Doctor Who_ The Hollow Men - Keith Topping [62]
„And then, when she was fourteen, she broke her collarbone doing gymnastics at school,‟ said Denman, the trace of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. He stopped. „I‟m sorry,‟ he said, „I‟ve got to take a leak. Help yourself to more tea.‟
When he had climbed the stairs, Hill and Savage both looked accusingly at the Doctor, who continued to sip Earl Grey from a mug.
„What the hell are you playing at?‟ said Savage angrily. „It can‟t be right, encouraging him to bare his soul like this.‟
„I disagree,‟ said the Doctor.
„And you‟re an expert, are you?‟ countered Hill.
„As it happens, yes,‟ replied the Doctor. „But that really isn‟t the point. He‟s lost the one thing in the world that mattered to him. To deny she ever existed would be to seal over a broken heart with an Elastoplast.‟
Savage stood and paced the room. „I want to know who you are, for a start,‟ he said, menacingly.
„Me?‟ said the Doctor. „Oh, I‟m just a traveller.‟
From above them there came the sound of a flushing toilet and the heavy footfall of Denman descending the stairs.
„Now, where were we?‟ he said, arriving at the living-room door with a weak smile on his face. „More tea?‟
„Ian,‟ said Savage, „for Christ‟s sake...‟
Denman looked at Savage curiously. „No tea, then.
Something stronger?‟
Savage shook his head in exasperation. „Who is that man?‟
he demanded, pointing at the Doctor.
„That‟s the Doctor,‟ said Denman. „He‟s going to help us catch Kenny Shanks.‟
„And how the hell is he going to do that?‟ continued Savage.
„Breaking and entering,‟ announced the Doctor sharply.
„The man‟s mad,‟ said Savage.
„No,‟ cut in Denman. „It‟s us that have been mad. We should have gone after Shanks years ago. It might have saved us a lot of grief - and a few lives.‟
Ace and Steven sprinted into the churchyard, dwarfed by the gravestones and carved angels painted a sulphurous yellow by the approaching dawn. A wall encircled the area, beyond which glimmered the village‟s few street lights. The wind brushed through the yew trees, bringing the sounds of movement from within the church.
„I‟ll give you a bunk up,‟ said Steven, locking his hands together as he stood at the base of the wall.
„And then what‟ll you do?‟
He paused, ignoring her question and glancing back at the church. „Am I dreaming, Ace, or is this really happening?‟
„It‟s all seriously real.‟ Ace pushed the torch into her rucksack, and threw it over the wall. It landed with a satisfyingly soft thud.
„How big‟s the drop?‟ Ace asked.
„Only one way to find out,‟ replied Steven.
„OK,‟ said Ace, placing her foot in Chen‟s hands. With a grunt he hoisted her upward. The wall, bleached by the elements, had crumbled in places, but the covering of ivy and grass held it together. Ace pushed her boot into a gap where the mortar had fallen away, and pulled herself on to the top of the wall. She reached down towards Chen. „Grab my hand and.‟
Her words trailed away. Back towards the church, a dark figure was tugging itself through the hole in the window.
„What‟s the matter?‟ queried Steven.
„Nothing,‟ said Ace hurriedly, looking back towards Chen.
„Just get up here. Now.’
Steven held on to Ace‟s arm. She could feel his pulse racing.
Behind him, the straw man stepped into the graveyard, and began trudging in their direction.
The sound of breaking glass, though muffled by a thick woollen sweater, seemed enormously loud in the darkened corridor of the office building.
Denman withdrew the sweater and reached carefully through the smashed pane, fumbling around for the lock.
„Damnation,‟ Denman said as the door refused to budge.
„Hang on.‟ He lifted a size-ten boot and kicked at the door.
Once. Twice. Three times. Finally, it burst inward.
„Subtle as a bloody brick,‟ said Hill, shaking his head. „Mr Savage told me not to let you do anything stupid, you know,‟
he said as the Doctor followed Denman into the office of Stanley Road