Part 9 (2/2)

'Sorry I can't help you there. She's got the afternoon off.'

'I see,' the Doctor frowned. 'What a shame.'

'As a matter of fact, it is.' Oppy picked up the shovel. 'I could do with her help right now myself.'

'Really?' said the Doctor. 'With what?'

Oppy shrugged, his lanky frame shuddering. 'Nothing, I guess. It's a man's job really. We just get spoiled having Rosalita around to do the dirty work.'

He rested the shovel on his shoulder and glanced at the house.

'Perhaps it's something we can help you with.'

Oppy shrugged again. 'If you really want to. But maybe Acacia ought to stay here.' He and the Doctor started for the rear of the house, leaving Ace in the front yard. She stayed there for all of five seconds, then followed. She found the two men standing by the kitchen door. Oppy was saying, 'Kitty called me home. She was having a conniption fit and I can't say I blame her. It's only a trivial little thing, but I see why she's upset.'

The two men looked up as Ace joined them. They were standing by a metal garbage can that stood just outside the kitchen door. The lid of the bin was half open and on the ground in front of it was a long brown shape. It took Ace an instant to realise that it was a dead animal. A dead rat, to be precise.

The animal was lying on its back, its belly exposed, small paws jutting in the 61air, tail askew and buck teeth protruding forlornly from its mouth. Ace felt a shudder of disgust. 'Yuck,' she said.

Oppy smiled at her. 'That was pretty much my wife's reaction. I guess we all know that there are things like rats around. We just don't want to be reminded of the fact.'

Ace watched while Oppy and the Doctor buried the rat under a tree. When Oppy went to put the shovel away, the Doctor hurried back to join her. 'It's time we were going.'

'Where?'

'In search of Rosalita.'

'Why?' Ace found herself hurrying to keep up with the Doctor.

'I asked you before if you noticed anything unusual. What about now?'

'A dead rat, I suppose.'

'What do you suppose killed the rat?'

'Poison?'

'Good guess. Only the Oppenheimers haven't put out any poison for the local vermin.'

'Perhaps someone else did.'

'Perhaps so.'

The Doctor was moving so quickly that Ace almost had to run to keep pace with him. 'Where are we going?'

'Oppy said Rosalita is down at Ashley Pond.'

When they reached the pond, there was no sign of Rosalita. But Ace saw something else instead. There on the fringe of the water, beyond a cl.u.s.ter of trees, was an old wooden bench with three men standing beside it.

'Doctor, look,' said Ace. One of the men was Major Butcher and another one was Ray Morita. The third, Ace didn't recognise. He was a young man in army uniform. He looked extremely frightened. As Ace followed the Doctor, hurrying over towards them, she saw the reason for the young man's frightened expression. Butcher was pointing his gun at them.

The Doctor sighed with exasperation. 'Not the gun again, Major.' Butcher wheeled and pointed his weapon at the Doctor and Ace before dismissing them as a threat and turning back to the other two men, whom Ace now realised were his prisoners. The young man in army uniform, who was clutching a rucksack, only looked more miserable at the sight of the newcomers, but Ray seemed delighted to see them.

'Ace, Doctor, man am I glad you're here. Old Butcher's really bringing me down.'

'Not as far down as you're going to be when I'm finished with you,' said Major Butcher. He reached in the pocket of his jacket with his free hand and 62took out a pair of handcuffs. 'Put those on,' he said. He threw them onto the ground between Ray and the soldier. Ray peered at the handcuffs.

'Me or him, man?' said Ray.

'Both of you,' said Butcher. 'Handcuff yourselves together. I'm taking you in. You're both under arrest.'

'Under arrest?' said the Doctor. 'For what?'

'You stay out of this,' said Butcher.

'With pleasure,' said the Doctor, 'but I suspect Oppy will want to know why one of his key scientists is under arrest.'

'I caught them both,' said Butcher. 'In the act.'

'In the act of what?'

'It's all just one big mistake, man,' said Ray.

'Shut up,' said Butcher. 'In the act of pa.s.sing on subversive material.'

'What subversive material?' said Ray.

'You know exactly what,' said Butcher. 'It's in Private Dobbs' rucksack there.'

'No sir. It's not true, sir,' said the soldier.

'Shut up Dobbs,' said Butcher.

'Permission to speak sir,' said Dobbs.

'Permission denied.'

'You've got this all wrong, baby,' said Ray. He looked at the Doctor and Ace, as if asking them for help. 'Just look in the rucksack man.'

'Shut up and get those cuffs on.'

The Doctor stepped a little closer to the men and Butcher immediately turned his gun on him. 'Oh come now Major, really. Is there any need to point that thing at me? I'm merely going to pick up this rucksack.'

'Leave it alone.'

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