By the time I reach the door to the tall building, The Doctor has already disappeared inside, leaving me alone in the 18th century, completely and utterly alone.
I'm going to kill him, just as soon as I stop panicking. Thankfully, he's most likely inside, but the people milling around the door are not only frightening but seem to have a flow to the way they do things.
And as soon as I reach the doorway I trip over the long skirts of my dress and faceplant before them. Why do I have to be the only girl on earth who loves long dresses but can't walk in them without falling? I remember spending plenty of time with sprained ankles when I went through my dress phase as a teen.
I would ask whoever is in charge of life 'why me' but it's quite obvious now that being clumsy and different is just what comes with being myself.
"You look lost." A woman's voice says in a rough accent, I glance around frantically to see the open doorway that leads to the pub within the large building.
"I'm... looking for my friend." I let out the deep breath I've been holding in, pushing nerves out of the way to get to the matters at hand. "He's tall, kind of weird looking, with great hair."
"We're in Europe and he's a man. All of them are weird looking." The woman sneers, causing me to relax.
"Not your type then."
"If it's a man I ain't going near it."
Ah, uncomfortable silences are like heaven to me. Always intruding and making me feel awkward. "Where is everyone Miss... uh.."
"Erni, name's Erni. As for the men, they're all in the room down the hall, trying to show off and open the unbreakable door." Erni drops the rough persona she's held up in the last few minutes and sighs, muttering "Don't know why they'd want to..."
"Has something happened?" I inquire trying to hide my excitement. Please, please don't be just a stuck door. The Tardis has already played enough pranks on me for today, don't let this be another one.
The woman puts on her persona in a flash, a dangerous glint in her eye as she raises her arms. Tied together with a rope a similar colour to her posh dress, It's no wonder I didn't notice them. "They think I was trying to steal all their riches."
"Were you?"
"Possibly, but they don't need to know that." I open my mouth to ask her why she's telling me all this when The Doctor dashes into the room.
"Lia Marie! There you are! Come on, I've found something interesting." And just like that, he's gone again. A small smile appears on my face as I realise this must be normal for him, adventure and running around like a madman.
Wait. Does this mean I really do have to get better at running short distances?.. I don't want to think about that right now.
"Oh, about that strange looking tall man you were asking about? He went that way." I roll my eyes at the tied up woman, trying not to like a potential criminal. But I don't think I can help it.
I wander off down the hallway, getting lost in the large building before finding a couple of men standing around a closed door. One of the young men in a bowtie catches my eye as he is right in the middle of the action.
"Come have a look at this!" He bellows in anticipation, running his hands around a doorframe like he's searching for a secret. His enthusiasm alerts the nearby men to my presence, you'd think I had murdered someone with the way they looked at me. Now I've heard the expression that woman should stay in their place, but I've never realised how real and old fashioned that very thought was until I've now come across it face to face.
"No! We can't have any woman in here! We are investigating a robbery!" A gruff man explains angrily, sporting a grey beard and a horrified look on his face. "I thought you were a professional detective, but you let distracting young woman in here? She could greatly interfere with solving the mystery."
"The Doctor lifts his head up in shock from the door looking at the man incredulously. "What mystery? It seems to me the only problem you have here is a young boy trapped behind a locked door." He pulls a funny face while the sexist man isn't looking and I smirk."And anyway, it's probably a young child staying in your inn who was hiding in there."
"That's impossible Sir, the door is locked the minute there's no one in there. We don't want anyone to take the opportunity to steal our money."
"Are you sure nobody could sneak in through a window somewhere?" I can't help but ask him, the question just slips out and as soon as he registers it came from me I instantly regret it.
"Do you not realise that most windows are locked from the inside nowadays? Some of our visitors store their most prized possessions in that room!"
I wonder If I would get away with giving this guy a taste of real world feminism, but I think better of it when The Doctor thankfully clears his throat. I don't think I can handle much more of this 18th Century sexism. "So here we have a secure room with only one entrance, and I'm guessing only one window facing the back of your property? The door is never opened long enough for people to sneak in, yet we can see what looks like a young boy through the keyhole." He leans against the wall, probably trying to impress me as he continues "Is this a good enough mystery for you Lia?"
I nod sheepishly as I try not to think about the horrible man's eyes still glaring at me in the background.
"Right! Let's get to work!" The Doctor grabs my hand and pulls me closer to the door I've been trying to keep a distance from. "Any ideas?"
"Uhhh..."
"This is ridiculous, we've already caught the culprit?" Mr I need to get a life says with his voice yet again laced with anger. "We don't need a detective to open a locked door. We'll figure out why the key no longer works and all of this shall be settled."
Feeling a burst of confidence, I stand up straight, my shoulders back so I look like a proper lady as I stare him straight in the eyes. "What did this culprit steal? And if they locked the child in there, for what purpose? You have no proof she did a-anything." Dammit, I stuttered on the last word, but thankfully the man doesn't notice I know who I'm standing up for.
"She was as good as trying to break in when we found her outside the door early this morning, a blithering mess, looking like she was right about to leave."
"After we heard her scream..." Another man speaks up, leaning in a dark corner observing our interactions. This man seems kinder and younger than the first, the horrible man's son perhaps, either way, he's standing up for me which is kind since panic is quickly replacing my confidence.
"Be quiet boy, I didn't ask your opinion."
"Or you just don't want to admit this young lady is right, You technically have made a mistake in accusing one of our guests so soon." I smile at the newcomer to the conversation and he returns my gesture with a charming glance that would have melted my heart if the Doctor hadn't begun to glare at him. What is with this overprotective alien.
"Fine, If you want to waste time on this fools errand than be my guest. I am going to do the logical thing and see what I can get out of that witch who tried to rob me."
Oh, how sad, Its horrible to see him go! Not. I never thought I would have to wonder if wringing someone's neck is legal in a particular time zone. I'm going to just assume the answer would be a no and investigate with The Doctor.
"All the folk staying here think the Golden Boos is behind all this." The young man pipes up after a strange silence. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was."
"Whats that?" I tilt my head while the Doctor turns back to the door only half listening.
"Well, there is a legend. It says there is a strange creature called the Golden Boos, known for stealing treasure from a locked room, no matter how secure. Some say It even robbed The King not more than a year ago and escaped!" I nod along kindly, trying not to think this sounds like a story you would tell children at night. "Nobody know's how the robber does it, people believe that there are magical properties behind all of it."
"I don't believe in fairy tales," I mutter, kneeling down to look through the keyhole. The outline of the small person facing away from the door is evident from what I can see, but an eerie black outline on the wall in front of the child sends shivers down my spine.
"But Horror stories on the other hand..."