Part 24 (1/2)

Winstone had returned to Shanks's office, but he still wasn't back. No one had seen Shanks all morning. Despite his impatience, Trevor settled down to wait.

When the phone rang, Winstone could hear the secretary's gasp of surprise in reception. 'He's dead,' she babbled, pus.h.i.+ng the door open. 'Up at the reservoir.'

'What?' exclaimed Winstone.

'Drowned.'

'Shanks said he had some work to do,' said Winstone, having already guessed exactly what that that meant. 'Why the h.e.l.l didn't he take his bodyguards?' meant. 'Why the h.e.l.l didn't he take his bodyguards?'

The secretary stood open-mouthed, as if she was expected to answer the rhetorical question.

Winstone strode over to the nearest filing cabinet, pulling open the top drawer. 'Right, phone Matthew Hatch. Tell him that Shanks is dead. He can put two and two together. And then you'd better get clear of the building. Push a fire alarm b.u.t.ton on your way.'

'Why? There's no fire.'

Trevor pulled a cigarette lighter from his pocket. 'There will be in a minute,' he said.

Ace had spent the morning walking around the village, searching for evidence of the scarecrows she and Steven Chen had encountered. However, once the broken window and door had been discovered, she thought it best to avoid the area around the church.

She found herself walking towards the school. The sound of children playing filled the village with whoops and cries of delight. The building was less sinister in daylight, a low weather-beaten wall ringing the playground of the lower school. Children teemed over every available square inch of boiling tarmac, playing hopscotch and tag and re-enacting unknown wars. Three girls were playing skipping games.

They looked up as Ace's shadow fell across them.

'h.e.l.lo,' said Ace brightly. 'I'm looking for Miss Baber. Do you -'

'What the h.e.l.l do you want?' asked one of the girls, her angelic complexion changing in an instant.

'I just want to -'

'Go away!' snarled one of the others.

Ace was suddenly aware that the rest of the children had seen her. One by one, they were stopping their games and, en ma.s.se, were walking in her direction. Their eyes were bright and unblinking.

'You know, Miss Baber? Your teacher?' said Ace, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. She wasn't used to being freaked out by kids.

'We know who you are,' said one of the children. 'You ought to leave us alone.'

'I'm not leaving until I find the Professor.'

'Maybe Jack's already got him,' said a boy towards the back of the group, his companions murmuring in eager agreement.

'Who's Jack?' queried Ace.

'You'll meet Jack,' said a girl. 'Most outsiders get to meet Jack.'

'And you think ”Jack” has the Doctor?'

'We know know he sent the hollow men after you last night.' he sent the hollow men after you last night.'

'What?'

'The scarecrows.'

'How do you know that?'

The children surged towards the fence. 'We just know,' said one, teeth bared.

A bell rang out across the playground. A teacher had emerged from the school to call the children inside. Slowly the children dispersed, casting sour glances over their shoulders at Ace.

'Give our regards to Old Jack,' said a girl with a skipping rope. Her friends sn.i.g.g.e.red into their hands.

The Doctor and Denman stood in the lay-by, voices raised against the surging rush of the traffic.

'Look after yourself,' said the Doctor. 'You're no use to me floating face down in the river.' The Doctor wasn't sure if he could trust the policeman, but Denman was the only ally that fate had seen fit to provide him with.

'I owe it to my daughter to come back here and clear my name,' Denman said. 'I intend to do that, when the time is right.' He paused, his eyes focusing on some remembered event. 'When we travelled down to Hexen for the reunion, I told Nicola I wanted to deal with the past, face up to our heritage. That started with the death of Shanks... But it's not finished yet.'

'No,' agreed the Doctor as a juggernaut thundered by. 'The past rarely stays dead.'

'Once I've checked out the research labs, I'll catch up with you in London,' said Denman, opening the car door and settling behind the steering wheel.

'London's a big place,' warned the Doctor.

'And Matthew Hatch is a big man.' Denman turned the key in the ignition. 'I'll find him first, then find you.'

The Doctor raised a hand as the car swept on to the road, watching it weave through the traffic. Then he turned to look around, as if he hadn't been aware of his surroundings before. With great deliberation, he walked towards the roadside, and extended his thumb.

'How are... things?' asked Steven Chen, leaning against the war memorial.

Joanna Matson sat on the pale stone steps, her head in her hands and her back to the village. She sighed. 'You know.'