TRTSS2: The Trek of Ranma Who! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: R1/2, SM, ST and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Part 37: "The Unicorn and the Wasp" (II)
For the next hour, the party guests mulls about the backyard.
"…And with 'The Unicorn' lurking around the social circles, you cannot be too sure, Lord Ranshin," Lady Clemency said. An old fashion (new, circa the 1920s) record player was playing music in the background.
"I know what you mean, Lady Clemency," Ranma replied. "Still, knowing such dangers do make parties ever so…exciting."
"And I would say that the mysteries that come about from such circumstances are equally tantalizing," Agatha said. She then turns towards Ranma.
"And, as always, you still provide one."
"Do you know Lord Ranshin?" Clemency asked.
"We've met when I was but a young maiden, shortly before the Great War."
"I actually met Mrs. Christie at an aviator's expo in Yorkshire," Ranma said. "My country wanted to begin training pilots en masse, so I sponsored a trip to the England. That's where I met Mrs. Christie, through her husband."
"Well, save for the fact that my husband has been…a bit of a disappointment of late, I am glad that I had a chance to meet you and your lovely wife, Lady Usashinko. If may, how is she?"
"She is study in Chicago, to be an archeologist," Ranma said.
The truth of the matter is that the real Usagi of the 1920s was indeed in Chicago, studying archeology along with a man who would one day set the standard for "tomb raiding": Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones. At the same time, the Ranma of the 1920s had recently left the mythic Paradise Island, the home of the Themiscyrian Amazons—after siring the Amazon princess who would one day be known as "Wonder Woman"—to continue his search for his "missing wife"…
"Just look at him," Donna said, as she stares at Ranma, as he continued to speak to Clemency and Agatha.
"What?" Jackie said, as she much on her snack.
"Ranma thinks he SO sophisticated, talking about this, that and the other. I wish I could bop him one."
Jackie raises an eyebrow.
"I'm talking about hitting him, you know."
"Just want to be sure, Donna…"
"So, you're a doctor, you say?" asked Colonel Hugh. Hugh was Clemency's wheelchair-bound husband.
"Indeed," the Doctor said, as he sipped his drink. "A specialist."
"And you have business with consultant work with Scotland Yard?" Roger asked. Roger was Hugh and Clemency's handsome son in his late twenties.
"Yes," the Doctor said.
"And what do you specialize?" Hugh asked.
Before the Doctor could respond, an Indian woman named Miss Chandralaka comes running into the backyard.
"Lady Clemency!" Chandralaka yells, as she comes running out of the house. "Lady Clemency-!"
"What seems to be the manner?" Clemency said, as she, Agatha, Ranma and everyone else turns towards Chandralaka.
"It's…the Professor…"
"What happened to Professor Peach?" Hugh asked.
"The Professor was MURDERED-!"
A few minutes later, the Doctor and Ranma, along with Jackie, Donna and, surprisingly, Agatha enters the study where Professor Peach's body was found. Quickly, the Doctor and Ranma run over to the body.
"Hmm," Ranma said, as he took a look at the wound. "He looks…dead."
"By blunt instrument, to be specific," the Doctor said. "And it looks like the time of death was recent, like within the hour."
Jackie squats down next the Doctor and her husband.
"Are you telling us that this…death took place recently?" Jackie whispered.
"We can hear you," Donna said, as she leans over.
"…"
Ranma looks at Donna, and got a nice view of her cleavage.
"I like what I see," Ranma said with a grin.
Donna frowns, before realizing what he meant.
WHAP!
"Ow!" Ranma said, as he rubbed his shoulder.
"Now is NOT the time for your usual shenanigans, 'Lord Ranshin'!" Donna said through gritted teeth.
"Hey, I'm just complimenting you, 'Miss Noble'. Sheesh!"
"If you two are done, we have a mystery to solve," the Doctor said, as he picks up a tiny object.
"Hmmmm…"
The Doctor also notices Agatha picking up something from the fireplace, like a scrap of paper that had been recently burnt.
"What seems to be the problem?" Hugh said. He then sees the dead body.
"Oh, dear…"
"Oh, my god!" exclaimed Miss Rabina Redmon.
"How dreadful," Clemency said.
"We should called the authorities, right away-" Agatha said.
"I believe that I can handle this," the Doctor said, as he shows his psychic paper again. "I am a police inspector for Scotland Yard, after all."
"I thought you were just a specialist," Roger said.
"Cover, though I did work for the Ministry of Health before joining the organization, when I was a mere specialist," the Doctor said.
"What is your specialty?" Hugh asked.
"Forensics."
"And these people are…?" Agatha asked.
"Mrs. Christie, I'm the same man that you knew me as," Ranma said. "According to the Inspector, there was a rumor that the Unicorn would show up at this function, and so he asked me to vouch for him and his plucky assistant-"
"'Plucky'?" Donna said.
"-When I decided to pay Lady Clemency a visit."
Ranma then turns towards Lady Clemency.
"I apologize for the ruse, Lady Clemency, but if the thief was here, I wouldn't want to startle you."
"Well, I suppose it is fine, Lord Ranshin," Clemency said. "But no more secrets."
"I'll do my best."
"Well, we should put this poor man on ice, for the time being," Jackie said.
"We…do have a spare 'ice box'," Hugh said. "Though the thought of a human body in there seemed to be unseemly."
"I'll do my best to get things ready, Father," Roger said. He then motions the manservant to help him remove the body.
"Perhaps I should console Miss Chandralaka," the young vicar Reverend Golightly said, as he leaves for the library.
"In fact, everyone should go into the sitting room," the Doctor said. "Miss Tyler can take down your disposition, until I get a chance to interview each and every one of you…if Lord Ranshin approves?"
"Hmmm?" Ranma said, as he had been examining the sample. "Oh, of course. Miss Tyler."
"Very well," Jackie said. "Um, could someone show me to the sitting room?"
"This way, miss," said a manservant, as he showed Jackie to the door.
Once everyone leaves, Donna closes the door to the study.
"So, what scoop?"
"The scoop is that Professor Peach was killed by a giant insect, possibly a wasp," the Doctor said.
"That's impossible, Doc," Ranma said. "From my initial scans, I detect traces of metamorphic gel, mixed with human DNA-"
DING!
"Vesperformi," the Doctor and Ranma said in unison.
"Vesper-what?" Donna asked.
"Certain humans beings, for whatever the reason, are able to shapeshift into other creatures," the Doctor said. "Throughout history, this was attributed to the stories of lycanthropic creatures."
"You mean 'werewolves'," Donna said.
"Bingo. Now, these sort of tales have exist for eons, but their origins are extra-terrestrial."
"Just a second," Donna said. "This jerk changes forms, too. Does THAT make him some sort of ET?"
"Very funny, Donna," Ranma said. "Actually, you're only partially correct. I don't know how, but the cursed springs of Jusenkyo, in China, have traces of the same metamorphic compound that makes it possible for a person to become a cat, a duck, a pig…or even the opposite gender. At least, in that particular case."
"Other times, extra-paranormal entities, many of who fancy themselves as 'gods', integrate in a planet's human population," the Doctor said. "That's where you get unicorns, mermaids, Cyclops and creatures of legends, myth and lore spring about."
"Or you get aliens creatures who travel from world to world, from dimension to dimension, like dragons, coming to worlds like this one," Ranma said.
"If that's the case, how come we don't see any of them now?" Donna asked.
"Too many bothersome people for one thing," the Doctor said. "And sometimes, they are still here, but hiding."
"And this…Vesperform?"
"Apparently, someone had relations with one, and produced a hybrid, or a true shapshifter."
"In other words, someone had sex with a bug, and that his or her so-called "love child" killed the Professor."
"That's about right, as crude as it may seem," the Doctor said, as he examined the clue that they found.
"Okay, now what?"
"We found what killed the Professor, where, when and how," Ranma said. "Now, we have to figure out 'why'."
"Indeed. And we need to know what caused Agatha Christie to disappear for ten days, too," Donna said.
"Right, you are," the Doctor said, as he turns towards the door that led to the hallway. "I smell a mystery-!"
The Doctor, Ranma and Donna leave the study, but were surprised by someone waiting for them.
"It's hard to believe that the Agatha Christie will become such a prolific writer," Donna said. "Did you know that 'Murder on the Orient Express' is my favorite book-"
"'Murder on the Orient Express'?" Agatha said, as she stepped out from a side door.
"Uhhh…"
"Marvelous idea, though."
"Right," Donna said. "Now, if you can copy right it to 'Donna Noble'-"
"ANYWAY," Ranma said. "Why were you hiding?"
"Straight to the point as always," Agatha said. "I was not 'hiding', but I was waiting for the inspector to come out, so that we could…work together."
"'Together'?" the Doctor said.
"Of course. I can lend my expertise in observation and deductive reason as a novelist."
"Okay, you're on. We can interview our usual suspects."
"Agreed."
"What about me?" Donna asked.
"We can go on our own to look for some clues," Ranma said with a grin. "Partner."
"And be left alone with YOU? Please."
"Donna, there is a murderer on the loose, and you THINK I'm going to molest you or something?"
"YES, I do."
"Miss Noble, just go on with him," the Doctor said. "And…'
The Doctor presents Donna a magnifying glass.
"For you, my plucky assistant," the Doctor said with a grin.
"I can't win with you people…"
"Okay, we search for clues upstairs," Ranma said. "After you."
"No, after you," Donna said. "I don't want you to stare at me, you know!"
"Fine, fine…as if there is something TO look at…"
"Go, please," Donna said through gritted teeth.
"Such a lovely pair," the Doctor said, as he smiled at Agatha.
"Let's get on with this," Agatha said, as she rolled her eyes.
"Um, yes," the Doctor said. "Shall we…?"
Tbc.