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'Now let's get these poor little things home.'

'Why did you move out?' said Anji. 'And why didn't you at least leave a note?'

The Doctor looked genuinely surprised and apologetic. 'I'm sorry. I meant to. I wasn't trying to be mysterious.'

As if you had to try, she thought irritably.

'Where'd you go?' said Fitz.

'I'm at a nice place just down the street. I'll show you.'

They were having a late breakfast at a rather dingy restaurant the Doctor had chosen because it served deep-fried rice cakes. He had poured maple syrup on these, crushed them together with his serving of grits, and was eating happily. Anji had deduced that the appallingly white and unappetisingly named grits were some inferior form of cornmeal. She had no intention of trying any.

Fitz said, 'Doctor, what was that dream about?'

'Dream?' The Doctor had become distracted by the salt shaker, frowning at it apprehensively. 'Something sinister there,' he muttered. 'Don't you think?'

Anji looked more closely at the offending object. It was just an ordinary chrome salt shaker, conical with a rounded top.

'You know what I'm talking about,' said Fitz, refusing to be sidetracked.

"The one you had when we landed here.' The Doctor concentrated on his rice cakes. 'Something's after you, isn't it? That's why you separated yourself from us.'

'Perhaps not. I hope not.' The Doctor looked up at them. 'I haven't asked for help - because I'm not sure what I need help against. If anything. And since I don't know what's going on, I don't know how to protect you.' His eyes went back to his plate. 'I really think -'

'No beach,' said Fitz.

The Doctor looked at Anji. 'Maybe later,' she muttered. 'Right now, we may have helped you after all. Something's up with Dupre.'

"The ghost-tour chap?'

'He might be able to do magic,' said Fitz. 'Real magic' He recounted the rose incident.

The Doctor wasn't particularly impressed. 'A good conjurer can do tricks you'd swear were miracles. Chung ling Soo used to produce a fishbowl from thin air, complete with live fish.'

Anji shook her head. 'It wasn't just the rose. He's strange. You ought at least to meet him. He has a tour this afternoon.'

The Doctor took the pamphlet she handed him and looked with interest at the picture of Dupre.

'What were you doing all morning, anyway?' Fitz asked.

'Rust took me with him to visit a suspect.'

Anji frowned. 'Isn't that unusual?'

'Quite. The last thing a policeman wants on the job with him is an amateur.'

'So why did he ask you?'

'Oh -' the Doctor was still examining the pamphlet - 'he thinks I know more about all this than I'm letting on.'

'No, really?' said Fitz. 'Suspicious git, isn't he?'

The Doctor refused to be baited. 'It is his job,' he said mildly.

He and Rust had got the dogs into the Taurus with some difficulty, since they were still highly excited and wouldn't come near the detective. The Doctor soothed the distraught animals, going so far as to sit in the back seat with them while Rust drove. After Rust had arranged with the parish pound to contact the owners, he and the Doctor returned to New Orleans, stopping at the open-air cafe for coffee.

'Well,' said the Doctor, 'I wasn't a great deal of help to you out there.'

'You recognised those runes. And you didn't get in the way'

'A policeman's compliment. You didn't actually need my assistance, did you? "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer".'

Rust was unembarrassed. 'One of my favourite movies.'

The Doctor smiled. 'I'm not your murderer.'

'But are you a murderer?' Rust asked matter-of-factly. The Doctor's smile went. 'Are you a drug smuggler, a jewel thief, an embezzler, a fellow who cons little old ladies out of their life's savings?'

The Doctor regarded him frankly. 'I don't know.'

'Don't you?'

'I don't expect you to believe me, but no, I don't.'

'"I don't know", not "I'm not".'

The Doctor shrugged.

"There's a book like that,' said Rust. 'By Graham Greene.'

'Yes. I knew - I know it.'

'The man