The House That Jack Built by Torchwood

Author:Torchwood [Torchwood]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781846077395
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2009-07-09T04:30:33+00:00

FOURTEEN

Gwen was getting all motherly, tugging the blanket tighter around Ianto as he shivered. 'What did you see?' she asked him.

'Not much to be honest,' he admitted, staring at the fire Jack had just lit and willing it to get going. If it didn't get a good blaze on within five minutes, he'd start shoving furniture in the grate, he was so cold. 'I've been a bit out of it. I heard the pounding on the walls though, and the TV turned on by itself.'

'Power surge...' said Jack in a casual manner that didn't convince Ianto for one moment.

It didn't convince Gwen either. 'And the walls?'

'That'll be the ghosts,' was Jack's dismissive reply. 'I'm going to take a look around,' he said with a grin, changing the subject before either could ask any more questions. In case they tried anyway, he strolled out of the room.

'That's our Jack,' Ianto muttered. 'Quick with the knob gags and melodrama but light on cold, hard facts.'

'You know what he's like,' Gwen said, putting some more dry wood on the fire.

'Don't I just.'

'There's certainly a lot more to this place than meets the eye,' Gwen said, pulling her PDA out of her jacket pocket, opening up some of the files on the house that she had ported across and handing it to Ianto. 'The history of the building is a tabloid's dream: suicides, murders... and you'll never believe who the first person to own it was.'

'Jack.'

Gwen swore under her breath. 'Fine, make me look an idiot. Everyone knew but me.'

'Sorry. But there's not much about him that I don't know.' Ianto stood up and moved over to the rug directly in front of the fire. 'Actually, that's not true,' he continued, sitting on the rug and holding his hands out towards the flames. 'I doubt I know a fraction of what's worth knowing, but what little of his life is on file I've found it, read it...' he looked up at her and gave an embarrassed smile, 'learnt it. I'm like a stupid teenager swotting up with a copy of Smash Hits.'

Gwen rested a hand on his shoulder. 'You do know that he's...'

'Just a shag?' Ianto nodded. 'Yes I know. I can't help it though, I've never been much good at casual.' He looked up at her. 'Don't tell him. I don't want to look stupid.'

She squatted down and gave him a peck on the cheek. 'I won't, you're not stupid either, just...'

'Deluded?'

She smiled. 'Yeah, that sounds about right.'

'You wouldn't believe how many places he's lived,' Ianto said. 'That's why I didn't mention it. I assumed it was just a coincidence. He's had places all over Cardiff. Lots of them under false names of course, Robert Gossage, Alan Jones, John Smith... But I've followed the chain of sales. He keeps buying places then selling them on.'

'So he watches Property Ladder.'

'It's not that. You know what he's like, he's not interested in money. He's obsessed with trying to find a home, that's what I think.'

'Maybe.' Gwen looked sadly at Ianto.

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