PROBLEM - Anthony Lockwood

CHAPTER FIFTY

~

l

now it's awkward (or is it)

~

"GEORGE IS MISSING!" came Lucy's shout.

Alice jumped up, tearing herself away from Lockwood. They'd been sitting there in relative quiet, just talking to one another. She had her head on his shoulder and he had an arm around her.

"What do you mean?" Alice inquired.

"I mean he's gone!"

Lockwood and her exchanged a look before both of them tore down the stairs and out of the room.

Lucy grabbed Alice's hand as they made their way to George's room, "It's 2am and..." she trailed off as she looked at Alice's face, "Tell me everything."

"This is not the time," Alice reminded, "How'd you know George was gone?"

"I was gonna tell him something but he wasn't there," Lucy turned to Alice, "Look, the mirror has been stolen."

"What?" Alice hissed, "Where'd you hear that?"

Lucy blushed, "No one."

"Strawberry calls you at 2am?" Alice gasped.

"Not everyday," Lucy spluttered, "Just-"

"We need to go!" Lockwood declared as he left George's room, his face gaunt.

"What is it?" Alice inquired, she detached her arm from Lucy and darted into George's room. Only to find, on the table, a scrawled translation of the runes on the bone glass.

The truth lies beyond.

Fuck.

They made their way straight to the cemetary, running through the field until they ran into the building.

"Is Lockwood here? Or is he just going to throw you under the bus for this?" they heard Kipps jeer.

Lockwood threw open the door, marching inside, "We're right here. Good evening."

As they passed Lucy shot Kipps a look. "You alright, 'sweetheart'?" she mocked. Kipps glared.

"Anthony Lockwood and a case gone wrong," Barnes snapped, watching as the three of them made their way to George. "Nothing seems to change."

"It's nice to see you here Kipps," Lockwood hissed, "What's that, third time this week?"

"Second by my count," Kipps snapped in reply.

"The mirror's gone," George told them, breaking them out of their arguements, "This is big."

"It is, yeah. And it's our case," Lockwood agreed.

"Not anymore," Kipps interrupted, "And we've already made a preliminary report."

Bobby - Kipps' researcher - stepped forwards, "The first question is why an iron casket a century before the problem. Well, the Fittes database confirms it to be a still, used in breweries in the late 19th century."

George and Alice exhanged a look.

"It also confirms that 1886 saw a violent labour dispute at Hildrew's Ale in Kilburn," Bobby continued. He handed the report to Barnes.

"We believe this well dressed man was the owner," Kipps declared, "Murdered by his workers and buried in the first thing they could find."

"An accidentally murdered brewer?" Barnes tested out.