Chapter 10
Duncan had made himself a coffee and had tried to take his mind off Sandi and the events of that evening by reading, but he could see the words on the page, the only problem was that they just didn't make sense to him. His mind wandered off with thoughts unrelated to the story.
Looking down at his watch he could see that Sandi had been gone for over an hour now, he had hope that when she had time to cool off she would make her way back. He threw the book onto the sofa next to him before sitting forward to pick up the white king from the chessboard. As he held the piece in one hand, his other rubbed his forehead. He needed answers and that meant finding Sandi, he placed the chess piece back into its place before walking across the room, grabbing his coat from the coat stand and going out into the night.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the Chester, he went straight to Sandi's room. It was only as he stood outside of the door he wondered if he really wanted to know the truth. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he knocked, no answer came so he tried again. "Sandi, it's Duncan".
Still he was only answered by silence, his impatience rising he pounded on the door. "Sandi".
A door from down the hall opened "Hey, man what the hell are you doing? There are some folk here trying to sleep".
Duncan looked at the young man who was wearing a stained old T-shirt and pants; his hair was in such a mess Duncan wondered if he could own a comb. "Sorry, but I'm looking for the young woman who is staying here".
The young man looked at Duncan through his blurry eyes "Not any more".
"What do you mean?" Duncan said as he walked towards the young man. "It's quite simple she checked out".
"When?" Duncan said as he came level with the man. One look at Duncan's face told the young man this wasn't time for clever comments. "About an hour maybe more."
Duncan grabbed the young man as he stumbled backwards; it was obvious to Duncan that the young man had been taking something "Did she say where she was going?"
"Hey, look man this isn't the sort of place you ask questions if you want to keep your teeth. I only saw her at the desk paying what she owed." The young man said as he pushed Duncan's hands from his T-shirt as he stepped back into his room closing the door.
Duncan talked the desk clerk but he wasn't anymore helpful than the young man upstairs. He then returned to his car, where to look now the city was a pretty big place, he decided as Joe's was only a few blocks away he would get a drink and maybe his friend might have some ideas.
A small motel across town.
Sandi threw the room key onto the small table just inside the door as she switched on the lights. There wasn't much in the room just the small table, a chair, a bed and in the corner was a chest of drawers with a small coffee pot and 2 cups. At the back of the room Sandi could see the washbasin with a large mirror over it that had a crack in one corner. She kicked the door closed and put the chain on before putting her bag onto the bed.
She sat for a few minutes on the end of the bed before opening the door to the bathroom and to her relief it was in a better condition than the one at the Chester. The white towels that were hung on the rail although a little rough were clean. Sandi ran the water in the bath until it started to warm up, she then pulled the lever and the tub started to fill with water. She reached over picking up one of the small bottles that had been left on the side of the bath; she emptied the contents into the water and watched as white bubbles appeared.
Sandi dropped her clothes onto the floor before stepping into the warm bubbly water, as she slid down letting the warm water caress every inch of her body she closed her eyes and tried to block out the events of that evening.
Joe's Bar
Joe had let the last of his staff go about 15 minutes earlier, he was counting the money in the tills when there was a knock at the door.
"We're closed" Joe called out as he continued counting the money. "Joe, it's MacLeod".
"Mac?" Joe put down the wad of notes that he had in his hand and walked over to the door, sliding the bolts back "What's up?"
Duncan didn't say anything as he walked into the bar; Joe slid the bolts back into place before joining his friend at the bar.
"Looks like you had a good night Joe?" Duncan said as he looked down at the contents of the tills that was spread out over the bar.
"Looks like my night was better than yours" Joe said as he walked behind the bar picking up 2 shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey "Wanta talk about it?"
Duncan wondered where to start as he watched Joe pour them both a drink "I took Sandi out to dinner tonight"
"That doesn't sound that bad" Joe said as he picked up his glass.
"It wasn't until we were attacked on the way home," Duncan said as he too picked up his glass and drank the entire content. "Who?"
"Not one of us" Duncan said as he held out his glass for Joe to refill. "What then a mugging?"
Duncan shook his head "They were too well dressed for muggers and they never demanded anything from either of us. I think they were trying to kill Sandi".
As Joe refilled his glass Duncan explained all that had happened and Sandi's reaction to him wanting to call the police. Joe rubbed his hand over his beard and sighed as he closed his eyes.
"What Joe?" Duncan questioned he had seen that look on his friends face before.
"Now I don't want you to get mad or anything"
"Why would I do that?" Duncan said as he leaned on the bar. Joe knew what Methos had said but didn't see how to avoid telling Duncan what he had found.
"After my little chat with Sandi the other night I did some checking"
"And?"
Joe drank down his whiskey before he answered, "She told me that the fencing tournament is in Washington".
"That's right" Duncan replied as he played with his glass.
"Mac, I've checked every venue in Washington and for 50 miles around it. There isn't a fencing tournament in the next few weeks not this year." Joe watched as Duncan stood up and turned away from him.
"But why would she lie about that? She's been training really hard" Duncan replied as he slowly turned back to face Joe. "There's something else isn't there?"
Joe sighed heavily and he wished that the old man were here "Yes, there is. Richie found a sword in her fencing bag, the one at the dojo".
"She has several otherwise what would she fence with" Duncan replied.
"Mac, this one is real." As Joe spoke the image of the pink silk came into Duncan's mind. "But what would she need that for?"
"That's what we are all trying to find out. Mac are you sure she is Charlie's friend?" Duncan walked back to the bar picking up his glass "From the things she's told me yes. Someone would have to have done a lot of homework to know those things. You think she's here to kill me?"
Joe smiled "The thought had crossed our minds".
Duncan shook his head "No, she's had a lot of chances to do that. Whatever she's involved in our meeting was just chance, she came looking for Charlie. Thanks for the drink".
"Mac, what are you going to do?" Joe called out as Duncan started to walk towards the door. Duncan turned back to look at Joe "First, I'm going to find her, then I'm going to get the truth."
London
Methos had been making travel arrangements since he woke a little after dawn. He was sat at the desk as he tried to find more records on Jonathan Knight and his family, when he became aware of the door handle being turned. He looked down at his watch it was just before 7am, he got up and moved across the room to stand behind the door as it opened.
Charles's daughter Alison entered the room dressed only in a dressing gown and nightdress that left very little to the imagination. He smiled to himself as he watched her make her way towards the bed.
"Can I help you?" Methos said as he pushed the door closed. Methos laughed he had caught her completely unawares as she physically jumped at the sound of his voice from across the room. As she turned to face him Methos lent up against the wall "What would you're father say if he found you in here dressed like that?"
"errr...I just came to see if you were all right I thought I heard shouting and you might be having a nightmare. Anyway, my father has seen this before, I wear it all the time" Alison replied a slight indignation in her voice.
"Shouting? Nightmares? Now, that's an excuse I haven't heard for a while. I suppose you were going to comfort me, if it was a nightmare." Methos said as he pushed himself away from the wall. Alison had regained her composure by this time and she walked towards him.
"I'm very good at taking people's minds off of their nightmares" Alison said as her hand ran over the white T-shirt covering Methos's chest. Her touch made him breath in deeply as his eyes closed, for a moment he was lost but as her hand pulled his T-shirt from his trousers Methos's hands grasped hers pulling them away from his chest. "Why?"
Methos opened his eyes and looked down at her face "Because your father is my friend and you're only what 19,20".
Alison smiled wickedly "You're not that much older than me and besides I've been with older men before".
Her reply made him smile "Ohh...You would be surprised. Now it's not that I'm not tempted you are very beautiful but the last time we met you were in your school uniform, on your way to school".
Alison tilted her head to one side "I still have it and it still fits".
Methos laughed she wasn't going to be put off with words so holding onto her hands he walked her over to the door.
"Alison...sorry Ally, I have to leave soon maybe in another lifetime," Methos said as he ran his hand down her face before he opened the door. "Shame, I'm sure I could get you to forget your nightmares".
She then pulled him into a passionate kiss before running back to her room. Methos blinked as he got his breath back.
"You might at that" Methos said as he closed the door "At least for a while".
Duncan had made himself a coffee and had tried to take his mind off Sandi and the events of that evening by reading, but he could see the words on the page, the only problem was that they just didn't make sense to him. His mind wandered off with thoughts unrelated to the story.
Looking down at his watch he could see that Sandi had been gone for over an hour now, he had hope that when she had time to cool off she would make her way back. He threw the book onto the sofa next to him before sitting forward to pick up the white king from the chessboard. As he held the piece in one hand, his other rubbed his forehead. He needed answers and that meant finding Sandi, he placed the chess piece back into its place before walking across the room, grabbing his coat from the coat stand and going out into the night.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the Chester, he went straight to Sandi's room. It was only as he stood outside of the door he wondered if he really wanted to know the truth. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he knocked, no answer came so he tried again. "Sandi, it's Duncan".
Still he was only answered by silence, his impatience rising he pounded on the door. "Sandi".
A door from down the hall opened "Hey, man what the hell are you doing? There are some folk here trying to sleep".
Duncan looked at the young man who was wearing a stained old T-shirt and pants; his hair was in such a mess Duncan wondered if he could own a comb. "Sorry, but I'm looking for the young woman who is staying here".
The young man looked at Duncan through his blurry eyes "Not any more".
"What do you mean?" Duncan said as he walked towards the young man. "It's quite simple she checked out".
"When?" Duncan said as he came level with the man. One look at Duncan's face told the young man this wasn't time for clever comments. "About an hour maybe more."
Duncan grabbed the young man as he stumbled backwards; it was obvious to Duncan that the young man had been taking something "Did she say where she was going?"
"Hey, look man this isn't the sort of place you ask questions if you want to keep your teeth. I only saw her at the desk paying what she owed." The young man said as he pushed Duncan's hands from his T-shirt as he stepped back into his room closing the door.
Duncan talked the desk clerk but he wasn't anymore helpful than the young man upstairs. He then returned to his car, where to look now the city was a pretty big place, he decided as Joe's was only a few blocks away he would get a drink and maybe his friend might have some ideas.
A small motel across town.
Sandi threw the room key onto the small table just inside the door as she switched on the lights. There wasn't much in the room just the small table, a chair, a bed and in the corner was a chest of drawers with a small coffee pot and 2 cups. At the back of the room Sandi could see the washbasin with a large mirror over it that had a crack in one corner. She kicked the door closed and put the chain on before putting her bag onto the bed.
She sat for a few minutes on the end of the bed before opening the door to the bathroom and to her relief it was in a better condition than the one at the Chester. The white towels that were hung on the rail although a little rough were clean. Sandi ran the water in the bath until it started to warm up, she then pulled the lever and the tub started to fill with water. She reached over picking up one of the small bottles that had been left on the side of the bath; she emptied the contents into the water and watched as white bubbles appeared.
Sandi dropped her clothes onto the floor before stepping into the warm bubbly water, as she slid down letting the warm water caress every inch of her body she closed her eyes and tried to block out the events of that evening.
Joe's Bar
Joe had let the last of his staff go about 15 minutes earlier, he was counting the money in the tills when there was a knock at the door.
"We're closed" Joe called out as he continued counting the money. "Joe, it's MacLeod".
"Mac?" Joe put down the wad of notes that he had in his hand and walked over to the door, sliding the bolts back "What's up?"
Duncan didn't say anything as he walked into the bar; Joe slid the bolts back into place before joining his friend at the bar.
"Looks like you had a good night Joe?" Duncan said as he looked down at the contents of the tills that was spread out over the bar.
"Looks like my night was better than yours" Joe said as he walked behind the bar picking up 2 shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey "Wanta talk about it?"
Duncan wondered where to start as he watched Joe pour them both a drink "I took Sandi out to dinner tonight"
"That doesn't sound that bad" Joe said as he picked up his glass.
"It wasn't until we were attacked on the way home," Duncan said as he too picked up his glass and drank the entire content. "Who?"
"Not one of us" Duncan said as he held out his glass for Joe to refill. "What then a mugging?"
Duncan shook his head "They were too well dressed for muggers and they never demanded anything from either of us. I think they were trying to kill Sandi".
As Joe refilled his glass Duncan explained all that had happened and Sandi's reaction to him wanting to call the police. Joe rubbed his hand over his beard and sighed as he closed his eyes.
"What Joe?" Duncan questioned he had seen that look on his friends face before.
"Now I don't want you to get mad or anything"
"Why would I do that?" Duncan said as he leaned on the bar. Joe knew what Methos had said but didn't see how to avoid telling Duncan what he had found.
"After my little chat with Sandi the other night I did some checking"
"And?"
Joe drank down his whiskey before he answered, "She told me that the fencing tournament is in Washington".
"That's right" Duncan replied as he played with his glass.
"Mac, I've checked every venue in Washington and for 50 miles around it. There isn't a fencing tournament in the next few weeks not this year." Joe watched as Duncan stood up and turned away from him.
"But why would she lie about that? She's been training really hard" Duncan replied as he slowly turned back to face Joe. "There's something else isn't there?"
Joe sighed heavily and he wished that the old man were here "Yes, there is. Richie found a sword in her fencing bag, the one at the dojo".
"She has several otherwise what would she fence with" Duncan replied.
"Mac, this one is real." As Joe spoke the image of the pink silk came into Duncan's mind. "But what would she need that for?"
"That's what we are all trying to find out. Mac are you sure she is Charlie's friend?" Duncan walked back to the bar picking up his glass "From the things she's told me yes. Someone would have to have done a lot of homework to know those things. You think she's here to kill me?"
Joe smiled "The thought had crossed our minds".
Duncan shook his head "No, she's had a lot of chances to do that. Whatever she's involved in our meeting was just chance, she came looking for Charlie. Thanks for the drink".
"Mac, what are you going to do?" Joe called out as Duncan started to walk towards the door. Duncan turned back to look at Joe "First, I'm going to find her, then I'm going to get the truth."
London
Methos had been making travel arrangements since he woke a little after dawn. He was sat at the desk as he tried to find more records on Jonathan Knight and his family, when he became aware of the door handle being turned. He looked down at his watch it was just before 7am, he got up and moved across the room to stand behind the door as it opened.
Charles's daughter Alison entered the room dressed only in a dressing gown and nightdress that left very little to the imagination. He smiled to himself as he watched her make her way towards the bed.
"Can I help you?" Methos said as he pushed the door closed. Methos laughed he had caught her completely unawares as she physically jumped at the sound of his voice from across the room. As she turned to face him Methos lent up against the wall "What would you're father say if he found you in here dressed like that?"
"errr...I just came to see if you were all right I thought I heard shouting and you might be having a nightmare. Anyway, my father has seen this before, I wear it all the time" Alison replied a slight indignation in her voice.
"Shouting? Nightmares? Now, that's an excuse I haven't heard for a while. I suppose you were going to comfort me, if it was a nightmare." Methos said as he pushed himself away from the wall. Alison had regained her composure by this time and she walked towards him.
"I'm very good at taking people's minds off of their nightmares" Alison said as her hand ran over the white T-shirt covering Methos's chest. Her touch made him breath in deeply as his eyes closed, for a moment he was lost but as her hand pulled his T-shirt from his trousers Methos's hands grasped hers pulling them away from his chest. "Why?"
Methos opened his eyes and looked down at her face "Because your father is my friend and you're only what 19,20".
Alison smiled wickedly "You're not that much older than me and besides I've been with older men before".
Her reply made him smile "Ohh...You would be surprised. Now it's not that I'm not tempted you are very beautiful but the last time we met you were in your school uniform, on your way to school".
Alison tilted her head to one side "I still have it and it still fits".
Methos laughed she wasn't going to be put off with words so holding onto her hands he walked her over to the door.
"Alison...sorry Ally, I have to leave soon maybe in another lifetime," Methos said as he ran his hand down her face before he opened the door. "Shame, I'm sure I could get you to forget your nightmares".
She then pulled him into a passionate kiss before running back to her room. Methos blinked as he got his breath back.
"You might at that" Methos said as he closed the door "At least for a while".