Chapter 5
The night was a crispy black when the Doctor finally pulled up in front of the Standard Arms Inn. A chilly wind whistled through the village and Jo shivered in her sleep. The Doctor shut the engine off and hopped out of the car. His footsteps crunched on the frosty gravel.
A single lantern illuminated the front of the inn. Underneath it stood the Brigadier, his silhouette almost black in the dim light.
"Doctor, is that you?" he called, squinting at the emerging figure in the darkness.
"Yes, it's me. Don't shout. Jo's asleep."
The Brigadier stood back and watched the Doctor slowly coax Jo out of the car.
"Come on, my dear—watch the step—careful, now—yes, it's very cold, isn't it?" He wrapped one arm around the shivering girl and gently led her into the inn. The Brigadier followed behind.
The interior of the inn sharply contrasted the outside. It was lit warmly. A young receptionist sat behind a mahogany desk, snoring softly. Several flower-patterned chairs decorated a small sitting room to the left. To the right, a large wooden door connected the inn to the local pub next door.
"I've already checked us all in," the Brigadier said softly.
"I should get Jo to bed, then," the Doctor replied.
The Brigadier nodded fondly, but his eyes were hard. "Come straight back, though. We need to discuss some things."
The Doctor led Jo down the hallway to the room the Brigadier had indicated and bid her goodnight. He rested his arm against the closed door and took a deep breath. Finally he walked down the hall and returned to the lobby.
The Brigadier was sitting in one of the flowery chairs. The Doctor would have smirked at the juxtaposition had he not seen the object in the Brigadier's hands.
The cardboard box.
The Brigadier rose from his seat and handed it over to the Doctor.
"I believe this is yours."
The Doctor reluctantly took it. He lifted the open flaps and looked inside. Among several bags of ice there lay six packets of blood. He sighed.
"Yes. Yes it is." He closed the flaps.
"Take whatever you feel you need. Ms. Grant will ensure you are getting the proper amount."
"Yes. She told me."
The receptionist suddenly gave a very loud snore.
"Ahem. Yes, well, I thought I would just take this opportunity, Doctor, to debrief you and give you the rundown of the schedule tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!" The Doctor gave a mock salute.
The Brigadier's moustache twitched, but he otherwise didn't react. "Now, you'll be meeting the Duke tomorrow at Brightley Manor—"
"The haunted house?"
"I suppose you could say that. The place has been empty for years with only the old butler running the place. The Duke bought it a few months back and only moved in a few weeks ago. Ever since then he's been plagued by this…apparition."
"Has he described it?"
"Yes. He said it was definitely shaped like a man but it was too blurry to make out any features. You'll have to ask him for more details. The poor chap's convinced it's the ghost of some obscure royal who was murdered there."
"Oh? And who would that be?"
"I'm not sure. Lord…Waxley…Braxley? The man was mumbling. Anyway, I'm certain the whole thing's in his head. We probably won't even require your services, Doctor."
"I wouldn't be so sure, Brigadier." The Doctor turned to leave, a sad gleam in his eye. "Things never are what they seem, are they?" He started to walk away. "Good night, Brigadier," he said. And then he was gone.
The Brigadier stood stiffly in the sitting room. He sniffed. Then he cracked a small smile. The game was afoot.
In his room, the Doctor sat in perfect darkness. It didn't matter to him. He could see the objects in his room perfectly well. He had tried to get to sleep. He really had. He pinched his nose with his forefinger and thumb. Ever since…he had never been able to sleep well during the night. Sleeping during the day was much more natural… But he was not nocturnal. No! He would lead a normal life, damn it! Especially after what he had done…
Sighing, he ran his hands over his face. Things would look better in the morning. They always did. He would meet this duke, solve this mystery. Things would look better. They had to.
BadWolf1 – Thank you!