Chapter Sixteen

The Professor Takes a Room

There was just something especially magical about Halloween. Jacqueline could feel it in the air, taste it in the brown leaf filled winds and see it in the faces of the children getting ready for a night of trick-or-treating. She didn't have anything at all to wear to work that night, but she decided to make do, coming out in one her most favorite and least modern looking dresses.

Mark, already home and watching T.V. with a bag of microwave popcorn at hand's length, merely glanced at her as she came out of the bathroom.

"Where are you going?"

"To work of course," Jacqueline said, looking in the closet and deciding to go with her long tan coat. "It's Halloween, you know." Mark dutifully lifted up the large bowl of candy beside him. Sighing, Jacqueline paused long enough to take out the wrappers on the top. "So what do you think? Could I pass as a witch?" Mark looked up in surprise, nearly dropping his popcorn.

"You know, maybe you should stay home tonight. Help me pass out candy?"

"Don't be silly, I'm going to work," Jacqueline said, completely annoyed with his response. "What has been with you lately?" she slammed the door behind herself, heading down the stairs.

She sighed, immediately feeling angry for losing her temper. It was true that both Mark and Erascus had been on edge lately, but then so was she. More and more she felt frustrated with her situation, wishing that both of them would just disappear and leave her to herself. At the same time, she couldn't help feel a little lonely as well. Even with Rob and Sally around to cheer her up, she couldn't help but feel a bit disconnected… her world seemed so different from those around her.

She smiled as she dodged a couple of neighborhood kids dressed as ghosts as she stepped in the door, but her smile quickly faded when she saw Erascus at one of the booths, drinking coffee. He nodded at her when she came in but made no move to gesture her over, so she went to the back. Rob looked quite hilarious in his Marc Anthony outfit; his burly arms making him look more like a gladiator than anything. Sally was a much more impressive Cleopatra, at least her makeup was… the apron covered up most of the dress.

"How long has he been here?" Jacqueline muttered. None of them had to ask whom 'he' referred to.

"Just a few minutes. He even plans on ordering. My guess is he's going to be here a while," Sally murmured.

"Lovely, that's just what I need," Jacqueline said, grabbing her apron.

"I do have some good news though… well, interesting news at any rate," Sally winked. "That British professor of yours was in earlier today."

"You mean I missed him on top of everything else?" Jacqueline said, and then blinked. "What do you mean my professor? He's just a professor."

"Well in any case, he just took one of the rooms upstairs on a weekly basis. He overheard us talking about it the other day, I suppose. Didn't have much luggage either, really, I guess he's used to traveling light."

"What exactly is he doing here? I mean, shouldn't normal classes be in session and all of that? Is he here on some sort of exchange?" Jacqueline said.

"I didn't pry, Jacqueline. He paid a month in advance and he seemed so very tired that I thought it'd be better to give him space to get settled. I did find out one thing that might interest you though," Sally said enigmatically. "From his passport. His birthday's tomorrow."

"Really?" Jacqueline said. "And him stuck here alone in a foreign country after losing his wife. We should do something."

"Yeah. Like stop gossiping and manage the floor so I can cook," Rob said behind them. Quickly apologizing, the two women came out of the back room so that Rob could return to the kitchen.

Many people dropped by that night, kids waiting for gingerbread and parents getting quick drinks on their way to the next building. Tony dropped in to chuckle about how all of the 'kooks' were out tonight, eyeing Erascus who ignored them all as he took his time eating his dinner and glancing over some letters he had brought to read.

Just as things began to slow down and it was about the time they normally started pre-cleaning for closing, Erascus paid his check and left without a word. Exasperated, Jacqueline threw down her towel.

"Sally, can I take a break? I think I need it tonight," she said.

"Sure. Have some pie, we have plenty left over," she offered. For once, Jacqueline accepted, gratefully taking the pumpkin pie and a fresh cup of coffee. She glared menacingly at the table that Erascus had been at, purposefully sitting at the next table with her back to it. She poked at the pie irritably as if without true intention of eating it, trying to force herself to calm down.

"Rough night?"

Jacqueline glanced up startled to see Mycroft standing next to her table with a look of genuine concern on his face.

"Oh, it's you, Professor," Jacqueline said slumping back in her seat. "For a moment I thought it was Doctor Erascus again."

"Are we that similar?"

"No, not really," Jacqueline protested. "He's just been hovering a lot, that's all."

"May I?" Mycroft asked.

"Of course," Jacqueline said, slightly apologetic for not having offered as he sat down across from her.

"What would you like, Professor?" Sally asked.

"Oh, just coffee and perhaps one of those," Mycroft said gesturing to Jacqueline's pie, "Although I'd prefer one slightly less tortured." Jacqueline chuckled at that. "How are you feeling? Any dreams last night?"

"No, but I'm taking your advice and staying off of those night pills," Jacqueline said. "Although I have to admit I completely detest having to lie about it when they ask me. It goes against every fiber in my being."

"What's more important, Jacqueline, being honest to them or being honest to yourself?"

"Since when did the truth get so complicated?" Jacqueline muttered.

"It always has been, it's merely that you've never noticed it before," Mycroft said quietly, pausing a moment as Sally came back with his coffee and pie. "Now, why don't we both do something novel and eat something for a change?"

"I eat," Jacqueline protested, knowing full well that Sally was shaking her head behind her back. "I do!" she insisted again looking back at her.

"If it were up to you, you'd be eating pumpkin butter sandwiches morning, noon and night," Sally said, heading back over to the counter.

"Pumpkin butter sandwiches?" Mycroft repeated with a look of complete surprise.

"Rather odd, I know. And I do eat other things. In fact, I usually go over to the deli in the grocery store for lunch. I'm just not much into deep fried batter concoctions," Jacqueline said in a lower tone so Sally and Rob wouldn't hear.

"Yes, but why pumpkin butter?"

"I'm not sure," Jacqueline admitted, mirroring his puzzled expression. "I just started craving it out of the blue and mentioned it to Isaac and he ordered some for me. But it is true I'd probably starve without a constant intake of sandwiches and cola. It's too bad that French restaurant wasn't closer… or maybe it's a good thing. I'd be spending all of my checks there instead of saving it," she chuckled. "Mark says I hardly ever came here before, and I suppose I understand if my tastes are the same. And yet he said we met here, oddly enough."

"Yes, very odd," Mycroft agreed. "What would you recommend from the deli? I may drop by there at some time."

"Oh you can't pass up the pastrami, at least on the first visit," Jacqueline said enthusiastically. "Although I like the corned beef the best. And the spinach knishes."

"The what?" Mycroft said blankly.

"They're sort of like vegetable scones, I guess," she said chuckling. "Look, I always go there for lunch, so why don't you drop by there around noon and I'll show you what to try. You can't possibly live in this neighborhood without going there, and Sally told me you got a room. By the way, why are you here again, anyhow? If you don't mind my asking, that is. How come you're in New York?"

"I was just given an extended vacation," Mycroft said dryly. "So when I heard Mrs. Kingler's gesture with the rooms, I thought I would take one. Fair enough?"

"Sure," Jacqueline said as she sipped her coffee, wondering exactly what it was he was leaving out.

But her break was over, so cleaning had to be done and drawers counted, even though she couldn't shake the fact that something was going on no matter how hard she tried. Maybe he was the burglar? Not that he seemed the type. He certainly didn't seem the type to kill anyone. She thought about it quite a bit as she walked home, chuckling to herself as she imagined him fumbling about a classroom, probably forgetting his own class notes half the time. Strange that he would be on vacation this time of year though, she mused. Perhaps his wife's death had something to do with it?

A loud fluttering movement came overhead and instinctively she ducked into the doorway of her building, scrambling for her keys to get in. As she dove for cover, she peered warily back out in time to see the large bat gliding across to slam into the window of one of the rooms above the cafe, banging so loud that Jacqueline winced. The crazy creature beat against it like a moth against a light until at last the window opened and a hand reached out for the bat to cling on, drawing it inside and shutting the window. Jacqueline hurried further down the hall and up the stairs, completely stunned by what she had seen. What did it all mean? Was that his room? Was that bat his? She felt a bit creepy all of the sudden and wondered if it wasn't just Halloween… Jacqueline kicked herself. Vampires were Romanian not British, right? And at the very least, she had seen him out during the day. Yes, she suddenly decided. The sun and vampire thing was at least true… if such things existed. But what would he be doing with a bat? Didn't they have import laws against those sorts of things?

Mark was still on the couch as if he had never moved. Only the several extra empty bags of popcorn at his feet and the empty candy dish beside him gave him away.

"Finally back? How was work?" he asked, his eyes still glued to the set.

"Fine. Erascus was hovering all night though, why, I don't know. Do you?"

"Why would I know?" Mark said with a shrug. "You should have stayed home. I think we got hit by every kid on the block. Some of those costumes were really cute."

"We saw some really interesting costumes at the café too. And I saw one guy with a bat," she said carefully, getting a soda. "You don't suppose there are real vampires, do you?"

"I don't believe in anything that doesn't impact the New York Stock Exchange," Mark said. "Did you uh… happen to see anyone with owls?"

"Owls? No," Jacqueline said puzzledly. "Do you know someone with an owl?"

"No, of course not. I was just making conversation," he said, getting up to pick up the trash.

"A wizard, right? Someone playing a wizard might have an owl," Jacqueline said, wondering why it gave her a strange feeling to say that.

"You know, it's getting late. Let me clean this up so you can go to sleep," Mark said. "You said Erascus was there most of the night?"

"Yes, the old bore. You'd think he had better things to do," Jacqueline said, turning off the television.

"Don't forget to take your medicine," he reminded her, as he put his bowl in the sink and threw her the bottle.

"No way, not after the headache I got last time," Jacqueline said. She knew very well it was the other pills that had caused that, but figured that that incentive would put Mark at ease to believing she was taking it, making a show of it while slipping the pill between her fingers as she took a drink of water and threw the bottle back to him.

"Good. You have a good night then," he said, rubbing her shoulders a bit before heading off to bed. Jacqueline waited until he had closed the door before dropping her pill in her water, pouring it down the kitchen sink before settling back onto the couch and pulled out the blanket, turning out the light.

At first she couldn't sleep, unusually restless and confused about the way everyone was acting around her and how strange the night had been. Those thoughts haunted her as she slept until suddenly her wandering mind was interrupted by a very strange dream. She was walking in a thick mist through a strange forest. She was following something, and at first she wasn't sure what it was… a strange wispy figure that seemed to be made of the mist itself. It appeared to be the ghost of a mare… no, a Unicorn, she realized suddenly, noticing the ribbon of fog slipping past its horn, trailing behind it like something moving through water. A maze of trees was around them as the Unicorn led the way, but then abruptly it stopped, looking back at Jacqueline almost expectantly before the image dissipated into the fog.

The fog then began to lift, and Jacqueline saw a boy standing there with black hair and fierce stormy grey eyes. He might have been ten from his appearance, and yet Jacqueline somehow got the feeling he was a little older. She also knew, although not sure how she knew, that the boy looked a great deal like her father.

The boy didn't speak, but looked at her as if angry and hurt. The mist came down shaped as a Unicorn head again, a bit distorted now, nuzzling the boy comfortingly. But as much as she wanted to ask him what was wrong, she found she couldn't speak. She could only watch helplessly as the boy turned and walked the other way, despite a panicked feeling that she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to go after him, but couldn't move despite several attempts. Finally the futility of it forced her awake, sitting up with a start to realize it was morning, and Mark was standing over her with a bewildered look on his face.

"Are you all right? Did you just have a nightmare?" he asked with a frown.

"No," Jacqueline said, pulling herself together as quickly as she could. "You startled me. Why were you hovering over me like that?" she barked, shoving him back a bit.

"You were tossing in your sleep," Mark said. "You know, maybe I ought to stay home today. You don't look too well."

"No really, I'm fine," Jacqueline said, shaking her head at him. "What is with you lately? It's like you've gotten so paranoid about me," she said almost accusingly, turning the set on. "You and Erascus both have gotten so edgy."

"Well," Mark said, glancing at the T.V., "is it any wonder with a mad killer on the loose? Of course we're worried about your safety, you can barely take care of yourself."

"I can take care of myself just fine, thank you," Jacqueline bristled. But for once she too was interested in hearing what the news had to say, hoping to find something substantial to eliminate her new friend from her own suspicions. "And besides, the burglaries and the murder are only suspected to be related, that doesn't mean they are."

"Either way, he's dangerous," Mark said, watching her carefully. She wasn't often glued to the set like that. "So have you run into any unusual strangers at work recently?"

"That depends, am I allowed to include my psychiatrist?" Jacqueline joked.

"Come on, Jackie, be serious. I know you don't like to be fussed over, but ever since the accident, I can't help but be worried. You were so lost when you got here," Mark said softly, gazing at her. "And I know you've come a long way since then. I just don't want to see anything happen to what we have here. Even if all we have here is a friendship. I can at least say that without you snapping my head off, can't I?" he asked, lifting her chin a bit. It was strangely obvious to her that it was more than that to him when he looked at her. But there were limits to lies, and some things Jacqueline wasn't about to lead him on.

"Yes, I suppose we are friends," Jacqueline said, moving a bit away. "But honestly, Mark, the way things are going, I imagine it's going to stay that way." Mark looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded.

"I guess it's something, at least. A start," he added, getting up to make coffee.

Jacqueline stared after him. Had he been on the same Friday night fiascos she had been on? Surely by saying that he was only fooling himself. But what could she do? She'd already told him not to count on anything more. Jacqueline sighed and decided to just ignore it and turn her attention back to the news. Why was it that any time there was something she wanted to hear about that they always waited until the last three minutes of the show and after an extended commercial break?

"Police still have no new leads in the string of burglaries around the metropolitan area, although they are still looking for this man who was seen near one of the crime scenes. The police are still insisting that the man is mainly wanted for questioning in the case, and have not officially named him as the main suspect," the reporter said, flashing the picture again.

"If he's not a suspect, how come everyone is making such a big deal out of finding him?" Jacqueline asked in annoyance.

"The police always say that, they have to. Innocent before proven guilty, no matter how much they have on someone," Mark shrugged, pouring them coffee. "Especially in this case where they think he might not even be a citizen."

"They don't?" Jacqueline said with surprise.

"You should watch the news more," Mark chuckled, handing her a cup. "They think he might be posing as some sort of British tourist." Jacqueline took her cup and stared at the T.V. waiting to hear confirmation of that. But the annoying program had already moved on to discuss a local canine Halloween fashion show done last night for charity. Jacqueline rolled her eyes and turned it off. "So how come this person hasn't been caught yet, anyhow?"

"To put it bluntly, because it's in the hands of the New York Police department," he said dryly.

"I guess I just don't understand why anyone would do anything like that in the first place," Jacqueline sighed, getting up to pour out the remainder of her coffee.

"People will do a lot of things for money," Mark murmured from behind his financial paper. Jacqueline gazed at him, wondering why his voice was so strange. "I'd better go. Stay close today, okay?" he added, folding his paper under his arm and grabbing his coat.

"Hard to stay any closer than two blocks," Jacqueline muttered as he went out the door. Well, at least he quickly forgot the idea about staying home today, she sighed with a bit of relief. That would have definitely made her lunch at the deli difficult. But first she did have some errands to run, even if it did go a block past her normal boundaries. Some sacrifices had to be made if she were going to get some answers out of that quiet mannered professor.