"Ok, so where are we going, Mulder?", Dana Scully wanted to know.
Mulder, who was driving the car, turned to her and said: "There was a bad car accident in Paris. A Mercedes Benz reached close to 120 mph and ended up in a deadly crash as the driver lost control of the car while being pursued by photographers on motorcycles. The Princess and her bodyguard survived and died later in the hospital. Her lover and the chauffeur died at the scene."
"I know what happened, Mulder. I watch the news too. What does that have to do with us?"
"That's not about Lady Diana. It's the synopsis of a book written by John Jakob Stamp. It was published 3 months ago."
"Okaaay", she sighed. "But that doesn't explain why we are on our way to….you didn't even answer my question."
Mulder ignored his partner's look of reproach. "Don't you think that the similarities are quite…"
"Spooky?", Scully cut him off.
"remarkable", he finished his sentence.
"What's your point?"
"Well, how could this man know what was going to happen?"
"I don't know." Scully rolled her eyes. "He didn't."
"So he just wrote a novel and a few months later exactly the same thing happens just like he described it? That's pretty unlikely, don't you think?"
"I think it's pretty unlikely that this man knew what's going to happen to Lady Diana. Unless he was somehow involved in it."
"So that is your explanation, Scully?", he taunted. "It was an accident. And Stamp wasn't even on the same continent."
"Alright, so what's your suggestion?"
Mulder stopped at a traffic light and looked at Scully. "I don't think it was coincidence."
"He predicted it?", Scully demanded.
"In 1898, 14 years before the sinking of the Titanic, Morgan Robertson published a novel which features a ship, the Titan, '..which was the largest craft afloat and the greatest of the works of men'. The great ship had been built with 19 water-tight compartments and was capable of staying afloat, even if nine of them were full of water. Because of the latest technology that went into her creation, and made it so superior, the Titan carried only the minimum number of lifeboats required: 24, with places for 500 of her 3,000 passengers. Eventually, in his book, the Titan struck an iceberg on the starboard side, while in the North Atlantic on her maiden voyage. The month was April. Only 13 people survived."
"Fascinating." Scully commented unimpressed. "And where do we come into play?"
"Elizabeth Stamp, John Stamp's wife, called me yesterday. Said she had read about me and my work. She is worried because her husband works on another story."
"About what?"
"I don't know. She didn't want to tell me. Said she'd rather talk to me in person about it."
10 minutes later they arrived at the Stamp residence. They got out of the car and walked up the stairs to the wooden porch. Special Agent Fox Mulder knocked on the door. An elderly lady opened up.
"How can I help you?", she asked.
Mulder immediately showed his FBI badge. "Elizabeth Stamp? We are Agents Mulder and Scully."
"Oh Mr. Mulder, of course. Come in please."
The house was full of model airplanes. Fox Mulder looked at some of them carefully. "These are nice", he noted.
"Yes, John assembled them. It's his hobby."
"Where is he?"
"He's not here right now. We can talk over there."
Elizabeth led them into the kitchen where they sat down. "Would you like something to drink?", she asked.
"A glass of water, please", Mulder said.
"Me too", Scully added.
Beth got a glass of water for each one of them and took a seat.
"So, what's it you couldn't tell me on the phone?", the agent questioned.
"I don't know if you have read John's last book."
Mulder negated.
Beth took a sip of water. "I'm concerned because what happened to Diana is exactly what John's last book is about."
"Mrs. Stamp", Mulder began. "Has your husband ever had any kind of visions or dreams? Anything like that?"
Beth shook her head. "No. If so, he didn't tell me."
Mulder had a thoughtful look on his face.
"But he said that those ideas just come to him", the elderly woman continued.
"And you said that your husband works on a new story, is that right?"
"Yes. That's why I contacted you, Mr. Mulder."
"I see. So, what is this new novel about?"
Mrs. Stamp took another sip of water before she answered the question. "The assassination of the US President."