Chapter Fourteen - Research

Usually John was fairly apprehensive about going to school. Since the arrival of JW over a month ago his school life had deteriorated into an almost endless stream of insults and jibes. He managed to ignore it mostly, but it was hard. Particularly when they mentioned his mother. That morning was a different story though. He was so eager to get out of the house and away from his father that he got up early and skipped breakfast, effectively dodging him.

When he reached school he was unsurprised to find the grounds largely empty. Only a few students mingled in the playground, one of whom he was less than eager to see. JW was sitting on a bench at the edge of the playground, though she wasn't doing much. He'd never seen her working, or reading, or doing much of anything except talking and causing trouble.

"You're early this morning church-boy!" JW called in greeting as John crossed the playground, privately eager to get to the library to do some research before registration, but he wasn't rude. He stopped and turned his eyes to the tough girl, immediately noticing the dark bruise over her right eye. It was nasty. A deep shade of black with an angry red hovering beneath. Stepping closer he could see another less prominent mark on her throat, her turned up shirt collar largely hiding it.

"What happened to you?" John asked in concern, the ebony haired girl scoffing at the gentle concern radiating in his gentle blue eyes. If there was one thing she couldn't stand it was pity. She gave John a fearless grin as she sat back casually, brimming with confidence.

"You should see the other guy." She bragged with bravado, hating the fact that John seemed to be able to see through right her. It wasn't the first time he had seen this sort of abuse. As a vicar he'd been fully versed in how to deal with it, and there were two in his congregation who often came to confession about their issues. It could have been her father, a boyfriend or a sibling, though John couldn't rule out other options.

"I know you're not Christian, but if you ever want to talk the doors of my church are always open to you." John offered, seeing the tough girl putting on her usual front. Seeing that his presence was no longer wanted John got to his feet to excuse himself. "I must go to the library, excuse me." He added with a warm smile, walking across the playground quickly. He would look into JW's problem later, but right now he had other things on his mind.

In the library John glanced around to make sure no one was looking, though he didn't know why. It wasn't unusual for him to be in the library and even if it were, a library was a place for borrowing books. Unsure exactly what he was looking for John hurried to the computer, which held a catalogue of all the books the library contained. John typed in 'Lord Farringdon' to see what would come up. It was the easiest search, and he wasn't really expecting much.

A few books cropped up, much to John's surprise, though they seemed to be about the wrong Lord Farringdon. They were all historical, dating back to the eighteen hundreds, though he wouldn't rule them out. They were bound to be about Lord Farringdon's predecessors. Scribbling down the reference numbers John decided to try another search, which brought up Farringdon Manor, a stately home a few towns over. It could be relevant, so John decided to take a look. After a few moments John typed in Lord Farringdon with the name of his church, which brought up yet another historical book. John added it to his list.

After half an hour of searching there was nothing about a recent Lord Farringdon, which made John feel slightly disappointed and a little troubled. Surely if his family had been famous or at least well known in the area less than two hundred years ago they should still be around. All John could think was that perhaps they'd lost their money and Lord was now just an outdated title. Picking out the books he had listed John began flicking through them.

In the first two there wasn't much. It merely stated that there had been a Lord Farringdon, that his family had owned the manor for hundreds of years, and he'd once been the patron of John's church. That surprised the blonde. The man he'd met in the graveyard seemed to shy away from the church, so he could only guess that they had parted ways at some point.

Moving on to the next book he found something more informative. There was a whole section on the tragic death of a Lady Farringdon, though there weren't many details. They had been living happily and then tragedy had struck. Once his wife died Lord Farringdon became reclusive and before long disappeared altogether. The Manor was left and passed into the hands of the state once it was assumed Lord Farringdon was dead. His body was never recovered.

At the side of the page was a portrait of Lord and Lady Farringdon. It was a black and white picture, and slightly faded, but John could tell that Lady Farringdon had been a beautiful woman. Her hair was clipped back in an elaborate style that suited the year. Her rounded breasts had been pushed up by a corset, the long dress sweeping down to the floor. She sat elegantly angled on a chair with her husband's hand on her shoulder.

What John found the most intriguing was the man. Lord Farringdon looked so much like the man John had met in the graveyard that he could almost swear it was him. Same hair, same elegance, same cheekbones, same eyes. The same everything. A shiver ran down John's spine as he turned the page. Lady Farringdon was laid to rest in his graveyard.


John was again unsurprised as he woke up at dawn, setting about his usual daily routine as he got ready for class. He was beginning to feel like a student again. Which is probably what's dragging up all these old memories…He thought, feeling a sigh building in his chest. He wasn't getting much sleep with all these dreams, though it gave him more time to dedicate to the school work. Not that it mattered since Monk-san and Ayako were his teachers.

As he hurried down to breakfast he was unsurprised to see a few mingling students. It was the girls hoping to catch a glimpse of the Night Class on their way back to their dorms. From what he gathered Naru had become quite popular, with his own small following despite his attached status, and Mai's popularity had grown with him. Far from being jealous, the girls of the Day Class were almost obsessive about how pretty and shy Mai was, and how perfect she looked beside Naru.

John set about helping himself to food from the open canteen, where hot food had been brought from the kitchen. There was a choice of porridge, bacon, eggs, toast, fish, rice and various other savoury sides for those preferring a traditional Japanese breakfast. Despite it being in Japan the school had quite a few foreign students. John blended in perfectly.

Taking some eggs, bacon, toast and an orange juice John headed to an empty table away from the windows, and therefore away from the girls. It didn't take long for Ayako and Monk-san to appear and take their breakfast, sitting at the same table as John. None of the girls would really notice. They were too busy fawning over the Night Class as they ambled out of the school.

"Well? What did Lin find out?" Ayako asked, knowing that Monk-san had seen the Chinese man since his return. Monk-san's eyes shifted around the mostly empty canteen for a few moments before he leaned in a little closer, not wanting what he was about to say to drift any further than necessary.

"To be honest, he couldn't say much…Those pills were made up of various vitamins, but there was something odd about them. He's sent them off to a professional he knows back in Tokyo, but it'll be at least a week before the results come back." He said, Ayako looking slightly troubled. It wasn't often that something stumped Lin, though he was no biologist. Maybe I should have taken a look myself…She thought, wondering if Lin had kept some form of written record of the test results.

"We'll just have to wait then." John stated as he ate his breakfast, Monk-san going to get some himself. He was starving. Ayako resisted the urge, having had some fruit earlier. Since she usually worked in the hospital she was used to getting up at five to be in the hospital for six, so she usually woke up early on her own. It seemed John was the same. She had often seen him walking the grounds while she was in her room reading or getting dressed for the day.

"To be honest I'm a little tired of waiting! There's nothing going on in the Sun Dorm! Naru gets all the fun." Monk-san complained, Ayako rolling her eyes slightly while John gave him an amused smile. He could see where the monk was coming from. All they could do was watch and wait for Naru to uncover something, and it was frustrating when the progress was so slow.

"Perhaps there is something we can do." John thought suddenly as he laid his cutlery on his empty plate. At his comment Ayako and Monk-san both shifted their eyes to him almost hungrily. "I've always found that school libraries can be most informative. Even if we don't find anything out of the ordinary it could lead us to clues about what we're dealing with. A book about the school's history would record everything from when it was founded to the present day. There should be a record of any unusual events that took place." He explained, Ayako nodding her agreement, in fact she was surprised they hadn't thought of it earlier. Books were a standard source of information, and not all of the information written in the books would be readily available on the internet, so it was likely that Naru had overlooked something.

"I have an idea too." Monk-san added conspiratorially as he leaned forward, almost grinning at the prospect of his impending mischief. "The school records. They hold the details of every student. What better way of finding out about the Night Class than nosing through their personal files? And their medical records wouldn't go amiss either!" He added, his eyes shifting to Ayako at that point. She was already a doctor, which would get her access to the medical room without much suspicion. The records had to be on the nurse's computer. All Ayako had to do was invent an excuse to look up a student.

"Well, the library part I can do now, but the others would be better left until nightfall when the Night Class are in class and most of the teachers and staff are out." John suggested, the older man looking troubled as he stared thoughtfully at the table.

"No. It's not safe for Ayako to go sniffing around the school at night. The students are too close. The school records are in the Chairman's office, and he'll be in his rooms at that time, so I'll sneak in and take a peek tonight. Ayako, do the medical records during your free period today." Monk-san said decisively, the older woman nodding her agreement. The monk may have been pushy, but he was right. The medical room was too close to the Night Class. When she had been teaching she'd been able to sense something not quite right about them, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"What about the Prefects?" John asked swiftly, Monk-san nodding his agreement. He had thought of them. Their job was to sniff around the whole of campus to spot out of place things, and Monk-san sneaking into the Chairman's office fitted that profile.

"I may need a distraction." Monk-san said, John nodding supportively while Ayako inclined her head. There were two prefects and two of them. John could distract one while Ayako took the other, though what they'd do he had no idea. Not that it really matters. As long as they approach us rather than Monk-san. John thought, already working on his story, and strategy.


John pulled yet another book from the shelves and sat at his small table by the window, set apart from the other students. He had been as normal as possible since he'd arrived. He often found that if one truly wanted to blend in then keeping to oneself was the wisest course of action, though of course he was never rude. He would talk to his classmates, and thank them for their concern about him, but he would make it clear that he was the quiet loner type and many of them respected his decision.

The books, as he suspected, told him nothing out of the ordinary about the school. The building had been standing for hundreds of years, and had once been the estate of a wealthy lord. During the second world was when times were hard it had been abandoned, and stood empty for many years until Cross's family took ownership. For a couple of years it was simply a home, but with costs running high and so many empty rooms it made sense to turn it into something more profitable, so it was opened as Cross Academy, with only a day class. There's no mention of the Night Class anywhere…Interesting…

The book only went up to the early seventies, so that told John enough about the school to give him an idea. Within that time frame it's likely that the present Chairman Cross was the one who came up with the idea of a Night Class, which means he knows about whatever is going on here…John thought with certainty as he as he closed the heavy volume and shifted his sapphire eyes to the window. Many of the students were using their free period to socialise reminded him of his own school days, not too long ago, but it feels so much longer…

Ayako and Monk-san were creeping around in other areas. The second library and the computer room. Ayako had hoped that the internet may hold some clues to the school and its history, though John doubted it would say any more than the history books. Even blogs from the Day Class would be useless. Whatever was going on in the Night Class John was certain it had nothing to do with the Day Class, obsessive as the girls were. They almost seem…infatuated…

"Any progress?" Monk-san asked, interrupting John's chain of thought, the young man hiding his frustration. He had a feeling he'd been close to realising something, but it had slipped away now. I'm sure it will return eventually. He thought as he turned to the monk with a smile, the older man sighing as he sat down. "I interrupted didn't I?" He stated forlornly.

"It was nothing important I'm sure." John assured lightly as Monk-san looked at the cover of the heavy leather-bound volume. It seemed, by his demeanour, that the older man had also been largely unsuccessful, and John didn't have much more hope for Ayako. It seemed that, whatever their secret was, the Night Class were well protected.

"Looks like the medical and school records might be our best bet…" Monk-san sighed as he looked across at the seemingly collected exorcist, who nodded his agreement. Ayako was planning on visiting the nurse's office after the Day Class had finished, right before the Night Class came out. It seemed the perfect time to avoid students at least, though they couldn't be sure how many teachers were in on whatever secret the Night Class held.

"We should go about our business as usual for now…My classes for the day have ended, so I believe I will return to my room." John decided as he got to his feet, the older man stretching in the chair as he looked up at the blonde boy. John could understand Monk-san's tiredness. He felt it himself. There was nothing worse than trawling through books for elusive information, particularly when it remained elusive.

"I'll call you when it's time." The monk sighed, showing no sign of getting up to follow John, who nodded as he hefted the heavy book to return it to its place on the shelf. As he returned to his room he went over and over the information he'd learned, what little there was. As he tossed his bag aside and fell onto the bed he was still pondering the mystery, closing his eyes to try to regain the thoughts he had been having before Monk-san interrupted.


John sighed as he walked down the street, intending to walk to the church since it was a nice afternoon. It had been a week since his encounter with Lord Farringdon, and his father still showed no sign of relenting. Since the encounter he had stalked John everywhere he went. He felt as if he were under house arrest most of the time. As soon as dusk arrived his father would be at the church telling him to pack up and come home. His schedule was a mess because of it.

He was lucky his teachers were so understanding, and that he was conscientious in his studies. He'd never be able to skip all these classes and keep up otherwise. The head teacher had allowed him to skip the last two periods of each day so that he could sort some things at the church. If he were particularly busy or had a large wedding or funeral he had also agreed to let John out of three or four classes, perhaps a whole day if necessary.

All this extra work had distracted him from JW's apparent problems. Every time he saw her she seemed to have a new mark, whether a scratch, bruise or bandage. He had thought about talking to her, had been meaning to talk to her, but he just couldn't get the time. Not with all the sermons he had to write, the confessions he had to hear, and the weddings and funerals that came along. I won't have time today…I don't think I'll even have time tomorrow! I'm the town vicar! I should make the time! He scolded inwardly, frowning subconsciously as he walked.

"Church-boy skipping out on class? Who'd have thought it!" A familiar voice teased as he headed along the row of houses just a few minutes from the school. The voice came from a somewhere up high, and as he looked up John could just make out a dark haired figure leaning out of a window. Raising a hand to block the sun from his eyes John could see JW more clearly as she sat on the window ledge of a second floor room.

"I have permission, but what are you doing out?" John asked, though he knew JW often skipped school, so her absence that morning hadn't really come to his attention. Looking back inside JW leaned a little further down, motioning John to come closer. Looking up and down the street John walked up the path and looked directly up, only now able to see the dark bruise on her right cheek. "Are you alright?" John asked in a level voice, seeing a small strap or bandage wrapping her right hand.

"Actually, I could use a little of that Christian charity right about now..." JW admitted, looking over her shoulder again with a hint of anxiousness. Looking around the front of the house John could see a blue people carrier parked in the driveway, but the curtains downstairs were all drawn. At this time of day?

"How may I be of service?" John asked, seeing the corner of her mouth rise slightly at the chivalrous way he spoke, something he had always been ridiculed for. As she leaned forward John tried not to look at her generous cleavage, which almost fell out of the low cut white top she was wearing. Her ebony locks trailed down over the edge of the ledge, dancing on the light spring breeze.

"I'm locked in." She said simply, John raising an eyebrow in response. "I'm not joking! I am locked in here! In this room!" JW repeated with a hint of urgency, not needing to tell John what his job was. Looking at the front door John could see it was a key-opened door. The only way to get in was a key or a latch on the inside. Either thator kicking it down, but we'll try conventional methods first.

"Is the back door open? Or is there a window you usually leave latched?" John asked as he surveyed the front of the house. JW looked thoughtful at his question, which suggested there wasn't an obvious way offhand. It could also be that she simply wasn't that familiar with the house. She'd only moved in a few weeks ago.

"Maybe the basement? But that's usually locked too…Wait! The kitchen window! The old man always unlocks that when he's smoking, but he'll be sitting right there!" JW replied warily, John nodding in response before getting closer to the house. At the side of the house he removed his backpack and left it by the wall, safely out of sight if someone came to the front door. Looking down the cracked path he could see a window slightly ajar, a small stream of white smoke twirling out.

Crouching low, John headed down the side of the house until he was at the edge of the window. Creeping up inch by inch, he straightened until he could peer around the edge into the kitchen. There was a man inside. He was middle aged, wearing a dirty grey vest with shoulder length greasy black hair, a can of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He seemed to be dozing lightly, but how lightly?

Getting fully to his feet John gripped the edge of the window, slowly easing it open, relieved as it made no sound. I should just be able to pull myself up…He thought as he examined the window. It reached his chest, and he would just be able to heave himself up. Now for inside…He could see a lot of dirty dishes crowding the sink and drainer, which was right below the window. The floor was solid tile, so he'd need to remove his shoes if he was going to have a chance at silence. The rest seemed quite simple. The wooden door to the hallway was wide open, and that floor was carpeted. The stairs were out of sight.

Now or never…Lord forgive your servant this trespass. He added apologetically as he rested his hands on the worn wooden sill and gradually shifted his weight to push himself up. Once he was suspended above the ground he looked at the unshaven man lounging at the kitchen table in an uncomfortable looking wooden chair. He was still sleeping. Raising his knees John ignored the discomfort as the metal of the old window frame dug into his shins until he could get his feet beneath him.

Next came the difficult part, getting inside without knocking anything off the drainer. The metal would be slippery beneath his socks, as would the floor, so the first thing he did was slip those off, dropping them onto his shoes outside. It was awkward and fiddly work, but he managed. Lowering one leg John elegantly arched his foot, balancing on tiptoe between a pile of five plates and three glasses. Once he had one foot down he used his arms to push his body upright, bending forward slowly until he had one foot on the window ledge, one on the drainer and both hands on the edge of the kitchen counter.

It's been a while since I've done this…John thought nervously, taking one last look at the sleeping man before pushing off, his body straightening until his hands supported him vertically. Holding his breath John twisted, raising one hand to allow him to turn his body and remain upright, though he didn't stay up for long. Almost as soon as his body turned he tucked in his legs and allowed himself to drop gracefully to the floor, almost soundlessly.

Looking up at the man John could see that he was still asleep and breathed a small sigh of relief. Not pausing, John was up and scurrying through the small kitchen and down the hall, looking left and right for the stairs or a door that would lead to them. The stairs were on the right, and went straight up to the landing, where there were four doors. Only one of them was shut.

"JW!" John said quietly, keeping an ear open for movement downstairs. Hearing footsteps on the other side of the door John listened closely, though he knew it couldn't be anyone else. The house was a small semidetached, and downstairs had sounded empty.

"John! Can you open the door?" JW asked, dropping his nickname he noticed. Looking at the door John could see two bolts, one at the top and one at the bottom. Hopefully he hasn't locked the door with a key too! Sliding the bolts John tapped lightly on the wood.

"Try now." He added, watching the handle go up and down, but the door didn't move. Cursing under his breath John tried to think of where her father would have put the key, though he secretly doubted that it would be anywhere other than in his pocket. "I need a key!" John hissed through the wood.

"Wait! I have it here!" JW replied, John raising an eyebrow as everything went quiet, and he was only just able to hear footsteps and rummaging as he listened at the door. At least the silence means her father is still asleep…He thought absently as a key slotted into the door, which opened soon after to reveal a slightly dishevelled JW. "God! Thank you, thank you!" She said quietly, clearly shaken as she leaned into his chest.

"Come with me." John all but ordered, the feisty girl giving no arguments for once as she grabbed a backpack, already stuffed full of clothes, and took his proffered hand. As he gripped her hand he noticed her wince, loosening his hold a little as he looked at the bandaged limb. "Do you need a doctor?" John asked as they crept along the landing.

"No, it's just a sprain." She replied simply as they headed down, John leaning forward to look into the kitchen where the man was still sleeping. The door was latched and bolted, the chain rattling uncomfortably as John opened the door and ushered JW into the street. He quickly retrieved his shoes, socks and bag before closing the door as quietly as he could. "Where are we going?" She asked as he led her down the street with a gentle hand on her back.

"The church, where else?" John replied, getting no argument as they hurried out of sight, unsure when her father would wake up and realise she was gone. It didn't take long to get to the church, and by the time they got there John had forgotten why he was in such a hurry in the first place. All the work he had to do seemed so trivial in comparison to JW's situation.

"So, this is where you disappear to every day." JW said as she looked around the old church with its high ceilings and antique candle brackets. "Cool." She added in admiration, casting her eye over the paintings and stained glass windows. John could tell she was impressed by something, but he also knew she couldn't feel the same atmosphere as he could. There was a cosy haze of faith that had built up within the walls for centuries. It was comforting.

"I often think so." John replied as he headed into his small backroom, listening to JW's footfalls as she followed him, her trainers squeaking slightly on the polished wooden floor. Once in his carpeted vestry John tossed his bag on the desk and waved an arm for JW to sit. "You know I've talked to you, and been in your classes, but I've never heard your first name…Miss Wishart." He began, having heard the teachers talking about her on numerous occasions.

"I hate my first name." JW replied evasively, though she could tell John wasn't going to let her out of it. "It's Jemima…" She relented in something akin to a mumble, but John heard it all the same. She seemed to be waiting for him to laugh, or ridicule her somehow. She was ultimately surprised to find a warm smile on his face.

"Jemima Wishart…I like it." He replied softly as he opened his bag and pulled out the pile of documents he was supposed to be working on. Jemima watched as he circled the desk to sit down. "You can stay with me tonight. My father won't mind. If you want to talk then do so, but if not I will commence my work for the evening." John decided as he looked up from the documents, Jemima looking around briefly for something to do.

"Do you have anything to read?" She asked, John giving her a half smile as he nodded to the stacks of bibles.

"Well, there is one book…" He trailed off, watching from the corner of his eye as Jemima got to her feet and confronted the books almost distrustfully before plucking out a less battered looking copy and returned to her seat. With focused eyes John commenced his work for the evening, knowing that he only had a few hours before his father would arrive to take him home.