Love, Lies and Murder

Chapter One: Time Travel and Murder

London

Dec. 26, 2001

Mary yawned, staring at the blank computer screen. It was the day after Christmas and she had already tired of her gifts; her family constantly teased her about that saying she had the attention span of a 4-year-old. And it wasn't too far from the truth. Mary was the youngest of the family, and the shortest. She was small and easily excited also easily hurt. She was very much the baby.

Seeing as no one was online and there was nothing to do the young girl grabbed her leather jacket and headed off towards the park. The weather had gotten colder but it was still rather nice out and who knows...maybe something exciting would happen. Yeah right...nothing exciting ever happened to her.

****

HG Wells looked around the park, frowning. She was suppose to be he...ahhh...there she was. Trying to remain as inconspicuous as ever, he ran towards the young girl. "Excuse me, miss."

Mary looked around and frowned. "Who? Me?"

"Yes. I...I need to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Your family...they're in great danger...you have to save them."

"Me? You want me to save my family? How?"

"By going to the past."

"The past. Yeah right...whatever."

"No... no you MUST believe me."

"But...I can't go to the past, I'm failing history."

"No matter. Your great grandmother and great grandfather are in danger of never meeting. You MUST make sure they do or else your family line won't exist at all."

"But how..."

"My time machine...now come on...there isn't much time to lose."

****

Moments later the pair were strapped into his time machine and Wells was changing the settings. Then he pulled the lever and they were off to the 1800's, landing in an alley not too far from Baker Street.

Mary looked around. "Wow..." She hopped off and began to walk away but Wells grabbed her arm. "No... you cannot just walk around looking like...well...that. We need to find you something to wear."

****

It was about a half-hour before they managed to scrounge up some clothes. Mary frowned glancing at her reflection in the mirror. "I look...I look like a waif."

"You are a waif...basically...you have no home or family...in this era. Now...here is the plan. According to my sources, your great grandmother should be rounding that corner in just a few moments. Look pitiful."

"Why?"

"So she'll take you in of course."

"Wait...I came all the way back here to get adopted?"

"Well...yes. See, while she is busy fussing over you and taking you home...her friend will be being murdered. She will be attending to you and so will be late meeting this friend. Her friend will die and she will meet your great grandfather understand?"

"I think so."

"Good...now go. I will wait here."

"But after she...how do I contact you again?"

"I will make it happen. You just concentrate on them."

Mary nodded and headed off to look pitiful.

Effie rounded the corner as predicted her arms full of packages, juggling them and a handbag, all of which seemed to want to turn against her and fall into the snow.

Mary watched not sure what to do until she saw the handbag drop in the snow. She ran over and grabbed it before hurrying after Effie. "Excuse me...ma'am..."

Effie spun around, managing to keep her arms on the boxes. "Yes?"

"You dropped this." She offered her the handbag.

Effie took it, raising an eyebrow. "Thank you child." She said, surprised she got the bag back from a street rat. She opened it and upon seeing her money, gave the girl a sharp look. "When did you last eat?"

Mary frowned and shrugged. "I don't remember."

Effie sighed. "Come along then." She said, hurrying down the street and into a small building.

Mary followed.

Several people were sitting around, two of the men reading newspapers. A young man in his early twenties hurried over and helped Effie with her packages and cloak while watching Mary, eyebrow raised.

Effie smiled at the girl. "Welcome to the Grey Agency." She said, gesturing a hand to the gathered people. "Best detectives this side of Baker Street."

Randell snorted as he hung up Effie's cloak. "It's the other side you have to worry about."

"Hullo." Mary smiled politely and nodded at the others, playing the cute little girl.

"Randell, get the girl some food and leave your bitterness in the kitchen."

"Not his fault Effie, you have to admit, it's hard to get work with that...man living down the street."

"Hush Timothy."

"You don't like Mr Holmes, then?" she asked.

"He's annoying, boring, and spends too much time locked up in his rooms, forgets what it's like to actually live." Timothy said.

"Timothy that is enough, he is a genius and you will respect him as such. Not like your exactly hurting for money anyway, our benefactor has been most generous."

"I would still like a case every once in a while."

"Oh." Mary frowned and nodded.

Effie sighed. "Ignore him child, he's just annoying."

"But truthful sister mine." Alex said from the corner where he sat, smoking. "Why did we have to set up shop here?"

"Because I decided so!" Effie snapped.

Mary bit her lip and looked worried, beginning to wonder if this was going to be possible at all.

Randell came back with a tray loaded down with food. He glanced around at the glaring partners and sighed, pulling Mary into the kitchen and out of the crossfire.

"Thank you, sir." Mary smiled at him before settling herself down in the kitchen.

"Of course." he said, setting the tray down in front of her.

She reached for a roll and set in on a plate before coughing. Damn Well's idea of standing in the snow with no shoes. She was gonna be sick now. Mary wasn't sick often but when it hit her, it hit like a ton of bricks. She coughed violently before reaching for water and taking a sip.

Randell watched her concerned. "Are you okay miss?"

"Fine...though living on the streets doesn't do much good for the immune system. I fear I shall be sick soon." While Mary was failing history she was passing British lit and so pretty much had the speech patterns of 19th century London down.

"Poor girl, why don't you go upstairs and rest a while."

"I wouldn't want to impose on your kindness I should be going soon anyway." She grabbed a few more pieces of food before leaving the kitchen and heading for the door, past Effie. However, she was just about beside Effie when the coughing started up again.

Effie spun around. "Upstairs, right now." She said, herding Mary upstairs.

"But I..."

"Up!"

"Yes, ma'am." She headed up the stairs.

Effie stripped her down and got her into bed, a hot water bottle on her chest.

"You really don't have to do all this...I'm used to it...the coughing...being on the streets...your sick often...you come to ignore it after a bit."

"Nonsense."

"Besides how am I suppose to go back to the streets after being spoiled this way. You'll give me dreams of rising above my station...and we all know that's an impossibility."

"Not always." Effie said with a smirk.

"Oh?"

"Years ago I worked on in the Stews and Alex was a pickpocket."

"How did you come to be here then?"

"I sung."

Mary smiled. "You sing?"

"And play the flute, and every other musical instrument known to man."

"Where did you sing? Did you really make enough money to get off the streets?"

"I've sung everywhere from the streets to the royal palace and yes, I made enough to get off the streets, and bring my brother with me, but I also had help."

"From who?"

"Can't tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Because he's very powerful and likes his privacy."

"Oh. I need to find me a gent like that...unfortunately I'm tone deaf...destined to be whore and pickpocket the rest of me days."

"No you're not."

"Right. Whatever you say." She yawned.

"Rest young one."

"But...go...I should be going..." Her eyes closed a bit. "Don't want to..." She paused to yawn, "...wear out...welcome."

"You won't, now rest, I will send Randell to check on you later, I must go meet a friend."

Mary nodded and drifted off to sleep. There was something oddly familiar about the girl. Just an eerie feeling like she reminded Effie of someone. Moreover, she looked so little sleeping...as if she could be anywhere from 10 to 14.

Effie sighed, stroking her hair.

Mary slept soundly.

Effie soon left to meet her friend. And found her murdered in the snow outside the 'house' she worked in. Effie ran for the police and for her own detectives.

Mary awoke to the sounds of Effie and the others talking very loudly. She saw clothes laid out for her and smiled...someone had gone shopping...most likely one of the boys. She washed her face and hands and dressed before descending the stairs and hoping she wouldn't be sent back off to bed though it was quite possible. She tried to remember her grandfather telling stories about his mother and how she was very much a mother and when she got emotional...oh boy.

"Alex and Randell, you two go make sure those detectives don't mess it up, just because Anna was a whore doesn't mean her murder doesn't deserve to be solved, Timothy, go round to the house and see who her last customer was if you would."

The men nodded and headed out.

"What about me?" Mary asked meekly.

Effie looked at her, sizing her up. "Go with Alex and Randell." She ordered.

Mary nodded and ran off to catch up with the two men.

Randell looked back and smiled at her, pulling his cloak more around him. He stepped back as Alex went to talk with the detectives, shielding Mary from the body.

Holmes walked over observing the two, "In the habit of hiring children now, are you?" He asked with an amused grin.

Mary stared in awe. He was...this was going quite well. A nice little plan.

Randell and Alex glared at him. "Sod off." They said in unison.

"Can't. The yard requested I be here...look over the body." He headed off to look at the body.

Mary attempted to peer around Randall.

Alex glared put just then a small storm of fury descended on the group. "Get away from her MR. Holmes." Effie hissed.

"Effie, how...pleasant to see you again."

"Too bad I can't say the same for you, and it's Ms. Gladenspike if you don't mind. I haven't given you permission to call me by my Christian name."

Alex smirked while Randell snorted into his hand.

"Of course...Effie." He headed off to check out the body.

Mary went to Effie's side. She wanted to stay close to where the action was.

Effie stormed after him, 'accidentally' knocking him into a snow bank. Just then, Thomas came running up. "Effie! Effie!" He yelled, slid in a pool of blood and knocked everyone that was still standing into the snow. "Oops."

Mary giggled into her hand, this was quite amusing.

Holmes glared at Effie and stood, brushing himself off. "Why is it the only one of you who seems to have any manners is the child?"

Effie glared up at him. She then grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at him in a fit of childish anger, blowing a lock of hair from her face. Her long curls had become un-pinned, falling down around her but Effie paid it no heed, turning to Thomas. "What is it?"

"I know who killed her!"

"You do?" Holmes looked at him, amused.