Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [72]
Ronick did not bother looking at it. „ID. It doesn‟t stand for idiot detective you know. I can get you a dozen of those things. Gods in a runner, a small-timer like Nenron could have got you a dozen of them. Not as good as I could get you, but they‟d pass.‟
„I can assure you,‟ the Doctor said in his most affronted manner, and once again not technically telling a lie, „that this is a genuine ID issued by the State Security Ministry.‟ He leaned closer to Ronick and smiled his most vivid and wolfish smile. „But I do appreciate the offer.‟
„All part of the service,‟ Ronick said, not smiling.
The Doctor said, „As a matter of interest, that police ID you flashed when you forced your way in here; how do I know that‟s genuine?‟
„You don‟t,‟ Ronick said. „But then what are you going to do: call a policeman?‟
„It‟s a possibility,‟ the Doctor said. „Can you recommend one?‟
Ronick shook his head. „We‟re mostly crooks, or stupid, or both.‟
„Which are you?‟
„That‟s for you to decide.‟
Despite some misgivings, the Doctor found he was beginning to warm to this fat detective. „Perhaps we could help each other,‟ he suggested.
„What did you have in mind exactly?‟
The truth was the Doctor didn‟t have anything in mind exactly. He was pretty much playing for time while he tried to decide whether to confide in the man. „You are investigating the murder of Nenron because you want to help Sita Benovides,‟ he said.
„I‟m investigating the murder of Nenron because, like it says on my ID, I‟m a law officer.‟
Ronick‟s eyes were wide open now and the Doctor was surprised to see how warm and kindly they seemed. Who was it that said the eyes were the windows on the soul? He couldn‟t remember but they were so spectacularly wrong it was probably better that they were forgotten. „You mean this is actually an official investigation?‟
The detective still did not smile. He shrugged slightly, it was a surprisingly subtle gesture for such a large man. „I‟m actually an official,‟ he said. „Question is what are you actually?‟
Should he tell him, the Doctor wondered. He let the silence stretch tight while he decided and then he broke it abruptly.
„You‟re right. I‟m not from here. In fact I‟m not from this planet at all. Neither, as it happens, is Leela. She‟s from a different planet too.‟
Ronick heaved himself up out of the chair. „I knew it,‟ he declared. „I scuffling well knew it. I knew you were fakes as soon as I laid eyes on you.‟
„I wouldn‟t exactly say we were fakes,‟ the Doctor said.
„We‟re just not what everyone assumed we were.‟
Ronick said, „You‟re state security aren‟t you.‟ It was a statement of obvious fact rather than any sort of question.
„State security?‟ The Doctor was so genuinely taken aback he almost laughed out loud. „Whatever gave you that idea?‟
„Those bastards never have just one agent operating.
Benovides is so up her own arse it never occurred to her that there was someone else in play.‟ Ronick shook his head. „I didn‟t bother suggesting it to her, she wouldn‟t have believed me.‟ He sniffed, a small derisive sound. „So in fact there are two others in play. Gods in a runner, they really must have trusted her, mustn‟t they. Or maybe it was you they didn‟t trust?‟
„If that‟s what you think,‟ the Doctor said, falling back on his standard response to the unanswerable.
„You people,‟ Ronick snorted. „You spend most of your time watching each other, as far as I can see, and you still think you‟re slicker than driftslime on a skin-scraper don‟t you?‟
The Doctor said, „Do we?‟ falling back on his standard response to the unintelligible.
„You think the rest of us don‟t know how you work. You think ordinary cops like me can‟t spot you because you‟re off-worlders brought in and given an elaborate cover story. A really elaborate cover story in your case.‟
„If I told you that I had nothing to do with state security at all; that the truth is much less believable: would you believe