Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC. I do not own any of it, nor do I make any money from it.
A/N Hey guys! Sorry for the late chapter. Things have been very hectic lately.
Here is Part 3 of the story 'The Space Mystery'. Not a lot of Amy and Rory in this chapter but that's because it's focused more on the OCs. Hope you enjoy it all the same.
Happy Reading!
The Space Mystery: The Investigation
Previously
Valerie Richmond emerged into the dining car, dressed in a silk robe and wearing a glower that could have set any number of children crying.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "Why are we being held here?"
"I can answer that," said the Doctor as he and Rory came into the dining car. "A man was murdered, just mere minutes ago. As of now, you are all suspects."
Carter had led the Doctor to an empty compartment in the first class which would be used as an interrogation room. The Doctor had Rose with him while he interviewed the different people. Rory was tasked with guarding the scene of the crime and as a precaution, had Amy's sonic blaster tucked into his suit jacket. Better safe than sorry, in case the murderer returned.
Amy was keeping an eye on everyone in the dining room. The Doctor had told her to report any odd behaviour among the passengers, especially after they had been interviewed.
The first one to be interviewed was Kramer Pollock. He nodded at the Doctor and Rose as he entered the compartment and took a seat. "Before you ask me anything, I just want to say that I should be allowed a counsel," he said.
"As long as you have nothing to hide, you won't need counsel," said the Doctor with a slight smile. "Now, where were you during the time the crime was committed?"
"I was in the dining car," said Kramer, without a hint of nervousness. "I had stayed there the whole time following supper."
"Can anyone verify that?" Rose asked.
"Yes," said Kramer, sounding a tad smug. "The server who was bringing me drinks."
Rose pursed her lips and looked at the Doctor. The Doctor kept his eyes on Kramer and reclined back in his seat. "Why are you marrying Janelle, Kramer?" he asked bluntly.
Kramer glared at the Doctor. "I don't see how it is any of your business," he snarled.
The Doctor didn't respond, nor did he ask anything further on the matter. "Did you know Faber Bonasera before you met him today?" he asked instead.
Kramer looked taken aback at the abrupt change in the topic but collected himself. "No," he answered.
The Doctor watched him steadily. "Very well, do you recognise this?" he asked, showing him the red kimono.
Kramer's eyes widened just a fraction before his expression went neutral. "No, I do not," he said.
"Thank you," said the Doctor with a wide smile. "You may leave."
Kramer looked a bit suspicious but got up and left quickly. As soon as the door had closed behind him, the Doctor turned to Rose. "Well?" he asked.
"He was lying when he said that he didn't know the kimono," said Rose at once. "Wasn't he?"
"Very good, Rose," nodded the Doctor. "I rather suspect that it belongs to Janelle Lombardi."
"What was Janelle doing in Faber's compartment?" asked Rose, confused.
"Let's ask her when the time comes," said the Doctor. "It's Keira Richmond's turn next."
Amy was quietly observing the people in the compartment. Valerie Richmond was still ranting about various lawsuits she was going to file against the Law Enforcement Officials on Applepond. She was not exactly being quiet and poor Keira Richmond had the job of trying to calm her grandmother.
Amy pitied the girl a bit. Valerie was worse than a child throwing a tantrum and no matter how much Keira tried, she would not stop. Amy briefly considered bounding and gagging Valerie to a chair but she was here as an observer only, as the Doctor had told her.
She had tried to swap jobs with Rory; she would prefer standing guard over dealing with rich snobs any day. But Rory had shaken his head with a smile that screamed 'not a chance'. He had even less patience than her when it came to dealing with people like these. Sometimes she wondered how he was a nurse if he couldn't stand difficult people.
Dr. Greenfield was smoking his cigars at an alarming rate, making Amy cringe a little. Those cigars needed to be savoured and smoked leisurely, not burnt through like common cigarettes. He wasn't talking to anyone now, just staring off into space.
"Hello," Janelle said as she walked up to Amy.
"Hi," said Amy shortly. She had heard from Rory that the girl was fond of talking too much about her wedding, which meant that it automatically put her on Amy's list of people to stay away from.
"So, how long will Kramer be?" she asked.
"He'll be back once he answers the Doctor's questions," said Amy.
"Do you think Kramer killed Mr. Bonasera?" Janelle asked.
Amy stared at her. She had been hysterical before but now she just sounded fascinated. "I-I don't know," said Amy, still a bit wary of the sudden mood change in Janelle.
"I think this is so much fun," said Janelle, in a low yet excited voice. "This is just like one of Agatha Christie's mysteries."
Amy nodded uncertainly, wondering if there was something wrong with that girl. She was fortunately spared from answering when Kramer burst into the dining car. "Jan!" he called and beckoned her imperiously.
Janelle flitted over to his side at once and he led her to a quiet corner. Amy watched them carefully, noting that Kramer was saying something rapidly to Janelle who was shaking her head repeatedly. Finally, Kramer gave up and barked at one of the servers to get him a fresh drink. Janelle looked miserable and Amy felt a little sorry for the girl, despite everything.
Being so absorbed in observing Kramer and Janelle, Amy had missed Keira leaving for her interview with the Doctor and Rose. There was no one to monitor Valerie who was still naming every lawyer she was going to contact as soon as the train got to Applepond.
Amy took a deep breath and started reciting the most lewd versions of Christmas Carols under her breath. Her mum used to berate her for it but Amy and her dad always found them hilarious. It passed the time nicely, in any case and stopped Amy from wanting to throttle someone.
"Ms. Richmond, can you account for your whereabouts during the time of the murder?" the Doctor asked.
"I was with Janelle in her compartment. After supper, she asked me to join her for a glass of wine and some gossip," said Keira coolly.
"You know her then?" Rose asked.
Keira nodded slowly. "Yes, I have known her since we were children," she answered. "When her parents died, I was only 13."
"What do you think of Kramer, Keira?" asked the Doctor.
Keira's nostrils flared. "Janelle loves him," she answered carefully.
"That's not what I asked," said the Doctor, giving her a slightly penetrating look.
Keira looked unsettled for a moment before huffing. "Fine!" she said. "If you must know, Kramer and I dated for a long time. I introduced him to Janelle."
"He left you for her?" Rose asked, her eyes wide. "That couldn't have been easy."
"No, it wasn't," said Keira, glaring at both of them. "What does this have to do with the murder?"
"Did you know Mr. Bonasera?" asked the Doctor.
"No," said Keira. "I mean, I had heard of him. He is a very famous lawyer. Was," she corrected with a frown. "He took on almost impossible cases and had an impeccable win record."
"Thank you, Ms. Richmond," said the Doctor graciously. Keira nodded and stood up. As she turned to go, the Doctor drew out his sonic screwdriver. "Think fast!" he yelled and threw it at Keira. She snapped around and caught the sonic screwdriver in her right hand. The Doctor smiled widely at her. "Wonderful," he said. "May I have it back?" Keira gave him the screwdriver back, staring at him like he was mad. So was Rose, for that matter. The Doctor grinned, unashamed. "I apologise for my moment of whimsy," he said smoothly.
Keira shot him a look and left. Rose waited until the doors closed to look questioningly at him. "What was that about?" she asked.
"Not important," said the Doctor cheerfully. "So, tell me what you thought."
"She wasn't flirting with you anymore," said Rose.
"Correct," said the Doctor. "She was only doing that around Kramer Pollock."
"She wanted to make him jealous," said Rose. "I guess that makes sense."
"Only to you lot, it does," said the Doctor, shaking his head. "I will never understand you humans."
Rose rolled her eyes but didn't dignify that with a response. "Who's next?"
"Janelle," answered the Doctor. "This should be interesting."
Rory was bored out of his mind and beginning to regret not taking Amy up on her offer to swap jobs. At least she was around people instead of standing alone in a corridor outside a dead man's compartment. With the dead man still inside it.
He leaned against the closed door and banged his head on it a few times. His mind ran through the different suspects but he had no idea who could be responsible. Who could escape locked doors and get past them unseen and unheard?
He had flippantly suggested to the Doctor that maybe the murderer had used a teleport to escape and the Doctor had given him a look that made Rory feel like he had just dribbled on his shirt. Then, the Doctor had launched into the history of the entire galaxy, talking about how there had been no teleports in this star system or the next for at least another century.
He sighed and let his gaze drop to the ground. He saw some sort of grey ash on the floor outside the compartment and his brow furrowed. He bent down and examined it. He was half tempted to sniff it but he couldn't be sure that it wasn't something poisonous.
He reached into his pocket and took out a piece of paper. Using it, he carefully scooped up a pinch of the grey ash. The Doctor would know what it was, he realised and pocketed it. He just had to wait until he was no longer needed to guard Faber's body.
That time couldn't come soon enough.
"...and we are even on a train called 'The Orient Express'. I mean, it is so amazing. It's such a coincidence..." Even the normally patient Doctor looked at the end of his tether as Janelle rambled on and on.
"Janelle," Rose interrupted, feeling the beginning of a headache. She had spent the evening being rambled at by Dr. Greenfield and now Janelle seemed to be channelling him in full force. Not to mention the Doctor had been running his gob as usual. It was a wonder Rose hadn't gone deaf. "Can you answer the question?"
"Sorry, what was it that you asked?" asked Janelle sheepishly.
"Was Keira with you?" repeated the Doctor.
"Oh, oh yes," Janelle nodded. "We left the dining car together and went to my compartment. We had some wine and caught up on girl talk."
"Did you know Mr. Bonasera?" asked Rose.
"No," said Janelle. "But I was told that he was very famous on Snowdell."
"Do you recognise this, Ms. Lombardi?" asked the Doctor, holding up the kimono.
"That's my kimono from the 3940 Geraldi Nippon Revival collection," exclaimed Janelle. "How did you get that?"
"It's yours?" asked Rose.
"Yes. It's one of a kind," said Janelle. "It was in my luggage. How did you get it?"
"Your luggage? Meaning in the luggage car?" asked the Doctor.
"Of course," said Janelle. "My overnight bag was full so I had to put it in my bigger bags."
"We found it next to Faber's body," said Rose.
Janelle stared at her before giving a loud wail and bursting into noisy tears. Exchanging a shocked look with the Doctor, Rose moved to comfort her. "Oh no," Janelle sobbed. "That is horrible." Rose patted her arm awkwardly as she sobbed loudly. "Kramer was telling the truth then. He accused me of having an affair with Mr. Bonasera."
"And were you?" asked the Doctor. "Having an affair, I mean."
Rose shot him a look but Janelle shook her head. "Of course not," she said at once. "I love Kramer. We are soul mates. I would never cheat on him."
"Doesn't it bother you that you are friends with Keira who is Kramer's ex?" asked Rose.
"Keira and Kramer have been over a long time ago," said Janelle, quite calm now. "Kramer told me he doesn't love her like he loves me and Keira is over him."
"Thanks for answering our questions, Ms. Lombardi," said the Doctor. "You are free to go."
Janelle stood up and beamed at him. "Thank you," she said and flounced off.
"Is it me, or does she seem to have really wild mood swings?" asked Rose, once she had gone.
"I was hoping you noticed it," said the Doctor. "It's curious, isn't it?"
"Curious, weird, same thing," muttered Rose. "How many more to go?"
"Just Valerie and Dr. Greenfield to go," said the Doctor.
"Why not Carter?" asked Rose.
"He was with us the whole time," said the Doctor. "Besides, the poor lad is innocent."
Rose stared at the Doctor. "You know who killed Faber, don't you?" she asked, shrewdly.
The Doctor's lips lifted into a smile. "I haven't questioned everyone yet," he said.
Rose shook her head. "But you still know, don't you?" she persisted.
The Doctor tapped her nose playfully. "Just between you and me," he said. "I have a very good idea. But I need to make sure of some facts first."
"Come on," said Rose, nudging his shoulder with her own. "Give us a clue."
"Patience, my Rose," he said, shaking his head and smiling benignly at her.
A throat cleared and the Doctor and Rose turned away from each other to see Dr. Greenfield in the doorway. "I hope I am not intruding," he said sarcastically.
"Dr. Greenfield, have a seat," said the Doctor, slightly coolly. "Could you please tell us where you were when the murder occurred?"
"I was in my compartment, getting ready for bed," he answered shortly. "And before you ask, I was alone."
"Did you know Mr. Bonasera before today?" the Doctor asked.
"No, why should I?" asked Dr. Greenfield.
The Doctor reached into his coat and pulled out a bunch of papers. "Do you recognise this?" he asked.
Tristan Greenfield took the papers and went slightly pale. They were legal papers. His hands shook slightly as he put them down. ""Where...where did you find these?"
"So you knew that Mr. Bonasera was filing a lawsuit against you for negligence during his wife's surgery," said the Doctor.
"I knew," nodded Tristan, sounding tired.
"Did you come on this train to stop him from going ahead with the lawsuit?" asked Rose.
"No," he answered in the same tired voice. "I had no idea he was going to be here. I was..." he shook his head.
"You were running away," guessed the Doctor.
Tristan nodded, ashamed. "I have already had four lawsuits filed against me. The hospital can no longer afford to have me on staff. Applepond was my chance to escape."
"Did Faber confront you?" asked the Doctor.
"No," he said. "I don't even think he recognised me. I had only seen him once and he was grieving at the time."
"Thank you, Dr. Greenfield," said the Doctor.
Tristan stood up. "I'm going to prison, huh?" he asked, sounding resigned.
"Not if you didn't kill Faber," said the Doctor.
Tristan nodded and left. Rose stared at the Doctor. "How did you know?" she asked.
"I found the papers on Faber," he answered. "Remember how Tristan kept talking all the time?"
"Do I ever?" Rose murmured sarcastically.
"He was trying to distract everyone from questioning him too much," said the Doctor, ignoring the jibe. "He wanted to be sure that no one would realise that he was running away from his responsibilities."
"Did he kill Faber?" asked Rose.
Before the Doctor could answer, the door flung open and Valerie stood glaring at them. "Well?" she asked. "Get on with your questions then," she said, seating herself with as much dignity as she could muster.
"Good evening, Valerie," said the Doctor charmingly. Valerie's demeanour softened slightly at his tone. "If you'd be so kind to account for your whereabouts, I would appreciate it."
Rose had to hand it to the Doctor. He was being the perfect mix of cunning and charming to wheedle information out of Valerie. It seemed to be working too, since Valerie immediately started talking.
"After supper, I retired to my compartment. I was on my own the whole time," she said.
"Why were you in the luggage car when the alarm was raised?" asked Rose.
Valerie fidgeted slightly. "When I heard the commotion outside, I went to check up on my valuables," she said. "I was afraid that something might have been stolen."
"And was there?" asked the Doctor.
Valerie met his eyes. "An ornate dagger is missing," she said. "It is about sixteen inches with a maridium blade and gold handle. The handle has rubies studded into it."
"Why didn't you say anything until now?" asked Rose as the Doctor fell into deep thought.
"I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that I had noticed," snapped Valerie. "It was there before supper and is gone now meaning that could very well be the murder weapon. I didn't want to alert the murderer."
"Wise decision," said the Doctor. "I will ask you to keep this between us for now, Valerie."
"As you wish," nodded Valerie.
"Thank you for your help, Valerie," said the Doctor. "I'll walk you back."
Valerie nodded gratefully as the Doctor stood up and led her out. He noticed Rose's confused look but he shook his head and mouthed 'get Rory' to her. Rose nodded and left towards Faber's compartment.
The Doctor left Valerie at the door of the dining car and was turning around to look for Rose and Rory when he heard a faint sound. His brow furrowed as he realised that it was coming from the core to the Key to Time. The Doctor drew it out of his coat and held it in front of him.
The signal was no longer pointing to the luggage car. The Doctor followed the sound and it became louder when he came to one of the compartments. He tried the door but it was locked. Using his sonic screwdriver, he entered the compartment.
The core got louder and the Doctor moved the pillow aside to find the ornate dagger covered in blood lying on the bed. The Doctor did not touch the core to the dagger, knowing that he needed the proof before he could revert the key back to the original form. He tucked the core back into his coat and used a handkerchief to lift up the dagger.
He knew whose compartment this was and his suspicions were now confirmed. He knew exactly who the killer was.
A/N End of Part 3. The final part will see the killer revealed and how they did it.
Let me know what you thought of this one. The next chapter will be up soon.
~ Phoenix