The Cosmic Mystery

Chapter 26: The Unicorn and the Wasp Part 3

The party is all gathered in the drawing room, processing the events of Miss Chandrakala's demise. I stood behind a chair Donna was sat in, as the Doctor and Agatha joined the others around the couches.

"My faithful companion, this is terrible." Lady Edison says as she wipes her nose on her hanker chief, genuine pain on her face. A few people, including myself, nod in remorse for her.

"Excuse me, my lady, but she was on her way to tell you something." The steward who was absolutely in love with Miss Edison's son says from across the room.

"She never found me. She had an appointment with death instead." Lady Edison says before breaking down into more tears, I frown and cross the room gently taking her hand and offering my condolences which she says her thanks to before patting my hand sweetly.

"She said, the poor little child. Does that mean anything to anyone?" The Doctor says, eyeing Lady Edison as he does so. She quickly perks up, her eyes darting around nervously as her husband jokes about the impossibility of there being children in the house. I look to the Doctor who nods at me very slightly, letting me know he saw it too.

"Mrs Christie, you must have twigged something. You've written simply the best detective stories." Lady Edison says and the room suddenly become chaos alight with voices all directed at poor Agatha.

"Tell us, what would Poirot do?"

"Heavens sake. Cards On The Table, woman. You should be helping us!" Lady Edison's husband shouts and I offer him a hard glare, one he notices and seems to wither away from. Not very confrontational man.

"But I'm merely a writer!" Agatha argues back her voice a mixture of disbelief and anguish that comes from freshly having your heart broken.

"But surely you can crack it. These events, they're exactly like one of your plots." Socialite Robina says, her voice and octave too high to be comfortable. I eye her for a moment; unsure what about her is throwing me off.

"That's what I've been saying. Agatha, that's got to mean something." Donna says from the chair, looking admirably up to Agatha. Agatha however seems nervous, and wary of the attention and interest the party puts on her. I stand ready to defend her, and ask that everyone give her a moment.

"But what? I've no answers. None. I'm sorry, all of you. I'm truly sorry, but I've failed. If anyone can help us, then it's the Doctor, not me." Agatha says in one fell breath, coming out rushed and panicked and before anyone can process she's turning and going, making her way down the hall. I begin to follow her as Donna stops me.

"I'll do it." She says softly looking to Agatha, I simply nod and back off letting Donna follow after her.

"Okay everyone, please clear the sitting area. We need to review some facts and see what we know." I say to the group clapping my hands together and motioning for everyone to get up. They begrudgingly do so, all of them offering us curious and annoyed looks. I shoo them until they're all out of the room, closing the door behind them as I turn to face the doctor.

"Who called earlier?" He says, running his hands over random papers scattered about the desk in the corner of the room, though I know he's not actually looking.

"This isn't a discussion we should have at this moment." I say softly walking over to him. He holds a hand up and looks at me.

"You've been keeping things from me." He says. His voice is not angry, or even remotely full of malice. He says it as if it's a simple statement, a fact as common as saying the sky is blue. I swallow hard, and then clear my throat stalling for an answer.