Author's Note: A brief aside – remote control radios were in existence during the setting of this adventure. As a reminder, it's 1952. Remote control radio technology was commercially available starting in the 1930s (though certainly not available for everyone).
As the Moran estate is supposed to be fabulously wealthy (or was until recently), I don't think it's too much of a stretch for them to have a radio with a remote control.
Things are really starting to heat up in this mystery.
Q is beginning to lose control as cracks emerge in his partnership with Lore.
Jean-Luc is boiling just under the surface of that cool demeanour.
And Lore was taken more than a little off guard. I like to imagine Lore as petty, quick to anger, and deeply emotionally starved.
He denies the need for connection. But in truth, he craves affection and attention from his brother. And he's awfully jealous of Data. I believe that's Lore's motivation for putting Data down and trying to make Data second guess himself.
Data represents everything Lore isn't.
Q knows this and that's a part of why he brought Lore into this scheme.
But as we know, it's impossible to control chaos once it's been introduced.
On we go…
Miles whistled low and slow as he flipped the page.
"You don't see that every day," Miles remarked before turning to the next page.
Miles and Worf were standing over a 1948 copy of Health and Efficiency they had found on the coffee table.
Worf, Miles, and Keiko had shown up not long after Beverly and Wesley had discovered the hunting lodge.
Now the five of them were searching for any clues.
Miles turned the issue sideways so they could get a better look at the picture.
Worf scowled as he studied the page. Nude gardening didn't quite seem like safe idea.
"Ah, a warrior's sport," Worf said when O'Brien flipped the page.
Miles scrunched up his face.
"I never took you to go in for beach volleyball," Miles said.
"What are you guys looking at?" Wesley asked brightly as he popped up between them.
Miles slammed the issue shut.
"Nothing," Worf barked in a gruff voice.
"Is it a clue?" Wesley inquired.
"No," Miles said quickly.
He was playing it cool.
"Maybe there's something hidden in there?" Wesley suggested.
"Believe me, kid. It's not hiding anything," Miles replied.
Wesley was smart enough to understand they were giving him the runaround.
Beverly, who was nearby, stopped her search of the kitchen cabinets. She sat back on her knees.
"They're just embarrassed because they're looking at a nudist magazine," Beverly said coolly. "I don't see why – it's perfectly natural."
"If my mum would have caught me-"
"Oh really, Chief!" Beverly said, waving her hand. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. The human body is a beautiful thing. It's normal and healthy for adolescents to understand anatomy."
Miles shook his head and thrust the magazine at Wesley.
"Knock yourself out kid," Miles said.
Wesley frowned as he flipped through the pages.
"This is just recipes and pictures of people gardening."
Worf coughed to cover his laugh.
"Did you find anything in the kitchenette?" Miles asked.
Beverly sighed and shook her head.
"Just food. They're certainly well stocked on provisions. Dishes, cutlery, Kilner jars, an old can of Vim," Beverly rattled off.
It wasn't much to go on and certainly nothing that pointed to a clue.
Suddenly, the door to the hunting lodge creaked open and everyone whipped around to see who had entered.
"Counsellor, Commander," Worf said with a nod.
It was Will and Deanna.
"It's to see you both," Miles said. "We were worried we were the only ones left."
"The feeling is mutual," Riker replied.
It was a relief to know they were reunited. It gave them all a spark of hope the rest of the team was out there somewhere.
"What is this place?" Deanna asked.
Looking up, she spied the old timber beams and loft overhead.
Light streamed in through a window high above in the vaulted ceiling.
Under ordinary circumstances, Deanna could see how this place would be a cosy little spot for two on a hot summer day or even snuggling down for cocoa in the midst of a winter storm.
"We both were separated from our groups," Miles explained.
"We think Q distracted us with well-"
Wesley stopped. He wasn't sure anyone would believe him about the white rabbit.
"It is not important how," Worf said.
He wasn't too keen to share his experience with the flowers either.
"Both our parties were delayed by means that could only have come from Q," Worf concluded.
Riker nodded.
"We ran into that too," Deanna said.
"How long have you been-"
Riker trailed off and gestured to the room.
"Not long," Beverly explained.
All of a sudden, Keiko called out from the loft overhead. She was so keen to solve the mystery that she hadn't stopped looking since they arrived.
With her notepad of clues in hand, Keiko had scoured the hunting lodge for any clues. For the last half hour, she'd combed over every inch of the bedroom area in the loft.
"Hey! I found something up here," Keiko shouted.
Data's hand brushed over the yellow rose pinned to his suit coat.
The move did not go unnoticed by his companion.
"We'll find them," Guinan assured Data.
Data wanted to believe her. But he had his doubts. Lore was devious and Q was unpredictable. There was no telling what might happen now that they were separated from the rest of the team.
Their encounter with the Doctor Soong figure only reinforced Data's theory that this was some bigger game Q had at hand.
He had to be testing them.
But to what end?
"I don't believe Q will hurt them," Guinan said.
There was an air of certainty in her voice that gave Data pause.
"How can you know that?" Data asked.
"It's not his way," Guinan replied simply.
"But how can you be certain?" Data pressed.
It was a fair question.
Data stopped walking and gently put his hand on Guinan's shoulder to stop her too.
"Guinan, how do you know Q?" Data inquired.
She did not immediately answer.
"Guinan, please," Data said, imploring her.
She made no secret that she had known Q from before his interactions with the Enterprise. But details about how and why the knew one another and the nature of their relationship was shrouded in mystery.
Guinan disliked Q.
Q seemed downright afraid of Guinan.
He tried to mask it as contempt, but it was obvious to everyone that Guinan had something to hold over Q.
"Data," Guinan began as she took hold of his hands. "The answer to that question isn't going to solve this mystery. And I don't believe it will bring any sort of satisfaction to your curiosity."
Data didn't have to respond verbally.
"Alright," Guinan said with a heavy sigh.
Data gasped softly.
"You were lovers," he guessed.
"No!" Guinan replied as she waved her hand to dismiss the idea. "No, nothing like that."
There had never been a romantic connection between them.
"We were… kindred spirits," Guinan settled on.
It was hard for her to explain. But as she mulled over the best way to describe a strange relationship that had spanned centuries, Guinan realised Data was perhaps the best person of all to open up to.
"You know, I think you may be the only person on board the Enterprise to understand," she said.
She flashed Data a peculiar smile.
"Q and I have a connection in more ways than one. And frankly, Data, you're a lot more like either of us than anyone else I've met," Guinan said.
The thought was unsettling to Data.
Guinan slipped her arm through Data's as they walked along under the trees.
"My people have one of the longest humanoid lifespans in the known universe. We live for centuries. And the Q… well, you know they're practically timeless beings," Guinan said.
Data noted her use of 'practically' timeless. Though he did not interrupt to ask, he tucked that tidbit of knowledge into his neural net.
"I've lived in so many places, but I've always been drawn to hubs of people. Q has always found humans fascinating," Guinan went on. "We both enjoy people watching, studying humanoid behaviour – much like you, Data."
He couldn't deny that.
"We used to sit and watch ships roll into the harbour in San Francisco. New York. Hamburg. Istanbul. Up the Thames in 1888. We'd make up stories about where they had been and the new people that arrived," Guinan shared.
They were fond memories.
"We all have a need to understand. To belong. To feel like we're part of something," Guinan said. "But for people like me and Q… and you-"
She paused.
"It can be difficult to make those connections when time moves differently," Guinan said.
Data knew exactly how Guinan felt.
It was a thought that crept into his mind at least once a day – more frequently when he was with Tasha. There were moments when it was hard for Data to enjoy living in the present when he carried the knowledge that he would outlive Geordi and Tasha and everyone that Data held dear.
"Human lifespans have changed so much in the last hundred years. Klingons, Vulcans, Romulans, Andorians – hell, they all live far longer than a human born in 2150 could even imagine," Guinan said.
"So, you and Q shared that bond of time," Data realised.
Guinan nodded.
"Then why are you not still close?" Data inquired.
It was the next logical question.
"I like to observe. I could spend a whole day watching a bird feeder or seeing people come and go at a park. That's enough for me," Guinan said. "But Q? He needs more."
Q liked to interact.
He liked to meddle.
"That never sit right with me. I think we have an obligation to let people make their own decisions. It's one thing to offer a word of advice. Quite another to interfere," Guinan said.
Data cocked his head to the side.
"Are you suggesting that Q has interfered in the natural development of people? Of their lives? The timeline?" Data asked.
Guinan laughed and shook her head.
"Oh, he's done more than that," she replied without elaboration.
What Guinan didn't say was that she knew some of Q's deepest secrets. It had been a relief for him to find someone that could listen without the shock that usually accompanied the revelation of his true nature and free of judgement.
At least, at first.
"The Q Continuum have been around longer than you or I and they'll be here long after we're nothing more than specs of dust," Guinan said.
She glanced up at Data.
"Assuming you don't outlive us all," she teased.
"I am not immortal nor entirely immune to damage," Data acknowledged. "It is only logical to assume that I will one day reach a state where I shall cease to function."
"You really are more like him than you can know," Guinan commented.
Data made a note of that too.
"He's not going to hurt them," Guinan said, echoing the statement that had launched their present line of conversation.
Now knowing what he did, Data realised the weight Guinan's words carried. Guinan knew most of Q's traps were merely imagination.
The Q had an unwritten expectation that frowned upon actively contributing to the extinguishment of lower lifeforms – not they wanted that to get out.
"He wants to see what you'll do. How we'll respond. If I know Q, this will end with some sort of choice," Guinan said.
It did little to alleviate Data's concern.
Once more, he reached for the flower.
"Right now, she's probably somewhere with Geordi and they're likely both safe," Guinan said.
"What about the greenhouse? Or the stables?" Geordi suggested.
He was sitting on the bed in Data's quarters. Tasha was just behind the changing screen.
"We can go there next. I wasn't about to traipse out there in a bloody evening gown," Tasha grumbled as she fastened her bracers.
Geordi was making a list of places to look.
"We should make another check of the tunnels. They run all over this estate," Tasha said.
She emerged from behind the screen while buttoning a tweed suit vest over her check shirt.
"Gods, I'll be glad to be done with this," Tasha grumbled.
After pulling on her ivy cap, Tasha and Geordi headed out to search together.
"This estate is massive. It could take us hours to find them," Geordi said.
They descended the stairs back to the main level. Geordi had recalled seeing building plans for the estate in the library during a previous search.
They figured they could start there and use the plans as a blueprint. There were so many different nooks and crannies in the big old manor that they didn't want to risk missing a hidey hole tucked away behind a suit of armour or an ancient tapestry.
"How did you manage to deactivate Lore?" Geordi asked.
Tasha fell silent.
Geordi stopped.
A part of him wanted to trust Tasha. But he was equally concerned this was all another game at the hands of Q.
"I told you, he was distracted," Tasha said.
Geordi wasn't buying it.
"He can hear movement, detect the slightest change around him. What could have possibly-"
"Don't ask," Tasha said in a sharp voice.
She paused. Her expression softened.
"And, Geordi? Don't say anything to Data when we find him. Please," Tasha urged.
She looked beside herself with worry.
"I want to tell him… when the time is right," Tasha said.
Geordi's heart sank.
"T? Do you want to talk about what happened?" Geordi offered as he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here."
"We need to find the rest of the team," Tasha replied.
They were barely to the first landing when they heard a large boom that echoed through the estate.
A dark look passed between Geordi and Tasha.
"That was a firearm," Tasha whispered.
"The study," Geordi replied.
"How could you lose them?" Q roared.
After his tea party stunt with Jean-Luc, Q had returned to the manor to check on his guests. To Q's dismay, he had discovered a deactivated Lore slumped over the desk in Lord Moran's private study.
"How did this happen?" Q hissed.
Lore didn't respond.
His feet were thrown up on the desk as he filled the powder on an ornate flintlock Queen-Anne style pistol.
"How did it happen?" Q repeated.
He threw up his arms in frustration.
"I leave you alone for a few hours and you can't even keep two of them contained!"
Lore took aim at an antique vase in the corner and fired. It shattered, sending pieces in every direction and a ball of lead into the fine wood panelling.
"Would you stop playing with that thing!" Q demanded.
Lore scoffed.
"Playing? Playing? While you were out playing tea party, I was trying to use this time for something advantageous," Lore argued.
Q dismissed this with a wave.
"I don't need to bother with command codes or shield frequencies," Q said, unimpressed.
Lore slammed his fist down on the desk.
"Well, we can't all be Q," Lore said. "Some of us have to make do with intellect and cunning."
Q sneered.
"Are you saying I lack-"
"Did I hit a chink in your armour?" Lore said, taunting him.
Q was, in fact, deeply insulted.
"Find them," he snarled.
Lore ignored this order.
"Find them!" Q repeated.
But Lore was occupied by his pistol once more.
"Why? You can just snap your fingers and pop them right back here," Lore pointed out.
Q seethed with anger. The sheer gall of a mortal being (even if he was synthetic) was all too much to take.
"No one talks to me like that," Q snapped.
"You mean no one except Jean-Luc Picard," Lore added with a devious smirk.
Lore flew out of his chair.
An invisible force had him pinned against the bookshelf behind the desk. It had closed around his throat and threatened to crush his windpipe.
"I've had quite enough of that," Q said with an air of authority.
Lore could feel his internal processor begin to slow. Some unknown force had taken control of his power cell and had slowed the output to a crawl.
One by one, Lore's systems began to shut down.
"You will find them and bring them back. You will secure them and ensure they do not escape," Q ordered.
Lore dropped to the floor unceremoniously.
Power began to flood back through his neural net.
"I thought we were partners?" Lore asked as he tugged nervously at his collar.
"Oh, we are," Q agreed with a smile.
He rose from his seat and towered over Lore who was still on the ground.
"Don't forget it," Q warned.
He turned to go, strolling toward the door to the study before he stopped and looked back over his shoulder.
"And be quick about it," Q said.
Lore blinked in disbelief.
"This place is huge," Lore scoffed.
"Then you had best get a wiggle on."
The study itself led into the drawing room.
Just outside in the corridor, Geordi and Tasha were pressed against the wall.
Silently, Tasha took hold of Geordi's hand and pulled him into a nearby alcove that was shielded from view.
They sat in silence as Q emerged from the drawing room.
They could see him cast a knowing glance at their hiding spot. He knew Geordi and Tasha were doing their best to stay out of sight just around the corner.
Q also had a feeling that Geordi and Tasha would keep Lore busy for hours. He'd be chasing his own tail trying to find those two.
Serves him right for going rogue. Q thought.
With a snap of his fingers, Q vanished.
Geordi moved to go, but Tasha stopped him.
They waited in silence as Lore stepped out next. He swept off down the corridor toward the grounds. According to his internal chronometer, Lore had been out for nearly an hour.
He knew Tasha and Geordi would have put that time to good use.
But Lore had a plan.
Geordi and Tasha stayed in the alcove until his footfalls faded.
"We have to find the rest of the team," Tasha whispered.
"And avoid Lore," Geordi replied.
Captain Picard and his group were the next to find the hunting lodge.
Ensign Gomez had lost her footing during their exploration of the woods. She'd reached for Reg to steady herself, but it was no use.
Lwaxana Troi had tried to help.
But when she grabbed the back of Jean-Luc's jacket, she had pulled him into the fray.
All four had gone stumbling into a thicket of burs.
By the time they arrived at the hunting lodge, everyone was covered in muck, stuck with burs, and tempers were on a short fuse.
"I'll get the kettle," Beverly offered.
She could sense they all needed a cuppa.
"No tea," Picard insisted.
"Is there any coffee?" Sonya asked.
"Little one!" Lwaxana shrieked as she rushed for Deanna.
For once, Deanna didn't cringe at the use of her childhood nickname.
Reg was in the corner trying to pick all the burs from his trousers and jacket. They'd gotten their teeth into the fabric.
"Here, let me help," Wesley said as he tended to the ones Reg couldn't see.
"Are you alright, sir?" Riker asked.
Picard nodded.
"We ran into a spot of trouble. One of Q's machinations," Picard said.
"Sounds like he had something waiting for all of us," Miles said.
Jean-Luc looked around the hunting lodge.
"Mr Data? Guinan?" Picard asked.
Beverly shook her head.
"They haven't turned up," she informed him.
It had been hours since any of them had last slept or eaten. The hunting lodge wasn't big. There was a kitchenette and a little table for four, a seating area by the fire, a small loo, the loft, and a shed they suspected was for storing equipment.
But it was shelter.
And it was well stocked with provisions.
"We've been looking for clues," Keiko said. "We think Q must have been trying to slow us down in getting here."
She offered to turn her notes over to Captain Picard.
"Thank you," he said.
Jean-Luc put up his hand to stop Keiko.
"But for now, I want everyone to take a break. One hour. Then we'll conference and make a plan," Picard ordered.
The clock was ticking.
But Jean-Luc was concerned they weren't going to get anywhere if they collapsed first. They were going in circles. They needed to step back and reexamine the evidence from a fresh perspective.
We must run as fast as we can just stay in place.
Geordi and Tasha couldn't risk going out the main entrance.
It was too exposed and there was nowhere to hide.
Geordi had suggested the ballroom. But according to Data, the veranda led nowhere.
Next, they'd made a play for staff exit on the lower level near the kitchens – barely avoiding Lore as he stalked the corridors in search of his quarry.
Lore was conducting a systematic search of the house.
And Lore wasn't making things easy.
"He's locking the doors," Tasha said under her breath.
Room by room, floor by floor, Lore was shutting off any possibility of escape. His goal was to shut them out and force Tasha and Geordi into the open – just like he was a ferret chasing rabbits through their burrows.
"We have to get out of this house," Geordi said.
Tasha and Geordi snuck down a dark corridor toward an exit at the rear of the north wing. If memory served, it was close to the gardens and the greenhouse.
Once free of the house, they could break for the maze.
Tasha and Geordi had no intention of going into the maze. Rather, they were hoping to use the hedge for cover. Geordi suggested that they could sneak along it until they were in the woods.
That would give them some breathing room to regroup and formulate a plan.
They were nearly to the right wing when they rounded the corner only to find Lore standing between them and their path of escape.
Geordi and Tasha froze.
Lore's back was to them.
"Come out, come out wherever you are," he sang.
Tasha was the closest to the adjacent corridor. But Geordi had gone a few steps too far.
Lore cocked his head to the side, straining his audio receptors. He could have sworn he had heard a faint gasp of surprise.
"Where are you?" Lore asked in a taunting voice.
It was a voice Geordi recognised from his own childhood, from these sorts of games with his sisters.
Tasha waved for Geordi to join her – but there was no time.
Lore took a step forward and then whipped around.
He frowned. The corridor was abandoned.
Geordi had slipped into the closest room. Fortunately, it wasn't locked yet.
But in an effort to avoid detection, Geordi had not closed the door all the way – just enough to give the impression it was shut from afar.
Tasha didn't have that advantage.
She was momentarily shielded from Lore because she was standing in a perpendicular corridor. But if he drew close, it would be all over.
There was no way she could reach the stairwell in time.
Lore knew he had them now. They had to be close.
"There's no reason to be afraid," Lore said.
Yeah sure, buddy. Geordi thought.
He quickly looked around the room for someplace to hide. It was an unused bedroom. Though long, the curtains weren't much use.
They would show a shadow if Geordi tried to hide there.
He figured Lore would look under the bed first.
The wardrobe was big – but the door would likely be noisy. Even the faint sound of latch could be enough to command Lore's attention.
But the wardrobe was in a far corner. If Geordi ducked, he might be able to avoid being too visible on a quick glance.
Not that he had long to consider.
Geordi could hear Lore getting closer with each step.
"I know you're in here," Lore called out.
Geordi was about to make a beeline for the corner when he spied an old-fashioned Hi-Fi radio.
With a remote.
Lore made no effort to hide his footfalls as he approached the junction of the two corridors. He had a feeling they were hiding just around the corner.
Probably too scared to move. Lore mused.
"I won't hurt you," Lore promised. "I only want to have a little fun."
Tasha padded across the carpet to hide behind a large potted plant. She pressed her body against the wall and tried to make herself as small as possible.
But instead of turning down the adjacent corridor, Lore's attention was fixated on one of the doors. It led to an unused bedroom and was cracked open.
Lore chuckled.
"Clever. But not clever enough," Lore announced.
He kicked the door open to try and frighten them.
Geordi remained firm in his hiding spot.
"That's alright, I don't mind playing," Lore said.
He dove at the bed first.
Geordi took a breath to try and settle his nerves. He was trying to breathe as little as possible in order to hide his presence.
Lore threw aside the curtains and then roared with laughter.
His eyes fell on the wardrobe.
From his position near the floor, Geordi watched as Lore drew closer.
Lore was almost to the wardrobe. He figured he would fling open the doors and find them cowering under a stock of unused coats like rats.
His face twitched in anticipation.
"And in other news, the Government has announced the end of tea rationing. This marks the first time in thirteen years that-"
Lore whipped around.
He looked left and then right. There was no one behind him save for a disembodied voice.
Geordi wanted to cheer for joy that he had managed to outsmart Lore with the wireless.
"Greater London is still recovering from the aftermath of the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash. The incident remains under investigation by the Ministry of Transport," the voice announced.
Lore used his audio receptors to narrow in on the source of the sound.
He cocked his head to the side as he studied a small wooden box with rudimentary knobs.
"Processing," Lore said aloud.
The object was unsophisticated compared to modern technology that Lore had written it off.
His eyes narrowed.
They must be close.
Tasha had heard the wireless.
She risked peeking around from her hiding spot. The door was open, and she could see Lore's shadow on the floor.
Whether Geordi had used the wireless to try and trick Lore or if it had been Q's doing, Tasha knew Geordi didn't have much time before Lore discovered his whereabouts.
And indeed, as Tasha was mulling over her options, Lore rounded on the wardrobe.
He was less than a metre away.
Geordi braced himself.
There was a loud crash in the corridor.
Lore hesitated.
He glanced back over his shoulder and tried to identify any footfalls.
Geordi was still cowering in the corner when Lore flung open the wardrobe door. He didn't even waste time digging through the old coats.
The second Lore saw it was empty, he dashed off in the direction of the sound of the crash.
Lore looked left, right, and then left again.
The remnants of a broken vase were scattered about the carpet down the corridor that led to the main staircase.
"You won't get far!" Lore shouted before he stalked off toward the stairs.
Tasha couldn't believe her luck.
She had taken aim and lobbed a smaller ornamental statue at the crystal vase.
Tasha had taken a tip from Geordi's playbook – dipping into a nearby unlocked room just after her diversion. She left the door cracked so as not to tip off Lore's sensitive hearing.
And he'd taken the bait.
Tasha wasted no time.
Geordi was still waiting in the corner when she poked her head in the door.
"Come on. We have to move!" Tasha said, waving frantically.
Geordi made for the same staff stairwell that had led them up from the lower level. Tasha yanked his arm in the opposite direction.
"Tasha! We can't go up to the third level," Geordi protested.
That would only leave them trapped.
"We're not. We're going to the attic," Tasha said as they quietly made their way up the stairs.
Lore was still poking around down below. Tasha and Geordi could hear his taunts as they echoed through the halls of the manor.
"Come on. I have an idea," Tasha said.
Data and Guinan were the last to arrive at the cottage.
Beverly had poured them both a cup of coffee. Keiko looked practically ready to burst with information as she guided Data to the sofa.
"We solved it," Keiko announced.
Data glanced around at the faces of the team in hopes that Tasha and Geordi would pop out from another room.
"We haven't located Lieutenant Yar and Lieutenant La Forge," Worf said.
"Yet," Wesley added.
Nevertheless, the rest of the team was thrilled with the progress they had made.
"We think we've solved the mystery," Picard said.
Data's eyebrows shot up.
"The secret of the Moran treasure?" Data prompted.
"No," Picard answered.
He took a breath and was about to launch into an explanation when another question popped into Data's mind.
"The cause of Lady Moran's death?" Data guessed.
"Uh… no," Picard replied.
Data blinked, perplexed.
"Then you have discovered the reason the Moran estate is financially ruined?" Data pressed.
"Also, no," Picard said.
There was an obvious hint of irritation in his voice. Data's endless line of questions only served to lessen the impact of Jean-Luc's announcement.
"We believe this hunting lodge is being used by Natalie Moran to discreetly meet Inspector Fury," Picard said.
He threw his hands up and gestured at the space.
"This is where your torrid love affair occurred," Picard said.
Everyone was keen to share their own contribution.
"We found a compact mirror and makeup in the vanity," Beverly said.
"And I found these," Wesley said.
They were letters that had been stuffed in a hatbox up in the loft.
"They're all signed with an initial. I think it's an N," Wesley said as he turned over the love letters.
Data sniffed and turned up his nose.
They were heavily perfumed.
"The bedroom space has a smoking jacket and cigars," Worf chimed in.
"This whole place is set up like a love nest," Riker said.
"Hot chocolate too," Sonya said, pointing at the kitchenette.
Keiko had taken extensive notes.
"We theorise that this spot is where Natalie Moran met with your character, Inspector Fury. It's secluded and near the manor. It would explain how you were able to sneak around and keep your affair hidden," Keiko said.
"And it explains why your character is familiar with manor. Clearly, you've been out here," Miles said.
Everyone was immensely proud of their deductive work.
"So, we were thinking that maybe Miss Moran killed the Gamekeeper and that Valet to keep 'em quiet," Miles said.
"All to cover the affair. Because if Duke Finley ever found out then the marriage would be off – including the money," Keiko said.
"Tasha was there when they were killed," Reg pointed out.
Captain Picard clasped his hands together.
"And there you have it!" Picard said, bursting with pride.
Deanna was the first to notice Data's lack of response.
"Data?" she prompted.
"That is… an interesting theory," Data settled on.
He didn't want to burst the collective bubble of hope. It was the first time in two days that anyone had felt like they were winning.
"Data, please. If you know something," Picard urged.
Data rose and popped his pipe into his mouth. He began to pace as he puffed away at it. The rest of the team took a seat to listen to Data's analysis.
"You are right about the purpose of this hunting lodge," Data said. "It is obviously being used as a meeting point for an illicit affair."
The isolated location and contents only reinforced that theory.
"And the valet and Gamekeeper were likely killed in order to preserve that secret," Data went on.
He stopped and raised his hand.
"But!" he cried dramatically.
Data whipped around.
"It was not by Miss Natalie Moran," Data declared.
He started to pace again in front of the fireplace. His brow was furrowed in deep thought.
"It is safe to say the Gamekeeper was doomed because of his duties. As the game warden of such a vast estate, he would have knowledge of this location," Data explained.
The valet was also doomed due to the nature of his role.
"But a valet would not have served the daughter of his employer. No, she would have a lady's maid," Data went on.
Lwaxana, the only one amongst them who had been born into aristocracy, nodded in agreement.
"He's right, you know," she said.
"I suspect our poor valet was witness to his master's comings and goings," Data said.
Keiko gasped and turned to the Captain.
"And I believe if the Miss Marlowe were to slip on one the shoes, we would find they are, in fact, designed for feet that are twenty-three point eight centimetres in length in contrast to Lieut-"
Data stopped himself.
"Miss Moran's feet are twenty-five point four centimetres in length," Data concluded.
Data knew that for a fact. He had kissed every one of those centimetres.
Wesley was quick on the pick-up. He produced a heel from the closet and offered it to Data.
"Doctor? May I?" Data asked as he knelt next to Beverly.
"I feel like Cinderella," Beverly teased as Data slipped on the shoe.
Miles shushed her.
"Don't give Q any ideas or next thing you know – Worf and I'll be bloody mice," Miles warned.
Data shuffled the letters until he found what he was looking for.
"This is not an 'n' but rather an 'm' for Miss Marlowe Mansfield," Data said.
"Then it was the Doctor?" Reg asked.
All eyes fell on Beverly.
"Not necessarily," Data said.
Riker was having a hard time keeping up.
"Data, are you saying that it was Lord Moran and Miss Mansfield?"
Data leaned on the mantle as he tapped his pipe.
"No. That is one merely one possibility," Data said.
Keiko frowned as she flipped back through her notes.
"Who else could it be then? They were the only ones with motive to cover their affair," she remarked.
"Assuming that was the intention," Guinan said from the corner. "Someone may have wanted to frame Lord Moran."
Her comment hung in the air as Data struck a match to relight his pipe, puffing furiously as the tobacco burned.
"Well, before anyone gets the idea it was me – you should know I'm not a jealous woman," she said.
Deanna bit back a smirk.
"My character card indicated that the late Lady Moran was in deep debt to Blackjack Murphy," Riker shared as he pointed the finger at Miles.
"No, no, no," Captain Picard interjected. "He wouldn't kill her – not while she still had a debt to pay."
"The Captain is right, she would have been more valuable alive," Worf agreed.
Keiko was taking furious notes as they hashed out their theories.
Riker's idea had Sonya's mind churning. She recalled the notes from her own character card.
You run one of the seediest operations and you are intent on sussing out the competition – Blackjack Murphy.
"What if someone wanted to make it look like Blackjack had framed Lord Moran?" Sonya suggested wildly.
"Tasha! We can't go on the roof – this is mad!" Geordi said in a panicked whisper.
"Hand me that rope," Tasha said, pointing at the window washing equipment in the corner.
They had snuck into the attic. The only way out was through an access point to the roof.
"It's our only chance," Tasha said.
"Tasha, if we can get on the roof then so can Lore," Geordi retorted.
He was starting to perspire as he watched Tasha loop the rope around her arm. Though she had not yet said it aloud, Geordi surmised her plan was to climb down from the roof once they were outside.
"You climb through Jefferies tubes all the time," Tasha reminded him. "Hell, the warp core on the Enterprise is taller than this house."
Geordi scowled.
"But that's different. There's safety rails on the Enterprise," Geordi threw back.
Tasha glanced at the door to the attic.
"I'm not waiting around," Tasha said in a hushed voice.
In spite of his protest, Geordi followed her up the ladder.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," he remarked.
"Focus!" Tasha hissed.
Back at the hunting lodge, everyone was shouting over one another as the theories grew wilder by the minute.
"What if Lady Moran was simply a symbolic figure representing the folly of material wealth?" Reg suggested.
"Ooo ooo! What if she's not really dead? Maybe she ran off with someone?" Miles theorised.
Riker snapped his fingers.
"I've got it! What if Marlowe Mansfield is really Lady Moran, huh? M and M?" Riker asked the group.
Beverly looked aghast.
"Surely, you are not suggesting I am old enough to be Miss Moran's mother?" Beverly inquired, feigning outrage.
Well, sort of.
Data opened his mouth to cut in but thought better of it.
Beverly Crusher was technically older than Tasha's late mother – having only been a child herself when Tasha was born.
But Data didn't think that information would do much to reassure Beverly.
"Quiet, please," Jean-Luc said.
No one listened.
They are all too wrapped up in the excitement.
Captain Picard raised his arms to try and get their attention.
"Everyone, please," Picard said.
Worf and Miles were firmly of the belief Lady Moran was still alive. After all, her tomb had been empty. Data was deep in thought, processing more than two hundred possible theories at once while Deanna and her mother argued over the possibility of an outside suspect that had yet to be revealed.
"QUIET!" Picard roared.
The room fell silent.
"Really, Jean-Luc. You could have just asked," Lwaxana said, chastising him.
Captain Picard chose to let that comment go.
"I believe we have exhausted all the available leads at this hunting lodge."
Picard checked his timepiece.
"It's already the middle of the afternoon and I know none of us have slept or had a proper meal. I think it's time we head back to the manor," Picard said.
A collective rabble of protest erupted from the rest of the team.
"What for?" Riker asked.
"We have already conducted several detailed searches of the manor. I do not believe there is any new information to be gained from returning," Worf said.
"I believe there is," Data said.
While he had sat and theorised, Data had also read through the entire contents of the hatbox – every letter, love note, and postcard contained within.
"Inspector?" Guinan asked, knowing full well from Data's satisfied look that he had indeed found another clue.
Data handed one of the letters to Captain Picard.
Jean-Luc carefully unfolded the lavender stationary. He skimmed the contents and then passed it to Keiko as she seemed keen on the mystery.
"It is dated from six months ago – shortly before Lady Moran's mysterious death," Data explained.
Jean-Luc nodded in agreement. He recalled that information from the character cards they had all received before the start.
"What does it mean?" Wesley asked.
"The letter states that the late Lady Moran was due to meet with someone the night of her death," Picard shared.
The letter didn't say who or where – simply that she had an important meeting.
"I believe our next clue lies in Lady Moran's private study," Picard said.
Keiko flipped through her notepad.
"We have already checked there, sir," she said.
They had found a series of nonsensical notes in her personal datebook.
"I jotted them down for the night in question," Keiko said while skimming through her notes.
She had taken so many in the last two days that her notepad was nearly full.
"Ah! Here they are," she said.
Data could instantly tell Keiko was disappointed.
"There's nothing about meeting anyone. No names – just a reminder to check the stud book," Keiko read aloud.
Everything they had found indicated that the late Lady Moran was quite the equestrian. It was both hobby and vice. Her gambling addiction (especially horse racing) was what led to her massive debts with Blackjack Murphy.
"We didn't find a stud book," Deanna said.
"Maybe it is in the horse stable?" Worf suggested.
It seemed a likely place.
"Let's hope it holds a clue," Picard said.
They had less than eight hours until their seventy-two-hour deadline and it would take at least an hour to get back to the manor.
Tasha landed with a thud on the grass near the north end of the house.
The rope wasn't quite long enough to stretch to the ground.
Two metres above, Geordi clung to it for dear life.
"Just let go," Tasha said.
"That's easy for you to say! You're already on the ground!" Geordi replied.
"You can't hang there all day!" Tasha protested.
It was true, Geordi's hands were already raw from climbing down the rope. He had tried to convince himself it was just like his holodeck sailing programmes.
But somehow, scaling the side of the manor house just didn't quite feel the same as climbing the mast of a sail ship.
Fear of Lore won out in the end and Geordi fell to the ground with a loud thump.
Tasha offered him a hand up.
"Let's find cover," she said as Geordi got to his feet.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Geordi replied.
They set off along the house and used anything that could provide cover. Moving quickly, Geordi and Tasha clung to the shadows as they made their way toward the hedge maze.
Geordi's VISOR was normally capable of detecting fluctuations in temperature and visual light. He could pick up on a number of different stimuli.
But in this strange holodeck world concocted by Q, Geordi's VISOR was limited.
He couldn't see through the hedge or detect the presence of others behind a wall.
It was simultaneously a relief and disconcerting.
Tasha used a handheld mirror to peek around the corner before she waved Geordi on to follow.
They were nearly to the hedge when a flutter of movement caught Geordi's attention.
Lore was in the maze.
"Tasha, wait," Geordi whispered as he caught her hand.
From their viewpoint, they had a clear shot into one of the entrances. Lore had passed in front of them. It wouldn't be long before he walked by again.
And there was a strong chance that Lore might emerge from a different exit. If they tried to sneak along the outside to the woods, they could very well run into Lore.
"I know you don't want to be out here," Lore called out. "Why don't you come out and we can all go back inside?"
His voice was drawing closer.
Tasha fished in her suit vest.
"Geordi, I have an idea," she said.
She flipped open her switchblade and began to frantically saw at one of the water reeds in the pond.
"Somewhere we can where Lore won't think to look for us," Tasha said.
She handed Geordi the reed before cutting one for herself.
"Do you trust me?" Tasha asked.
Geordi followed Tasha's line of sight to the surface of the pond. It wasn't terribly deep. But it was murky and full of reed and lily pads.
"Now or never," Tasha said.
"There's no point in hiding!" Lore shouted above the maze.
"You have the best worst ideas," Geordi remarked before they slipped into the chilly water.
Geordi found a post to hold onto to keep himself underwater with minimal effort.
Tasha clutched a hook along the stone wall that must have held some sort of decoration or another at one point.
They could breathe through the reeds.
It wasn't exactly the best solution. It took some time to adjust to breathing low and slow. But Tasha had used this trick more than a few times on Turkana and Geordi was a skilled snorkeler.
The minutes ticked on as they waited and Geordi was grateful his VISOR had water protection.
Above the surface, Lore had given up on trying to find them in the maze.
He was certain they had run down the stairs and then out onto the grounds. But he had yet to find any sign of them.
In fact, he couldn't even hear them.
That in and of itself was unusual given his superior auditory receptors and speed. Lore had calculated a number of possible trajectories – all which had turned up nothing.
Had he fallen for some ruse?
Lore stopped in front of the pond. He stared down at his own reflection on the smooth, inky-black surface of the water.
Lore had to find them and soon.
They were his only bargaining chip.
The rest of the team made their way back through the woods on their way to the manor.
"When we get back, I want you to lead a team to the stables, Mr Data er… Inspector," Picard ordered. "Take Commander Riker, Mr Worf, and I would like you to join them, Professor Ishikawa."
He turned to Keiko.
"If that is amenable to you?" Jean-Luc asked.
Keiko's face lit up.
"I'd love to, sir," she said.
Keiko was both eager to continue the mystery and wanted to be there for Data. She could tell he was deeply disturbed by Geordi and Tasha's disappearance – even if he didn't let it show.
"What about the rest of us?" Beverly asked.
"I'd like you, Counsellor Troi, Ms Gomez, and Guinan to run another sweep through the late Lady Moran's quarters. Look for anything we might have missed the first time through. Letters, postcards, hidden drawers," Picard went on.
The team had already been through the room twice. But Jean-Luc didn't want to leave any stone unturned.
"And us?" Wesley asked.
"Mr Crusher, Chief O'Brien – I'd like you to accompany me back out to the tomb," Picard said.
They had conducted a brief search of the small island. There was a good possibility that they had missed something.
Both O'Brien and Wesley had a knack for solving mysteries or finding the root of a problem that had gone unseen.
Captain Picard offered his hand to Lwaxana Troi as she stepped over a fallen tree.
"I have need of your expertise, Ambassador," Picard said.
He wanted to make use of Lwaxana's abilities.
"You think your missing people might be hidden out there," Lwaxana observed.
"Yes. I'm hoping you may be able to sense them," Jean-Luc said.
He recalled being trapped with Beverly in the tomb during one of their clue hunts. Jean-Luc figured it was the next likely place for their missing compatriots. A search of the house and grounds had turned up nothing – the tomb was one of the only places they hadn't checked.
"And I will require your help too, Mr Barclay," Picard added.
"M-me?" Reg stammered.
"Yes. I think your creative approach may be just what we need to solve this mystery," Picard said.
Reg was beside himself with surprise at the Captain's praise.
Lwaxana flashed Barclay a fond smile.
"I knew you had it in you," she said with a wink.
Geordi and Tasha emerged from the water like covert operations specialists about to storm a beach.
Tasha poked her head over the rim of the pond and glanced around.
"I think it's clear," Geordi said as he scanned the immediate area.
They climbed out onto the cobblestone path.
"We should get on the grass. Lore will be able to see we've been here," Tasha said as she glanced down.
They were soaked and dripping. If they stayed on the tile, Lore would be able to follow the trail right to them.
Tasha and Geordi made a beeline for the grass. They hugged the hedge maze for cover.
Tasha glanced at the manor and then out to the woods.
It would be dark in a few hours. They were soaked to the bone.
"We need to dry off and regroup," Tasha said.
She grabbed Geordi's hand and pulled him along the maze.
"Come on, we can start a fire once we get far enough in," Tasha said.
From his position in the third-floor window that overlooked the garden, Q watched as Geordi and Tasha slipped into the cover of the forest just as the rest of the team emerged on the opposite side of the maze.
A devious grin spread across his face.
"Well, some go this way, and some go that way. But as for me, myself, personally, I prefer the short-cut," Q said.
He snapped his fingers and vanished in a flash of light.
