DOCTOR WHO: THE LEGACY (Season Four)
Doctor Who And The Soap of
Fatal Death
By Simon Hart (Storyline by Si Hunt)
Episode One
There
was an unnatural silence and stillness in the late afternoon air. It was the
kind of silence that was tangible. The only sound was the gentle lapping of the
water in the lake, but even that seemed muted. It could be felt all along the street.
Houses stood unlit, with no signs of life inside. Even the streetlights that
stood dark and tall offered no reassuring sodium light. Through the duskiness
the name of the local hotel sitting quietly next to the lake could just about
be discerned. The Croxley Arms read the sign, but even its welcoming red doors
were shut and no sounds of merriment could be heard within. The whole place
seemed bereft of human life, just an empty village, real and yet somehow
unreal.
It
was here that a loud cacophonous noise could be heard, as if the molecules of
the air were being ripped apart. The sky roared with a wheezing and groaning
sound as a blue box with a flashing light on top began to solidify. At first it
was translucent, but gradually it took the somewhat incongruous form of a 1960s
London Police Box. The light on its roof stopped flashing and its door opened.
From
within appeared a long black walking cane topped with silver, followed by a
long arm, testing the air. A voice murmured in a slightly muffled manner from
inside: ’Good, not raining, always a bonus when returning to
The
rest of the body that belonged to the arm emerged from inside. The man was
dressed in a long, black, rather stylish frock coat with a pair of immaculately
pressed black trousers. His face was impenetrable and slightly lined. His eyes
were alert but melancholy, darting around full of curiosity. A smile lit up his
face. ‘Super!
‘For
a change, eh, Doctor?’ replied a female voice from the interior of the box.
‘Do
hurry up, Ruby,’ the Doctor shouted back. ‘You will be late for your party
otherwise.’
‘Coming,
Doctor. I wouldn’t want to let Bobby down now would I? I’ll just pop into the
house, say hello to Mother, and collect my Christmas pressie
for him and I’ll be right out in a jiffy!’ She emerged from the box, dressed in
a long black coat under which was a colourful, long
dress. The ensemble was topped off with a beret that sat on her head at a
jaunty angle.
As
she looked around her, the grin on her face slowly melted away. ‘Doctor!’
‘Hmmm?’
he replied distractedly. He was engrossed in his surroundings.
‘This
isn’t
Ruby
had been hoping to go home. After recent events on Outpost Gallifrey, the
Doctor had promised to return her home to celebrate the end of 1991 with her old
friends. Plus she was really looking forward to seeing her mother, and her
sister who was looking after the elderly woman. Now it seemed the Doctor could
not even do that for her.
‘Well
there is sure to be a perfectly reasonable explanation, Ruby.’
‘Isn’t
there always?’ she muttered angrily.
The
Doctor shot her look and she frowned back at him. ‘Well, shall we have a look
round before we leave?’
‘As long as you do actually manage to get me to
Bobby’s party, Doctor. I’d hate to let him down, I mean I promised
to do the sandwiches!’
‘My
dear Ruby, the TARDIS can… I mean should be able to get you there in plenty of
time, but for now I am more interested in why all these houses are sitting here
locked and dark. Considering the time of year there should be plenty of life
around.’
‘There
are no streetlights on either. I’m not sure I like this, Doctor, I mean we
could have landed in the middle of a nuclear crisis or something.’
‘Always thinking the worst, Ruby! No - the TARDIS’s radiation meter would have picked up a high
radiation reading. I am quite convinced that this is something much odder.’
‘Well
let’s try that hotel first shall we?’ She pointed across to the hotel a little
way away from them. ‘I mean that’s usually a good place to begin and I think I
need a G&T.’
The
Doctor nodded. The moment she had turned away from him he smiled to himself.
His ploy was working. Ruby was in for a big surprise any moment now.
They
set off towards the hotel. Ruby pulled her coat closer to her body as they
walked. It was cold and their breath hung in the air like phantoms. The only
light was from the pen torch the Doctor had pulled out of his pocket. They
looked around the eerily deserted street in silence, the Doctor shining his
torch up at the houses, which still showed no signs of inhabitation.
‘You
know,’ Ruby’s voice punctured the quiet, ‘this all seems very familiar
somehow.’
‘Déjà
vu?’ he asked.
‘No,
nothing like that, just it looks like somewhere I know. I can’t quite place it
though.’
‘It
is not an uncommon feeling in a frequent traveller,
Ruby. I remember once I was visiting the planet Mymazor
and…’
‘Doctor!’ Ruby gasped. ‘Look! The lights!’
She pointed up at the streetlights that had suddenly lit. They were bathed in
comforting orange light and even more strangely there were people starting to
mill out from the shadowy streets around them.
‘Well
this is unexpected!’ he exclaimed. ‘We should keep heading for the hotel and
see if anyone knows what is going on here.’
They
were soon outside the hotel and Ruby was smiling to herself gleefully as she
looked up at the swinging sign above them.
‘Oh,
Doctor! This is the best surprise ever!’
‘What?’
he asked looking puzzled.
‘Oh
you know you old sly boots.’ She went over and gave him a big bear hug. ‘My Christmas pressie, a trip to the set
of my fave soap, Clear Waters. Doctor! It’s
wonderful!’
The
Doctor smiled gracefully at her. ‘Well of course! You could not have been
fooled by my silly sense of foreboding on landing here could you? Oh the very idea!’ He rolled his eyes away from her and
smiled. It had worked. He had not seen Ruby looking so ecstatic for ages and
this could only do her some good.
Ruby
was beaming and tugging the Doctor towards the now busy Croxley Arms. ‘Come
on!’ she cried, excitement dripping from her voice, ‘let's go and get a drink.
I’ve always dreamed about getting a G&T in here, you know, with Gloria
serving behind the bar.’ She could not bring herself to mention that she had only
had one such dream recently. Not something she wished to reveal at her age!
‘There was this time when she was left here over Christmas with no staff and
she single-handedly ran the place by herself. It’s really an old hotel they
bought and turned into a set too, just for extra authenticity. Wow! I can’t
believe it.’ She was shaking her head in disbelief as she pushed the red doors
open. ‘The Croxley Arms! Wow!’
The
actors and extras looked around in disbelief as the Doctor and Ruby walked in.
Ruby was still burbling excitedly to the Doctor, not realising
that she’d walked into a scene being recorded. There was a furious argument
going on inside.
‘You
cow, Lucky,’ shouted a tall and rather good-looking black man. He was well
built, solid looking and dressed in a smart Armani suit. His big blue eyes
sparkled under the overhead lights and his shaved head glistened with little
beads of sweat as he felt her intense stare upon him. ‘You promised me that if
you gained control of the hotel complex, you’d share it with your best mate.’
‘This
is all going to be mine, I don’t intend to share it with anyone else sweetie,’
the glamorous looking woman said.
‘Not
even with your brother?’ he asked.
‘Oh,
Ethan, Steven’s not my brother at all as well you know. If Auntie Rosie
suspected that we’re not related, who knows what she might do.’ She looked him
in the eye and placed a hand on his shoulder, spreading her fingers gently
towards his neck. She caught sight of the two strangers who had just entered
the bar. ‘Just be careful what you say Vin
… Oh shit!’
The
two actors recoiled from each other and looked embarrassed. ‘Oh god, I’m sorry
everyone. These two put me off,‘ the woman said
pointing at the Doctor and Ruby. ‘Can we go again?’ she simpered, looking into
the cameras around her.
‘We’re
going to have to,
‘Mr Crossland to you, Vinza,’
‘Mr Crossland,’ he said with
particular stress on the mister, ‘warned us that there could be surprises
today. I mean it is almost the big New Year’s episode after all.’
‘Yeah
and don’t we all know it. The script changes are coming all the time. If I
wasn’t so good at learning my lines quickly, we’d all be in trouble, darling.’
‘Yeah,
and we will be if you don’t get my name right. How long you been here now? I’m
Ethan on screen babes and Mr DeJarnette
to you off screen! Vinza doesn’t come into it at all!’
‘Oh,
Vin, ‘ she watched him
grimace at the abbreviated name, ‘at least you won’t have to worry after
tomorrow, when your grand exit makes it to film. The rest of us will go on and
on without you.’
Vinza’s face crumpled into a frown. ‘Yeah thanks for the
reminder, Virginia. Fifteen years I’ve been on this gig and all of a sudden I’m
dispensed with.’
‘Ooh!
Can you feel the bitterness?’
‘Well,’
he replied in an anger-tinged voice, ‘do you blame me? How am I supposed to
feel? Things are odd round ‘ere at the mo. What with Ant’s telling off for the
Nirvana add lib the other week, the big cast changes, not to mention the stress
of tonight’s Annual TV Gold Awards, I’m sorta glad to
be going.’
A
disembodied voice floated across the studio floor. ‘Right we’ll go again. Let’s
make magic people!’
Ruby
had been watching this with interest. ‘I can’t understand why they’d want to
sack Ethan, I mean Vinza, Doctor. He’s been in Clear Waters for fifteen years
and he’s really popular. He was my favourite
character and I’m stunned. Honestly…’
The
Doctor raised a finger to his lips. ‘I am sure there is a perfectly reasonable
explanation to this. Television shows often change their casts, get new blood
in. You are a fan, you know that.’
‘Yes,
but Vinza wouldn’t ever leave,’ she continued, sure that something was not
quite right.
‘I
am certain it is nothing. Anyway now we are here, we should have a look around.
I am sure there are many things you would like to see, ‘ he
suggested. ’How about we split up for a while? Have a look around and see what
we can find out?’
‘Do
you need to ask?’ she burbled. ‘I’ve been waiting years to sneak behind the
scenes on Clear Waters!’
‘An hour, Ruby. I will meet you back at
the TARDIS and we shall see what we manage to turn up.’
She
nodded her assent and sneaked away towards the back door she had spied out of
the set.
Ruby
walked down the corridor, remembering the Doctor’s best advice. ‘Always look
like you own the place’. Well, she could do that! For as long as she could
remember she had been watching Clear Waters and it was a favourite
of hers among all the soaps. Now she was on set, she could poke behind the
scenes, and see the bits even Clear Waters Revealed missed out.
The
corridor she was strolling down was decorated with photos of previous cast
members. She smiled as she stopped to look at her old favourites,
the wonderful Lionel Langton who had played Uncle Pip
in the early days; Danielle Armstrong who had been sacked for her drugs binges;
the McAllister family who had been killed in the hotel bomb blast in 1981. Not
to mention some of the more outlandish plots, the day the hotel staff had been
held to ransom by international terrorists, the appearance of Cliff Richard and
hosting the 1975 Sing-a-Song for the World competition. They were all
commemorated here.
There
was a door at the end of the corridor with a huge gold star on it. Ruby
instantly knew whose dressing room this was. There was only one woman on the
soap who would and could demand something like that – the one and only
Well,
Ruby reasoned, if there was anything going on,
The
room was dark, and June was not there. Ruby was just about to start rifling
through the drawers of the desk in the far corner when the lights flickered on
and a gravelly voice croaked; ‘Who the devil are you?’
The
Doctor was sitting by the lake, quietly watching the ripples race across its
surface. It was cold out, but he liked to have the time for a little
contemplation. He was not entirely convinced that anything was wrong, but it
was worth an hour’s peace here to keep Ruby happy. All around he could see interested fans looking at the sets. His gaze
fell upon the hotel entrance as Virginia Harris strode from its doors. The
Doctor presumed her scene was finished and decided now might be a good time to
talk to her. He slicked his immaculate hair back a bit, pulled out a battered
notebook from his pocket and strolled over to her.
‘Miss
Harris,’ he called. ‘Can I have a quick word with you?’
She
looked disdainfully at him. ‘Another fan? Oh why not,’
she sighed. ‘Do you want an autograph?’ This was the third fan to accost her
today. Honestly, she thought, the recent open set policy had become a bit of a
menace to stars like her. There was not a moment’s peace to be had between
scenes now.
‘Ah no, thanks.’ He pocketed the notebook.
’I was more interested in all the shenanigans I witnessed while you were
filming.’
‘Oh
that. Tonight’s the TV Gold Annual Soap Awards and, well, we’re all competing
for awards. It’s made things a bit fraught on set this last week or so.’
It
sounded to the Doctor as if she had something else on her mind. Her body
language was shifty and uncomfortable and she seemed a bit distant.
‘Is
that all?’ he asked calmly, a serene smile on his face.
‘Kind of. There’s been a lot of upheaval here recently. Ever
since we were taken over by Cyranaos Productions
things have been really odd round here. Half the cast have been sacked, those
of us that are left have been waiting on tenterhooks trying not to put a foot
wrong just in case and, well… we haven’t seen Jonathan Crossland
or any other members of the production executive for ages now.’ She was looking
around her nervously all the time, and her voice was merely a whisper, as if
she was expecting it to be heard.
‘Anything else?’ The Doctor’s face was
inscrutable but the gentleness in his deep blue eyes was putting
‘Well,
there’s the new production technique. We got these new cameras, you see. They
don’t need operators. All the cameramen were fired and the director directs
from up in the gallery. I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right.’
The
Doctor fixed his eyes on her. ‘Cyranaos
Productions? Hmmm, the name seems familiar. Maybe I should see this Mr Crossland.’ And he strode off
towards the studio complex. ‘Goodbye, my dear,’ he called to
‘Hey!’
‘I’m
waiting for an explanation dear,’
Ruby’s
mind was racing. She was going to have to brazen this out somehow. She looked
down and remembered she was dressed for Bobby’s party and she hit on an idea.
‘Ah,
‘Oh,’
June replied, lowering her cigarette holder. ‘That puts a totally different
complexion on things. Sit down, my darling! Would you like some champers?
There’s a bottle in the fridge.’ She motioned for Ruby to sit down on the
chaise lounge.
‘Thanks,’
Ruby beamed at her. ‘It’s wonderful to find an actress of the old school. I
mean what have these youngsters got? Not an ounce of your talent,
June
shot her a filthy look.
‘I
mean,’ Ruby continued quickly, ‘an actress with as many years of experience on
the big screen as you! Our company thinks you’ve been wasted for too many years
in this soap, when you should be playing bigger and better roles, more suited
to an actress of your calibre!’ Ruby smiled her most
charming smile, hoping desperately that this ruse had worked. She sat down
carefully, trying to look as if she was a casting agent.
June
was busy rooting through the fridge under her dressing table. She came up
clutching a bottle of Bollinger, which she opened with a loud pop. She looked
at Ruby as she poured it into two of her crystal cut champagne flutes. ‘Well,
my lovely, I shall of course have to read the script and think long and hard
about leaving this dear little soap, but to work on the big screen once again.
Oh I‘ve dreamed of this moment! My talent is wasted on TV, darling. Wasted!’
Ruby
could only agree and took a big swig of her champagne.
‘I
mean, the years on this show have been kind. I’m a big star and loved by
millions, but you know one grows so weary of the tedious little storylines one
given and just recently, well, I’m not sure I should tell you this…’ She looked
drawn and tired all of a sudden.
‘Please
go on, you can trust me.’
‘Yes
I’m sure I can. Its not like I’d invite just anyone in
for champers after all. It’s just that at the moment everything seems in such
turmoil. The new brooms upstairs have swept away far too many of the old
traditions. There’s too much sex and too many unbelievable storylines. Our
Clear Waters fans don’t like too much change.’
Ruby
was busy nodding at it all. ‘It’s like there’s contempt for the fans who have
supported the soap down the years.’
‘Oh
yes!’ agreed June. ‘Recent storylines have been wretched! It’s become like a
pantomime. There’s no allowance for the characters we’ve built up down the
years. Its all ratings, ratings, bloody ratings.’ She downed the remaining
champagne with a flourish. She quickly refilled her glass and lit another
cigarette. ‘After all these years, one just expects better treatment, doesn’t
one, dear?’ The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. ‘Come in,’
June called in her biggest, most starry voice.
A
young man popped his head around the door. ‘Your latest
script,
June
hurriedly glanced through the script, and as she did so her face dropped. ‘Oh
this is intolerable! Who thinks up this drivel?’ she cried as she flung the
script in Ruby’s direction.
Ruby
ducked as the script flew above her head and crashed into the wall. She decided
to keep quiet as June continued to rant at her.
‘Gambling
away the complex to Ethan bloody Fox? Over my dead body! Losing all my money!
As if Aunty Rosie would do that! Rubbish! Unmitigated rubbish I tell you!’ She
took a very deep drag of her cigarette and blew it back out theatrically.
‘I
can’t believe they’d do that to Aunty Rosie!’ Ruby was as outraged as the star.
‘Honestly, after the indignities you’ve suffered through the years, what with
the time in prison, your alcoholism, losing Uncle Pip…’ Ruby stopped, realising all of a sudden that she was sounding too much
like a devotee of the show.
‘Casting
Agent you said, hmmm?’ June looked her up and down. ‘Where’s your briefcase? Your ID?’ Her voice had taken on the menacing tone again
that Ruby had feared when June had first arrived.
Ruby
looked sheepishly at June. ‘Well I can’t lie, at least
I can’t very well. I’m just a big fan of yours,
‘So
you came here offering me mythical film roles, getting my hopes up of leaving
only to leave them dashed against the rocks.’ She puffed on her cigarette.
‘Well, what are we going to do about it?’
Ruby
looked worriedly down at her feet, deciding this was not the best time to look
the actress right in the eye.
‘I
could have you arrested my dear, but I don’t think we need to involve the
police do we?’
‘Don’t
we?’ Ruby was looking very worried.
‘Oh
no, I think we can do without them. You owe me a favour
now, dearie, and I think I know exactly what you can
do for me. You know what’s happening tonight, don’t you?’
‘Oh
yes the TV Gold Awards,’ Ruby murmured, remembering the fight between Ethan and
Lucky earlier in the bar.
‘Yes
indeed, the TV Gold Awards.' June’s voice was steely. It reminded Ruby of the
time Aunty Rosie had stood up to some muggers. ‘I need to win best actress and
you’re going to make sure that I do. The results will not be good for you if
you don’t!’
Ruby
squirmed. ‘Okay,’ she agreed. ‘It’s a deal. I’ll just find my associate and
we’ll do our best.’
‘Oh
you’ll do more than you best, dear. Better run along now, hadn’t you?’
Ruby
stood up and made for the door. ‘Thank you, Miss Rivers,’ she stammered and
walked away.
‘I’ll
be looking out for you tonight, darling!’ June called sarcastically through the
open door.
Ruby
wiped the sweat off her forehead. That had not quite gone to plan, but at least
she was now certain that there was something very odd going on here.
The
Doctor, rather frustratingly, had not yet managed to find the gallery. Every
time he had found himself close to somewhere interesting a security guard had
turned up out of the blue to move him along.
It
is almost as if they know where to look, he thought to himself.
He
was about to give up and return to meet Ruby at the TARDIS when he spied a
small woman in a paisley headscarf covering some scraggily grey hair. A
cigarette hung loosely from her mouth and her face was covered with deep smile
lines. She was sweeping the ground idly in front of her with a broom that
looked almost as ancient as she was. The Doctor decided to go over and have a
word. In his experience the ancillary staff always had more idea of what was
going on in a place than anyone else did and were usually the first to know
anything.
‘They
really ought to see their way to buying you a new broom. That one has obviously
seen better days.’ The Doctor laughed.
The
old woman almost jumped out of her skin. She turned round and looked the Doctor
up and down quickly. ‘Oh, sorry me duck,’ she said not even taking the
cigarette out of her mouth, ‘I didn’t see you there. People come ‘n’ go so offen ‘round ‘ere that I almost never notices
them and they almost never speak to me anyway, either.’
‘Oh,
it is so often the way. No one ever thanks the people who actually keep the
universe ticking over. Sometimes I think that the cleaners are the ones who
keep everything running the way it should, oiling its operations with gossip
and keeping the place clean for its owners.’
She
looked at him as if he was mad. ‘You barmy or wot?
Nah!’ she decided, ‘you must be a new member of the cast. Seen
it all before ‘as old Myrtle, the fancy get up, bamboozling us old folk with
your big words. Well it won’t wash with me sonny Jim.’
‘Oh
no, no, no I am not an actor, just a visitor interested in everything that goes
on. You have obviously worked here a long time, Myrtle.’
She
took a long puff of her cigarette, and stubbed out the dog end on the floor. ‘Yeah I ‘av as it ‘appens.’
She swept the smouldering remains of her cigarette
into the pile of rubbish close to the bins. ‘Twenty-seven
years or so.’ She looked at him. He seemed like an actor to her in his
smart clothes. Maybe he was a new cast member she thought, but whatever he was
he seemed like a nice chap.
‘It
must be fun working for a television company.’
‘Don’t
know about fun love, but they always keeps me busy with the dustin’
and sweepin’.’
‘Has
anything exciting been going on here recently?’ the Doctor asked.
‘No
more than usual, me duck. Except all
the sackings the other month. ‘Arf the cast in
one go. Gone, just like that.’
She
continued noticing the interested look on his face. ‘Yeah arf the cast gone, not that Old Myrtle minds of course,
wicked lot they are. Always dropping rubbish, making a mess that I’ve gotta clear up. Still didn’t ‘arf
put the cat amongst the pigeons wiv
the rest of ‘em. Vinza, lovely boy he is too, found
out only the other day he was bein’ sacked. Bit of a
shock that. Always liked ‘im you
know. Tidy boy ‘e is!’
‘Really?’ The Doctor recognised
the name of the actor who had been in the hotel scene earlier. ‘I think I had
better have a word with him.’
‘Well
‘e’ll be on set now. Just filming today’s last scene
before the big awards ceremony tonight. Be lots of mess after that, no doubt. ‘Onestly they work me to the bone.’
‘Could
you possibly show me where he might be? I would appreciate it if you could.’ He
smiled disarmingly at her.
‘Yeah, why not? It’s about time I went for
a cuppa anyway.’ With that she took his arm and led
him off into the studio complex.
A
constant bleep, bleep, bleep could be heard from the monitors around the inert
body of a woman. She was lying in a bed with various tubes protruding from the
mouth and nose. Both of her arms were connected to drips that silently kept the
pale looking woman alive. Her chest moved up and down with the ventilator that
rhythmically pumped air into her lungs.
Around
her sat three sad looking figures. The first was a middle-aged man, almost
stereotypically suburban with his dark pin stripe suit and tie that was
loosened around his neck. Next was a woman in tweeds and pearls. Tears slipped
down her face, drawing lines of mascara on her cheeks. Her bobbed hair was
immaculate, however, and she sat primly next to her husband. The final person
was the more ramshackle figure of a younger boy. His messily spiked brown hair
framed an angelic face that looked a little older than his fifteen years. He
had bright blue eyes that glinted mischievously in the light of the hospital
room and he wore a white T-shirt that was loudly patterned with Day-Glo colours above a battered pair of jeans with a hole in the
left knee.
He
spoke with a hushed voice. ‘How long do you think Sally is going to be in
intensive care, Mr Bristow?’
‘Oh,
Adam, it’s so difficult to say. The doctors are doing their best, son, but that
hockey ball did a great deal of damage,’ replied the middle aged man.
At
the mention of the accident the woman choked up with big sobs. Mr Bristow patted his wife gently on the shoulder. ‘There,
there, Beryl, we’ve got to be strong for Sally’s sake.’
‘I
know, ‘ Mrs Bristow replied
sniffing back her sobs. ‘It’s just…it’s just… how could this happen to our
daughter two days before Christmas, Brian? Life is so…’ she sobbed loudly
again, ‘unfair!’
‘Don’t
worry, Mrs. Bristow, I just know that Sally will be up and around again in time
for the hockey tournament in the New Year and we’ll all be there to cheer her
on.’ Adam’s voice was wobbling as he desperately tried not to start crying too.
The
bleeping was suddenly replaced by a loud constant wail. The heartbeat monitors
had changed from peaks and troughs to a flatline, and
Mrs Bristow’s sobs grew louder and more intense. The
room was suddenly full of white-coated doctors who were bundling the threesome
out. Adam looked panic-stricken, Mrs Bristow was a
sobbing heap in her husband’s arms and Brian Bristow just looked towards his
daughter and screamed, ‘Sally!’ anguish all over his face.
‘Cut!’
came a loud disembodied voice. ‘Good work everyone.’
Everyone
in the hospital room visibly relaxed. From outside the confines of the set two
attendants calmly began to extricate “Sally” from the hospital bed. Mr and Mrs Bristow had scuttled
off set, leaving Ant, the actor who played Adam to receive the backslapping and
congratulations from the few technical staff and cast members who had congregated
at the edge of the set. As soon as she was free “Sally” had disappeared too,
despite Ant’s shouts for her to stay a moment.
The
Doctor had been watching this scene with interest. The soap was obviously
designed to tug at the audience's emotions in the most obvious ways. It was all
desperately clichéd and yet somehow totally compelling at the same time. He saw
the child from the scene sitting across from him and decided that he would have
a quick word with him.
A
breathless Ruby, who had just entered the studio, interrupted him. ‘Yoohoo! Doctor,’ she called and
everyone turned to look at him. She bounded over to him.
A
concerned looking Doctor listened as Ruby told him what she’d found out from
June. ‘It seems you were right, Ruby. The set up here is decidedly odd to say
the least.’
Ant
had been watching the strange duo for a little while straining to hear their
conversation. At the mention of strange goings on, he decided that he had to
say something. ‘You’ve got to be careful saying things like that round here,’
he whispered to them looking around all the time. ‘Everything is monitored by
the Exec. ‘
‘The Exec? They’re in charge right?’ asked Ruby.
‘Yeah,
only we never get to see them anymore, we just get directives and the new
scripts. It’s well bizarre.'
‘Yes,
‘ agreed the Doctor. ‘Everything I have heard today
has sounded rather weird.’
‘Which,’
said a rich sonorous voice, ‘is ironic considering
you’ve been the weirdest person round the place today.’
‘Oh,
hi, Vinza,’ said Ant to the actor who had just arrived.
He
nodded at
‘I
am the Doctor. This is Ruby and we are just interested visitors.’
Ruby
was looking up at Vinza with wide eyes. Vinza DeJarnatte
had always been her favourite actor in Clear Waters
and here she was standing next to him. She squeezed the Doctor’s arm excitedly
and he waved her away.
‘We
saw you earlier,’ she said excitedly.
‘Yeah
I couldn’t miss you in the hotel,’ smiled Vinza. ‘We’ve been told to expect the
unexpected recently. I thought you in that coat was
one of the director’s pranks!’
The
Doctor looked outraged. ‘It is so often the way that anything as timeless and
stylish as my coat is instantly dismissed as weird.‘
He sighed.
‘Yeah
well we’re getting used to the surprises, Doctor. It’s not a good show to be on
right now is Clear Waters. I’m glad I’m going.’ There was bitterness in his
voice.
‘Well
at least you’ll go out on a high, mate. You’re odds on for the best actor award
tonight.’
‘Jealous, Ant?’
‘Yeah
a bit, my folks won’t let me out. ‘
‘Tough break, kid.’
‘Aww!’ muttered Ruby. She remembered her conversation with
June and realised that Vinza was in direct
competition with her. Her agreement hung heavily on her now, as she had no idea
she would have to sabotage an award for her all time favourite
soap star.
‘Clear
the set,’ came a stern voice. ‘Ready
to go on scene forty-six.
‘Come
on, you two, I’ll show you round, since Ant here has to get home to bed. I’ve
got a couple of hours free before the awards tonight.‘
Ant
playfully punched him on the arm. ‘Hope you lose tonight, Vin,
‘ he grinned and he strode off towards his dressing
room.
‘Shall
we, Ruby?’
‘Doctor,
I’d better go and see
‘I
do apologise for Ruby. She is a little star struck
today.’
‘It’s okay, Doctor, I get it all the time.’ He led the Doctor
across the studio while Ruby waited for end of the scene playing on the leisure
centre set across from her.
It
looked like another Clear Waters’ classic moment to her. Aunty Rosie and Rufus
Sugar were arguing away like they always did when they talked business when
suddenly he stopped and kissed her! Ruby had to stop herself
crying out in shock at the cliffhanger moment.
‘Come
with me, Ruby dear. I’ve arranged a lift in my limo for you tonight. We do want
to make sure you keep your appointment after all, don’t we?’ She laughed
lightly and grabbed Ruby’s arm, dragging her away in the direction of the Green
Room.
The
Doctor and Vinza had reached the maze of dressing rooms behind the studios. The
Doctor was astonished that the narrow corridors were empty. He asked Vinza
where all the people were.
‘There
are no cameramen any more now we’ve got the new cameras, just a minimal
wardrobe and make up staff and us few actors left on the show.’
‘And
you do not find that odd?’
‘Sure
I do, Doc…’ he saw the Doctor frown at the contraction and quickly added, ’… tor, but it’s too late for me. I leave tomorrow. There’s no
time to find out anymore.’
A
third man barged his way between them, a blank expression on his face. ‘Hey,
Darryl!’ shouted Vinza. ‘Wait up a minute, mate.’ Darryl just ignored the
greeting and stumbled on towards his dressing room.
‘Who
was that?’ asked the Doctor.
‘Darryl
French. He’s always been a good mate of mine, but he’s been a bit… well not
quite with it the last couple of weeks. ‘
‘He
looked as if he was some sort of trance to me. Where is his dressing room?’
‘This way.’ Vinza pointed and he led him a bit further
down the corridor.
The
door of Darryl’s dressing room was slightly ajar and the Doctor held Vinza back
from entering. He nudged the door open a little more and they could see Darryl
reading his script, the vacant look still on his face.
As
Darryl looked up, Vinza gasped. ‘What the hell,‘ he
whispered in horror.
Darryl
French's eyes were shimmering, glowing with a bright golden light.
Episode Two
The
Green Room was abuzz with actors and the few remaining backroom staff. They sat
around with copies of their scripts gossiping idly, drinking coffee and
smoking. There was a momentary pause, as always, when June entered. Ruby
followed her, to nobody’s interest. Fixing two extras with a filthy look, June
secured her customary sofa. The five-pound-an-hour extras scuttled off to stand
by the window and June sat Ruby down next to her. She smiled as someone brought
her a large cup of frothy coffee and then pinned Ruby to her seat with a
penetrating glare.
‘Now
then, dearie, it’s quite simple. All you have to do is
chat up Jerry Diamond and at the right moment switch his golden envelope for
this one.’ She handed her the fake envelope. ‘I’ve arranged a VIP pass for you
as my personal guest, and you’ll have access to Diamond’s dressing room
courtesy of his dresser who owed me a favour, too. So
the scene is all set.’
‘Simple,’
muttered Ruby, cursing June inwardly. June had always been a big favourite of Ruby’s until she’d realised
what a bitch the soap star was in real life. Was no one like his or her
onscreen persona?
‘Yes
indeed. The whole thing has been carefully stitched up. Just like you, my
dear!’ June’s simpering laugh sent icy chills through Ruby’s body. It was true;
she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time - as ever.
June
informed Ruby that a chauffeur would be arriving to pick her up in half an
hour. ‘I, of course, will not be riding with the hired help,’ she said patronisingly, flashing an evil smile in Ruby’s direction.
At
that moment a runner came in and handed June her new script. She cast her eye
over it and slowly her scowls of disapproval turned to downright rage. Her face
was puce as she turned to the nervous looking runner.
‘Something
wrong
‘Something wrong?’ June echoed,
her face like thunder. ‘Something wrong? There’s
something bloody well wrong all right. This is the final straw! I am going to
the Exec to demand an explanation for this claptrap they’ve issued in the name
of a script. Uncle Pip returning. Pah!
It’s time I set this to rights’
She
threw the sheaf of scripts at the wall in anger. Enraged, she strode out of the
Green Room.
‘Uncle
Pip!’ exclaimed Ruby, ‘But he’s dead!’ It was much the same all around the
room. Excited burbling could be heard in all the little huddles. Everyone knew
that Lionel Langton and
Ruby
was just leaving the Green Room when an untidy looking boy accosted her. He was
tall with dark neatly combed hair and big glasses. He was dressed in the sort
of mismatched clothes a mother who had no idea about fashion might choose for
her son to wear. He seemed a little gawky and awkward, Ruby thought. She was
not sure she liked the look of him at all.
He
began to speak slowly and precisely. ‘Hello. I saw you on the monitors earlier.
Are you in the cast?’
‘Oh
no, I’m just visiting. Part of
‘Oh
yes, ‘ he said coldly, ‘I overheard your conversation
with her. Please don’t help her rig the voting. Darryl French must win.’
Ruby
looked flustered. ‘Vote rigging? Nonsense! I’m June’s companion for the
evening!’ she lied.
The
boy grinned, but the grin was clumsy almost as if his face was not used to
smiling. ‘Yes, if you say so. Just make sure the voting is not tampered with.’
The voice was icy cold and contained more than a hint of menace. He fixed his
gaze on her and then stalked off into the shadowy maze of corridors.
Ruby
was perturbed. The boy had unnerved her greatly. There was no way that he could
have heard the conversation between her and June. Even the people around them
had not been able to hear June’s menacing whispers he could not possibly have
heard anything from the doorway. So how did he know?
Spying
Ant playing a fruit machine, she decided to have a word with him. ‘Hi, Ant
isn’t it?’
‘Yeah. Oh hiya, Ruby!’ he
beamed at her. She smiled back.
‘Did
you see that strange guy hanging around the Green Room a while back?’
‘No.
I didn’t see anyone.’
‘Oh,’
said Ruby disappointedly. ‘It’s just he seemed a little weird. He was watching
me the whole time.’
‘He’s
probably an autograph hunter. They’re lurking round every corner in this place.
Now you know how it feels to be a star! I mean you were only on screen for a
few seconds at most!’
‘Yeah
it’s a bit silly really I s’pose. Ah well.’
He
smiled at her, not really sure what she was going on about. Ant was not totally
convinced that Ruby and her friend were all they seemed. They had ingratiated
themselves into the confidence of some of the top members of the cast with
ease. That was quite unusual. Perhaps they were working undercover or
something. Nothing around the place surprised him much anymore, not recently
anyway!
A
burly looking man in a peaked cap was looking around close to them. Ruby asked
who it was.
‘Oh
that’s Alfie,
‘Oh,
she went up to the top floor to see the Exec I think.’
There
was a call from Alfie. ‘Anyone ‘ere
a Ruby Mundy?’
‘I
just said goodbye to a Ruby Tuesday,’ shouted a comedian from inside the Green
Room, which was followed by raucous guffaws.
Not
heard that one before, thought Ruby before she stuck her hand in the air and
said: ‘Yes, I’m Ruby.’
‘I’m
from
‘Well
that’s my lift sorted. See you around,
Vinza
was not at all sure he had seen what he just seen. Darryl French, his old mate,
had been acting strangely, but never in his life had Vinza expected his eyes to
be glowing. I mean, he thought, it’s not the kind of thing you see everyday,
not even on the set of
They
watched through the slightly open door as Darryl pulled a revolver from the top
drawer of his dressing room table and pocketed it. They backed away down the
corridor a little as he rose from his chair, stood up and made for the door.
His eyes had stopped glowing now and he was back in the trance-like state he
had been in when he had barged past them in the corridor.
‘Interesting,’
said the Doctor, still fascinated by what they had just witnessed.
‘Interesting?’
spluttered Vinza. ‘My mate in there has obviously been…’ He paused for a moment
trying to think what could have happened to Darryl. He could not come up with
an explanation but continued anyway. ‘Well something weird has happened to him
and interesting is all you can say?’
‘Yes.
I have no idea what was possessing him, but I think we
need to find out.’
Vinza
shook his head. ‘No can do, Doctor. I’ve got to get to
the awards tonight. Will you do what you can for Darryl, please?’
‘Of
course I will. I am certain your friend is possessed by some power inimical to
human life and I am not the kind who sits back and allows that type of thing to
go on.’
Vinza
looked relieved. The look in the Doctor’s eyes was steely and determined, which reassured him a great deal. Somehow he
felt that the Doctor had dealt with this kind of situation before and that he
could be trusted to put it right.
‘Okay,
Doctor. I’ll meet you later. Please do what you can to help Darryl.’
‘Yes,
yes, ‘ the Doctor muttered beginning to make his way
back to the dressing room. Vinza was heading off in the opposite direction as
when the Doctor called back to him. ‘One thing, Vinza.
Will you look out for Ruby tonight? I have a feeling anyone at the awards might
be in danger.’
Vinza
nodded his assent and strode off to his dressing room, deep in thought, still
not quite believing what he had just seen.
The
Doctor edged quietly into Darryl’s dressing room. There did not seem to be
anything out of the ordinary in there. It was tidy, nothing was out of place.
All his costumes were hung neatly on the rail at the back of the room and the
Doctor’s cursory glance around the place had not revealed any bugs.
On
the top of the dressing table the Doctor spied Darryl’s script. As Darryl had
been pouring through this when his eyes had been glowing, the Doctor thought
that maybe this could reveal something. He flicked through it and looked
disturbed at what he found. Every single page was blank.
‘How
odd,’ the Doctor whispered. He pulled a magnifying glass from one of his
capacious pockets and began to examine it more closely.
As
far as he could see there was nothing untoward about it. It was perfectly
normal paper, and yet something was clearly using it as a channel to poor
Darryl. He was lost in his examinations and so did not hear the almost silent
entrance of a figure from the corridor outside.
‘Ere, you s’posed to be
in ‘ere?’
It was Myrtle, the cleaning lady.
The
Doctor whirled round in surprise, dropping the script to the floor. ‘Oh hello, Myrtle. Please do not mind me, I was just,’ he
looked panicky for a moment trying to explain his slightly suspicious behaviour, ‘just settling in, now that I am to share a
dressing room with Mr. French.’ He smiled beguilingly at her, hoping his little
lie would be enough to throw her off the scent for a while.
She
did not look up from her arthritic sweeping. ‘I knew you was
one of them actor chappies. Spot you a mile off can ol’
Myrtle.’
‘Yes
you saw through me straight away, my dear.’ He fixed her with a penetrating
look. ‘Can you tell me what Mr. French is like? If I am to share with him, a
little insider information would not go amiss, would it?’
‘Darryl?
Oh ‘e’s bin acting a bit odd lately.’ She stopped
sweeping to light one of her cigarettes, blowing the smoke idly towards the
Doctor. ‘And ‘e’s bin behavin’ funny too!’
‘Really?’
he replied wafting the smoke out of his face.
‘Oh yeah. If you ask me, which you did, I don’t think ‘e’s all there right now. Bit disturbed in the old noggin.
‘E’s bin really rude to old Myrtle lately - and to the other members of the
cast, too. Think ‘e might do somethin’ real silly. E
‘ad a strange not-quite-there look in ‘is eyes
earlier.’
‘It
does sound peculiar ,’ the Doctor agreed.
‘Yeah. I reckons ‘e might do summat at the awards ceremony tonight.’
The
Doctor looked at her in horror for a moment, remembering the gun Darryl had
pocketed earlier. ‘The awards,’ he whispered, ‘I had better get over there and
make sure that he does not do anything stupid.’
‘Better ‘urry up then,
cars are going in ten minutes. Of course, no one thought Ol’
Myrtle might want to go too. I means I only cleans the
place up after ‘em all the bleedin’
time, never any thanks.’ She flicked ash on the floor, swept it away and
sauntered out muttering to herself. She stopped at the
lift as she had a curious impulse to enter.
The
Doctor pocketed the script he had dropped and walked out closing the door
behind him.
He
paused outside, looking left and then right down the corridor. He settled on
the left and headed off to try and find a ride to the awards ceremony.
June
was still feeling enraged as she stood in the gloomy lift. She tutted impatiently as it gradually ascended up the block to
the top floor. Nothing ever went fast in this place except the script changes.
She was about to have yet another cigarette when she spied the No Smoking sign
beneath the floor buttons. That just increased her rage.
How
could they do this to her? Of all the indignities she had suffered recently,
the thought of them bringing back her no good, cheating, ex-screen husband was
just too much. It was well known that she had never got on with Lionel Langton and bringing him back was the straw that broke this
particular camel’s back. It was obviously another ratings ploy and she was
going to tell Jonathan Crossland exactly what she
thought of that.
There
was a ping, and the doors opened onto darkness. June strode out militantly, but
that soon changed. She looked around and was worried by the lack of lights in
any of the offices.. The minimal yellowish glow from
the few overhead strip lights cast deep shadows everywhere she looked.
This
can’t be right, she thought.
When
she had been up here in the past it had been abuzz with life. Now there was nothing: not a sound to be heard
As
she walked, unsettled by these thoughts, she did not notice Myrtle polishing a
framed print on the wall. Her eyes followed June, a disinterested look on her
face. She turned away and headed back to the lift.
The
Doctor, meanwhile, had found his way back to the studios. Most of the cast and
crew had already left and he joined the last stragglers hoping to cadge a lift
with one of them. No one had given him a second look, as they were all dressed
up in the hope they may have an award to collect on behalf of the show. Well,
no one except a rather gawky boy whose eyes were fixed on the Doctor.
‘Can
I help you?’ the Doctor asked him. His gaze was unwavering.
‘Oh
no,’ the boy replied. ‘I was just wondering if you’re going along tonight.’
‘I
was hoping to, yes.’
‘I
hope Clear Waters wins. There isn’t a show to match it.’
‘Indeed.’
‘Yes,
and Darryl French deserves an award too, doesn’t he?’
The
Doctor looked up at the boy on mention of Darryl’s name. ‘Did you see him a
little while ago? Did he leave for the awards?’
‘Yes,
just a moment ago.’ He continued to stare at the Doctor.
‘ “And a rock feels no pain and an island never
cries,”’ quoted the Doctor in a sad quiet voice looking at the boy. ‘Do you, I
wonder? Thank you for the information.’
‘There
isn’t any show to rival Clear Waters. It must win.’ He finally broke his stare
and headed towards the fruit machine Ant had been playing earlier.
‘Yes,
but at what cost I wonder?’ The boy had worried him. There was something odd
about him that bothered the Doctor. Like so many things involved with this soap
opera.
‘You
always look lost every time I see you honey!’
‘Yes.
It is a constant problem for a traveller like myself.’
She
checked him over and was secretly quite taken with him. He has a certain sense
of style and for an older man he’s not too shabby, she thought to herself ‘Well
it could be your lucky night. I need a date since that rotten scumbag of a
footballer let me down at the last minute and a good-looking guy like you could
be just what I need! You’ve got style. Come on, ‘ she
said pulling the Doctor by the arm, not giving him time to protest. ‘The limo
is waiting for us outside!’
The
boy stood looking at the departing Doctor, the lights of the fruit machine
flickering across his face. He caught the gaze of Myrtle who had just begun
sweeping the floors at the studio exit. She looked at him contemptuously, and
he merely smiled coldly back at her.
The
The
Doctor and Virginia had braved the cold, and the next obstacle was to run the
gauntlet of press paparazzi and TV reporters desperate for an exclusive word
from the guests. The Doctor winced as camera flashes blinked in his face. He
looked decidedly uncomfortable when a microphone was thrust in his face by a
reporter who wanted to know if he was
He
gave a great sigh of relief when they finally made it into the foyer. It was a
sea of people inside, all swapping pleasantries with each other. False laughter
filling the air as the stars of the small screen schmoozed with each other
trying not to give away that there were rivalries between opposing shows and
avoid opening old wounds with the previous year’s award winners and losers.
In
this crowd Ruby stood by herself, bored to tears with the inane conversation
going on around her. She had arrived long before the crowds and been dropped at
the back entrance like one of the staff and so had not experienced the glitzy
side. It was a pity because she had always dreamed of being able to come here,
as she sat at home with a glass of rum and a box of crackerbread
watching it all on television. She was quickly coming to the conclusion that
things were never as glamorous in real life as TV made them out to be.
She
was shocked to see that a ripple of excitement through the crowd had been made
by the arrival of the Doctor, of all people. She pushed her way through the
crowds, almost spilling the champagne of several celebrities, including an
irate actor from that show set on the farm the name of which escaped Ruby.
She
managed to find her way to her errant travelling
companion and wrestled him away from a crowd of reporters who had yet to give
up the hope of an exclusive interview. He excused himself from Virginia who was
now happily caught up in the long round of socialising
and enjoying the attention bringing the Doctor as her date had brought her.
‘Ruby, am I glad to see you!’ The Doctor gave her a big
smile and gently squeezed her nose. ‘I have a feeling there is going to be
something big happening here tonight.’
‘What
other than me being arrested for award rigging?’ The Doctor looked puzzled and
Ruby quickly filled him in on her misadventures with
‘What
are we going to do, pet?’
‘A
good question Ruby,’ the Doctor replied, rubbing his earlobe. ‘I need some more
time to try and find Darryl. Maybe I will be able to talk some sense into him
or at least delay him and hope that will be enough to save whoever his victim
is to be. I suggest you go ahead with June’s plan for now.’
‘Do
you think that’s wise, Doctor? I mean it takes enormous power to possess
someone and what can we do against that?’
‘We
can stop this. Well, once we know what this is, of course.’ He did not look at
all hopeful which was not filling Ruby with a great deal of confidence.
‘It
shouldn’t be too difficult to get backstage, I do
after all have this lovely thing!’ She held up her VIP Access All Areas pass.
‘I’ll go and see if I can get into Jerry Diamond’s dressing room and swap the
envelopes.’
‘Good
girl, Ruby. I will try my best to get through to French.’
‘Good
luck, Doctor. If anyone can, you can.’
‘Thank
you. Be careful, my dear. There is at least one possessed man out there and we
do not know if he is the only one.’
She
tweaked his nose in return and headed backstage, slipping through a door marked
Staff Only. The Doctor meanwhile set off towards the quiet of the auditorium,
hoping for at least a few moments peace to try and work out what was going on.
Too many clues and not nearly enough answers forthcoming.
Pushing
through the crowd was even more difficult than before. It was more crowded than
ever and as the stars drank more, they became louder and ever more offensive.
It was with some relief that he saw a familiar face standing next to the
auditorium doors, Vinza DeJarnatte.
‘Hey,
Doctor, over here,’ the actor shouted above the din.
‘Good
evening once again, Vinza.’
‘Any
luck with Darryl? Have you found him?’ He looked really worried.
The
Doctor was looking grave. ‘I was hoping you could help. I have seen no sign of
him. What with him and Ruby placing herself in danger helping
On
hearing this Vinza interrupted him. ‘Oh man!
‘She
could?’
‘Yeah. There’s always been hostility between them and
just lately since his character Rufus has been romantically linked to Aunty
Rosie, well its just got worse and worse.’
‘Oh my goodness!’ There was a horrified tone
to the Doctor’s voice. ‘I just sent Ruby to rig the votes!’
‘If
June takes the stage, she’ll be a sitting duck for French.’
‘Well
quite.’
‘What
can we do? Do you want me to stop Ruby for you?’ asked Vinza suddenly feeling
involved.
‘Would
you mind, Vinza? I hate to involve you in all this, but I cannot be in two
places at once and I think it best I confront your friend Darryl.’
Remembering
the glowing eyes and the trance-like look on French’s face when he had last
seen him, Vinza agreed. With the Doctor still heading into the auditorium,
Vinza scurried off backstage.
The
auditorium was a haven of peace compared to the foyer and the Doctor made his
way carefully down to a seat near the stage, hoping that no one would interrupt
him for a while yet. He had no idea what he was dealing with.
It
was unlucky, then, that he was rudely tapped on the shoulder a few moments
after he had sat down by a young man with an irate look on his face.
‘This
is my seat, sir,’ he said brushing his floppy blond hair from out of his eyes.
‘There
is no escape for me tonight it seems,’ said the Doctor exasperatedly, burying
his face in his hands.
‘The
party too much for you, man?’ asked the young newcomer, who was polishing his
glasses with his tie.
‘Yes.
I never feel at home in a crowd. Wherever I am it seems I am destined to be the
outsider.’
‘Know
the feeling, mate. I’m Rob Stevens. Head script writer on Clear Waters.’ He
held out his hand and smiled.
The
Doctor shook it. Pretending to be a new member of the cast, he asked Rob if he
had noticed anything out of the ordinary going on around the soap recently. The
Doctor listened with interest as Rob explained the increasingly illogical sets
of storylines he was receiving from the top floor.
‘So
you do not actually see the head storyliner any
longer?’
‘Nah! Everything is sent down from the Top Floor. Ever since Cyranaos Productions took over
about six months ago. You know the Beeb these days, everything is being farmed out to the independents to
save them money.’
The
Doctor just nodded as Rob continued.
‘Meanwhile
I try and fit the new storylines in, which can be a pain, but the new director
produces some magical work you know. Talented guy.’
‘But
have you ever met him?’
Rob
scratched his head thinking about it. ‘You know, I haven’t now you come to
mention it. Just hear his instructions from the gallery. We’re not allowed up
there anymore.’
‘And
does that not strike you as just a little odd?’ the Doctor asked.
‘Yeah
well it’s a steady job, good salary and I just take the money and run like any
old hack.’
The
Doctor smiled. ’You may well be best just running.’
‘My
boyfriend would kill me if I did that!’ Rob laughed.
‘Better
him than something else.’ The gravitas in the Doctor’s voice convinced Rob that
he was not joking.
‘Well
whatever, I’d be around for tomorrow’s recording. The New Year is going to be
seen in with a right roller coaster of an episode. Best one for ages. Everyone
will be watching.’
‘Yes
of course!’ the Doctor cried happily. ‘Everyone will be watching,’ he repeated.
‘That could be the key to this! Thank you, Mr
Stevens. You have been a great help and here is your seat!’ With that he got
up, grabbed Rob’s hand and shook it thoroughly.
Rob
Stevens just looked bewilderedly at him as he walked away. Maybe he was right
after all. It seemed that everyone connected with Clear Waters was getting
weirder by the day.
The
Auditorium was beginning to fill up. An excited burble of voices could be heard
as the Doctor once again found himself pushing through the crowds in the
opposite direction to the way everyone else was heading. The little talk with
Rob had clarified things a little for the Doctor, but he still had to find
Darryl. In this congregation of soap actors, minor celebrities, backroom staff,
writers and fans he could be anywhere. Desperately, he looked all around him in
the hope that he might be lucky and spot Daryl.
It
was to no avail, however. So far all he had managed to do was spill some drinks
and hinder the progress of everyone trying to find their seats. He was drawing
too much attention to himself up here like this. He made his apologies to
everyone around him and departed up the steps back to the foyer. Maybe he would
be better off backstage helping Ruby and Vinza.
Backstage,
Ruby was having more luck than the Doctor. The place was empty apart from the
security guards, and all she had had to do was flash her VIP pass, smile at
them sweetly and then she really did have access to all areas. She found Jerry
Diamond’s dressing room easily.
Who
else, she thought, would be crass enough to replace the star on the door with a
fluorescent yellow diamond? She had liked his shows but again it seemed the off
screen reality lacked some of the sparkle of the polished performances she saw
on screen.
She
was about to knock on his door, hoping to find the dresser that June had
blackmailed for her, when Virginia Harris swished her way down the corridor.
There was no way Ruby was going to be able to get away with going in yet so she
once again fixed a big smile on her face and caught Virginia’s eye.
‘I
spy with my little eye a friend of the Doctor’s.’
‘You
do indeed,’ said Ruby in an equally sweet voice.
‘You
and he lead charmed lives. Somehow you’ve managed to ingratiate yourselves with
remarkable ease into out little circle, haven’t you?’
‘We’re
so lucky to know stars like you,’ Ruby simpered, trying to appease her, hoping
‘Oh
yes,’
‘Have
you seen
‘No,
darling, I haven’t I’m afraid.’ A loud bell ringing interrupted her.’ Ahh!
Better get upstairs for the ceremony. I’m up for best actress you know.’ Ruby
looked round in time to see her kick off her stilettos and dash up the
corridor.
‘Yeah,
after that little performance you should be up for an Oscar!’ Ruby murmured to
herself.
She
waited until
If
Ruby had paid a little more attention she would have seen a pair of eyes
watching her intently. They glowed with a shimmering golden glow. Darryl French
had had her under surveillance. Blankly he stared after her, his eyes lustrous
beacons in the shadowy corridor.
Vinza
was busy checking each of the dressing rooms in turn, hoping to run into Ruby.
As he crept out of yet another minor star’s champagne soaked room, he was
pleased to see Ruby heading his way.
‘Hey, Ruby! Wait up!’ he called
Ruby’s
pulse quickened as she heard his call. Ethan Fox had long been her very favourite character on Clear Waters. He was a gorgeous hunk
of a man! His voice made her insides all wobbly and now here he was calling
her. How could life be any more perfect? she asked
herself.
‘Hi,
Eth…Vinza,’ she said bashfully, tripping over her words and confusing him with
his character.
‘Hi, babes. Have you managed to switch the envelopes
yet?’
Babes,
he called me babes! Ruby was busy melting and it took her a moment or two to
reply. ‘Oh…err…no not yet,’ she lied ‘Haven’t had a chance.’ She gave a great
big grin. Inwardly she was cursing herself for sounding so stupid. She was not
sure she could trust him yet and wondered how he knew what she was up to. Maybe
June had sent him to check up on her. It was not a convincing argument, but it
could be true, she thought.
‘Good,
‘ he said. ‘Come on, we’ve got to get upstairs. I’ve
got an award to collect, babes!’ He took her by the arm and led her back to the
auditorium.
Ruby
was yet to be entirely convinced that he could be trusted, but to be going to
the TV Gold Soap Awards with Vinza DeJarnatte… well
she was prepared to think the best of him!
Darryl
French emerged from his shadowy hiding place. His eyes had taken on their
normal trance-like look as he saw the two of them heading away. He ducked in
Diamond’s dressing room and switched the envelope with one he had with him and
smirked to himself. Everything was falling into place.
The
Doctor had not made much progress. He was stuck at the backstage door trying to
gain access. The rather gormless security man was
typical of his type, with all the inflexibility of a “jobsworth”.
‘If
you don’t have a pass you can’t come in,’ he had said in a voice thick with a
cold and it was true he was not going to let anyone past the door.
The
Doctor dazzled him with a big smile and was busy trying to convince him. He
made the guard watch as he pulled flowers from his sleeve. The security man
looked singularly unimpressed.
The
guard sneezed and so the Doctor offered him his handkerchief, which the guard
pulled, revealing more and more hankies. While he was busy blowing his nose on
the first one, the Doctor slipped past him and through the door smiling at his
feat of legerdemain.
He
was no sooner through the door than the boy he had seen at the studio earlier
was barring his way. There was a sinister, not-quite-with-it look on the boy’s
face and he was determined not to let the Doctor pass him. He made to grab the
Doctor, but the Doctor whacked the boy’s hand with his cane. The boy howled in
pain and the Doctor pushed past him and ran down the corridor.
‘Honestly,’
he said to himself, ‘everyone seems intent on getting
in my way this evening.’
Sitting
at a table near the front of the theatre, Ruby and Vinza were getting to know
each other. The table was full of TV stars Ruby recognised
and she was trying desperately not to be too star struck. She decided that it
was about time she asked him how he knew she was down there.
‘Are
you working with
Vinza
looked surprised. ‘June?’ he asked in amazement. ‘What makes you think I’d be
working with that old hag?’
‘How
else did you know I’d be backstage then?’
‘I
offered to find you for the Doctor. He thought you might be in some danger down
there.’
‘What?’
spluttered Ruby. This had not occurred to her.
Vinza
carefully explained about Darryl and how important it was June did not win the
best actor award tonight. ‘You see, if June wins we reckon Darryl is going to
shoot her.’ He was whispering to stop everyone else at the table hearing.
‘Oh
my!’ gasped Ruby wondering what she had done.
The
Auditorium was suddenly filled with a drum roll and an announcer could be
heard.
‘And
now to announce the winner of the Best Actor in a Soap
1991, is Jerry Diamond’
Backstage,
the Doctor had arrived just a moment too late to stop Diamond going on stage.
He could see the white of Diamond’s tuxedo disappearing in front of him. He
shouted at Diamond but it was to no avail, with all the din of the applause he
could not be heard.
‘Damn,’
the Doctor muttered as he looked desperately round for Darryl. There was no
sign of him, either. He only hoped Ruby had not managed to swap the envelope.
Jerry
Diamond took the stage to raucous applause from the audience. The customary cries of ‘Jerry! Jerry! Jerry Diamond!’ heard
from his show everyday greeted him. He carefully announced the candidates,
looking with pretend interest at the clips that followed the name of each
candidate.
Ruby
squeezed Vinza’s arm as his name was announced and
the scene of him bedding Desiree Robinson played on screen much to Vinza’s dismay. Good-natured cheers of ‘Go Vinza, mate!’
could be heard round the table
‘Of
all the clips, it’s always this one they choose,’ Vinza moaned.
The
other candidates, including
Ruby
clutched Vinza’s arm as Diamond looked at the result.
Vinza was looking nervous himself, knowing that somewhere a camera was on him,
waiting for his reaction as either a winner or loser.
‘And
the winner is … Clear Water’s Darryl French as the womanising
businessman Rufus Sugar!’
Ruby
looked at the slightly disappointed Vinza in surprise. ‘But hang on, I swapped
that envelope…’ she began but her words were drowned out by the applause as
Darryl took to the stage.
French
was looking dazed. He accepted the award from Diamond and smiled a huge smile
at the audience holding the award aloft triumphantly.
He
put it down again.
He
reached into his pocket as if reaching for his acceptance speech, and pulled
out the gun.
Gasps
of shock rippled through the theatre as he raised the revolver, grinned and
said;
‘This
is for all of you at home. Keep watching folks.’
He
put the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger!
End of Episode Two