The Hollow Men by Keith Topping

Author:Keith Topping [Topping, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Science Fiction, Doctor Who (Fictitious Character)
ISBN: 9780563405825
Google: xoQFAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0563405821
Publisher: BBC BOOKS
Published: 1998-04-14T07:00:00+00:00

* * *

The Doctor had been in the interview room for three hours.

His initial questioning had been with the CID man, Hill. But this had proved fruitless and frustrating for both parties. The Doctor had waived the right to be represented by a solicitor, but then parried every question asked of him and demanded, again and again, to see Denman.

After half an hour Hill had stopped the interview tape and threatened the Doctor with much physical violence. The Doctor had fixed the policeman with a cold stare and said,

„You‟re a better man than that, detective.‟

„What?‟

„You don‟t have to be so angry about everything. I know what you see every day. I know about the drugs, the violence, the child abuse, the death. I know there are days when it seems as though the whole world is divided into the police and everyone else, and that everyone else is a criminal. But it‟s not as black and white as that, you know.‟

„I don‟t know where you picked up your degree in philosophy,‟ Hill had said, cynically.

„Vienna,‟ the Doctor had replied.

„Yeah. Right,‟ noted Hill, standing. „To be continued...‟

When Hill returned with a bacon sandwich and two cups of coffee, he had another officer with him. This one, called McMahon, asked the Doctor more or less the same questions as his colleague. And the Doctor gave the same replies.

Eventually McMahon got tired, too.

„You realise that we‟ve got enough on you to put you away for ten years?‟ he asked yet again.

„Yes,‟ said the Doctor. „As I‟ve already told you, several times, I don‟t care about that. I‟ll take whatever punishment you think is fitting. I would just like to talk to Mr Denman.‟

„And suppose Mr Denman was here,‟ said a voice from the door behind the Doctor. „What would you tell him?‟

„I‟d tell him that Kenneth Shanks is laughing at him.‟

Denman walked past the Doctor to the other side of the desk, McMahon and Hill standing to allow him to pass. He sat down, facing the Doctor.

„Three sixteen a.m., Chief Constable Denman joins the questioning,‟ he said, for the benefit of the audio tape whirring away by the Doctor. „So, you‟re Smith.‟

„The Doctor. You probably don‟t remember me.‟

„Should I?‟

„I helped you put the chain back on your Raleigh Chopper in 1971,‟ said the Doctor.

„I was seven in 1971,‟ said Denman.

„I know,‟ said the Doctor. „And you lived at Riverboat Cottage in Hexen Bridge with your father, Harold, and your mother, Lily. You also had a younger sister, whose name escapes me for the moment, but she died in infancy.‟

Denman stood up. „You‟re wasting my time,‟ he said and headed for the door.

„Then I met you again in 1984 or 1985. You had just joined the force. We had a walk by the river, close to the old wooden bridge, and you told me that one day you wanted to be Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset, but that promotion opportunities were limited in the area, and you might have to move. And my

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