Chapter 16 - King Memses' Curse

*.*.*.

The hunt for Theresa Cavalli had taken them to a convent. If Phryne had struggled to remain civilised in a professor's office, she was definitely going to struggle here. She was strangely quiet, though, as they walked through the grounds.

"Theresa Cavalli?"

The nun looked up at him in equal surprise and worry. Jack suddenly remembered the last time he had surprised a woman with a name she'd given up years ago and he'd had to run away from a very volatile Phryne Fisher and the entire staff of the Imperial Club. He'd been so worried about Phryne that he'd forgotten that Collins had told her that he went by Sister Bernice now.

"Yes, I was once."

Jack flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Inspector Jack Robinson. I'm sorry, Sister, I need to ask you some questions about Murdoch Foyle."

Her face turned to stone. "I joined the order 15 years ago and I've had nothing to do with Murdoch Foyle in all that time."

"I appreciate that, Sister, but I need to speak to you all the same. And I need to warn you that you might be in danger."

"From Murdoch?" she asked, a little anxious.

"Probably," Phryne finally piped up from beside him, "but Mr Cautious here refuses to say that without any more proof."

The nun glared at her. "And who are you?"

"This is Miss Phryne Fisher," Jack interjected, assuming from the way Phryne had spoken about the priest who kept turning up at the club that she probably was no great fan of nuns either. "Mr Foyle tried to abduct her when she was a child."

Sister Bernice's eyes widened. "Another one? Oh, Miss Fisher, I'm so sorry. It's my fault, I should have done more."

"What do you mean, 'more'?"

Jack and Phryne listened as the woman once known as Theresa Cavalli told them about their trip to the pyramids, how they had discovered the tomb of King Memses and then how Foyle had become convinced that he was the reincarnation of King Memses and needed the four goddesses to accompany him to the underworld. Sister Bernice had unwittingly seen him drug the girl he had gone to prison for kidnapping, that she had been the one to rescue her and leave her at the church and then written an anonymous letter to the police that had helped secure his conviction.

She also handed Jack a silver stirrup ring she had taken from Albert Monkton's shop hoping to keep it from Foyle. She thought it would be safer in Jack's hands than hers. All through her tale Phryne had fallen silent again. In fact, Phryne barely spoke on their journey back to the station, either.

"Sir," Hugh piped up as the pair returned. "We've had a call from Rhodes. He's translated the stones for you. One says "to dedicate" and the other "the girl child" or "daughter"."

"Thank you, Collins." Jack nodded at his constable and then decided to take Phryne straight through to his office.

He sat at his desk and started reading through the papers, looking at things afresh after their talk with Cavalli. There were other consistencies they had yet to search now he knew a little more. It seemed like it was Foyle they were looking for. The two child victims they knew about had all been lured with tickets to the carnival, so there was a possible link there and Jack wanted to work out where Foyle was getting the animal tranquilliser from.

"Jack?"

Phryne's soft voice came from the other end of his office where she still stood by the door, clearly not having moved since he closed the door behind them.

"Yes?"

"To dedicate the girl child?" she asked quietly.

Jack sighed and shook his head. "Try not to think about it Phryne."

"How can I not? He was talking about my destiny; did he think I was a goddess? Jack, does Foyle want to pull my brain out through my nose? I could cope with assault or a simple murderer, but to paralyse me then do that while I'm fully aware of what he's doing…"

She sounded scared. Jack didn't doubt that Phryne hadn't had a lot of experience feeling scared, at least not since she was very young. She had grown up putting a lot of effort into being someone who didn't get scared, someone who could deal with any situation, someone who protected others. She'd had to because there'd been no one in her life to shield Phryne from the horrors of the world.

He knew it was risky but Jack stood and walked over to her, taking Phryne into his arms. She yielded far too easily. None of his officers would enter his office without knocking first, besides it was Collins out there and Jack rather suspected he might have already figured it out.

"Don't worry about it, Phryne. It won't happen. I won't let it."

"Thank you," she sighed into his shoulder, and then she pulled away from his embrace as if suddenly remembering who she was, or at least pretended to be. "I mean, I don't need your protection."

"I know that."

"But it's nice to hear."

He smiled. "You don't have to deal with everything alone all the time, you know."

"If this is your way to try to convince me to go to my aunt's…"

"Actually, no," Jack went back to his desk but was pleased to see Phryne relax enough to finally follow him and sit as well. "I think they're safer without you there until we get Foyle. I was referring to myself."

Phryne looked over at the clock on his office mantel. "But only for a couple more hours. I have to go to work."

"I suppose there's no way to talk you out of it?"

"I'll take a taxi," Phryne told him seriously. "And I won't be alone the entire time I'm there. Then I'll come back to you but that might be here in the morning rather than at home."

"Just… promise me you'll not do anything alone, Phryne. Foyle's dangerous and if he does think he needs you for this ascension of his…"

Phryne groaned and rolled her eyes. "I dread to think of what the afterlife I'd be a goddess in would be like."

"Debauched," Jack replied with a knowing smile.

*.*.*.

Phryne had managed to shake her police escort long enough to make it home alone. She hoped neither of them would be foolish enough to come to spend the evening as a customer. She thought Hugh would die of embarrassment and Jack, well, he just looked like a cop, and that was assuming they wouldn't get recognised from investigating Lavinia's murder. Besides, she could do without anyone finding out she was spending her free time with Jack.

She changed into a little black dress with a deep neckline and a short but flowing hem. Phryne knew it looked enticing to the men who saw her as little more than something to lust after but it actually afforded her a great deal of movement and easy access to the weapons in her garter. Her hair and makeup she wore the way she did just to look good, but even her shorter hair was down to ease more than style, although she always made sure she was in style.

As she exited her own room she realised how quiet the place was. There was no chitter-chatter of the women dressing for the evening, no feet running along the corridor as they went back for things they'd forgotten. She couldn't hear Madam Lyon telling the musicians where to set up or the doorman telling their eager guests that they were too early. It was much, much too quiet.

Phryne entered the bar. Empty. The lounge. Empty.

Panicked, Phryne ran upstairs to the dressing room. She knocked on the door but got no answer, so she barged in and gasped at what she saw.

The girls were all there, all in various stages of preparation but they all lay slumped as if asleep however their eyes were nearly all wide open and staring at her. Some of them were on the floor, others managed to stay on stools by falling towards onto the dressing tables but not a one moved or made a sound.

Phryne tried shaking them, calling their names but got no response. On a table were bottles of champagne, each girl she realised had a glass. She picked up the note that was beside the bottles and read it. 'To all the staff at the Imperial Club, thank you for all your hospitality. Murdoch Foyle.'

Phryne looked around, suitably scared now.

"Where's Lena?" she asked the deathly quiet room. Lena had recovered quite quickly from her beating and while she wasn't supposed to be out on the floor that night, she had still come in to help the women with costume changes and makeup.

That meant it was unlikely that she hadn't arrived yet. She could have drunk the drugged champagne elsewhere, Phryne supposed or, she shuddered at the thought, she could already have lost her brain.

Phryne dropped the note and ran to the top of the staircase. Sure enough, the new doorman was lying on the floor. A few men who had already turned up for the night were milling around the entrance, unsure of what to do with their greeter very evidently present and apparently unconscious. Once she'd made sure none of them were Foyle, Phryne ran down the stairs to try to take control of the situation.

"One too many sherries," Phryne laughed nervously as she shooed the men out. "We'll be closed tonight, I'm afraid. If you come back tomorrow I'll ensure you all get free drinks to make up for any inconvenience."

The men seemed happy enough with that promise and Phryne locked the door behind them. She was good but even she couldn't work this place alone. She checked the doorman's pulse which was strong and steady. So far everyone seemed to be alive, just heavily drugged. Phryne went over to the phone and quickly called the nurse Madam Lyon had enlisted to help with any medical issues, one who had worked at the Imperial Club while in training. She assured Phryne she was on her way and told her to ring the police. Not just yet, Phryne decided.

She made her way instead to Madam Lyon's rooms. As Phryne suspected due to her absence from the rest of the club, Madam Lyon was likewise incapacitated with a glass of champagne on the table beside her. Phryne checked her pulse. Yes, still alive.

"Did Lena come in today?"

Madam Lyon's eyes stared knowingly at Phryne but her lips didn't move.

"I've called the nurse but I'm going to have to call the cops too, I'm afraid. Who delivered the champagne, no, wait, I know all that. Can you move at all?"

Madam Lyon's eyes moved ever so slightly.

"So that's a yes, I suppose. Damnit, don't you know better than to accept gifts from strangers!"

Phryne ran off to Madam Lyon's office, where she knew she could make her next call in privacy.

Hugh's voice answered.

"Collins, has Jack gone home yet?"

"Miss Fisher?"

"You need to get to the Imperial Club now, both of you."

She heard muttering the other end and then Jack's voice said her name. She felt a strange sense of relief at the sound of his deep tones and all the panic she'd tried to keep inside came tumbling out of her mouth as if it could fly down the telephone line to him to straighten out for her.

"Jack, it's Foyle, it's all Foyle!"

"Slow down, Phryne. Are you hurt?"

"No, no, not me. He sent champagne to the club, he signed it, he wanted me to know it's him, it's Foyle. He drugged it and now the whole club is out of it. I've called our nurse and locked the door but–"

"Wait, are you there on your own? We let you go because we thought there'd always be someone with you!"

"Technically there are a lot of people with me, they're just not doing much. Jack, one of the women is missing. I don't know if she stayed at home because she really shouldn't have come into work but had threatened to anyway, or if Foyle took her. Jack, what if he takes her brain?"

"All right, calm down, Phryne. Is the place secure?"

"Yes."

"Stay there, we're on our way. Don't let anyone else in until we get there."

"The nurse…"

"Just the nurse, Phryne. If there's anyone else with her don't let either of them in."

Phryne nodded, not even recognising that he couldn't see her. "Oh, and one last thing…"

"I dimly recall meeting you when investigating Lavinia's death, who's Phryne Fisher? I know."

Phryne actually smiled at his frustrated sarcasm as she put the phone down. She almost wished she wasn't leading this double life, she'd love to have Jack's arms around her right now but even if she allowed herself to be Phryne Fisher full time, it would do Jack no good to be seen with her.

*.*.*.

Jack pounded heavily on the locked wooden door.

"Who's there?" shouted the now familiar voice of Phryne Fisher in response to the sound.

Hugh looked over at Jack. Not an ounce of worry showed on his straight face, although from the furiousness of his knocking Hugh suspected he was actually beside himself. "Detective Inspector Jack Robinson."

Hugh heard a bolt be pulled across on the other side of the door and suddenly there she stood, in all her finery. Hugh gulped. He had started to get used to seeing her in more casual dress since his last visit here so he had forgotten she looked so provocative when working.

They glanced at each other as the two men entered the building. Robinson had been very insistent on their ride over to the club that Hugh try his best to pretend he didn't know Miss Fisher. They had met at the club on their previous investigation so he was allowed to recognise her as much as he did any of the other women, but he was not to let on either her real name or that she'd been helping them.

Miss Fisher walked the policemen over to a chair where Madam Lyon, wrapped in a blanket, was sat beside the familiar club register which rested on a side table. She glared at them which Hugh suspected was just about all she could do from what Robinson had told him.

"Madam Lyon," Jack greeted almost cordially. "We meet again."

The woman opened her mouth slightly and only a croak came out. Painfully she slowly raised a hand and beckoned Phryne over to her. She whispered something and then Miss Fisher stood from the bent position she had taken to be able to hear the woman's words.

"She wants you to find Lena," Phryne announced.

Jack nodded. "That is one thing I intend to do, yes."

"That's all she wants. We don't want police poking around."

"But you called the police," Jack replied.

"Lena," Madam Lyon managed to spit out.

"Inspector," Phryne walked over to him, "we can take care of ourselves."

"That doesn't appear to be the case."

Miss Fisher visibly bristled at that comment. "Inspector Robinson, I assure you –"

"You can assure me all you like, Miss Peony, wasn't it? The fact is this club was targeted and one of your girls taken, this you were not prepared for. Moreover, on your call, you said the note left with the champagne you suspect of poisoning the staff was left by a Murdoch Foyle. I have to inform both of you that Mr Foyle is currently wanted by police in matters relating to another case that I cannot divulge to you. However I have to assume for the moment that these cases are linked, by Foyle if nothing else. Now, assuming the rest of the staff are in a similar state to you, Madam Lyon, the only person capable of making me or my constable leave would be yourself, Miss Peony, and I don't think those odds favour you. So, please, let us track down who did this and took Lena."

"I could take you both," Miss Fisher replied hotly.

Jack briefly raised his eyebrows. "Indeed. Now, we need the note and the champagne for testing. Meanwhile, you should all go to hospital to get properly checked over. We have no idea what it was Foyle drugged you with."

"No!" Madam Lyon managed to speak again.

"We have a nurse," Phryne elaborated and then indicated for them to follow her up the stairs. Jack said nothing more and followed her, so with one glance back at the still rather incapacitated Madam Lyon, Hugh hastened after them. Once up on the landing, Phryne opened a door and indicated for them to follow her. Inside was a tiny cupboard, not a room, and it was clearly used for storage.

"Sorry," Phryne hissed at them, all signs of the anger she'd given them downstairs had completely vanished. Hugh realised that all the hostility both she and the Inspector had shown had been an act for Madam Lyon's benefit only. "They're all coming round and they can see and hear everything even if they don't look like it."

Jack reached out for her, clearly not caring that Hugh was still with them. "Are you all right?"

"Shaken but fine," she shrugged him off, physically and emotionally. "Shouldn't one of you be looking for Lena?"

"I have other men out on the street," Jack replied. "We are looking."

"We've checked the address we found for Foyle again but he doesn't appear to have returned there since we last looked. He certainly isn't living there," Hugh added.

Miss Fisher groaned in exasperation. "Can nothing in my life be easy? Come on, then. I should warn you both, some of the girls are in various states of undress and as you probably saw from how difficult Madam Lyon found moving, we haven't been able to clothe them yet."

Hugh swallowed nervously at the warning but Miss Fisher was already leading the Inspector away down the corridor so he raced after them, hoping he wasn't about to witness anything too shocking.

She hadn't lied; the women had obviously all been getting ready for the evening's entertainment when drinking the champagne and some were wearing nothing more than their undergarments. With the nurse's help, like Madam Lyon they were beginning to regain some control and movement but apart from wrapping them up in coats or blankets to keep them warm, no effort had been made to properly dress them.

"Collins, collect that champagne and all the glasses. I want them tested right away," Jack ordered and Hugh wasn't entirely sure he wasn't just helping him have an excuse to not be in this uncomfortable room.

"Yes, sir, er, are there any boxes and napkins I can use…?"

Miss Fisher walked him to the door. "Down the corridor you'll find the bar. In the backroom you should find boxes and napkins."

"Thank you, Miss," Hugh replied gratefully and ran off on his mission, glad to be out of the room of scantily clad women Inspector Robinson would no doubt insist on him interviewing later. He just hoped for everyone's sake Jack would allow the women to put some clothes on before that point. Hugh felt so lucky to have his Dot.

TBC...