Doctor Who_ The Sleep of Reason - Martin Day [71]
‘And where the hell is Tracy?’ continued Liz. ‘She’s been gone for hours!’
Mike Thomson bustled into the room. Laska’s keen eyes noticed that there was mud on his hands. ‘I’ve just heard from an officer at the station,’ he said, sounding a little out of breath. ‘Managed to get a call through to my mobile.
He said he was questioning Tracy. They’ll be over shortly.’
Laska saw Dr Smith raise a suspicious eyebrow at this.
‘I hardly need add,’ said Liz, ‘that we’ll be helping the police in every way that we can.’
Smith glanced around the room and appeared to see Laska for the first time.
‘We shall have to tell the truth about everything,’ he said. ‘It’s the only way forward.’
It seemed that that was the end of the briefing. Liz and some of the nurses began to filter out of the room. Trix came over, followed by Fitz, and she bent down to whisper in Laska’s ear. ‘Fancy a coffee?’
Laska was not unduly surprised that Smith’s friends should suddenly take the initiative in this way; doubtless he had ordered them to intensify their 125
interest in her.
She didn’t know how much more of this pressure she could stand.
‘All right,’ said Laska.
The canteen was at most a hundred yards away. Only Fitz spoke as they walked, trying to fill the silence with pointless observations on the weather and last night’s football results. It was hard to believe that this was the man who had, apparently, been patrolling with the security guards all night just before one of them had been stabbed.
Trix and Laska settled themselves down in the canteen while Fitz went off to get some drinks. The air of unease and suspicion in the Retreat had, if anything, intensified as the day wore on. The suggestion that the death was no mere accident was now accepted truth, and the fact that the police had not, as yet, put in an appearance only served to heighten the tension.
Trix leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. ‘The Doctor said I’d been keeping tabs on you?’ It was clear that Trix, when the mood took her, belonged to the bull-in-a-china-shop school of tact and diplomacy.
Laska nodded. ‘I suppose I should compliment you – I had no idea I was being stalked.’
‘I would say you’re not my type,’ said Trix without a pause, ‘but it seems to me there’s more than enough sexual tomfoolery going on in your life already.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning I know all about you and that nurse,’ said Trix. ‘Though there is an issue of abuse of power, I wouldn’t normally bother myself with something so trivial. However, something’s going on here that’s much more important than a member of staff getting his end away with a patient.’
Laska said nothing, concentrating instead on staring at the blonde woman, trying to find a way through the icy veneer – sympathy, cynicism, mistrust. . .
There must be something Laska could use, some way of turning the tables.
‘If you were to tell the Doctor what he needs to know,’ Trix continued, ‘I’m sure I would be more than capable of keeping quiet.’
‘You’re blackmailing me?’
‘Simply making an honest observation, one woman to another. The death of this security guard is just the beginning. If the Doctor and Fitz and I can crack on with this. . . whatever it is. . . Well, I’ll be too busy to think about your private life.’
‘I’m not doing anything wrong,’ Laska blurted out before she could stop herself.
‘I’m not here to judge,’ said Trix. ‘I’m just interested in getting results, for the Doctor. Understand?’
‘What hold does he have over you?’
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‘No hold at all,’ said Trix. ‘You probably don’t believe this, but we’re on the side of the angels. Honestly.’
‘But I don’t even know what Dr Smith wants!’
‘I’m not sure he knows either.’ Trix leaned towards Laska, her already husky voice dropping to an ominous whisper. ‘Word to the wise: stay away from Dr Oldfield. Don’t tell