Doctor Who_ Atom Bomb Blues - Andrew Cartmel [34]
Ace repressed the urge to ask what was showing. ‘What else does he say?
That can’t be all. He’s written a letter half the length of War and Peace.’
59
‘As I said, he goes on somewhat. But the gist of his rather prolix screed is that he wants you to go to the movies with him then join him for a meal and drinks in his quarters afterwards.’
‘Yeah, like that’s going to happen,’ said Ace. ‘What else? He must say something else with all those words.’
‘Hmm. Yes. Essentially he goes on to say that he feels an enormous, shall we say, rapport with you. You’re the first woman he’s felt any sense of deep connection with in his entire life. A deep spiritual connection. He is immensely grateful to have met you, you’ve changed his life, you’ve awakened him, he always thought he’d be alone, half a creature looking for its lost other half, his missing soul mate. . . shall I go on?’
‘No,’ said Ace emphatically. She felt like her ears and cheeks were on fire.
What made it worse was that she’d heard some of the girls talking in the WAC
barracks, comparing the men on the Hill, and the subject of Professor Apple had come up. They’d all dismissed him, regarding him as some kind of sexless walking brain. He wasn’t even considered relevant in the discussion of eligible males. Apple was regarded as a man totally devoted to his work, a gelding.
Yet Ace had awakened something in him.
The Doctor was studying her. ‘I take it you’re not likely to be accepting the Professor’s invitation any time soon.’
‘Any time ever. What is that bloke’s problem?’
‘On the basis of this letter,’ said the Doctor, handing the folded paper back to her, ‘I would say unrequited infatuation.’
‘But he doesn’t have any right to be infatuated with me. He hardly knows me. He was with me for half a day and most of that he spent being horrible to me. Now suddenly I’m the only woman in the world for him.’
‘Well he does feel a deep spiritual connection with you,’ said the Doctor dryly.
‘And that’s another thing. He only feels that because he thinks I’m some kind of calculating whiz. If he knew the real me he wouldn’t feel any kind of spiritual anything.’ Ace took the folded note and threw it viciously into the far corner of the classroom, exactly as Professor Apple had thrown the chalk on her first day here.
‘Never mind,’ said the Doctor. ‘We have plenty of other matters to preoccupy us.’ He glanced at the blackboard. ‘Do you feel like abandoning our research in favour of some detective work?’
‘Please.’
As they made their way back up Bathtub Row, Ace said, ‘All right. I’ve kept quiet this long. But now I’ve got to ask, what are we looking for?’
60
The Doctor was frowning intently, keeping his eyes on the path ahead. ‘Did you notice anything unusual when we visited here last night?’
‘Let me think.
Oppy wasn’t here, but Kitty said that was usual.
She
wasn’t drinking, she was just sitting there quietly reading a magazine, which I thought was a bit unusual because after that party I reckoned she was the type to hit the bottle every night. But maybe I was wrong.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Not that I can think of.’
‘Who else did we see?’
‘At the house? Rosalita. There was nothing unusual about her. She just made us chilli, and that’s her speciality.’
The Doctor said nothing. They came in sight of the Oppenheimer house now, just in time to see Oppy himself appear around the corner holding a shovel. He had a glum expression, which changed to something resembling embarrassment when he caught sight of the Doctor and Ace. He looked like a little boy caught in a shameful act. Despite this, he paused in a sociable fashion and lowered the shovel and greeted them politely. ‘Acacia. Dr Smith.
What can I do for you?’
‘As a matter of fact, it was your cook I was hoping to see,’ said the Doctor.
Ace glanced at him in surprise. This was the first she’d heard of this. Why was the Doctor interested in Rosalita?
‘Sorry I can’t help you there. She’s got the afternoon off.’
‘I see,’ the Doctor frowned. ‘What a shame.’
‘As a matter of fact, it is.’ Oppy