47

"What say you to some snooping?" The Doctor asked happily, maybe a little more happy than usual. He was trying desperately to cheer Phil up, it failed because she just stood playing with the chocolate wrapper. Running a hand through his hair he stood in thought, what could he possibly say to make her feel better?

Saying it wasn't real would be a brilliant idea, if only all the little facts added up. It would make some sense if Phil was from this time. So for Tim to pop up here in the 1920's was extremely disconcerting.

Rubbing his hands together he put a hand on her hair, "Phil? I have an explanation about it."

"Really?" She looked up at him with wide eyes, now completely interested in what he had to say. Giving her hair one more pat he removed his hand and put it in his trouser pocket.

"Well," he started to say and then stopped when all the people who went in to see the show now walked through the doors. Clearly the show had finished and everyone was busying themselves with getting home. Phil side stepped a few people and stood beside him, everyone seemed so ecstatic about what they'd seen. Phil shook her head sadly, she was enjoying the show until her brother had appeared.

She jumped when an arm got draped around her shoulders and she was suddenly being escorted away from the theatre. The Doctor was walking to an alley way at the side of the extravagant building. The two walked down the dark narrow passage and stopped when they came upon a door.

"It could be that he's a fellow psychic like you but can project imagery."

"Is that even possible?"

"Well I've never heard of someone who can project imagery but you never know! New things are popping up all the time around the world." He explained while rummaging in his jacket pockets for the sonic screwdriver.

Phil crossed her arms and thought over what he said. "Does that mean he linked to me?"

"Possibly, I mean you are a easy target to link onto considering you're unlimited energy."

"Who knew having psychic energy could be such an annoyance?"

"Oh come on now!" He grinned and pushed the door open when it clicked. "You're just being sulky – with good reason yes – but you've never complained about having psychic energy before, not even with all that Darkness rubbish happening. So why start now?"

Phil just gave him a look and uncrossed her arms, "Because some person just linked to me and made my dead brother pop up. Now if that doesn't give me a good reason to be sulky and annoyed then I don't know what will."

"Good point, sorry Phil. Really I am, it seemed that my plan of playing detective has backfired somewhat."

"We can still be detectives just...a minor flaw appeared in our plan."

"Nice way of wording it," he gave her a small smile. "Shall we?" He gestured with a hand to the open door. Phil gave and nod and walked into the building with him. the two had managed to find the back entrance to the building. They walked into the backstage area, there was no one in here anymore all was quiet and creepy.

"Aren't most theatres haunted?"

"Well that could be possible, no ones even tested that theory." The Doctor looked around, in front of them was the stage. To the side was a small corridor which he presumed lead towards the dressing rooms and prop rooms.

Hearing quite voices the two ducked to the side and hid amongst the ropes which were tethered to the curtains and backdrops. Walking out of the corridor and towards the door were what the two presumed were the theatre manager and one of the magicians.

"So...the four missing people were last seen here?"

"Indeed they were, you see it would make sense if they were all female. But they're not, they're both male and female."

"Yeah you have a point, I think...women are easily over powered but the one man who has disappeared, how do you over power a man and make him disappear?"

"Or kill him."

"Charming."

"The thought crossed your mind and I know it." The Doctor looked down at her quickly while the theatre manager and the magician disappeared outside. "Come on Phil, lets go snooping."

"Couldn't we have just stick with disappearing? It's sort of ironic, magicians and disappearing acts."

"True I do see the irony there." He walked up to the stage and stood there, Phil stood in the wings and looked up and around the area. "If I were to make someone disappear," The Doctor said making sure to stick with the disappearing point, it was evident the thought of the missing people being dead unsettled Phil. "Who would I choose? And how would I choose them?"

"By contacting the dead." Phil walked on stage and looked around, in front of them was the fine red furnished seats, the balcony area. It was a rather small theatre, and there were a lot of people in here it was hard for everyone to fit in.

The Doctor looked at her and then pointed to a seat, "The crying woman sat there."

"We sat over there," Phil said while pointing to the furthest chairs which were about four rows from the back.

"She would be easy to see from here. We wouldn't be, not only that you didn't show any reaction."

"I cried."

"Yes I know but you didn't have a breakdown like she did did you? No you didn't because you have more self control. But what I mean is, from here we can easily see where she was. And you people have a nasty habit of chasing things down when it involves loved ones."

"You saying she hunted that plonker out?"

"Yes I am." He nodded and then pulled a face. "Plonker? Well I don't blame you for calling him childish names I suppose he does deserve it."

"Heck yeah he does! He made me cry, no ones allowed to make me cry that's just not fair." Phil huffed and crossed her arms. The Doctor grinned which caused her to look at him confused.

"Good to see you've cheered up Phil."

"I just needed to have a slight mope Doctor, that's all."

"I have to point out that you've just pointed the finger of blame onto the most obvious person."

"Yes but in detective novels and that the most obvious person is usually the one in the blame."

"That's fictional Phil."

Phil opened her mouth to answer but then just walked into the room, she had been clutching onto the door handle. Pushing the door open and walking in she was soon confronted with a dressing room. By looks of the clothes on the railings it was the women's dressing room. Turning and leaving the room she looked up at The Doctor, he was busy pottering around the room adjacent to the one she was standing in front of.

"No answer?"

"Not this time."

"Ha! Outsmarted you," he said childishly while shutting the door and pointing a finger at her.

"I don't know if you realize this but you don't need to try very hard to outsmart me."

"Now you're putting yourself down."

"I'm still moping, slight self loathing goes with it."

"Oh Phil! Stop being so hard on yourself, I understand how you feel honestly I do. But putting yourself down isn't going to help."

"So what do I do?"

"Think of the positives."

"Eh? Like what? What is possibly positive about the moment which happened?"

"Your saw your brother."

"I guess."

"We're being detectives."

"True."

"There is a slim possibility in us getting into huge trouble with the police."

"Uh-huh that's true too."

"We may be able to pull some minor heroics and save someone."

"Yeah."

"Better?"

"Somewhat."

"Good! Come on then lets find the dressing room of that freaky illusionist."

"I think I may be put off illusionists for life now. Regular illusionists can't do stuff like that can they?"

"No, as far as I know no normal person should be able to do that." Soon finding a set of stairs they exchanged a look before walking up them quickly and quietly. Up the top of the stairs there were about five doors. Phil looked up at the ceiling, that made sense there were four or five magicians in the show, so of course they would be in better dressing rooms than the regular acts.