Chapter 3: Jack and Phryne: Murder in GlenRowan
Soon, they are arriving at GlenRowan. It is a village really, not very large compared to Melbourne. Jack's mouth twitching slightly, he remembers the first time he met Miss Fisher, "Do you have a card Inspector, in case I need the police, as I am a woman alone in a dangerous town?" And his response as even then her soul searching pansy blue eyes drew him in, "I plan to make this town less dangerous." Bringing his mind back to the present and looking around as they drove through town, Jack thinks that the four of them will have no trouble following up on the young lady's request. They arrive at a beautiful, quaint plantation style inn and decide to see if there are rooms available. Jack gets keys to four rooms and hands them out. Once again, Phryne notes, the two ladies are placed protectively between the two men. The gesture is comforting and annoying at the same time.
It is not lost on Phryne that Jack's room is next to hers. Smiling a bit wanly as she and Dot go to their room to freshen up and thinking to herself, you have to snap out this malaise! You owe it to Jack to do what you do best with him - solving puzzles together, without the additional drama of personal demons and shadows. She allows that she likes the sound of together when she isn't full of thoughts of Rene's abuse. Shaking her her head ruefully at her reflection in the mirror, she vows to leave the shadows behind and with a toss of her glossy hair and fresh lipstick she goes down to dinner.
Chatting amiably, she and Dot come down the stairs together where Jack and Hugh are waiting patiently for them. After a delicious dinner, they decide to take in the town and a bit of night air. As they stroll along discussing their plans for following up on the inquiry, there is a sudden scuffle and shouting ahead. Jack and Hugh ask the ladies to stay put and call the police. The two men ran forward to see if they can be of help. Jack is running toward an alley when he hears Phryne behind him. Panting only slightly he calls back to her, "Miss Fisher, do you ever do as I ask?" "Where's the fun in that Jack" she answers with her carefree laugh. Concerned though he is for her safety, hearing her laugh like that brings joy to his heart. As they skid into the alley, they stumble over a body. Phryne immediately bends down to check for a pulse. "Dead" she says. Hugh has gone further into the alley to see what he can see and Jack bends down beside Phryne to examine the body more closely. He knows the local constable will likely not appreciate the help of a lady detective, but he hasn't the heart to tell Phryne to stop her investigating when she is so thoroughly immersed in checking for clues. Jack blocks Phryne from view as the local constable arrives, giving her time to move away from the body and fade into the background. To Jack's surprise, Phryne is amazingly quiet while the constable is there, but communicates nonverbally to him with a shake of her head that she has found something. While the constable is taking some notes, Jack slides over to where Phryne is standing against the wall of the building.
Phryne shows Jack the small enamel box she found in the victim's hand. Taking the box from her hand Jack looks it over, but it's too dark in the alley to really examine it. Teasing in his voice Jack asks, "Miss Fisher, how is it you always find murder?" Answering with the voice of sardonic acceptance Phryne responds, "Why Jack, you know perfectly well I don't find murder, murder finds me!" Jack chuckles softly. He can see that he is going to have to take over this case and while he is sorry a man is dead, he's grateful to providence for providing a less flimsy excuse for their being together and away from Aunt Prudence's watchful eye.
Jack speaks to the GlenRowan Constable about taking the case. The Constable is more than willing to let a Senior Detective Inspector take charge. He will help them as he is needed, but he is busy with the day to day happenings of GlenRowan, and murder isn't something he deals with regularly. Taking the opportunity to tell the Constable that they are also following up on a concern raised about a Silvia Warrington, Jack fills the Constable in on what he knows. The constable doesn't recognize the name immediately, but offers his services if the Inspector needs additional help finding her. With that, the Constable leaves heading back to the station to file the report while Jack, Hugh, Phryne and Dot search the alley for further clues. It's too dark to really see, so Jack posts a couple of the local police to guard the alley until he can return the next day.
"Jack", how will we do this murder investigation and do the search we actually came here to conduct?" asks Phryne, her voice laced with concern thinking about the poor girl who is counting on them to find her mother, and for the poor unknown man who is still awaiting the arrival of the carriage to take him to the morgue. "We will divide and conquer Miss Fisher" Jack responds crisply. "Now I suggest that you and Miss Williams return to the inn. Constable Collins and I will remain here until the body has been removed for transport to the morgue". Agreeing with a small nod she and Dot return to the inn. Dot draws a hot bath for Phryne and leaves for her own bath and bed as Phryne sinks into the delicious warmth and begins to review the events of the day. She does her best thinking in the bath. As Phryne allows the water to wash the dirt and fear of the day away, she ponders the beautifully crafted box. She thinks it might be of Russian origin. How did it come to be in a dead man's hand? Is it the killer's? How did the killer get out of the alley without being seen by one of them? With all these thoughts swirling around in her head, and lulled by the hot water, Phryne dozes off.
She is awakened by insistent knocking on her door. Phryne jerks and splashes the bath water around. The bath is considerably cooler now, and shivering slightly as she stands up, she calls distractedly "Just a moment" to whoever is the door knocker. Still shivering Phryne slips into her thick fluffy pink robe, she isn't in the mood for silk tonight. She quickly brushes her wet hair and cracks the door. Jack is standing there with a hot chocolate in each hand. Phryne smiling brilliantly at his thoughtfulness observes that he has bathed and changed his clothes. He cuts a dashing figure even in his casual clothes she thinks as she looks him over. "Come in Jack" she says opening the door. "Propriety says I don't come in as you are unchaperoned" Jack's voice responds its tone heavy and formal. "Since when has propriety stopped me?" Phryne asks mischievously. Jack is unable to resist her charms. She looks so small in the fluffy robe and her eyes are still shadowed. He hands her a cup of cocoa and moves into her room to sit on the love seat. Taking a deep sip of the warm cocoa, she murmurs "Mmm, yummy. Jack, you do know how to win a lady's heart." Jack wisely takes a sip of his chocolate and simply looks at her not answering. Phryne moves to the love seat and sits beside him. She needs to touch him. She needs to feel grounded; the day has been so strange. She moves a bit so that she is sitting thigh to thigh with him, her robe parting slightly to reveal the creamy skin of her legs and knees. His breath expelling from his lungs Jack tries not to respond to the electricity he feels from her touch and the view of her legs. He understands her need to connect, but he does have his limits.
He reaches over and pulls her robe back around her legs saying with exaggerated courtesy, "I don't want you to catch a chill Miss Fisher. We have two cases to solve now." Sighing Phryne says, "Thank you Jack. Your concern is most gallant". Jack can tell she is a tiny bit disappointed. He sighs softly as well, but says nothing more for several minutes. They both sip their cocoa and allow the companionable silence to stretch out. Jack pleasantly warm and comfortable by her side relaxes to enjoy her presence and the cocoa. Her head droops onto his shoulder, and he has to catch her cocoa cup as her hand relaxes. It gives Jack a feeling of power to know that she trusts him enough to fall asleep with him. Placing both cups on the small table beside the love seat Jack settles her against him, pillowing her head on his shoulder. A sense of contentment steals over him and his head falls against the back of the love seat as he too dozes off.
Suddenly Jack jerks awake. Miss Fisher's body is still warmly nestled against him, but his mind is caught up in the dream that woke him. He was back on the Pandarus, Phryne' s lock pick in hand, realizing that Phryne was somewhere on board and that George Sanderson was trying to cover something up. His heart still racing he sets about reassuring himself that Phryne is safe; he puts his arms around her and holds her to him, feeling her heart beat as she snuggles into him. He knows he needs to go to his own room, but he just can't move yet. It feels so comfortable holding her while she sleeps. Phryne shifts slightly in his lap. Groaning softly in response, Jack realizes he didn't think about his body's reaction to her when pulling her close; he isn't thinking rationally. Suddenly overcome by his desire to touch her, he gently traces her lips with his finger and then runs his finger along her jawline. She feels so soft. Her skin is creamy; he can't resist running his finger softly down her neck as well. It is a dangerous game; his body reminds him as desire rapidly builds in him. He wants her desperately. Groaning again and placing a soft kiss on her lips, Jack wrestles with his emotions and his traitorous body. Luckily or unluckily he thinks wryly, Phryne doesn't wake.
Jack decides she needs to be in her bed rather than on the love seat, so he very gently lifts her slight weight in his strong arms, standing and carrying her toward the bed. Phryne stirs in his arms, but again does not wake. Feeling warm and safe she snuggles closer to his warm body. As Jack places Phryne on the bed, her robe falls open. Not breathing, his heart beating rapidly, he shamelessly takes the opportunity to drink her in. She is so beautiful; all alabaster skin and exquisite curves. This is even better than the view during her fan dance at the Imperial Club. He wants to wake her and touch her everywhere, but disciplining himself as the honorable man he is, he brings the blankets gently up to cover her, tucking the blankets around her and kissing her softly on her forehead, slips silently from her room, his body aching with desire for her. Phryne as if sensing warmth, safety and wellbeing snuggles deeper into the soft covers. She does not wake.
Jack has difficulty falling asleep his desire for Phryne warring with his fear of her ability to break his already deeply scarred heart. Falling into an uneasy sleep punctuated with dreams of him searching for Phryne on the Pandarus and not finding her; his fear for her licking his insides and causing him to toss and turn. Reliving the horror of discovering the young girls, of Sidney Fletcher preparing to shoot Phryne and the cold detachment that came over him as he shot Fletcher in the dream Jack's breathing became labored. His body jerking convulsively as his mind replays again Sidney Fletcher taking aim at Phryne, he breaks into a sweat knowing he would have killed Sidney Fletcher with no regrets; wanting to kill him. Acknowledging that murderous thought forced Jack to admit to himself in those few seconds what Miss Fisher has come to mean to him. In the dream he fires his gun, hitting Fletcher in the shoulder, high and to the right of where his brain wanted him to shoot, long years of discipline and doing the right thing helping him master his baser protective instincts. He continues to toss and turn through the night feeling very alone.
When Phryne wakes feeling much more rested than she had expected to, a small smile touches her lips. As she becomes more alert she realizes that she is not in her silk pajamas. How odd she thinks, as her eyes fall on the two cups that are sitting on the table beside the love seat. Then she remembers that Jack had come with cocoa. She let him in and they had been sipping cocoa and sitting closer than mere friends should on the love seat. She remembers feeling safe again once Jack came and that they had been discussing the case, but that is all she remembers. As she pulls her robe back around her body, a very impish grin crosses her face. Knowing the gentlemen Jack is he wouldn't leave her on the love seat and he wouldn't want to wake her; Phryne's powers of deduction determining that he put her to bed and tucked her in. Her pulse quickening with the realization of his continued watch care and the desire to know what Jack thought as he put her to bed, she decides that Carpe Diem is her motto of the morning. Rising and dressing quickly in a simple outfit that did not require Dot's able assistance, brushing her hair and grabbing the small enamel box, she leaves her room to knock on Jack's door.
Jack is awakened by a soft knocking on his door. "Jack", he hears Phryne say quietly. "Are you awake?" What time is it Jack wonders? It is early, his room is still shadowed. He rasps out sarcastically in a voice thick with the uneasiness caused by his dreams and lack of sleep, "Yes, Miss Fisher, I am awake now". Biting her lip Phryne hesitates, thinking he would be as eager as she to examine the clue recovered from the crime scene. She wants to get there as quickly as possible to see what they may have missed in their nighttime search. Her mind is so busy thinking about the case possibilities, wondering what transpired the previous evening and what would happen today, that she visibly jumps when Jack opens the door, but covers with an endearing smile at his tousled hair and sleepy eyed appraisal of her. Oh those eyes Phryne thought; they really are devastatingly magnetic.
Jack opens the door wider so she can come in. Phryne enters the room, noting that Jack has only pulled on his trousers prior to letting her in. He is very beautiful man she thinks, taking in the strongly muscled arms, well defined chest and abdomen, hair curling across his chest and trailing down toward his waistband. Phryne' s breathing quickens, her blue eyes darkening, as he motions for her to sit down, and he grabs the rest of his clothes and begins to dress. She watches him dress with unabashed appreciation, smiling sweetly. "Jack, you really do know how to raise a lady's pulse rate" her mischievous voice slightly husky. As Jack pulls on a singlet, he blithely responds, "I didn't know a lady is present, Miss Fisher. I thought you are a detective" Phryne throws the small pillow from the loveseat at him as they both break into easy laughter.
"I brought the box" she said. "It's time for us to get to work Inspector!" For his part, Jack is glad to see that Miss Fisher looks like she had a restful night's sleep, and felt a thrill of pride that perhaps he played a part in that. He hadn't wanted to keep her standing outside the door for propriety's sake, letting her in as soon as he properly fastened his pants. At least that is what he tells himself conscious of her appraisal of his physicality. He isn't ashamed of his lack of dress; he is unaccountably happy under her gaze, and he gives her his enigmatic smile as he buttons his shirt and tucks it into his pants. After he puts on his socks and shoes he grabs his hat, offers Phryne his arm and peeking out the door to make sure the coast is clear he escorts her to the dining room, the shadows of the previous night forgotten in the sunshine of her smile and the warm hand on his arm.