"I can't simply not answer him," Aria pointed out. "He'll get suspicious, and we may just have the upper hand."
"We, Madam?" William asked in a distinctly unamused tone.
Aria's answering glare returned the sentiment. "Do not presume that I am attempting to inveigle my way into your investigation, Mr. Spears. I would be more than happy to let you lot take care of it, but, for reasons outside of my power, I have been most decidedly brought into this business. At the moment, I may be the best way you've got at apprehending your precious Undertaker, so I would appreciate it if you stopped patronizing me."
The lady never once raised her voice, but William found himself being surprised by her for the second time in one sitting.
"You wish to help, Dr. Sinclair?" William inquired, looking at her pointedly.
"If my help is required to bring this mad man to justice, then yes, I would like to be of service."
With a hushed sigh, William checked his pocket watch and stood from his seat. "Then I suggest we regroup to decide on a course of action. Dr. Sinclair," here he looked at Lynn, "would your practice survive an early closing?"
The psychiatrist, who had been slouching in her seat this whole time, stood as well. "It offends me that you have to ask, William," she stated, going to lock the front door and draw the curtains.
Feeling dreadfully uninformed, Aria stood from her chair as well and turned to William. "And where, pray, are we regrouping?"
"Grim Reaper Headquarters," the man answered. At the slight widening of her eyes, his mouth drew into a small smirk. "There is no need to worry. Humans are not typically brought to the reaper realm, but it is not unheard of."
Catching the change in his demeanor, Aria stated, "Should I be affronted by your apparent amusement in my discomfort?"
His smirk widened. "Whatever are you talking about, Doctor?"
"This is getting weird you two," Lynn muttered as she walked toward them.
"On the contrary, I think you're the one making this weird, Lynn," Aria returned, glancing at her sister. "Returning to the matter at hand, you said something about a reaper realm? Will we be taking one of those boom tube devices you were telling me about, Lynn? Despite the similarity in the name, I have a sneaking suspicion we're not about to board the underground."
"Once again, Dr. Sinclair, you are correct in your assumptions," William said. "A boom tube, though typically called the tube in our realm, helps us reapers travel to and from the human and reaper realms instantaneously. It is a marvelous device for keeping people on schedule for collections."
"This all sounds rather fanciful," Aria admitted. "Is there a specific way to do it? I don't want to get lost between realms or something of that nature."
Looking down at her, William stated, "I don't believe anything of the kind is going to happen, but it will be a shocking thing your first time. So as not to lose your bearings, hold on to me."
With an air of apprehension, Aria took hold of the arm he offered her and prepared to hold on tight.
Lynn thought of commenting on this, but decided against it. She'd have more people to back her up on her teasing when they arrived at headquarters.
"Are you quite ready, ladies?" William asked, looking to both of the doctors in turn.
"Yup," Lynn responded.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Aria replied honestly.
Without another word, the reaper supervisor slid up a latch on his death scythe and pressed a small black button. Within moments, a circular portal of light erupted in the cozy sitting room, causing Aria to flinch back in surprise. William felt her instinctive move toward self preservation and laid one hand upon hers. The last thing he needed was a skittish passenger.
"Ladies first," he nodded at Lynn.
The woman in question gave a mock smile and jumped into the blinding portal. After the psychiatrist had disappeared, William turned to her sister.
"Now it's our turn."
"Bring it on," she returned, grinning mischievously.
Taking that as his cue, he led the doctor to the precipice, and they jumped simultaneously into the void.
)*(
The first thing Aria experienced was a feeling of weighlessness, as though gravity and time had just stopped. The sensation was definitely nerve-racking, but she couldn't close her eyes as she continued floating toward an unknown destination in an unending vacuum of nothingness. Indeed, the only way she knew she was moving at all was from the indescribable sense of constant propulsion that her body was undergoing. There was nothing in her field of vision she could compare to her relative position, just a known fact that she was indeed going somewhere.
Then, as abruptly as it began, the sensation stopped, and her feet hit solid ground. Though she had not closed her eyes during their trip, it still took her a moment or two to get her bearings in her new surroundings. Though the blinding intensity of the white light was gone, the room they were currently standing in was still well lit. Upon further investigation, this abundance of natural illumination was pouring through the outer wall of the building in which they had landed, this section being made entirely out of glass. The whole setting was really very modern, Aria thought, what with its love of ninety degree angles and newfangled technology. Why, right above their heads hung electric lights to such a degree that made Aria wonder how they could afford them and why they bothered making a wall of glass in the first place. The presence of such a structure was made superfluous, surely?
After her wondering gaze had made a full circuit of her surroundings (which looked to be a hallway in a building of enormous proportions), she was snapped out of her thoughts by a voice addressing her from above.
"Welcome to the Grim Reaper Dispatch Association," William T. Spears spoke in his clipped authoritative manner. "This way, if you'll please."
Striding directly forward, he pulled a key out of his trouser pocket and inserted it into a lock on a door directly in front of them. Before the door was swung open, Aria was able to make out the nameplate reading "William T. Spears, London District Supervisor".
Stepping to the side, William allowed the ladies to enter his office first. The instant Aria stepped into the room, she was struck with just how orderly it was. She had assumed upon meeting him and taking in his polished persona that Mr. Spears was a very disciplined individual who exceeded at his job, and that his office would reflect that, but this was such an astounding level of organization that Aria was thoroughly impressed. The surface of his mahogany desk was so clean it shown under the overhead light, and everything on top of it was set straight and neat as a pin. The bookcase at the far end of the room was alphabetized and color coordinated within an inch of its life, and there seemed to be no dust whatsoever. Even the blinds closed against the window to the right of the entryway were perfectly clean and straight. Aria felt like she was breaking a law just stepping on the carpet.
"You ladies have a seat and I'll have the rest of the reapers working the Undertaker case brought in." As he said this he stepped out the door to flag down a passing employee.
The sisters did as they were bid and sat down in the two leather seats facing William's desk. When the man himself returned, he took his own seat then proceeded to skim through the file that he had collected at Lynn's residence. The room remained quiet until there was a timid knock at the door.
"Enter," William called out, not moving his eyes from the papers before him.
The door swung open, and the two women turned to see who the visitor was. In stepped a man that both doctors recognized.
"Hello, Ron," Lynn greeted, smiling over at him from where she sat. "Long time no see."
The slender blond looked over at her and grinned. "Hey, Lynn," he returned. "Are we in trouble then?" That's when he caught sight of Aria. "Oy, it would seem we are."
"You are not in trouble, Knox," William corrected from his desk. "Now quit your dawdling and come inside."
Releasing a sigh and going to scratch the back of his neck, the youth complied and went to lean against Aria's chair.
"A pleasure to see you again, doll," he said, smiling down at her.
The doctor gave an expression between exasperation and mild amusement. "Are you attempting to flirt with me, Mr. Knox?"
"Is it that obvious?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in a ploy of innocence.
"Rather. I suggest you stop early and save us both the time."
"Ouch! Right in the heart!" The blond's statement was both melodramatic and louder than necessary, but served to end the conversation on a friendly note, making both of the participants smile.
William seemed amused too, though more by Aria's swift rejection than by Ronald's performance. But before Ronald could comment on his display of any type of emotion, they were interrupted.
"You can't win 'em all, Ron my boy."
All eyes turned to see a tall, buff blond, with his hair pulled into tight braids on the right side of his head. His glasses were tinted light blue, and he had an air of nonchalance coupled with common sense which put Aria at ease. His tie was loose and the first few buttons on his shirt were undone, making him look less business like and more ladies' man.
Beside him stood a shorter man with brown hair and wire rimmed spectacles. His clothes were neater than his friend's, and instead of a tie he wore a ribbon with a skull pendant as the centerpiece. He was very slender, quite pale, and had a calm, peaceful air to him. His eyes were kind and shown with a depth of feeling that Aria could not begin to speculate.
"Slingby, Humphries," William acknowledged, inclining his head to show he was aware of their presence.
"Spears," the blond returned, stepping into the room.
"Mr. Spears," the brunette greeted, following his companion.
The blond walked toward Ronald, chuckling slightly. He was the one who had made the earlier comment.
"Ah, come on, Eric. No need to tease me. Don't you think I've been punished enough?" Ronald whined, turning to speak to the other man.
"You, Ron? Never," Eric replied, smirking. "You flirt shamelessly with anything in a skirt."
"Do not," Ronald pouted. "Aren't you going to defend me, Alan?" he asked, turning to the brunette.
"How can I when the evidence is so strongly stacked against you?" Alan inquired in a soft voice, the hint of a smile playing at his lips.
"You lot are mean, I tell you," Ronald muttered to himself, turning away from the newcomers.
"Hello, Dr. Sinclair," Alan said, addressing Lynn.
"Hello, Alan," she returned. "How have things been? I haven't seen you in a while."
"Getting better," the man answered, turning his attention to Aria. "And who is the victim of Ronald's attention?"
"Victim?" Ronald exclaimed, offended. No one paid him any mind.
"This is my older sister, Dr. Aria Sinclair. She is a pathologist at the Royal London Hospital."
That's when Eric and Alan noticed her eyes. They were a dark brown, almost like chocolate, and most decidedly not green.
"I see," Alan murmured softly, obviously surprised. Catching himself, he smiled. "Excuse me. I don't mean to be rude, Dr. Sinclair, it's just that I'm shocked to see someone like you here."
"I can imagine," Aria responded good-humoredly. "If it's any consolation, I'm shocked to be here myself."
Alan warmed up to her instantly, and was about to inquire after her career when there was a loud groan at the door.
Turning once more, all eyes landed on quite possibly the reddest person Aria had ever seen.
"William, dear, tell me why I have been dragged out of my office and forced to march all the way up -"
He stopped abruptly midsentence as his gaze singled out someone in the room.
"Elle!" he shouted jubilantly, darting into the crowd of people and flinging himself at Lynn. He had her out of her seat and locked in an embrace within seconds.
Her feet were dangling in the air, and her face was threatening to become just as red as the man's hair when a cold voice commanded, "Sutcliff, put Dr. Sinclair down this instant."
With a sigh that told of loss and heartbreak, the redhead placed Lynn back in her seat and turned to his boss.
"You're so cruel, William! You know I haven't seen my Elle in such a long time! How can you stand to keep two lovers apart in such a callous manner?"
His shrill voice reverberated throughout the room, and Aria saw William's eyebrow twitch.
"I'd rather not have one of my employees strangled in my office as her sister watched on."
Here Sutcliff turned his attention to Aria, and when her brown eyes locked with his green, she remembered where she had heard his name before.
This was Grell Sutcliff. Lynn's savior and half of Jack the Ripper.
She was scared out of her wits now.
Grell saw the way her eyes widened and he grinned, sporting shark teeth that only he seemed to have. "Is it possible that you know who I am, my dear?"
Given the mixed feelings she held toward Grell (he had saved her sister from certain death, but he was half of Jack the Ripper, damn it!), she deemed it best not to answer his query.
"Don't be an ass, Grell," Lynn stated, looking unamused.
"But, Elle, I just wanted to know if she was aware of our relationship is all."
Aria frowned at that. Savior or no, this man was Jack the Ripper. He didn't exactly strike her as a great person to be with in any type of relationship. Still, Aria hardly thought now was the appropriate time to argue with her sister regarding her taste in men. They had a reason for being here, after all. Pushing aside her rising nausea, she turned to William with pleading eyes. He seemed to catch the drift.
"You may take that up with your girlfriend's sister later, Sutcliff. At the moment, we have more pressing matters to discuss."
Grell released yet another sigh, but this one seemed to be of resignation. Leaning against Lynn's chair, he got comfortable and turned his attention to what his boss had to say.
"Now," William began, sounding for all the world like he was addressing a board room of businessmen on some everyday topic, "the elder Dr. Sinclair has informed myself and her sister of a most interesting development. It would seem that the fugitive, Undertaker, has been in contact with her."
The entire room started as though this was the most fantastical thing they had ever heard.
William went on to explain the corpse Aria had been left at the morgue and the cryptic clues therein.
"Therefore," he continued, "we have concluded that Undertaker is most probably in residence or working out of Stonehart Asylum. The question now becomes what move do we take next? I would appreciate your input as the agents on this case."
No suggestions were immediately forthcoming, however. Everyone's first thought, of course, was to gander out to Stonehart Asylum, take Undertaker into custody and have done with the whole ghastly business, but that was not a plausible solution. Firstly, they weren't completely sure that the Undertaker was really at the asylum, and causing a commotion without producing positive results would end in a mountain of paperwork that no one was yearning to climb.
Then there came the question of infiltration. Reapers had done it in the past for a number of strange circumstances, but not many were skilled enough to pull it off, especially not a roll that would probably require at least a smidgeon of medical or psychiatric know how. Besides, a few of the reapers in the room had seen Undertaker face to face in the past, and their infiltration into Stonehart Asylum would cause instant red flags if Undertaker happened to lay eyes on them.
Add to that the fact that the only reason they were aware of Undertaker's association with Stonehart Asylum was a twisted message he had sent to Aria, and they were put at a standstill.
It was obvious that forcing their way in was out of the question. It was too risky a move to chance it.
Their best bet for infiltration in their company was Lynn, as she was a practicing psychiatrist, but the message had not been sent to her. If Aria did not respond to the Undertaker soon, then he may become suspicious and decamp, and that was the last thing they needed.
Releasing a sigh, William racked his brain for the best possible alternative. He absolutely did not want to send Aria - a human and one of his employee's relatives - into almost ensured danger, but he wasn't coming up with many other options. This may be the best opportunity they ever got at capturing the Undertaker in his own game. Was passing it up a luxury they had?
As if suddenly hearing his own thoughts voiced, Aria remarked, "I have to answer him. There is simply no other way to go about this."
The grim reaper supervisor looked up from the paper he had been blankly staring at and into the eyes of the woman sitting across from him. She was such a small thing: short, slender and petite in build. She certainly didn't seem a force to be reckoned with. If the lady came to physical harm, what would she be able to do for herself? The idea did not sit well with him.
"Dr. Sinclair," he began, "I do not think it prudent to send you into such a dangerous situation. You could very well be hurt or worse. Perhaps we could send your sister in your stead."
Even as he said it he knew it was impossible.
"If Undertaker is expecting me to come, then my sister's presence would immediately cause suspicion. Besides, I can't possibly see how bringing harm to me would service any of his purposes. Indeed, if that is the sole reason of his message, then I think he's going about the job in a very round about way."
Aria's words made sense, of course. After she had finished, William leaned back in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not get paid enough for this.
"Honestly..." he muttered.
Aria smirked. So that is why Ronald had been so jumpy when they first met.
"Very well," William relented, coming forward and propping his elbows on the plain of the desk. "You may go to the asylum under one condition."
Aria cocked an eyebrow. "And that condition would be?"
"You must have someone there as your backup in case something goes wrong. You can never tell what will happen when dealing with madmen, and an asylum is the perfect setting for all kind of mischief."
"Agreed," Aria consented easily. "Contrary to what you might think, I have no desire to die in the near future if it can be helped. Any type of assistance you can offer me will be immensely appreciated."
"I could go in as backup," Lynn offered. "I know my way around an asylum well enough, I should think."
William shook his head. "I'm sorry, Doctor, but you would give your sister away. You are well known to the people of the psychiatric community, being one of the only female practitioners. Someone would undoubtedly recognize you, even if you went under a pseudonym."
"Well, Ronny and I are obviously out of the question," Grell announced, hand on hip. "The old coot would recognize us from the Campania, and that would blow little Aria's cover instantly."
The doctor made an irritated face at Grell's new nickname for her, but she didn't say anything. William didn't seem to notice and simply agreed with Grell's point.
"Yes, you and Knox are definitely out of the question, and Alan, I'm afraid you are too. I don't know how long this operation will last, and I don't want to risk you having an attack in the interim. That would jeopardize both the mission and your well being, and I can't have that."
Alan nodded sagely, and Aria wondered just what kind of attack a grim reaper could suffer that would be detrimental to their health, but she decided now was not the best time to ask.
The only other option left was Eric Slingby, and William still wasn't satisfied. Eric, though physically capable and good at his job, tended to be volatile at times and let his emotions get in the way of his judgment. Though William had no doubt Eric could go in undetected and protect Aria from harm should she come to any, he couldn't dismiss the fact that the man himself may instigate the conflict he desperately needed to avoid.
One look from the man in question told William that he concurred with his assessment. Well, that left only one person then.
"If you will permit," the supervisor spoke, addressing the young doctor, "I will take it upon myself to offer you any type of protection you may need during your investigation. I hope this arrangement is agreeable to you?"
"Perfectly," Aria nodded, slightly relieved that her partner in crime would be William himself. Grell and Ronald didn't inspire much confidence, and she knew next to nothing about Eric and Alan. Although she had just met William a few hours ago, her intuition told her he could be trusted. He seemed very competent when it came to his job, and she doubted he would do anything foolish that would put their mission at risk.
"Then it is settled," William stated, sliding his pocket watch out of his jacket pocket and checking the time, "and quite swiftly too, which is even better. The rest of you may return to your duties. As for you, Dr. Sinclair, you may have to write ahead and alert the director of the asylum that you intend to make a visit."
"Way ahead of you, Mr. Spears," she smiled, pulling out her pen and stationary she had procured from the morgue. "I brought the essentials just in case you wanted me to write anything specific. Am I free to do this bit on my own?"
He nearly laughed at her efficiency. If only half of his employees were that good.
"Yes, I think it is safe to allow you to write your own letter. Feel free to use my desk. I shall be gone filing the necessary paperwork for my extended absence."
"Thank you. I shall make sure that everything is in its proper place when you return. You won't even know I was there."
He gave a small smile. "I'll hold you to that, Doctor."
Turning to leave the room, he saw that the rest of the company was still standing there and frowned. "Don't you lot have work to do?" he inquired, eyes hard.
"Er - yes, Mr. Spears! Right on it, sir!" Ronald stuttered, swiftly making his way out of the room and back to wherever it was he had been before the summons.
"Of course, Mr. Spears," Alan said calmly, inclining his head in respect and leaving the room with a grumpy looking Eric in his wake.
"You needn't be so cruel," Grell whined, heading for the door. Turning back, he looked over at Lynn and said, "Care to have lunch with me, Elle? We could chat and make up for lost time."
Said woman grinned from ear to ear and nodded eagerly. "How could I say no? Of course I'll have lunch with you, hot stuff."
It took all of Aria's self control not to smack her head against the wall, and William too seemed to be actively ignoring the couple.
As the psychiatrist got up to join her beau, she looked back into the room with a glimmer in her eyes. "Don't get up to anything naughty while we're gone, now, you two," she cooed, winking in her sister's direction.
Aria failed at hiding a blush of embarrassment.
"Out!" William barked, sending the couple running out the door and down the hall, giggling all the way.
Meanwhile Aria and William were plotting their slow and painful demise with an unwitting similarity.
"I must apologize on their behalf," William expressed regretfully. "They say whatever pops into their minds and care nothing for the consequences."
Aria smiled in understanding sympathy. "You seem to forget that I lived with one of those lunatics for a good portion of my life. Believe me, I know what you mean, and you have nothing to apologize for."
"So long as they didn't cause you undue discomfort," William sighed, adjusting his glasses. It seemed to be a nervous tick.
"I'm sure I'll survive the ordeal," Aria assured him, moving to his desk. "Now, didn't you say there was some necessary paperwork you had to take care of? I can't very well stealthily use your desk with you in the room."
He smiled at that and made to leave. "I'm holding you to your promise, Doctor. I expect to return unable to find a hint of you having used my desk."
"I won't disappoint, Mr. Spears. Though, for the sake of convenience, you may call me Aria from now on. With both me and my sister as your acquaintances, addressing one or the other of us as Dr. Sinclair can be a bit confusing."
There was a moment's pause before he spoke. "Of course you are right. Then if you so wish... Aria... you may call me William."
"Will do, William," Aria returned. "I'll get to writing that letter now. I intend to have it sent out this afternoon."
"Yes, of course. I'll leave you to it then." And he made his retreat. Thankfully, he got out without her having noticed the faint flush that had been making itself known on his face.
Hello, everybody! I've finally updated a new chapter for you, my (exceedingly patient) readers. Being the evil person I am, I sent poor William undercover. Hopefully he has some other civilian clothes than the outfit he worn while infiltrating the Noah's Ark Circus, or the people of Stonehart may just decide he's a patient.
Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews! I know I don't often have the time to answer most of them, but I read them all and appreciate them immensely. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.