Death is the Beginning - Chapter Seven
“Yeah, that’s right Tosh, anything you can find on Roman and Margaret Strauss and a reporter at the time um...name is ....”
Ianto looked at Jack for help and the older man answered, “John Hart.”
“That’s right, John Hart”
Jack felt himself leave the one sided conversation as his thoughts drifted back to what he had observed. It had been a wondrous thing to witness the love affair between Roman and Margaret. Their passion seemed to burn so fiercely.
He could sense Roman’s devotion; Margaret’s adoration and that instant electrical charge when they first met felt like a familiar pull on his heart.
He just couldn’t quite believe how it had all turned so bad.
“Hey, you ok?”
A hand on his arm shook Jack from his thoughts and as he gazed into Ianto’s eyes, his heart did a flip.
“Ye...yeah fine.”
“You zoned out on me, thinking about the session?”
Jack nodded.
“Do you....do you think it’s possible.....all this past life stuff?”
Ianto considered this for a second. “I think.....I think we need a second opinion. Come on, I know just the head shrinker!”
He grabbed Jack’s hand and squeezed lightly, This time he didn’t let go until they had reached the car and when he did, it left both men with a slight sense of loss.
****
Ianto had no trouble finding Owen Harper this time, nestled amongst crates in the cool room quietly drinking his coffee.
“So what do you think?”
Ianto had just spent the last 10 minutes recounting the story to the Doctor about the past life theory after they had negotiated a handsome sum for the Doctor’s fee.
“Sounds like a past life to experience to me.”
He looked up at the confused look on Jack’s face and the sceptical one on Ianto’s and shrugged.
“Hey look, it happens. I never used to believe in it either until one day I had this patient, really crazy old bitch. She was so claustrophobic she would have choked in an empty Millennium Stadium, so I’m thinking maybe child trauma right?”
Jack nodded, Ianto remained still.
“So, I regress her back to her childhood and BANG! There it is. Turns out when she was six her uncle used to molest her in this closet. So I’m thinking, this is it, I’ve cracked it but no...She’s still claustrophobic even after working with her for a few months. So I’m thinking there has to be more you know so I take her back even further and when I asked her what the year is she says 1856.”
“What?” Ianto scoffed.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought but she kept going. She was a little kid whose father ran the local undertakers and her brother used to like to lock her in the coffins. Now, I don’t know if it was bullshit or not but all I know is that after that session she wasn’t claustrophobic anymore. More people believe in past lives than not, you know.”
“All I know Harper, is that Jack wakes up screaming in terror at night and I need to find out who he really is and why it’s happening.”
Owen ignored Ianto and spoke directly to Jack.
“Do you believe what you saw was real?”
“It seemed so real.”
“Look, sometimes a trauma in a present life can lead you back to a past life. You resolve that past life trauma and I think you’ll get your memory back. You take what you learn from one life and use it in the next. That’s Karma for you.”
“I thought Karma was you do something bad in a past life you come back as a servant in the next?”
“Far as I’m concerned, you are just a teaboy in a shitty suit.” Owen grinned.
“What good is learning if you’re with different people all the time?” Jack asked.
“Ah well that’s the thing, you’re not. Thanks to fate’s tragic sense of humour, you won’t be with different people. You burn someone in this life they get to burn you in the next. Look, my advice is to stick with the junk man. He’s on the right track.”
****
Later that evening, Ianto was going through the dossier Tosh had left while Jack was sitting nearby on the couch in his office studying his hands.
Tosh had done a wonderful job as normal. There must have been every clipping written by John Hart at the time of the trial and murder. It made for interesting reading and he sure seemed have it in for Roman Strauss from the tone of some of the articles. Not that Ianto could sympathise much. Margaret’s body was reported to have had at least 20 stab wounds from those scissors.
“Why is it Ianto that I know my right from my left, I can tell you Margaret’s favourite perfume and the colour of the dress she wore on their first date but I cannot tell you how I like my coffee? Although, espresso seems to be the way to go.”
He acknowledged Ianto with a nod and a silent toast with the coffee cup he had picked up off the floor.
“Maybe you’re lucky?”
“How so?”
“There must be a certain freedom in living only in the present.” Jack looked at Ianto, his face sad, wistful.
“At least you’re not living to try and escape your past.”
Ianto was far away and all Jack wanted was to wipe that lonesome look off his face.
“Sorry,” he added, shaking himself. “I know it can’t be easy.” Ianto stood, handing the documents Tosh had put together to Jack for him to look through. He smiled reassuringly, putting his hand on Jack’s shoulder and squeezing lightly.
“Ianto?” Tosh poked her head through the door way to his office. When she noticed the two men so close together she smiled. You had to be a prize idiot not to notice the connection between these two.
“Hey Tosh, you off now?”
“Yep, you got the folder? Tell you what, Jack, their story is pretty interesting. Love, murder mayhem, was better that a Mills and Boon.”
“It’s even better seeing it, Tosh.” Jack smirked and tapped the side of his head.
“Thanks for doing that, makes for some pretty interesting reading,” Ianto said.
“Yeah who said there was no bias in journalism?” she added sarcastically.
“Oh and I have an address for John Hart too, did you want that?”
“Wait....he’s still alive?”
“Yep, in some old folk’s home.”
“That’s great, Tosh. Before you go home, could you call and send him a message? I wanna get to talk with him.”
“What’s the message boss?”
“Tell him; tell him Margaret wants to know if he still misses the war, just that and my number. He’ll know what it means.”
“Consider it done. Anything else before I leave?”
“No thanks Tosh. Got plans for tonight?”
“No, just me, wine and a good movie, how about you two? Don’t tell me it’s take out again Ianto?”
“Nothing wrong with take out.”
“Nothing at all but I have made reservations for you at Angelo’s at seven, so you better get changed.” She nodded at the hand on Jack’s shoulder and giggled as she turned from the office to make her escape. Ianto took his hand off Jack’s shoulder and hurried after her.
“Tosh!”
“What Ianto?” she asked innocently.
“What are you playing at?”
“Oh come on Ianto, it’s obvious you’re attracted to him.”
“Tosh, I’m meant o be looking after him, not taking advantage of him.”
“I think he can look after himself Ianto, besides its just dinner and it will do you good to get out of here for a while. It will do him good to. Get out and do something normal for a change.”
“Well since you’ve made the reservations seems a shame to waste them.”
Tosh smiled.
“Have a great night, Ianto.” She kissed his cheek and left him to make the phone call to the retirement home. She had a bottle of wine with her name on it tonight. The sooner she finished, the sooner she was home.
Chapter Eight