A/N: Amber, thanks for the review and feel free to email me anytime :D

SbKar: Thank you, in particular, for your review. It's good to have a new reviewer… aside from my faithful readers, who I love very much.

Just so you know… we will be meeting some rather unwholesome characters very soon!

Lost: Love your alias! Thank you for the reviews, I try to update as often as University allows!

Modesty: As always, thank you. I've been keeping my eye on the developments in your story and am being slowly drawn towards E/OC's of late!

Chapter 30 – Dead End.

Paul was tired and not at all convinced by the answer that the owner of the Inn, Barry somebody-or–other, had given them. Still with the 'no' they had heard he and Thomas had no other option but to head to their room and get some sleep. And boy did they need it.

As he lay under the covers in his bed, opposite Thomas, who was snoring loudly, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and glanced around the room. It was a large room, much to Paul's delight and it was reasonably airy and the beds were remarkably comfortable. He pushed himself into a seated position, stretched his arms out and cracked both shoulders, waking himself up. Yes, he was still tired.

He took one look at Thomas sleeping, glanced at his watch and decided not to wake him just yet. Instead he jumped out of bed and dressed quietly before heading out of the room and down the corridor to see if there was any food on offer.

Barry was standing by the door, looking out and waving to a rather pretty young lady standing with a basket on the opposite side of the street. He smiled wryly to himself and considered that he was probably, no, certainly, not the girls type as she looked uncomfortable and shuffled herself off down the street.

Barry walked back in and was behind the counter before he even noticed that Paul was standing there trying to get his attention. He threw him one of those winning, toothy smiles that he had given the detectives that morning and asked how Paul had slept. Paul had replied with a smile of his own and a 'fine thank you' before making a point of looking around the room for anything suspicious. He knew from experience that you often find things you're not actually looking for and therefore convinced himself it was probably best that he had no clue what he was going to do next.

'So, what can I do for you sir?' Cheerful Barry chirped from behind his counter. Paul fought back a grimace and instead fixed his eyes onto a cob sitting on the table next to him.

'One of… no make that two of those.' He said and Barry nodded, disappearing for a minute and returning with two cobs stuffed with ham and lettuce. Paul's stomach rumbled and he coughed loudly to cover the sound.

'Are you sure you didn't have two new guests last night?' he asked, paying Barry for the sandwiches.

'Definitely not.' He replied. 'Just a young lady, alone.'

Paul nodded and resigned himself to that fact that perhaps Barry wasn't hiding anything and it was just pure luck that he happened to grate on Paul's last nerve.

Meg and Jennifer had spent most of the morning wandering around the small town, attempting to find evidence of Paul, Thomas, Christine or the Phantom. Jennifer could hardly believe that her plan was going so down hill so quickly. They had lost Paul's carriage not long before they had arrived in the town because they feared getting too close and being seen. It was foolish really, her whole plan was foolish, but from what she had been told she would rather be looking out for her husband than stuck at home worrying about him.

As they walked Meg seemed distant and Jennifer was not sure if it was fatigue or worry that had gotten her into such a quiet state. Jennifer nudged her friend with a small smile.

'Tell me about the Phantom again.' She said and Meg allowed herself a smile.

'It was a long time ago, I'm sure some of my details are off' she said but Jennifer shrugged.

'I don't mind.'

'Well, I was just a ballet 'rat' as they called us back then.' Meg said, nostalgia touching her mind as she talked. 'My mother was the teacher, the mistress and I was learning the trade, as it were.' Jennifer nodded and Meg continued. 'I'm sure you remember how it was, all the hard work…' she paused to look at Jennifer. 'The Opera Populaire was so beautiful, so magnificent and I was so lucky to be able to train there.'

'I wish I could have seen it.' Said Jennifer, smiling. 'Maybe someday…'

'Yes.' Meg replied and Jennifer prompted her to carry on talking. 'Things used to go missing, often we would hear noises but there was never anything definitive. Nobody saw him and nobody heard him.' She closed her eyes as she remembered the way the gas lights lit the stage and the way her mother would look at them when they had done something wrong. 'I was terrified, Joseph Bouquet, used to tell us stories about him and make us all run away screaming. I always felt foolish afterwards.'

'Joseph Bouquet? I remember you mentioning him.' Jennifer said racking her brains.

'He was an old stage hand, not a bad type.' She said with a sigh. 'He was found hanged one day, just… oh God, just hanging there.' She wiped away a tear. 'They say the Opera Ghost did it… I don't have any reason not to believe that.'

Jennifer simply nodded.

'It wasn't until Christine sang that things started to become strange.' Meg continued. 'She would disappear for hours, locked in her room or vanishing completely.' She swallowed hard. 'Then she started … talking about an angel… and things well, we heard him.'

'Heard him?' Jennifer asked.

'Yes, his voice boomed out around us… giving orders to the managers of the theatre.' She said. 'They disobeyed.'

'Oh…'

'Oh God, how foolish they were to disobey him.' She said shaking her head, remembering. 'It had it's moments of humour… one night he had La Carlotta screeching like a toad.' She giggled at the memory.

'I remember reading about it in the papers.' Said Jennifer.

'But… mostly it was sinister.' Meg stopped walking and looked at her friend who was so pretty and so kind and it made her think of Christine in Paris. 'Christine shunned him for Raoul and then, the managers disobeyed him. Raoul tried to fool him… he knew. The Ghost, he knew everything. He killed Piangi… and stole Christine.'

She looked at Jennifer and a tear touched her eye.

'He let them go and vanished. I don't know much else.' She stopped and took a deep breath. 'What happened down there before I found his mask, before he released them is anybody's guess.' Meg said with a sigh. 'Christine only ever spoke of it once… when she did she was evasive, saying she didn't want to remember and all she really said then was 'he loved me''

They continued to walk down the street and were soon greeted by the bustle of a market, people wandering through the streets with their groceries and bumping into each other. They knew they had to eat and so they decided to look around. Perhaps they could buy an apple or some other fruit to keep them for the day.

Jennifer worried about her two boys who were staying with Madame Giry but she knew that with her they were fine. And probably behaving better than they ever had for her. She smiled at the recollection of their faces, they were such cute boys, such good boys. Jeremy was the eldest of the two and he had thick dark hair, like his fathers used to be when he was younger. He also had his dad's strong physique his build and his brains. Their younger boy, Luke, had been blessed with her looks, her light hair and striking eyes but what he gained in attractiveness he lost in his concentration span and power. He had the build of a dancer, not a worker.

As they wandered through the town she noticed how much happier people seemed here as opposed to London where the people always seemed dreary and unhappy. The residents were talking to one another in the street, apologising when they accidentally bumped baskets and generally laughing and smiling. She decided immediately that she liked it here.

It was a moment or two before she realised that Meg had stopped walking and was staring. Jennifer followed her gaze and her eyes happened upon and woman in the market, looking at some vegetables on a stall. The woman had long dark hair which had been pinned up but she could not see her face properly.

'Meg...?' she said but it was too late, Meg didn't hear her as she started to walk towards the woman. Jennifer watched as the woman looked up, noticed Meg, and turned on her heel, walking quickly away from them.

It was at this point that Jennifer recognised her. It was Christine.

Christine could barely believe her eyes and she stared at Meg in the darkness of the alley. The walls of the buildings blocked out the sunlight but she would know her friend anywhere. She had taken a wrong turn and ended up here, which was a dead end and Meg had soon caught up to her.

'Meg…' Christine said as Meg stepped closer to her. 'What on earth are you doing here?'

'Looking for you Christine!' she said. 'We've been so worried!'

'Well, as you can see I'm absolutely fine.' She said and pushed past Meg who bolted around and clocked her path again. Christine saw the anger in her friend's eyes and wasn't sure how to react. This wasn't happening, how had they found her?

'Jennifer,' Meg said. 'Find Paul and Thomas, they're sure to be in one of the main Inns, I'll stay here with Christine.'

With a nod Jennifer was gone and Meg was standing alone, face to face with Christine.

'I'm fine Meg.' She said and forced a smile. Meg did not return it.

'Your house ransacked, your help dead and your husband missing…'

'Dead?' she said and Meg immediately saw the shock spread across Christine's pretty features.

'I'm sorry…' she said. 'I thought he would have told you.'

'Who would have told me?'

'The Ghost. Who else?' Meg said with a smile.

'The Ghost? The Phantom?'

'Yes.'

'You've got it wrong.' Christine said and stared at Meg but she knew her friend better than that.

'Have I? We found the mask.'

'It doesn't mean that you're right Meg.'

'I am. Where is he?' she said and watched Christine's eyes for signs of emotion.

'Just go Meg, you need to leave.' She said.

'No I don't! You talk to me Christine! Why are you protecting him?'

'Meg…'

Suddenly Meg felt a hand around her waste and something over her mouth, a cloth, she fought it for a second and the vision of Christine's face looking perfectly normal was enough to drive her crazy. As she kicked she realised her energy was diminished and slowly she became drowsy…