Work Text:
The Secret In The Walls
Part 1
Buffy set down the newspaper with a frown beside her orange juice. The photo of a smiling blonde, young woman stared back up at her vacantly from the front page of The Sunnydale Daily. The headline beside in read:
'Murder Rocks Small Town
Amy Madison was found dead in her small apartment late
Saturday night under suspicious circumstances. Police officials
declared the 18 year old's death a homicide, but are withholding
further information since the investigation is "ongoing".'
"Are you and Willow going dress shopping today?" Her mother's voice broke into her thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"For the Sadie Hawkins Dance!" Joyce Summers smiled brightly, folding up her embroidered apron.
Buffy sighed internally. Her mother seemed more interested in her school functions than she did and of course she couldn't tell her she had other plans in mind for tonight.
"We were going to go after class." Buffy hedged, choosing to play dead on any other happenings. "Anyway I gotta scram."
"Just be home in time for dinner!" Her mother called as she grabbed her books and ran for the door.
"Sure thing."
Classical music crackled out of the old radio on the table threatening to put Buffy to sleep as she pored over the reports pilfered from the local police station. Such things were not that difficult to get a hold of when you knew the chief investigator.
Giles, for whatever reason, had not reported it when he caught her breaking into the station's record room when she first moved to Sunnydale. Instead he decided the 16 year old girl had all the makings of a detective and had been letting her secretly assist on cases ever since.
So rather than study for Home Economics, like the rest of the girls her age, Buffy read books on poisons and finger printing. It was great.
"Let me guess." Called her best friend Xander pushing open the swinging double doors to the otherwise deserted school library. "The dead girl."
Willow, her other best friend, trailed in after him looking upset. The girl's truly unfortunate green twill coat almost made Buffy wince. Despite her best efforts she had yet to instill a sense of fashion in Willow.
"Finding stolen jewelry is one thing, but murder?" Willow frowned, dropping into the chair across from Buffy. "Don't you think that's a bit above our pay grade?"
"Ahh…Don't be a wet rag, Will." Pleaded Xander. "We could use some adventure and excitement - it's either that or study for History."
"I like History."
"Then this should be right up your alley." Buffy said sliding one of the folders over to her. "It was found under Amy Madison's mattress, but the heat have no clue what it means."
Willow flipped open the gray folder and riffled through the first few yellowed newspaper clippings and old journal articles lodged inside. Xander leaned over her shoulder to read with interest.
"These are all about the old mansion just outside of town."
"And about the woman who lived there." Buffy pointed out. "Apparently she went missing back in the 30's."
"Maybe the Reds got her." Xander chuckled making both girls roll their eyes. "What?"
Willow ignored him. "That place gives me the jitters. It's just so big and empty like a tomb."
"I think a tomb would actually be small and occupied." Xander quipped.
"Oh right … but still it's creepy!"
Buffy grinned at her friend's usual banter. She was lucky to find a pair willing to put up with her harebrained schemes like they always did. "I agree, the house gives me the willies too, but I think we need to check it out. There must be a reason Amy was looking into the place."
The mansion was as unnerving close up as it was from the bottom of the hill in Sunnydale. Buffy put her little blue convertible into part and stared up at the empty dark windows repressing a shudder.
"Nice digs." Xander muttered.
"No kidding."
Reaching over she unlatched the glove compartment and pulled out three heavy, silver flashlights. There was probably no electricity in the old building. No electricity but tons of dust by the looks of things. Hopefully she could keep her dress clean or her mother would raise hell - and ask questions.
The all clambered out of the car and headed for the front stoop, scanning the overgrown yard. There were cigarettes and beer bottles everywhere, yet none that appeared resent.
"This lock's been picked." Willow said examining the large rusted keyhole on the front door.
"I doubt we're the first people to want to break in here." Buffy reasoned, pushing open the creaking door and clicking on her flashlight.
Boy was she right about the dust. Every surface in the place looked a solid gray.
"Hey, there's someone else headed up the drive!" Xander cried suddenly from behind her.
She spun around in time to catch a glimpse of a sleek black hotrod turning up the hill below. It seemed strangely familiar to her, even from this distance. Buffy narrowed her eyes trying to make out just who their mystery quest was.
Part 2
"What if it's the killer?" Willow turned to Buffy in alarm.
"Why'd you go and say that?" Xander moaned. "I was perfectly cool until you said that!"
The three of them stood in the doorway of the dilapidated mansion, their eyes trained on the car rolling up the lane. Buffy did not like this at all, there was next to no chance they could leave without being spotted by whoever was driving that car.
"Get inside, then we'll wait and see who our pal here is and what he wants."
She made of point of latching the rusted metal lock after them as they slipped into the musty front parlor. Moth eaten white sheets covered the furniture making the place look like a dance hall for the dearly departed and the eyes of the old paintings stared accusingly at them off the walls. The windows in the room were thick with grime, but thankfully there was still enough California sunshine to see out into the yard with relative ease.
"Hey, look at all these foot prints." Willow whispered, spreading the beam of her flashlight across the oak floors.
Small tracks, clearly from a woman's shoe - likely a size 5 - trailed back and forth over the gray coated floor. Buffy knelt down to inspect them, her wool skirt just brushing dust.
"These match Amy Madison's shoe size! We're defiantly in the right place here."
Xander waved his arms to get the girls' attention and pointed to the window. "He's pulling up."
Quickly Buffy and Willow moved to stand beside him, peering outside curiously. The black Ford parked alongside her own vehicle and the driver hoped out giving Buffy her first good look at him.
"Wow those are some Madison Avenue threads." She whistled, eyeing the handsome man in appreciation. He appeared to be in his early twenties, tall, with dark hair and a strong build. She bit her lip - very handsome.
"What's an Ivy Leaguer doing out here in nowheresville?" Xander whispered out of the side of his mouth.
Buffy had to agree it was odd. In his checkered suit and gelled hair, the man looked completely out of place. Like some Hollywood Heartthrob who'd just rolled into a horror picture. The man got his own flashlight out while inspecting her car. He turned to squint at the windows of the house causing the three of them to draw back.
"Maybe he isn't an axe murderer, maybe he's just a lost traveling salesman." Willow said without any conviction, exchanging a nervous grin with her friends.
"Yeah I'm sure that's it."
They waited while the man approached the house and picked the lock. Buffy could sense every shift in the old wood building, every sigh of the foundation. Her nerves tingled like electric wires as she picked up an old vase off one of the end tables. Perhaps she should have listened to Willow. This really may be above their pay grade - especially considering they didn't get paid at all.
The front door swung open and she swung the vase as hard as she could. It crashed in an ear splitting noise against the man's skull, sending him - and a million shards of blue ceramic - to the ground. A gray-blue cloud billowed up around him like the vision of a ghost.
"Ho Boy Buffy! You didn't need to kill him!"
She leaned down to check the guy's pulse, pointedly ignoring the fluttering feeling in her stomach at touching him. "He'll live. He's going to have one hell of a headache though."
They tied him to one of the kitchen chairs with a length of nylon rope Buffy kept in the trunk of her car. Once he was secure the three junior detectives started rifling through his pockets.
"I found his wallet." Willow cried triumphantly flipping open the leather folder. A second later her face fell.
"What is it?"
"Well, he's not an axe murderer… he's a PI." She grimaced, handing Buffy the brown wallet.
The first thing she saw inside was a white business card with black type.
'Angel Investigations
Angel and Cordeila Chase, Detectives.'
This ID was then confirmed by the driver's license tucked behind it. 'Angel Chase, age 22'.
"What the hell kind of name is Cordeila?" Buffy muttered.
"Don't let my sister hear you saying that." Responded a groggy voice with a groan.
Everyone jumped as their captive blinked open his eyes and glanced around in annoyance. He did not seem all that concerned with his current predicament. Granted, she knew they did not look all that threatening.
It just shows looks could be deceiving.
Buffy proceeded to question Angel relentlessly on his reasons for being there and everything he knew about the house. With each inquiry he seemed more and more amused, which was not making her flustered at all! She was simply impatient for information.
"What's your name, Doll?" Angel interrupted finally with a kind of half smile.
"One, do not call me Doll." Buffy crossed her arms. "Two, I am the one asking the questions around here."
Angel shrugged as best he could in restraints. "Hey, three teens loitering in an abandoned house and attacking innocent bystanders? It's a fair question."
Buffy glanced at her friends. Xander looked irritated, but Willow nodded thoughtfully.
"If we work together we may get to the bottom of this a lot faster. And isn't that kinda the whole point?"
As usual Willow was the brains of the operation and Buffy could not find fault with her logic. This was about finding Amy Madison's killer, nothing else mattered.
"Fine."
"Cool-i-o." Angel muttered. "Now would you mind untying me?"
Part 3
They split up into pairs to search the house; something Xander was less than pleased with. He clearly did not trust Angel as far as he could throw him. Buffy, on the other hand, decided to give the man a chance - but not so much of a chance that she was going to let him wander off with one of her friends. So she and Angel took the attic and third floor together, while Willow and Xander headed down to the basement.
Amy Madison's tracks lead back and forth all over the house and each room showed clear signs of being searched recently. There were drawers hanging open and objects strewn over the floor. The girl must have been looking for something specific, something important enough to warrant her death. Buffy just could not imagine what that could be, after 20 years most of the house had been emptied its valuables.
"How did you get mixed up in this exactly?" Angel asked as they combed over yet another musty bedroom.
She stopped tapping the walls looking for a hidden dumbwaiter and turned to face him. When he was not trying to talk his way out of being tied up Angel actually appeared quite introverted and almost sad. He stood with his shoulders slumped. It made her unconsciously want to move closer to him, as Buffy did now.
"The same way you did I expect, someone asked me to look into the case."
"You are what? A senior in High School?" He looked skeptical which she could not blame.
"A sophomore actually." She grinned smartly.
He blinked seeming slightly alarmed at that. "So how do you get asked into a murder investigation? I doubt you have a Ticket."
She frowned in irritation. "I will get my detective's license soon enough. In the meantime I'm friends with someone on the force."
Angel's dark eyes narrowed and something strangely like anger flashed in them. But it was the expression of his furrowed brow that Buffy could read, even if she did not like what it said. She hated when people got the wrong impression about things.
"If you dare say anything untoward about that, I won't just slap you I will throw you out of the window."
For the first time Angel truly smiled and it changed his face entirely. He suddenly seemed so young and innocent that she found her heart racing. "Oh I don't doubt that." He laughed.
"And you best remember it, Buddy." She said while quickly exiting to search a different room.
They all met up again on the second floor. Willow and Xander had found a nest of large, black rats and Buffy and Angel discovered a room full of disturbing wooden puppets, but nothing of use.
"Something about this place feels off." Willow muttered finally, glancing around the hallways looking perturbed. "Like the walls are wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the math is off here. The dimensions of the halls and the rooms don't seem to match the size of the house - they're too small."
"Wow we need to get you a new hobby, Will." Xander said, putting his arm over her shoulders.
"No, she's right." Angel stretched out his arms to touch both sides of the hall they were standing in. He then stuck his head into one of the rooms and said. "There is at least two feet between the outer wall and the wall of this room."
"Everyone start looking for a way in." Buffy cried in excitement.
"I feel like one of the Hardy Boys." Xander grinned, and started moving down the corridor tugging on wall sconces.
Halfway down the hall one of ornate golden lamps moved sideways with a loud thunk, and the panel in the wall beside it slide open. Inside was a dark passageway.
Part 4
No one had been here in a long time, Buffy quickly concluded as she beat cobwebs out of their way with her flashlight. And Amy's footprints did not extend down the passage, the girl must not have discovered the house's secret.
The hall ended in a small hidden room which contained only a single safe. She crouched down to wipe the grime from the lock, so that the numbers were even visible. Angel and Xander held their lights up so she could see.
"I think you're on the stick for this one." Buffy looked up at Willow, whose red hair glowed in the strange lighting. "I'm more of a TNT gal."
"Yeah, that's our Buff, if the door's not open just kick it down." Xander ribbed, but she knew it was true so she didn't take offense. Despite being small and blonde Buffy had a tendency to brute force her way through obstacles.
Willow took over her spot and set to work on the combination. Within a minute the door swung open with a screech. They all leaned forward to see inside eagerly.
"Is anyone else really disappointed?" Xander grumbled raising his hand in the air, staring at the stack of folders which lay inside.
The rest of them lifted their own fingers halfheartedly. A secret passageway that lead to a safe that wasn't filled with money or jewels or the holy grail? Yeah it was a bit of a letdown.
At least until they opened the folders.
Inside was a diary and set of adoption and birth records. They chronicled the pregnancy of the home's previous occupant - the woman who had gone missing. Drusilla Pratt's family owned a chain of high end department stores spreading across California and making her one of the richest women in the state. But she found herself carrying the child of a penniless writer, someone her family would never approve of forcing her to hide the pregnancy.
Drusilla's diary displayed her growing paranoia that her secret had been discovered and that someone was following her. It was truly unnerving to read the words of a woman who believed someone wanted to kill her knowing that was probably what happened. Drusilla Pratt was the direct inheritor of millions as was her daughter, it was more than a probable motive for murder.
Yet it was the daughter who was the biggest shock. Buffy read the name of the adoption records three times before she was sure her eyes were not deceiving her.
'Amy Madison'
Angel let out a low whistle. "Well I'll be..."
"Amy must have pieced it together and came looking for proof"
"And someone made sure she didn't find it."
"We've got to get this to Giles." Buffy said. "Once we who inherited Drusilla Pratt's fortune we will have our killer."
Buffy pulled onto the cliff side highway leading back into town with Angel's hotrod right behind her. She, Xander, and Willow were laughing and congratulating each other on their victory when another car appeared on the otherwise deserted road. She was paying more attention to Frankie Lymon on the radio than the other car until it swerved into her lane.
Buffy screamed trying to keep control of the wheel as metal crunched against metal. Her blue convertible veered towards the embankment and she realized there was nothing she could do to stop its trajectory.
"Hold on!" She yelled as the weight of the engine pivoted them over the edge. Buffy turned the wheel wildly hoping to avoid trees. Her heart was in her throat at the weightlessness of careening down the hill in freefall.
At last the front end of the convertible crashed headlong into a fur tree, jerking them violently to a stop. Her head smashed into the metal steering wheel and promptly started bleeding everywhere. Buffy's ears rang and her vision swam. Distantly, from the top of the hill, she could hear shouts and then the echoing report of a gun.
"Angel!" Buffy cried, the horrifying sound ripping her back to her senses. "Willow! Xander! Are you all right?"
Xander was more or less intact, but Willow had been thrown from the car. She was unconscious but alive, Xander reported with a cry of relief.
Buffy hardly had time to process this information before she realized there were three men moving down the hill towards them, .38 specials in hand.
There was another boom of a gunshot and the man furthest from her dropped to the ground. The others turned back in surprise to see Angel with his own weapon trained on them.
Buffy repressed the immediate panic which came with seeing her new friend covered in what appeared to be his own blood. Instead she grabbed the side mirror which had been knocked off her ride and ran at the men.
The heavy metal slammed into his skull before the man even knew what hit him. His comrade tried to fire but in his confusion missed her entirely. Angel on the other hand did not. The man's leg blew out sending him to the ground beside his friends.
Buffy kicked their guns away just as Angel and Xander reached her. Xander was cussing in one unending nonsensical stream of thought, while Angel merely stared at her - He seemed close to hyperventilating.
"You've been shot!" Buffy pushed aside his jacket to reveal the shoulder wound staining his white shirt red.
He did not respond, instead Angel leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. She was so surprised and overwhelmed by the day's events that Buffy hardly had time to react before he was pulling away.
"When you went over the edge …. I thought you'd died." Angel flushed embarrassed by his display of emotion.
"Umm…I'm alright." Her brain was having a hard time playing catch up.
"Yo!" Xander interrupted loudly. "If you two are done? What do we do with these punks?"
By the time the police arrived to take statements and the ambulance to haul them all protesting away, Willow was awake and the rest of their mystery had worked itself out.
Angel recognized one of the men they had tied up as the man who hired him to look into the case in the first place. The man's drivers license id him as John Pratt, not John Harrison as he had introduced himself.
"He must not have known where the birth records were either." Angel reasoned, pressing his jacket to his bleeding shoulder. "He needed to destroy them to make sure no one else would find out."
"I imagine then you were supposed to have a tragic car accident." Buffy said as the sirens approached. She put an arm around Willow, with a small grin. "He wasn't planning on us though."
Angel smiled at her. "Me either."