wanda1969

Title: “Rebecca”
Author: wanda1969
Prompt: “Rebecca”
Pairing(s): Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones.
Rating: PG
Warnings: very occasional expletive
Spoilers: More for “Rebecca” (mainly the Hitchcock movie) rather than Torchwood
Disclaimer: I have created no characters here: I have merely borrowed the Torchwood characters from the BBC & their creators. I have also borrowed the plot and some characters from Daphne Du Maurier and Hitchcock (and his scriptwriters). No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: Torchwood characters shoehorned into “Rebecca”. This is closer to the Hitchcock film than the book. I’ve also added an Epilogue which is a bit like one of the first chapters of the book, but at the end- don’t read it if you want to stop where the film ended.

Many, many thanks to janiemc for both beta-ing and putting up with me...

Chapter 6

The Inquest was scheduled for two weeks after the discovery of Rebecca’s boat. They had both tried to forget the impending investigation, but it hung over them like a black cloud.

Mrs Cooper had taken the discovery of the boat, and Rebecca, badly. On the plus side, they’d seen little of her for the last fortnight.

***

The night before the inquest Ianto was making his way to the Library; he knew that Jack was waiting for him. As he crossed the Great Hall, he came across Frith.

“I’ve got the evening papers, Sir”

“Thank you, Frith, but I don’t think that Mr Harkness’ll want to see them.”

“I understand, and I’d just like to say that, we’d all like to offer our support if necessary.”

“Thank you, but I’m hoping that won’t be needed.”

“Of course not- but...should it be needed...”

“Thanks, Frith,” Ianto said. “I’ll bear that in mind

***

Ianto opened the door to the library to find Jack standing by the fireplace. He hurried over and wrapped his arms around him. Since the night of the storm, he and Jack were more open and affectionate with each other. A part of him was thankful that there had been a catalyst to bring out any secrets between the two of them; since his ‘confession’, it was as if whatever barriers Jack had put in place had been pulled down.

“Jack...I’m worried about tomorrow. Let me come along to the Inquest. I want to make sure you don’t get angry with them.”

“I promise I won’t,” he nodded and paused looking directly into the other man’s eyes. “You know tonight could be our last night together.”

Ianto laughed, “That’s not the way it works- they’d have to charge you. And we’d ask for bail, you’d be back by morning. And then it would take months before a case was drawn up. And they’re not going to charge you.”

“I wish I could be that confident...I’d rather not think about it just now, though,” Jack said as he kissed him. “I’d rather just enjoy tonight.”

***

The Inquest had been going on all morning and was now in its afternoon session. The room was packed with observers and reporters from the local papers. This was some of the biggest news in this quiet corner of Cornwall- one of the richest landowners in the county, attending with his new, male, partner and the rumours caused by the misidentification of Rebecca’s body were rife. Ianto had expected Mrs Cooper to be there- he would have been surprised if she hadn’t been there- but he’d been dismayed to see John Hart, a smug and self satisfied smile on his face.

Amongst the witnesses, they’d called up the police from that night twelve months ago, some of the search party from the night of the recent storm, the doctor who had examined the unknown woman’s body and the doctor who had examined Rebecca’s body only two weeks earlier.

As they called up the next witness, Ianto recognised him as the man from that first day down at Rebecca’s cottage. His name was Eugene Jones.

“So, Eugene, did you see anything that night? The night of the 20^th November last year?” the Coroner asked.

“I saw nothing...”

“You knew Mrs Harkness- from Manderley, though?”

“Yes, I knew her, she was from the big house, but she’s not here,” he said as he looked around the courtroom. “She’s gone- the sea took her.”

“Yes, she’s gone. But come now, if you saw anything that night a year ago when there was a storm and ‘the sea took her’, you can tell us.”

“I didn’t see nothing,”

“You were always down at the boathouse- were you there that night? And did you see Mrs Harkness?”

“I saw nothing- I wasn’t supposed to be down there, or else I’d go to the asylum.”

“You won’t go to the asylum. Were you there, Eugene?”

“Nope, I saw nothing.”

“Very well,” the Coroner sighed. “You can go. Next witness! Please call Mr Richard Tadd.”

The Ushers called through the back waiting rooms.

Eugene left, as Mr Tadd took the stand.

“Mr Tadd you’ve testified before, but on this occasion, we have the boat that Rebecca Harkness’ accident took place in. You’ve examined the boat- can you tell us your findings, please?”

“Well, I examined the boat and there were a few anomalies.”

“Such as what?” The Coroner asked.

“Well, there were the holes in the hull...”

“Anything else, Mr Tadd?”

“Well, there were the sea cocks, they were left open, and Mrs Harknesss would never do that- she was one of the best sailors I ever met.”

“Perhaps she could have made a mistake? It was a stormy night.”

“Not her, Sir. She was one of the best sailors I ever met- in any weather. Better than most men. You don’t just open up the seacocks...not even a novice’d do that.”

“Could it have been deliberate? There have been suggestions that this could have been deliberate.”

“I couldn’t say, Sir. All I know was that them holes in the hull were made from the inside. They couldn’t have been made from the rocks”

“Thank you, Mr Tadd. You can leave now.”

“I’d like to call Jack Harkness,” the Coroner said as the boatbuilder left the stand.

Ianto, squeezed Jack’s hand, aware that the entire court was looking to the two men. He swallowed down any embarrassment, as he whispered, “Jack, I love you- promise?”

“Of course,” Jack said quietly as he stood and took a final look at Ianto before walking over and taking the stand.

“Mr Harkness, you identified a body as your wife, Rebecca Harkness, last year- have you got an explanation for that?”

“Yes, yes...Rebecca had been missing for two months...it was very hard to identify her...the body.”

“Of course, I understand but in addition to that, Mr Tadd has stated that there were holes made from the inside of the boat, and that the seacocks were open- can you think of a reason that this would be the case?”

Jack shook his head.

“There are only two explanations: either someone else made those holes and opened the seacocks, or Mrs Harkness made those holes herself, and opened them.”

“I have no idea how either the seacocks were opened, or how any holes were made in the hull,” he said testily. Ianto could tell that Jack’s composure was starting to waver.

“If the explanation is that Mrs Harkness opened the seacocks herself, or made the holes herself can you think of a reason for this?”

“No reason whatsoever.”

“Were relations between yourself and Mrs Harkness happy?” The Coroner looked pointedly towards Ianto. Jack followed his eyes- the implication was obvious. From the corner of his eye, Ianto could see John Hart smirking at him.

“What the hell has that got to do with anything?” he said angrily.

“Mr Harkness, it could be an indication that she intended to scupper the boat.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Was Mrs Harkness depressed or suicidal?

“Not as far as I’m aware.”

“Could your...preferences...have made her unhappy? Affected her mental health?” the Coroner pressed on.

“How dare you? I met Ianto close to a year after her death, and to imply anything else...well, this has got bugger all to do with the case.” He shouted.

It was at that point that Mrs Cooper swooned, blacking out as she slid off her chair and onto the floor.

There was commotion in the Inquest room as the Coroner called for the Inquest to be adjourned for the rest of the day.

***

Chapter List: http://wanda1969.dreamwidth.org/17042.html