme cost me four barstools, a table, and a barrel of beer. Let's just say I'm being more cautious this time."
"Hey. That wasn't my fault. Can I help it if the woman turned out to be married... to a mobster?"
Frantz huffed a laugh. "Get out of here, you miscreant. Go bother someone else. I'll tell you if I hear anything."
"Thanks, Frantz. You're the best." Pelz left and headed down the street, hitting a few other bars on his way back and laying down similar lines. Then, he figured he should check in with Smytty. He headed toward the blue box.
DWQLTQDWQLTW
Glad's Eye of Horus necklace dangled delicately from the Doctor's fingertips. Just finding the necklace had confirmed to him that the girl hadn't just gone missing. Ever since Merlin had given her the necklace, it had hardly been off her neck. The only time she ever took it off was for sleep or when she showered, though the Doctor had to convince her to take it off to prevent damage to it or herself. When asleep, she kept it under her pillow to assure herself of its safety. Walking through the console room, he carefully put it around his own neck. Just the weight of it there made him feel that much closer to the girl, causing him to realize how much he cared for the medieval teen, although he'd only known her a short time.
A brief visit to Sam's room proved to the Doctor that the physicist was still asleep. Feeling his forehead, he noted the fever had dropped a couple of degrees, assuring the Time Lord that the medicine was doing its job. Briefly stepping from the room to prepare the next dose, he mixed the appropriate amount of medicine before gently nudging the sick man awake. The leaper whimpered slightly at the interruption, drinking the concoction obediently before slipping back into sleep. Taking a breath, the Doctor made sure that his patient was well-covered and turned to leave when he noticed Glad's toy duck sitting on the nightstand. Figuring that Sam wouldn't be cognizant enough to notice that the toy was missing, he picked it up and found that the weight of it in his hands was comforting to him, as if the duck was telling him that Glad would never allow it to be left behind. Giving the toy a squeeze, he left and returned to the console room. He slumped into the Captain's chair, thinking about what little he had learned and hoping that Glad would be found safe and sound.
As he sat, considering how it had all gone so wrong, he heard the sound of knocking on the door of the TARDIS. There was only one person that would even know to knock. "Come in," said the Time Lord distractedly as he tucked the rubber duck into his pocket.
There was a short pause before the door opened. The red-headed man looked around at the large room with wide eyes and immediately turned and headed back outside. The Doctor counted the seconds, figuring a man like Pelz would take thirty seconds, give or take five, before making up his mind to stay or not. At thirty-three seconds exactly, and two instances of the man going in and out of the TARDIS, the door reopened and the Meridicon stated emphatically, "That's impossible." However, he didn't leave again.
The Doctor rolled his eyes slightly. "Either come in or stay out. What are you, a bloody cat? I don't recall installing a cat flap on the door anytime in the last 900 years."
Pelz stopped looking around the room, curious about the Doctor's words. "What's a cat?"
"Small mammal with fur from the planet Earth," he answered. Seeing the confusion on his friend's face, he sighed. "Well, come on up the ramp. I assume you're here for a reason. Anything on my friend?"
The ginger man shook his head. "Might be too early. You said she went missing this afternoon."
The Gallifreyan nodded slightly. "But you've come here for a reason."
Pelz nodded, moving closer to the Doctor. "I stopped by a few places where I get my leads. I've got feelers out. We should hear something soon."
"Wonder who you were feeling when you put out your feelers," the Time Lord murmured, sniffing the air slightly.
"Listen, finding out things that criminals do means going to the type of dives that cater to them, okay? What do you want me to do? Put an ad in the paper?"
The Time Lord raised an eyebrow at the tone in his words. "If you think that would help. But I seriously doubt that an ad would bring about any positive results."
"Ha ha." Pelz looked around. "So what is this place?"
"It's my ship."
"Yeah... well... why haven't you ever had me aboard before?"
"You never asked to come aboard before."
"Based on its appearance, I always thought it would be a little cramped... and I don't like you that way."
"Good. The feeling is quite mutual." He gave him a knowing smile. "Why did you come in this time if you thought it would be... well... intimate?"
"You sounded depressed," the Meridicon stated. The moment he said it, he wasn't sure how his friend would interpret how that had been phrased, especially since it didn't sound very platonic to him... not that he'd meant it that way. He had nothing to worry about.
"She's sixteen years old, kidnapped on an alien world far from her home, and could possibly be sold into slavery for another's sexual perversions. If she were your friend, wouldn't you be a little depressed?"
"Yeah, I get that. That's why I wanted you to know the feelers are out."
"Thank you," the Doctor told him. He took a slow breath. "Did as you suggested. Went back to the market to see if I could find anything. Found this." He indicated the pendant hanging around his neck.
The Meridicon looked at the necklace. He knew it was a quality work. "I can't see you going out jewelry shopping under the conditions. I suppose this piece is related to the girl's disappearance?"
"It's hers. She was wearing it when she disappeared. Had to buy it back from the fence. We bartered. I think I got a pretty good deal. Only cost me a Quertlan diamond, a Drelubian hunting knife and a bag of jelly babies. Mind you, I really wanted to keep those jelly babies."
"I don't blame you. The things are addictive. Took you leaving to get off them."
The Gallifreyan blinked, considering Pelz's words. "I'm going to have to inform Bassett's that they need to put a warning on their packages concerning the addictive quality of their product."
"Good idea." Pelz put out his hand. "May I see it?"
The Gallifreyan slowly removed the necklace. "Careful. It's an antique."
Taking it from the Doctor, the local man looked at it closely. "So who did you buy this back from?"
"Unsavory fellow who apparently specialized in black market jewelry," he answered. "Questioned him already. Said the person who sold it to him was slightly shorter than me, scrawny, dressed cleanly, and had a scar over his right eye. Light brown hair, sea green eyes."
"The seller must be Toln Sannan. The person who sold it... sounds sort of familiar but I'm not certain. I'll put out feelers about him as well. There are a few people that might recognize the description." He thought for a moment. "Toln buys hot merchandise all right. He buys far below what something's worth and then jacks up the price for resale. Those jelly babies shouldn't have been necessary. Most people know that Toln is slick so they avoid him. Those that don't are either new at the game or want people to think they're new at the game."
"Well... this necklace is worth a lot more to me than what I gave him."
"No doubt. But buying on emotion is always more expensive than not. He cleaned you."
The Doctor shrugged with concession but said nothing.
Pelz lightly smiled at the Doctor's lack of response before questioning, "You know that getting information might cost something, right?"
The Time Lord dug into his pocket and pulled out his credit card, tossing it to him. "That still has a few thousand krekkers on it. Keep it. Just don't spend it all in one place." He extended his hand expectantly. "Necklace," he told him, showing that he wasn't willing to part with it.
The red-head caught the card. "Thanks. I've told my sources that I've got a client with a taste for the young ones. Each wanted money up front, but I managed to put them off. First one with some news we can use, I'll have to reward." He handed the necklace back. "I wasn't going to keep it, you know."
The Doctor gave him a smile. "Well, it wouldn't be the first time you found something you intended to return in your coat pocket." He slipped the necklace back on, tucking it under his dress shirt as he thought about his words. There was a look of reluctant resolution on his face. "So... do you often have clients interested in such... assistants?"
The other man looked at the Doctor as if he'd slapped him. "I'm hurt. I can't help it if occasionally my memory lapses. As to finding... assistants... well, that's not my style. I've helped a few families find their daughters in the past using a similar story, though." His eyes looked haunted and far away. "A few times, we've been too late."
Seeing the expression on his face, the Gallifreyan swallowed tightly. "I'm sure that you will do your best to find her before..."
The Meridicon looked towards the Doctor, his eyes showing an intensity of purpose. "We will find her. I promise you, I'll do everything I can to help you, Smytty. I hate what these people do."
"I know," the Gallifreyan told him, running a hand through his hair.
"Listen. I know you're worried but the best thing you can do for this girl is get some rest. You'll be useless if you don't get some shuteye. I'll pop round tomorrow morning after I put out the word on the jewelry seller."
The Doctor gave a hint of a nod. "Thank you," he told him, genuine gratitude in his eyes. "No matter what happens."
Pelz shot the Doctor a look that told him he appreciated the sentiment. "See you tomorrow then." He headed to the door. "Remember, sleep."
The Doctor didn't answer as his friend walked out the door. "Right. Sleep," he murmured to himself. "Who has time to sleep?" He pulled Glad's toy duck from his pocket, seeking the comfort that the toy gave him.
