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~~~Chapter 14 ~ Gumshoes

After passing through the secretarial pool and feeling the chill in the air Giles deduced that he should call Adele in and do some damage control before he handled any of the myriad things on his plate.

He used the phone to call her rather than the intercom…it seemed more personal, less dictatorial. “Mr. Giles office, this is Mrs. Reed. How can I help you?” came the professional tone.

You can act like a mature adult instead of a spoiled child, he thought, but said instead, “Yes, Adele, would you please step into my office for a moment.”

In the matter of minutes it took for Mrs. Reed to enter his office, Giles mood shifted from penitent that he was rude to Mrs. Reed the night before to indignant that she would take umbrage at his brusque manner. How dare she imagine herself so important? He knew he wasn’t rude to her, just abrupt and she was just being a ridiculous female and he’d had just about enough of it. So, when she walked in the door head held high and feeling very powerful indeed because she no doubt had the support of the entire secretarial staff in her misplaced outrage, there was nothing left for him to do but squash her like the annoying female bug she was.

Mr. Giles had forgotten about females and their ability to manipulate a situation in subtle ways. He went ahead with his tirade, “Mrs. Reed, I will not have the business of this office interrupted with petty outbursts and demonstrations of solidarity among the secretarial staff over such a trivial issue. This unpleasant reaction to our encounter last night is childish and unacceptable.” There, that ought to do it, he thought.

As he spoke, though, Adele’s lower lip started to quiver and her face took on a peculiar color and she looked like she might erupt in some fashion. As he finished, the tears large and heavy began to roll from her eyes. Then came the sob, “Oh, Mr. Giles,…” and he was lost.

He rushed from his chair with hanky in hand and led her gently to a chair. “Please, Mrs. Reed…um…Adele, this isn’t something to cry over.” He rolled his eyes in dismay as he patted her back and she continued gasping with great sobs. He was truly out of his element.

“It’s just that….” Her phrases were interrupted as she took deep, sobbing breaths, “…we just had such a pleasant meeting and it was so nice to see you so unexpectedly…..We thought perhaps you were arriving late to our meeting…you know, you’ve always been invited….and then you just cut me off like a ….well, I don’t know what…but it felt like a slap and …..” Then there were more sobs, “…and I was so embarrassed, that I didn’t know anything about that Scottish fellow and I thought I must have been remiss in my job. I was so upset when I got home that Mr. Reed wanted to come and punch you in the nose…” she looked up at Giles eye to eye, “but I stopped him.” She was calming now as she continued, “He wants me to quit my job.”

“What?” said Giles. “Quit your job? Over this?….Have you gone mad, woman?”

At that her face began to screw up and take on that odd color again and he quickly backed off, “Now, now, Adele. Enough of this nonsense.” He went and took his own seat and their meeting took on a whole new tone.

Giles prepared a pot of tea as they went over their misunderstandings of the night before and this morning and before very long they returned to the very pleasant working relationship they enjoyed for well over a year. In the end, he managed to convince her that he was entitled to have a bad moment too. They apologized to one another and by the time she left his office, her tears were gone and her face returned to its usual rather bland color.

He asked her to arrange for a driver to meet Buffy at the airport and reminded her to make arrangements for her to have one of the private cottages, preferably The Harborage freshened up for her stay. “Really, sir? I know that was what you said yesterday, but she seemed to enjoy her stay in the dormitory with the girls during her last visit. I was going to suggest she stay in Stuart Hall this time.”

“No, Mrs. Reed. Please undo those arrangements if you’ve already gone ahead. I’m sorry if the girls will be disappointed but I’ve determined that it would be better for Buffy to have some alone time during this visit.” Then he added, with a small smile, “She’s a grown woman now and entitled to some privacy.”

Mrs. Reed couldn’t help but return his smile. It was such a warm and loving expression. She didn’t think the smile had anything to do with her, but everything to do with Buffy. The Watcher/Slayer relationship must be a very special one, she thought….
~~~

Buffy felt badly for the driver who waited more than two hours longer than he had to because of the delayed flight. She comforted herself with the thought that someone should have checked with the airport regarding delays. My God, she thought, you can do it on-line. Oh well, maybe he napped or read a good book…he’s getting paid anyway. Now that she thought of it, she had no idea what his regular job was…maybe it was something distasteful or really grueling….then he’d be happy to be paid for this down time. That made her feel a lot better.

The ride was pleasant and the two hours plus went quickly the last time she visited. It was just after five in the afternoon and the sun was already setting before they were underway. All the extra security took so much time not counting having your luggage ransacked in customs. She giggled to herself as she thought about the expressions on the custom clerk’s face when he saw her panties. She’d made sure the more outrageous ones were right on top. Her favorites were the wine colored ones that had “lickilicious” written on the front. Still, she was sorry they hadn’t gotten done sooner because most of the ride would be in the dark. She’d grabbed some cookies…biscuits, I’m in England now…and a container of hot tea before leaving the airport, but she was hungry and hoping there would be something to nosh on when she got to Hogwarts…ooh…she’d better stop calling the Academy by that nickname. Giles probably wouldn’t be amused.
~~~

Xander stewed over the situation all day as he literally closeted himself in his office/closet. It was nearly impossible to study ancient symbols with his mind reeling over events at the pub last night however; he was on duty and being paid and didn’t dare skip out during the day. He decided he’d check things out after dinner. It didn’t make the studying go any better, but at least now he had a plan.

He ran his mind over every cliché about how time can drag when you want it to fly when finally the time came to close shop, bid goodnight to the ladies in the secretarial pool and get some dinner at the refectory.

He checked his pockets; he was well armed with holy water and stakes. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself…he learned early on that the secretaries were snitches…so he couldn’t bring any substantial weaponry. He knew he was probably nuts doing this, but he was tired of being the one left out and he had to prove he could handle the tough stuff when necessary.

Dinner was great, it always was, but he hardly tasted any of it. The cooks here were spectacular and they were just like the secretaries, if he didn’t eat his usual hearty meal with two desserts they’d probably be on the phone to Giles telling him there was a problem. Man, it sucks when you must eat; even the best stuff tastes like paste.

He cleared his tray and put his silver and plates in the proper bins and bid a cheery goodnight to everyone who caught his eye. Any more than that would have been suspicious too.

He decided to drive out the way he would ordinarily go to get to his quarters and once he was over the hill and the car was no longer in sight of the dining hall he turned toward the woods where Spike said he saw Enfield last night.

He was thinking it gets dark quick this time of year. He checked the glove compartment and was glad to find his flashlight…yeah, yeah…torch. He pulled off the road and doused his headlights and then parked the car, locked it and pulled some brush around to hide it a bit. He didn’t plan on being more than a couple of minutes, but he didn’t want the car to be obvious either and then set off on foot as quietly as he could toward the old graveyard at the edge of the schools land.

The night air had taken on a chill as he thought he’d “clocked loads of field time” (Geez, he loved that phrase) but he’d never patrolled alone. He wasn’t sure if he could hear anything over the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

The thought was answered almost immediately as he heard a crackle of leaves and branches behind him. He stilled and crouched, glad that he didn’t switch on the flashlight. His eyes adjusted to the dark and while his night vision wasn’t great, it was better than he expected and he had a good sense of the surrounding terrain.

It was Enfield carrying something and walking with purpose toward the cemetery. Xander remained quiet and watched him walk farther into the cemetery and out of Xander’s view. He followed and was almost spotted as Enfield, empty-handed, came walking back toward him just as purposefully. Xander dropped as quietly as he could and watched as the guard strode by just a few feet from where he crouched. What the fuck? He thought…he’d almost said it out loud. That would have been grand…OK, what’s he up to? I don’t think he’s a vampire…wouldn’t he have sniffed me?

~~~

There was no guard on duty when Spike entered the main hall to join Giles in his office. At first he was startled and then remembered that there was a brief time each hour when one post was left unattended. Still, his shift into game face was automatic and despite his understanding of a reasonable explanation he decided to stay that way. His always-sharp senses were even more feral when the demon was in the forefront.

He decided to use the stairs to do a quick check of the whole building. The motor of the lift would be a dead giveaway to any suspicious character. He chuckled to himself…he’d make a damned fine watchman himself…however, tonight he was only watching the Watcher. He found the building to be mostly deserted at this hour with the exception of the odd librarian (he chuckled again) and a secretary or two to whom he offered a pleasant greeting. Sometimes he really did wonder if he had a bit of thrall the way women just accepted him so easily. He was certain they had no idea the potential danger they were in ….he was the Big Bad after all.

All right, they were in no danger from him whatsoever….but they didn’t know that now did they?
His mind wandered back to earlier that day when he went on an investigation in the gray of a rainy English afternoon. His life had become so pitifully tame he needed to dare the sun to come out in order to feel a little danger to keep his blood moving. He went back to the road where he first spotted Enfield the night before and just as he thought, it was the road to the cemetery.

It was an old little used cemetery. The most recent graves he noted dated back to the 1970s and there were precious few of them. The rest dated back to mid 19th century through to the 1890s. There were several ornate crypts and one in particular had a well beaten path to its door. A closer look was definitely in order, but not without due caution. It was a graveyard; after all, all sorts of beasties and ghoulies might be about. It was quiet though, no sense of anything amiss, no tinglies. The critters hadn’t even stopped their chattering as they often did when a predator was about. How was that for a clear indication of how pathetic he was?

He pushed open the door to the crypt listening for the expected creak of the hinges and none came…what the ….? ….it had been oiled. It was dim inside but he was able to see well enough. Someone had set up camp in a crypt!…..This was too much. Nice little cot with a puffy sleeping bag on it…all nice and neat. A little table next to the cot with a camp light and a stack of books. Gloucestershire, A History and England’s Ancient Roman Ruins and Exercises in English Pronunciation. Hmmmmm….

There was a footlocker with an assortment of men’s clothing and toiletries and against the other wall was a cooler. He could go for a cold one right about now…..


~~~
Entering the grounds of The New Council Academy for Exceptional Girls was like something out of a gothic romance. The grounds were misty and all the buildings were lighted with decorative lighting throwing beams onto the impressive features of the structures. If you preferred historic buildings to modern architecture, this was the place for you.

Nigel Pinthistle, the driver, pulled up in front of a smallish stone cottage that Snow White probably shared with the seven dwarves.

“Why are we stopping here?” Buffy asked.

“This is where you’ll be staying, miss,” Nigel replied as he exited the car to gather her bags from the boot.

“No, Mr. Pinthistle…. is it? That’s not right. I usually stay in one of the dorms.”

“Pinthistle, miss. Just Pinthistle.” Mr. Pinthistle had a lisp and said Pinthithle. “I’m afraid that’s not so this time, miss. This is where I was instructed to take you.”

“Well, thank you Pinthithle….oh, I mean Pinthithle…..oh.” Buffy made a squinched, embarrassed face.

“It’s alright, miss, you’re not the first,” he said. He lugged the baggage to the front door and stood waiting. “Here’s the key, miss.”

Buffy reached out and took the key and turned the lock. “OK, but this is definitely odd.”

“I can only guess miss, but there are new students arriving almost every day, perhaps there isn’t room for you in the dorms.”

“Good guess! I’ll bet you’re right….just give me a hand getting these things inside, would you? Thanks.”

As he lifted bag after bag, he grunted, “So you’ll be staying on for good now, then, eh?”

“No. Just a few days. Why would you think that?”

Nigel Pinthistle glanced at the luggage he carried in and said nothing.

Observing his glance with understanding, Buffy sheepishly said, “Oh.” After a moment she reached in her pocket and offered Nigel some cash while again offering thanks.

He just smiled and said, “No thanks, miss, a tip isn’t necessary. There’s a phone inside if you need anything. Have a nice stay. Goodnight.” Pinthistle watched as she unlocked the door and switched on a light inside. Buffy waved to indicate all was well and watched him drive away, closed and locked the door and looked around.

It was a charming cottage right out of an old movie set with an overstuffed couch and chair, a couple of dark wood…(mahogany?) straight chairs and floral chintz drapes. Against the far wall was a fireplace in the small sitting room, but no fire. Too bad, she thought, that would have been nice. She turned on lights as she walked to the back of the room. It was along room so behind the couch there was a narrow sofa table that doubled as a buffet for the dining room area. The table had a crocheted doily with a vase with fresh flowers resting on it. There was a door on the left that led to a small old-fashioned kitchen with one of those double sinks with a yellow gingham skirt and an old, clean but worn linoleum floor. At the other end of the kitchen was a short hallway with a bathroom on the right. It had a footed bathtub and one of those showers with a hoop to hang the shower curtain. The toilet had the tank on the wall with a pull chain. Wow! Just imagine…modern conveniences!

The doorway on the left across from the bathroom was the bedroom. It was beautiful in a homey old-fashioned way. The walls were covered with white wallpaper with tiny pink roses with green stems and crisp white woodwork. Crisscrossed sheer Pricilla curtains covered the windows over the cushioned window seat. She’d bet anything that the sun will come streaming in that window in the morning so she checked to make sure there was a shade…she was hoping to sleep in a little in the morning. Good. There was. Heavy one too…probably a blackout shade from WWII. England was so old fashioned, she thought.

The furniture was highly polished maple with what looked like hand embroidered doilies on the nightstands and dressers. The bed was an ordinary double bed. She didn’t think they even made them anymore. She could only recall seeing twins, queens and kings. The bedspread was rosy pink chenille. White ruffled hand embroidered throw pillows were on the bed too. There must have been eight of them and an envelope marked…Buffy.


Buffy,

I’m sorry I am unable to meet you this evening. I have some evening appointments that I am unable to reschedule. Having made the trip so many times myself, I know how weary you must be so I thought an evening alone in the cottage might allow you the rest you need.

I suspect you are probably hungry so I ordered a plate of some nice local cheeses with fresh cut fruit and bread. You’ll find it in the refrigerator. The cheese is best at room temperature, so perhaps you might take it out of the fridge and set it on the counter while you take a relaxing bath. By the time you’re finished the cheese will be just right.

There’s also some white wine in the refrigerator and red in one of the cabinets in the parlor, if you prefer. You’ll also find various staples in the kitchen, tea, milk, bread, eggs, biscuits…that sort of thing.

Feel free to make a fire if you wish, just be sure to remember to open the flue (lever inside the fireplace on the right…pull it out toward you.) If you don’t do that the cottage will fill with smoke. OR, heat operated by a thermostat just to the left of the kitchen door if you are chilly.

I’m afraid there is no telly, but there is a radio and lots of books. I’ll call in the morning. If these accommodations are not satisfactory, we can see about some other arrangements tomorrow.

If you need anything just dial 0 and the operator will locate me immediately.

I’m glad you’re here.


G

Humph, thought Buffy…I’m glad I’m here too. She grabbed her bags and unpacked. She already fallen in love with the little cottage and it would take an act of Congress …no…she chuckled, remembering where she was… Parliament … to get her to move out of here now. She took her toiletries into the bathroom and gave them homes on the shelves and in the drawers and hung her robe on the hook behind the door. After fiddling with the water controls and the tub stopper she found a nice temperature and left the tub to fill while she put the rest of her things away. The closet wasn’t too roomy so it was good she decided against a lot of things that needed hanging. Shoes on the bottom of the closet floor and she was done.

A quick look to make sure that the tub wasn’t going to overflow and she went to find the red wine…if letting the cheese come to room temp was good, letting the wine breathe was even better. The corkscrew was right in the cabinet with the wine….how convenient….and it was the kind she knew how to use…somebody was watching out for her….thank you, Giles. Wineglasses on the top shelf made everything perfect. She seriously considered going ahead and pouring a glass to take in to the tub with her, but decided she was a sophisticate now and as such wouldn’t drink wine that hadn’t caught it’s breath. She giggled all the way to the tub.

~~~





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