The Inspection of a Curator

DISCLAIMER: All rights belong to Deborah Harkness. Just borrowing the characters for an alternate universe fan fiction story.

SUMMARY: A 1940's Police Inspector gets caught up in the world of rare books when a valuable manuscript is stolen and a murder occurs. Together, with a book curator, this Detective will face obstacles as they traverse the secret world of asylum's, wealth and mystery as well as their blossoming romance.

CREDIT: A huge thank you to Shawna! I wouldn't be the author I am without your editing help, suggestions and ideas!


Chapter THREE: First Meetings and Discoveries

By: Goode Girl

~TIOAC~

Fernando Gonçalves was Hugh Sorley's roommate. At least, that's what they told the public. When in reality, they were in love and had been partners for years. Such relationships were illegal and even though Matthew worked for the law, he saw no justice in turning in two men who had never hurt anyone. So, he helped to keep their secret. Gallowglass' mother died in childbirth and Fernando and Hugh had been his father figures all his life.

Fernando was the link to Gallowglass and would inform him of his father's death. But first, it fell on Matthew to inform Fernando of the inexplicable tragedy that took Hugh's life.

The past twenty-four hours have been long and definitely not the way he saw himself starting the new year. One of the hardest conversations he'd ever had to have, just concluded and Matthew rubbed his hands over his face as if that action would rid him of the frustration he was feeling. It was not surprising that Fernando was upset at the news, but he assured Matthew, he would pass it on to Gallowglass.

When he arrived at the station, his boss, Chief Inspector Hamish Osborne, summoned him to his office.

"Roydon, sorry to hear about the events that transpired last night. I understand you knew the deceased." He stated.

"Thank you, sir. Yes, I knew him by an acquaintance, a mutual friend really." He explained. Matthew didn't like to let on how well he knew Hugh, or Gallowglass for that matter as his undercover work depended on it.

"Right, well. Just keep me informed and let me know if you need any extra help." He stated, dismissing him.

Stretching his arms over his head, he took a seat at his desk, a fresh cup of coffee at the ready. Inspector Roydon's direct phone line started blaring and he picked up on the second ring. "Roydon," he answered, cradling the phone between his head and shoulder so he could sip at his coffee.

"Inspector, it's Ernst Neumann, sir. The coroner."

"Ernst, what can I do for you?" He queried.

"I've completed the inquest on the victim, Hugh Sorely." He informed. "I thought you might want to come and collect the report." He relayed.

"I'll be there momentarily." He confirmed, downing his coffee quickly before pulling on his jacket and hat.

Matthew informed Hamish of his whereabouts before leaving, to keep him abreast of new information.

The coroner's office was about ten minutes away from the station. He pulled into the back lot and parked his 1942 maroon, Chevrolet Coupe before heading in the back door.

"Roydon!" Ernst greeted as he followed him into the morgue. This wasn't their first case together and they were on rather friendly terms.

He pulled Hugh's body from the fridge and drew back the sheet while handing Matthew a folder which contained his findings.

"So, cause of death?" He spoke.

"Blunt force trauma to the head, here," Ernst began, indicating the discoloured wound on his head. ", in the occipital region." He added. "He bled out, slowly. Meaning, he may have been laying there for a few hours before he was found. I place time of death between 8:00 and 9:00 PM." He finalized.

"A few hours? That doesn't fit. The alarm bells sounded at midnight and police officers were on scene within twenty minutes." Roydon relayed.

"Perhaps, they were set off on purpose and the stolen property was taken hours before." He theorized. "Someone else could have set off the alarms." He deduced.

"Clever," Matthew murmured. "The question is, how?" he added, his eyes perusing the report. "If he had received medical attention, could he have survived this?" He questioned.

"I can't say with 100% certainty, but he would have had a very good chance. Yes." He concluded.

"Great," Matthew murmured dejectedly. "Such a senseless death." he added.

"He worked in the home, correct?" Ernst posed.

"He did, yes." He stated.

"It's not my place to tell you the why's, but perhaps he interrupted the thieves and he was a liability." He surmised.

"Sadly, I think you may just be correct in that assessment." He agreed. "Thank you, Ernst." He finished, before taking his leave.

Back at the station, Inspector Roydon submitted a copy of the coroner's report to Hamish as well as adding one to the file he had open for the case. The next item on his to-do list, was to find and contact this Diana Bishop, that Mr. Dee had recommended.

A perusal of the phone book gave him numerous possibilities, and he trailed his finger down the page until he found two listings. One was a private residence for Diana Bishop, the location about ten minutes away, and just below that was a second listing in the same building. It was a business called, 'Second Story: Curator of Fine Works'.

When he parked just up the street from her building, Matthew could have sworn he felt like someone was watching him. He shrugged it off and turned his gaze to the edifice in front of him and couldn't help the small laugh that erupted. Her business was in fact on the 'second story', of the building. He shook his head at the humour of it, before walking inside, taking the stairs two at a time.

…..

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hubbard. But the auction is in two weeks. If you want to place a bid on this particular volume, you have until Wednesday of next week to let me know. Good day." She concluded, setting the phone back in its cradle.

As a book curator, Diana Bishop had had various clients over the years and has been working with Mr. Hubbard on acquiring a particular manuscript of interest to him. It was part of an extensive catalogue that once belonged to Edward Kelley, who passed a few months ago. His 'Last Will and Testament' indicated his wishes to auction off his extensive library.

Diana was frustrated because Mr. Hubbard could not make up his mind on whether or not he wanted to place a bid on a certain volume, and she growled in irritation. "Insufferable imbecile." She muttered under her breath. "Great start to the new year, clearly." She added sarcastically.

Glancing at the calendar on her desk, she noted the date as January 2nd, Friday; before standing from her chair. Smoothing her hands over her trousers, she adjusted her blouse as she headed to the back corner of her office where a kitchen used to be.

She owned two flats that were next door to each other, one of which she converted into said office. She kept the small fridge and gas stove for times like this, when she wanted a coffee but didn't want to lock up her office to go next door to her flat.

Her Oxford's resonated her clacking footsteps on the hardwood floor as she reached the small counter laden with supplies for coffee or tea. Putting the kettle on to boil, she ground some fresh beans for the press before moving to the window behind her desk.

With her hands on her hips, she took a calming breath and watched the passersby on the street below. Time seemed to get away from her and the whistle of the kettle caught her attention. As she finished pouring the water over the ground beans, there was a frantic knocking on her office door. She couldn't see her visitor through the frosted pane of glass, but could tell that it was a woman from the style of hair silhouetted beyond.

"OH!" The woman announced in surprise when Diana opened the door.

"Can I help you?" Diana questioned, taking in the woman's appearance, and the bag that hung by a strap on her shoulder.

"Yes, sorry, you startled me." She confessed. "You are Diana Bishop, yes?" The woman queried, shuffling nervously on her feet.

"I am." She confirmed.

"Excellent, I'm Satu Järvinen." She announced, reaching out a hand for a shake. "I've got a manuscript that could use your expertise." She explained, dropping her hand after their greeting.

Diana ushered her into her office and closed the door. "Coffee? I just made it fresh." She offered.

"Please, cream and sugar." She relayed, casting her eyes around the room.

Satu took the proffered seat in front of Diana's desk, setting her bag at her feet.

"What can I help you with, Ms. Järvinen?" Diana posed, setting a cup of coffee in front of her guest as she sat down and sipped from her own.

"Well, the thing is, my boss has acquired a manuscript. The previous owner died you see, and left it to him." She began. "There are some parts of it that he can't quite read clearly and was hoping with your knowledge and experience that you may be able to decipher the text." She explained, reaching down and pulling the volume from her bag. "He thinks it's some kind of formula, but the markings are unclear." She tacked on.

Setting her coffee to the side, she reached for the manuscript that Ms. Järvinen was holding aloft.

"How long has he had this in his possession?" She questioned, setting the book in a wooden cradle on the right side of her desk. This would help to protect the spine.

"It was gifted to him this past Christmas." She supplied, an awkward smile in place. Diana couldn't help but notice how nervous she seemed to be, as her foot tapped and her hands shook slightly while she drank her coffee.

There was something about this volume that made Ms. Järvinen uneasy. She effected a smile before addressing her, "In order for me to study it properly," she began, "I will have to keep it in my possession. Is that something your boss would be amenable to?" Diana watched as she continued to fidget, her hands twining together as her eyes moved everywhere about the room. She wouldn't make eye contact with her.

"I suppose so. How long will you need it?" She queried.

"Well, I could go over it this weekend, the office is closed then. So, it will allow me to give it my full attention." She smiled in reassurance.

"That sounds reasonable. I'll come back on Monday then. Thank you, Ms. Bishop." She replied before standing from her seat and leaving.

Diana sat back in her chair and let out a breath while slouching slightly and scratching at her head in befuddlement. "What an odd woman." She muttered, turning her attention to the volume that was sat in the embrace of the wooden cradle. Placing her hand on the cover in appreciation, she picked it up to view the spine. 'Ashmole 782' was etched in gold, and she gasped in surprise. This was something Diana had seen before when it belonged to Kelley, and it was a most valuable manuscript indeed. It would require her complete attention.

After gathering Satu's coffee cup and her own, she discarded Satu's in the sink and poured herself another before diving into a volume of what was sure to be filled with illuminating information. To be safe, she decided to lock her office door. She didn't need any interlopers knowing that she currently had a very notable work in her possession.

With a pad of paper at the ready, Diana opened the cover and took notes on her findings. From an inscription on the first page to the fact that at least three of the folios had been removed by either a straight edge or a razor. This was an oddity to her as she had viewed this manuscript some years ago, and the folios were still intact at that time. So, she couldn't understand why they would be removed now. She was so engrossed in her study that she didn't hear the knocking on her door.

When it finally resonated that someone was trying to get her attention, she looked to the frosted glass to see a tall figure, likely a man, with his hand raised in order to knock again.

"Just a moment!" Diana called, as she tucked the manuscript into the bottom drawer of her desk, laying a sheaf of calfskin over it for concealment, before slipping her pad of notes into a second drawer.

Hurrying across the room, she opened the door with a smile of greeting on her face.

"Ms. Bishop?" The man enquired.

"Yes." she confirmed.

"Detective Chief Inspector Roydon, miss." He announced, holding his credentials up for her viewing. Diana nodded and opened the door more fully, allowing him to enter.

"What can I do for you, Inspector?" She asked, signalling for him to take a seat in one of the W.H. Gunlocke chairs, in front of her desk.

Her eyes traversed his physique as he settled his long, lean body into the wooden, walnut arm-chair. She moved her gaze up his form until they settled on his face. He was very handsome, she noted as he brushed a hand through his raven-black hair after removing his dark brown fedora.

"Your services were recommended to me by a Mr. John Dee." He explained, his green-blue eyes meeting hers as he set his hat on the corner of her desk. His lips quirked up in a small smirk.

"Oh! John! How is he?" She replied with glee. John was one of the first people to become a regular client of Diana's when she first branched out and started her own private business, and she has since helped him to acquire at least twenty new volumes for his library.

"He's well. I met him recently when a crime occurred during a New Year's Eve party hosted by the De Clermont's." He explained. "He was present as a guest and a witness to the crimes." He added.

'Crimes indicates plural', she thought, "What happened?" She inquired, leaning forward slightly and resting her arms on the desk.

Inspector Roydon detailed the theft of a rare manuscript, one 'Ashmole 782'. During the commission of the crime, a man was killed. John recommended Diana's services as he knew she had seen this volume in the past. Her brain was rattled and she realized that she had the stolen manuscript in her desk at this very moment. Diana's eyes looked down at the closed drawer for an instant.

"A woman," She started. "She was here not two hours ago with a manuscript, asking for help on behalf of her 'boss'," She relayed, using air-quotes.

Diana explained her interaction with Satu Järvinen and how anxious she acted during her visit.

"Are you telling me, you have the manuscript in your possession?" He asked in astonishment as his eyebrows seemed to raise up into his hairline.

She nodded in reply. "Give me a moment." she urged, as she headed to the office door to engage the lock. When she returned to her desk, she opened the drawer, pulling away the calfskin and lifting it from the dark confines.

"Jesus," He murmured as she held it up for him to see. "When is this Ms. Järvinen expecting to get this back?" He queried as a noise out in the hall caught her attention.

"Shhh!" She silenced him abruptly with a finger to her lips.

A secondary noise followed as it resonated down the hall, causing both of them to keep their eyes trained on the door. A shadowed figure appeared in the frosted glass and the door knob jiggled, but they remained quiet. Inspector Roydon stood as they listened to the intruder move down the hall. They could hear the echo of footsteps as the uninvited guest seemed to stop at the door of Diana's flat. A few minutes passed and she surmised that they were listening for noise. They watched as they passed by the door once more, their footsteps indicating that they were heading down the stairs. Silently, Diana directed Inspector Roydon to follow her. With the manuscript clutched against her chest, they tip-toed by the small kitchenette in the corner, to what looked to most as just a closet door. When really it led to her private residence.

Locking the door behind them, she gestured for him to take a seat on the living room sofa.

"I'm sorry, it's just…" She trailed off as she checked that the door to her flat was still locked. "Only my office and private residence are on this floor. Whomever that was didn't knock on my office door, they attempted to enter." She explained. "I can only assume they're after something." She concluded, indicating the volume in her arms.

"I believe, Ms. Bishop, that you are very perceptive." He complimented with a smile.

"Well, Inspector Roydon, you don't get far as a woman in business, without having a nose for deception." She countered.

"Very true." He nodded as she moved to sit beside him, setting the manuscript on the coffee table.

"So, you live where you work?" He queried.

"I do, but I don't advertise that. The door we just came through looks to most like just a closet door, and I'd like to keep it that way." She explained.

"Understood. You like your privacy." He concluded.

"May I ask you a question, Inspector Roydon?"

"Matthew, please." He stated. "And of course, you may." He added, sitting back in his seat.

"Do you have a suspect or suspects for these crimes yet?" She posed.

"There have been a few names that came up in my questioning of the party guests, so yes." He confirmed with a nod of his head.

"I'm not asking for their names or anything, but would any of those suspects know you'd possibly seek out my help?" She offered in reply.

"I think I know what you're getting at." He started. "The intruder just now, you believe they may have been following me." He concluded.

"I mean… It's possible." She stated. "The woman, Satu, maybe she had someone watching over her because of Ashmole and the fact that it was left here for further examination…" Diana trailed off. "Perhaps, they want to keep an eye on its whereabouts." She explained. "Therefore, they may now be watching me." She conjectured.

"I'd really hate to put you in any kind of danger, but you do know I will have to take the manuscript. It is stolen property." He relayed.

"I know, it's terrible really, it's such a fascinating volume." She stated.

"You obviously are aware of the contents, and the myths it contains." He stated.

Diana laughed lightly. "I am. And anyone thinking they're actually going to find the secret to immortality, needs to have their sanity questioned." She relayed.

Matthew started laughing at that comment. "You have no idea how ironic that statement is." He smiled.

"Why is that?" She mused.

He took a breath before his eyes met hers. "I can trust you, yes?" He questioned.

"Absolutely." She confirmed. "Can I trust you?" She countered, raising an eyebrow in question.

He smiled, "Point taken." He replied. "Two of the possible suspects are a psychiatrist and a psychologist, well known in their respective fields. The latter runs an asylum not too far from here." He explained.

"You don't mean, La Pierre?" I posed.

He nodded in reply, "I need to head there tomorrow and speak with the suspect. Seems he 'felt ill' at the party and left after dinner. But no one can recall actually seeing him leave the premises." He elaborated.

"If anyone is watching my office or me, you do realize that it will be very obvious if you leave carrying this?" She asked, signalling to the manuscript.

"I'm aware. I need to find a way to conceal it." He deduced. "Is there anything else you can tell me about it, that would explain their obsession with it?" He questioned.

Diana explained to Matthew how she had seen this very manuscript a few years ago when it was still in in Edward Kelley's possession. "But it was complete then, and now, three pages are missing." She acknowledged.

"What sort of significance do these missing pages have?" He asked.

"Well, from my recollection, they contained three of the seven steps for the alchemical transformation required to create the mythical, 'Philosopher's Stone'." She clarified.

"Do you think Kelley removed them?" He queried.

"Honestly, from what I've read in the papers. Kelley died trying to find the secrets that this book could have held." She started thinking out loud, "To me, his reason for removing them, could only mean one thing."

"And what is that?" He posed, leaning forward with his arms on his knees, hands clasped and his head tilted in her direction.

"That if he couldn't find the solution, then he would make sure no one could." She concluded. "Or, make it that much harder for others to do so." She tacked on, her eyes rising to meet his gaze.

"Do you think he destroyed them?" He asked.

"No, I knew Kelley fairly well through John Dee. Until he became obsessed with the manuscript." She started. "I believe he would have found a way to not only preserve them, but hide them in places he deemed only the worthy could find." She replied. Emphasis on 'worthy'. Kelley was an intellect and liked to challenge people.

"Are you saying that he has set up some kind of quest to find the missing pages?"

"Knowing how Kelley was, I believe so, yes."

"Damn, so do you think it's possible he's hidden clues throughout the manuscript itself?" Matthew queried.

"Matthew, I believe you are very perceptive." She grinned, throwing his words back at him from earlier.

"Touché, Ms. Bishop." He smirked in response.

"So, let's see how we can get you out of here safely with the manuscript." She announced, standing from her seat and moving to the storage closet next to the front door.

Diana fumbled around in the closet for a few moments before pulling out a picnic basket.

She lay the manuscript inside and covered it with a tea towel from her kitchen. Next, she headed to the fridge, and pulled the left-over chicken and bean salad from their place on the shelf and packaged them more securely before putting them inside the basket as well. She topped it off with a bottle of Coca Cola.

"This should do." She declared with a smile as she turned around to look at Matthew. She was surprised to find him standing so close.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He apologized.

"So, it's almost 6:30PM. You arrived just before six, and this," She stated, pointing to the basket, ", will look like you were just here for dinner and are now taking home the left-overs." She smiled brightly.

"That's actually brilliant. Thank you." He replied, as his gaze met hers. They stared at one another for a few moments and Diana broke their spell first.

"Hmmhmmm…" She mumbled, clearing her throat. "That should work, if anyone is in fact keeping watch." She added.

"I really hate taking your dinner, though." He commented, a small smile on his face.

"It's fine, really. I have a few things I can easily whip up." She stated assuredly.

"Thank you, again, Ms. Bishop." He said as he straightened his jacket before picking up the basket and heading to her front door.

"Please, call me Diana." She smiled as he waved before leaving.

Diana stood for a few moments, taking in a few breaths.

"Heaven's he's a dish." She muttered, when something caused her to run back into her office.

With the item in hand, she ran down the stairs of her building and out the front door. Looking from left to right, she spotted him just ahead and called out his name.

"Matthew!" She shouted, running towards him. "You forgot your hat." She smiled, and he bent down so she could place it atop his head.

"Thank you, Diana." He purred. "Now, kiss me." He requested, his eyes shifting from left to right as if watching for something.

"What?" She responded in surprise.

That's when she felt it, an icy prickling on the back of her neck. Someone was indeed observing them. Latching her arms over his shoulders, she stood on her tip toes and pressed her mouth to his. Diana felt him wrap his unoccupied arm around her waist, pulling her closer and she moaned into the kiss when his body was flush with hers. Their kiss was passionate, even if it was just a rouse. He was the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly.

"I think we're safe." He smiled, brushing his thumb over her cheek sweetly. He leaned in one more time and kissed said cheek, before winking and moving up the block to his car.

Diana stood in his wake, cheeks flushed and a smile on her face.