• Stray

Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4

(StevenKitson)

The kid's not alright.

guest starring Bill Nighy as MrFlanagan

Episode 1

The mourners returned to 122 Mallory Way. JamesFlint, a member in good standing, had died two days before -- apparantly mauled by a large animal (an occurance that might have got more attention had Unity not had its fill of animal attacks recently) -- as he and his son DavidFlint returned home from playing on the common. The son was the only witness, and he had not spoken since the attack.

It was quickly apparant that several small groups had coalesced throughout the crowd, talking in hushed voices about 'so the phase of the moon was...' and 'all quiet at the ivory gate' and '...would have expected to see something in the sticks'. Other guests, some members of the society and some visiting, circulated around the room. In turn each approached the widow to offer their condolences. MadelineFlint was a Hitchcock blonde, cold blue eyes and a face that a master sculptor could have done justice in no medium but ice. No tear dared spoil her make-up. She received the well-wishers graciously but distantly, occasionally glancing around to check where David had got to as he shuffled aimlessly through the room. The ten-year-old's expression was so empty and still that to see him blink, his eyelids lazily -- as if having only just remembered that they really should, you know, even if there didn't seem to be much point -- drifting together, was vaguely unsettling even to those who had faced ancient invisible hunters, psychic creatures from beyond the sun, or werewolves.

The other centre of attention, though the glances in his direction tried to be covert and subtle, was at the opposite end of the room to Madeline: a tall, heavy-set member of 122 called RussellEastman. Like most of the society, James was part of a group of friends: his particular team comprised James himself, Russell and the thouroughly modern JuliaGriffiths. Julia's absence from the service and now the gathering had not gone unnoticed, and the eyes that kept watch of Russell were part of the result, and they observed MrFlanagan's entry with a small piece of paper which he handed to Russell -- Mr Flanagan's usual method of delivering a telephone message to a member. Russell read the message, folded it once and slipped it into his jacket's inside pocket.

The thud from above took everyone by surprise. The conversation, already subdued, fell away completely; every face turned upwards and the room was for a moment still. The tableau broke when Mr Flanagan turned and headed for the door, closely followed by one of the small groups that had gathered. The others stood back to let them through, as if recognising priority.

Halfway up the stairs they heard a door slam and picked up their pace. Tumbling off the top of the staircase they saw that the noise had come from TheLibrary, whose thick oak door was now imposingly and definitively shut. Nor were the sounds over: from within came first a thud on the far side of the door, as if something had thrown itself against the wood; then a scrabbling, as of an animal against the door, more thuds and crashes from inside the door, and finally something slammed aganst the door so hard that it seemed to bow outward.

After that, things went quiet. The group -- along with Flanagan, RobertJohnson, AlexanderGreystone, Lisa DaVinci and JuliusErlich had come to investigate -- watched the door warily.

The click of heels on the stairs distracted them; Madeline rushed onto the landing, looking about her. She demanded to know if they had seen her son; when they said they hadn't, she ran up to the next floor.

Flanagan took a deep breath and squared off against the door. He stepped forward, reached out for the handle turned and pushed. The door swung away from him easily, allowing a glimpse into the room beyond: a chaos of upset furniture and books strewn across the floor.

Then something big hit the other side of the door, slamming it closed again and sending Flanagan staggering back against the bannister.

Robert and Alex headed downstairs for the shotguns which HayesWebster kept behind the bar. Now armed, Robert returned to the landing while Alex went through the now-empty parlour and hallway and out onto the street. The library window wasn't hard to pick out: it was the one that had been smashed inwards.

The sounds of movement continued from inside the room. Robert shouted in that he was going to call the police, but whoever or whatever was in there wasn't impressed. They pushed the door open carefully, and heard somethign skitter into the far corner. Lisa went into the room first, obscuring the others' views; turning to them, it was only from the corner of her eye that she noticed something black move quickly behind her.

The group entered the room and realised that the only way to search it was to set the collapsed bookstacks upright, which they began doing. As they worked they noted the two types of marks: deep scratches on the walls, the bookstacks and the doors in sets of one, two or three, and patches of light scratching as if a dog was trying to get out of a room.

Madeline, having looked everywhere else, burst into the room searching for David; Julius had to grab her and usher her outside the room.

They straightened all but the last bookcase, which had fallen into the corner of the room. Julius shone his lamp into the shadow: something black was briefly visible before it skittered away to the other end. Julius ordered some meat; a chunk of liver was brought up from the kitchen. Julius injected sedative into the liver, and pushed it into the gap between the bookcase and the wall.

Whatever it was seemed to move slightly towards the meat and then stop.

Julius and Alex, who had returned from the street, each gripped a side of the bookcase and pulled it upright. Behind it was a small, scared ten-year-old boy in a black suit.

As if summoned by her son's appearance, Madeline was in the room and heading towards him before Julius could act. Alex headed her off, momentarily confusing her with a barrage of words while Julius reached for David. He shied away, so Julius leant forward and grabbed hishand. Madeline dodged past Alex and grabbed David's other hand, demanding that Julius leave her son alone. Julius said he just wanted to examine the boy, so Madeline pointed out forcefully that if anyone was going to examine her son it would be her own doctor, not some weird foreign stranger from her husband's, her late husband's club who probably didn't even have a medical degree anyway. She pulled her son away and down the stairs, and out of the building -- just as the police arrived.

After sorting out the constabulary, the friends split up. Lisa and Robert went to see JuliaGriffiths, who Lisa last remembered seeing at a dinner on Monday night. The windows of her upmarket tennament block were unbroken, and those of her flat closed and uncurtained. They went up the concrete starwell to the third [that's second for us British folks -- Ed.] floor and knocked on her door. They waited. Then they waited a bit more. Then, deciding that they had waited long enough, they turned around and knocked on the opposite door. They waited a little and then heard banging from inside shortly before the door was opened by a recently-awakened bohemian artist. From the artist's rant they gleaned that Julia had last been seen on Wednesday, when she had hurridly packed and left. They managed to leave, Lisa only being sold one single painting.

Meanwhile, Julius went to check the scene of the crime. He found scratches on the ground, the wall and the fence, that were similar to the ones in the library.

Meanwhile also, Alex helped Flanagan re-shelve the library. Under one of the piles of books he found something that he didn't remember seeing before: a small bone of some kind. When the other returned from their more or less fruitless endeavours they all took tea in the tea room and discussed their findings. Julius identified the bone as coming from a child's finger. Robert called FrankShort at the police station and asked about Julia and Russell; Frank said that they had spoken to them both, but neither were suspects. He was slightly surprised to learn that Julia had apparantly left town, as she had been asked not to.

After finishing their tea (by now it was about half past eight in the evening), they headed off to see Russell. However, his house was, as far as they could tell, empty; the door was locked and the lights were off. They crept around the back (as you do) and, peeking through the kitchen window, saw a coffee cup left on the table.

Unusually deciding not to break in, they then split up for the night. Julius left the bone in his lab in the attic of 122, and headed to bed; Lisa likewise went home. Robert and Alex, however, decided to watch the Flint house. They parked in the driveway of a house opposite and turned off the engine. As they watched the lights downstairs and then, one by one, the lights upstairs were switched off.

After a couple of hours Alex decided to go home and leave Robert to watch. As he got out of the car a movement across the street caught his eye; a shadow moving across the wall of the upper floor of the Flint's house. He had only just time to duck as it detached itself from the house and swooped towards the car. He had an impression of claws, jaws and something black and flappy before he dived head-first back into the car.

The moonlight slanting in through the window of Julius's lab at 122 was interrupted for a moment before the window exploded inwards...

Episode 2

Alex discovered scrabbly scratches on top of the car. Robert said Suzanne was going to kill him. They moved the car to outside the Flint residence, went up to the door and knocked. A light came on in a window and Madeleine looked out. Nothing happened after that, so Alex knocked again. Madeleine came downstairs, put the door on its chain and opened it. She threatened to call the UnityPoliceForce. Robert said she should. She did.

The police arrived, and asked those present for their names. They asked them to stay in their cars while one of the officers talked to Madeleine. They then asked TheCharacters to come to the station; there was a disagreement about who should drive. Eventually Robert drove, with an officer in the back. They were interviewed separately and released.

Next morning, the characters met up for breakfast. Robert went upstairs to get the bone, and discovered the lab, smashed.

FixMealso look up library - find that about six weeks ago James, Julia and Russel did a numerology scenario <<< Not sure who "also" refers to here. Probably Robert, but the timing's weird. -- SimonBooth >>>

Julius tidied up the lab, and took a pipetteful of acid. Alex went to the CornExchangeBank, and found out that until 9 months ago the Flints had an account. He returned to 122 with a pistol.

FixMegets 'nESH/NEΓ' <<< Can't make that word out. -- SimonBooth >>>

Robert started looking through all the books in the library where the bone was found. TheCharacters met up there and talked, then headed for RussellEastman's home.

The curtains were now open. They knocked, and Russell came to the door. He tried to persuade them to leave things be. They then went to JuliaGriffiths' place. They knoked on the door,

FixMethey knock ΓLICK <<< Can't make that word out either. -- SimonBooth >>>

The artist came out and told them she wasn't there. Julius squirted his acid onto her door-bolt and they went on to lunch at a café opposite the bank.

Julius had to come back twice before the door bolt gave up. He searched Julia's bedroom, bathroom and lounge. He finished around teatime, then met the others at 122. They returned to search more thoroughly, and Robert found a man's sock down the back of her sofa - "a businesslike sock". They also found one bit of post - an invitation to a party last night.

They returned to 122, where Robert called FrankShort. He asked about Julia and last night. He says Madeleine complained about them, and the officers did their job.

Robert thakned Julius and went to Russell's. Alex stayed at 122. Julus was the first into 122 the next morning at 9am, where he found Russell's body...

Episode 3

FixMe: Description

Episode 4

FixMe: Description