Sanctuary fanfic: Old City PD - chapter 2
Chapter 2
Without a guide it would have been easy to get lost in the place. It was pretty obvious from the outside that the mansion was huge and by my reckoning you could spend a week in there and still not see everything. The corridors were long and the ceilings high and the chill from the stone floor started to creep up my legs as we walked along the passageways. Still it would take more than that to cool my interest in the place and the more I saw the more curious I became.
I shouldn't have been surprised at anything I suppose but there were a couple of things I wasn't expecting and one thing I was and that was the first thing I was shown. The vast library. All four walls were covered from top to bottom with just what you would expect….books. There were the leather bound wordy tomes, smaller friendlier publications and everything in between. You would need quite a few lifetimes of reading to get through them all and I easily imagined that someone as smart as Dr. Magnus had done so.
We carried on with the tour and when the next door opened we found ourselves in a fully equipped operating theatre with gleaming white tiles, high tech monitors, medical beds and other surgical paraphernalia. That was a surprise and it must have shown on my face.
"I can see you're wondering why would I have a use for this?" The doctor studied my reaction.
Too right I did. "Yes," I acknowledged because it did all seem a bit much.
"You have to realise Detective that many of our …guests like complete privacy from the outside world. Here at The Sanctuary we can give them that. If by some unfortunate circumstance they are in need of medical attention then we are well equipped here to deal with it."
"That makes sense I guess …and I do appreciate that you are medically qualified for all this…," I hesitated as I continued to look around, "…stuff."
"Yes I am, as you so eloquently put it, eminently qualified for all this… stuff."
Oh, ouch. I sensed a hint of annoyance there. I decided I'd said enough. Still… she looked good when she got riled. I promised myself I wouldn't be so crass as to allow my eyes to wander up and down her lovely self but…too late.
It was in the next corridor where I was surprised again and this time with gun shots. I reached for my weapon. Dr. Magnus placed a calming hand on my shoulder and smiled. I got the distinct impression she enjoyed my reaction.
"It's fine. Take a look.." She pushed open a door into what could only be described as a barn, it could hardly be considered a room as it was vast and virtually empty.
A young blond woman was firing repeatedly into a target at the far end of, what I now realised was, a shooting range. She stopped, looked over and scrutinised me as we approached, flipping up her visor and dropping down the ear defenders.
"Ashley," Dr Magnus said, "remember I told you about our visitor Detective Kavanaugh."
"Ah yes." She gave me the once over. "Hi," she managed through gritted teeth. Nope, she wasn't impressed.
"Detective… I would like you to meet my daughter Ashley. Not known for her subtlety or manners at times."
Ashley ignored the comment and gave me an indifferent look.
"Pleased to meet you," I said but her attention quickly moved from me to her mother and back to me. I sensed more than a little friction between them.
"Have you come to have a practise? I suppose you think you're a pretty good shot…being a cop."
Her tone was scathing… plus it sounded like a challenge.
"Ashley! Where are your manners. He's our guest."
"I take it you practise here as well," I said to Dr Magnus, trying to take the heat out of the situation.
"Yes I do, just a bit."
"Huh!" Ashley retorted, "she's the best shot in the City, Detective. She'd beat you any day of the week."
I raised an eyebrow and smirked at Dr. Magnus but she wasn't taking the bait. I would have loved to pit my skills against hers.
"Yes well… I think we'll let her continue her practise." The doctor gave me a forced smile and made her way towards the exit. Yeah mother and daughter relationships. Gotta love 'em.
After more door opening which led to rooms which led to laboratories, many of them empty, we came upon one that had a technician working away. That was Henry I was told. He explained a bit of his work and I nodded in all the right places. Way, way over my head.
Just as we turned to leave, the spunky daughter came rushing in.
"Henry you must come quickly there's…" she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me and her mother.
She then looked at Henry as if she was about to burst. There was something she was itching to say but Dr. Magnus remained unruffled while throwing her daughter an irritated look.
"We meet again," I said to Ashley but was ignored while she desperately tried to silently convey a certain something to her mother. I could see Dr. Magnus tense up; she seemed determined not to respond though so Ashley gave up and grabbed Henry by the scruff of the neck and whisked him out of the room and out of earshot.
"Your daughter seems in a hurry. Nothing wrong I hope." I tried not to sound too inquisitive.
"You'll have to forgive her, she can be too enthusiastic for her own good sometimes."
"You hardly seem old enough to have a daughter her age." I must earn points for that surely.
But no, she looked as if she had heard it all before but I couldn't help thinking, was there a Mr Magnus? I would love to know that but before I had a chance to think of a way to ask the question I saw Will standing in the doorway.
"Magnus," he said in a serious tone. Now I sensed something was really up.
"Please excuse me Detective Kavanaugh," she said politely and proceeded to have a short quiet conversation in the corridor. I strained to hear but the only word I caught was 'escape'. I walked towards the doorway hoping to take a sneaky look and nearly crashed into Will as he rounded the corner.
"Joe…Dr. Magnus has had to go attend to some… business."
"I noticed her daughter was agitated."
"Ah… you've met Ashley then?"
"Yeah, lovely looking girl; a bit of a handful by the looks of it and definitely didn't think much of me."
Zimmerman grinned. "That bother you Joe?"
I laughed. "No Will…. a bit too young for me." We started to walk along yet another corridor. " Her mother on the other hand…"
He scowled at me. "Don't even think about it."
"Why? Oh…are you and her…"
"No. God no!" Will looked horrified. "There's nothing like that going on."
"You sure?" I asked suspiciously. And why did that idea bother me so much?
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
"Hmm….is she available then?"
"I suppose she must be but I don't know everything about her. She keeps her private life well… pretty private… and as far as I can tell she spends most of her time working."
Perhaps it was time she had more of a social life. Not that I could talk, I didn't have one either. Well, we had that much in common.
"So, now you've had a bit of a look around, what do you think of the place?" Will looked genuinely eager for my reply.
"It's kind of interesting that's for sure."
"Are you satisfied that the place isn't hiding any illegal activities?"
"Not that I've seen or been allowed to see. Convince me Will that everything here is on the up and up."
"You're so suspicious Joe. Believe me, all that goes on here is done with the best of intentions."
I gave him my best cynical look. "That's not quite what I asked though, is it?"
~~~~~
Zimmerman left me to wait in the drawing room. I didn't bother having a snoop around because I knew there would be nothing incriminating to see.
"I'm sorry to have left you like that," Dr. Magnus said when she eventually returned.
She looked a bit hot and bothered and slightly out of breath. Her hair was a little dishevelled with a wayward strand stuck to her cheek and I was sorely tempted to gently move it.
"Is everything OK?" I asked knowing I would get the stock polite response.
"Yes, thank you; it was much ado about nothing. So…do you have any more questions?"
"I must admit with a place this size I'd expected to see more people and more staff."
"I like to keep it small and friendly. We work well together here. Some times it's busier than others but you've caught us at a particularly quiet time."
I watched her closely as she talked and I believed her but I had this growing suspicion that I wanted to believe her. That didn't mean she wasn't hiding something but who didn't have their secrets?
I wasn't getting very far and I still had the Chief's words nudging me towards the charm offensive, so I thought now's the time t take my chance. "I was wondering Dr. Magnus, I have tickets to the new production of Phantom of the Opera at the City theatre," I didn't but I had a contact who could get me a couple in a heartbeat, "and… well, would you like to go?" It would probably cost me more than a months salary but there are some things in life that are worth more than dollars.
My heart beat a little faster as I waited for her response but I prepared myself for the worst.
"That's most kind of you Detective but I….I …" She faltered a little and was that a hint of a blush touching her cheeks?
Unexpectedly I felt a bit smug but that didn't last long.
"Perhaps sometime in the future. When I'm not quite so occupied with..," she cast her eyes around the room, "all this, but I do appreciate the thought," she said warmly.
So… not an outright refusal. A gracious brush off. I'd known worse. She walked over to the bookcase and ran her fingers along the books until one in particular caught her eye. She took it off the shelf.
"Have you read any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books?"
"Can't say I have."
"Really? Not even Sherlock Holmes? I would have thought it was compulsory reading for someone such as yourself." She flashed me a little grin.
I wasn't going to say I hadn't read a novel in years and confirm her suspicions that not only was I a lowly detective who didn't have a fancy education but my literary knowledge was pretty much non existent. I needn't have worried. She had a far away look as she flicked through the pages.
"The author created a brilliant detective set in Nineteenth Century England. He solved mysteries that no one else could."
So, was she toying with me or sounding me out?
"I'm pretty sure you'll like it. It would be appreciated if you would return the book when you've finished with it, perhaps you will give me your opinion of it.?"
"Thanks." I took the leather bound volume and turned it over in my hand. "I'm sure I'll enjoy it." I thought if I was to have any chance of understanding what made her tick it wouldn't do any harm to start reading one of her favorite novels.
~~~~~
"Tell your boss he is more than welcome to come for a visit any time." She said as we stood in the main entrance hall. I couldn't decide whether she was just being mischievous.
"I'm sure he'll be honoured," I replied but we both knew the truth.
And with that I left the magnificent Sanctuary and walked to the car. I looked over my shoulder and saw Dr. Magnus and Zimmerman standing in the doorway. Even from that distance I could see they looked relieved.
~~~~~
Back at the Department I thought about what I was going to report to the Chief but there wasn't much to tell. He wanted facts, not feelings and suspicions, and I really didn't have very many. I was looking forward to seeing the look on his face when telling him about the invitation though but I wouldn't be showing him the inscription on the first page of the book I was currently reading. To my dear Helen. Unravelling life's mysteries. Arthur.
What did that mean? Probably nothing. A present from an old boyfriend maybe. I had a lot more questions than answers but there was always next time.
She did say she wanted the book returned, didn't she? I really couldn't wait to finish it.
~~~~~