"The TARDIS is haunted?"

"I didn't say that."

"So what did you mean?" Tegan folded her arms. In her opinion, the TARDIS was weird enough for anything, even a ghost.

The Doctor frowned at the console. "It's simply that I have a feeling that I may have forgotten something."

"And?"

He did not raise his eyes, "I have the strangest feeling that there's another presence on board. It happens every so often. I noticed it less when there were - more of us but now...."

"If you don't mean a ghost, do you mean another person?"

"I'm not sure. Tegan, why don't you see if you can find Turlough? I think I'm going to take a wander round the TARDIS and see if I can get to the bottom of this."

"Okay," Tegan left the console room, feeling disgruntled at her dismissal.

The Doctor finally looked up from the controls. In his left hand he held a duster.

======

"Doctor!"

He hurried out into the corridor to find Tegan facing him, clutching a mop and bucket. He looked at her rather distractedly, "Oh, Tegan, how kind of you."

"I'm not doing the spring cleaning, Doctor. Someone else is." She put the bucket down. "I nearly tripped over it. What was it doing there?"

"That," said the Doctor," is a very good question."

Tegan shoved the mop into the bucket, "It must be Turlough- unless it's your ghost."

"Well, someone dusted the console as well." He held up the dirty piece of cloth. "They left this behind them."

Tegan screwed up her face, "Doctor, this is really bizarre! Unless Turlough's trying to make up for his behaviour- and I don't think *that's* very likely- I can't work this one out at all."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me," the Doctor said, setting off down the corridor determinedly.

Tegan shrugged and trailed after.

========

"I don't remember seeing this before," Tegan remarked on what appeared to be a wooden version of the console room.

"No. I don't use it very often." The Doctor sniffed. "Tegan, what is that smell?"

She glanced across at him, "It's only polish... Doctor, this ghost has polished your spare console room!"

"Strange," he murmured. "Quick, Tegan, this way!"

She ran after him down several corridors that were darker than usual

They rounded another corner and Tegan realised that they had returned to one of the main corridors. The door to her room was ajar. Glimpsing something, she frowned and pushed it open. As she did so, she gasped. "Doctor!"

He turned to see her standing in her room, which was now meticulously tidy. Her air hostess's uniform no longer hung over the chair; it had been put neatly away.

"Curiouser and curiouser; right, Doctor?"

=====

They re-entered the console room. Turlough stood by the controls. As they came in, he looked up and held out a note. "Doctor, a *person* just walked through here and handed me this. It's addressed to you."

A look of enlightenment dawning on his face, the Doctor took it and unfolded it.


Dear sir, (Doctor)

I have been employed by you for several years now and have cleaned your strange residence faithfully. However, during all that time, I have not seen you since you first took me on. Neither have I been paid. For these reasons, I have decided to leave. However, because of your previous kindness I have given the whole place one last clean.

yours sincerely,

G. Halford.

"Good grief," the Doctor refolded the note and pocketed it dazedly. "I must have forgotten. I do remember thinking, in my previous incarnation, that it might be useful to have a cleaning lady- but actually taking one on?"

Tegan stared, "Are you seriously telling me that all the time I've been on the TARDIS there's been some poor woman down in the parts you don't use any more, *cleaning*?!"

"It appears so. Dear me." The Doctor looked shaken.

Turlough glanced from one to the other. "That has to be a joke... doesn't it?"

"I don't think so," said Tegan.

The Doctor coughed. "Well, now. The poor woman has obviously left, so there's little that can be done about it ."

"Wait a minute, Doc," Turlough interrupted. "Who's going to do the cleaning?"

Tegan folded her arms. "Don't go looking at me!" With that, she took the duster and threw it at Turlough. The mop had reappeared in the console room so she handed that to the Doctor. She gave a little smile. "I think that sorts matters out rather nicely."

"Er... Tegan," the Doctor said, clearing his throat as he looked from Tegan to the mop, which he held uncertainly. "May I ask what you're going to be doing?"

She flicked the switch on the console which activated the scanner. "Hmm, looks a bit cold." She took a coat off the hatstand. "Me? Oh, I'm going out." With that she left. In actual fact, she thought that trying to find G. Halford might be a good idea, since the poor woman probably thought she was on Earth. And the Doctor could see about paying her.

As the doors closed behind her, Turlough put the duster down and tentatively darted a glance at the Doctor, who had started to examine the mop. The Doctor caught his glance and looked back.

"Peaceful, isn't it?" Turlough said meaningfully.

The Doctor glanced up at the scanner, "Yes, it does appear to be."

"That wasn't what I meant."

The Doctor noticed Turlough 's gaze was now directed at the console. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Turlough. I couldn't possibly just abandon Tegan."

"Ah."

"Besides, it didn't work last time."