Pontcanna; Cardiff, Wales

Jack Harkness parked the Torchwood van behind the police barricade. Police cars, a fire engine, and a morgue vehicle represented emergency services. From what Ianto could find from the police database, DC Cowley intentionally kept the information mundane to keep it from catching their attention. There could be any number of reasons. Most likely, it involved control.

With that in mind, he contacted Dr. Guenevere Floyd and she invited him to the scene. After the Baughn situation, he suspected he would have gotten a phone call at some point.

"I have a question," she said as he walked up beside her. "I called on Saturday. Who did I talk to?"

"A co-worker."

"Right." Floyd shook her head. "Your co-worker needs to work on his impersonation skills. He's younger, angrier and Welsh. The accent was good."

Jack smiled. "He'll be happy to know someone thinks he can't pass for me."

"I didn't know you had children."

"None that claim me." A beat. "What's the situation?"

"The fire chief has no idea." She walked to the far side walk and motioned at the car. "From the scorching, the car was broadsided by a fireball."

He followed, looking around. Nothing else in the area was scorched. No possible sources. "I heard a rumor the DC didn't want to call Torchwood."

"Another idiot child." Floyd motioned around them. "There is no industry in this area. The only thing I could remotely guess is ball lightening. No storm. And it would have had to really dislike the occupant of that car."

"CCTV footage?"

"The ball lightening doesn't like cameras either."

Alien, alien device and freak accident were on the short list. If it was Eddie Cattrel, that suggested a connection to CN, and Rift abilities. Payton Borthwick had some type of telekinetic ability as Anwen displayed briefly. The general said he could detonate certain types of energy. He had to consider the possibility Eddie, or his parents, crossed the wrong person. Unlike Borthwick, the fireball was controlled.

Jack tapped his ear com. "Whose listening."

"What do you need?" Ianto asked. He sounded tired.

"The CCTV cameras around the Pontcanna scene were disabled. We need what area footage there is. Malcolm Dove was at the hospital this morning. I need to know where he was when those cameras were disabled."

"The kid who survived the toxic mushrooms?" Dr. Floyd asked.

"Yeah."

"You think he did this?"

"No. I need to be sure." A beat. "Torchwood run blood, tox and DNA tests on the victim. With photographs and skull measurements, we can do a facial reconstruction."

"You didn't find a doctor."

"Not yet."

"I will send the list to Mrs. Williams."

Jack made an unhappy sound.

Dr. Floyd laughed.

"What could be funny about this?" DC Cowley asked, walking over to them.

"Not a thing, Detective Constable." The humor faded from her tone. "Captain Jack Harkness, DC Cowley. It took me two hours to get here, Cowley, Torchwood should have been called much sooner."

"We have not ruled out mundane causes."

Dr. Floyd took a moment. "I don't know what this is about." She motioned at the car. "That vehicle was hit by a fireball with no plausible source. The chief fire officer knew that immediately. As did the rookie firefighter with the first fire engine and the green constable you have with you."

"It was not your call to make."

"Yes, Cowley, it was. You didn't do your job. I did mine." Floyd walked away from them.

"This is still my case."

"Are you familiar with the Red Dragon Centre situation?"

"Yeah. Torchwood took the suspect and damaged the evidence."

Jack focused on remembering what the general said about the situation. "The evidence? We repaired the structural damage to prevent the building from collapsing." Not to mention the highway tunnel next to it, and Torchwood beyond that.

"Bollocks."

Jack wondered if there was any point to try. "This is still a Torchwood case."

Dove's Willow Tree; Cardiff, Wales

Gwen Cooper lead through the stylish, carved wood door into a storefront with both retail displays and office furniture. The walls were painted with impressive willow trees. Bowls of crystals sat in various places. It smelled of earthy incense. Two large cats were curled up in a corner.

A small, brunette in her forties approached with an odd expression. "I am Colina. How may I help you?"

"Gwen Cooper, Dr. Bree Nelson. We're with Torchwood. We need to ask you a few questions."

"Please have a seat. Can I get you tea or coffee?"

"No, thank you," Bree said.

Colina lead them back to a small table. She sat and motioned toward chairs across from her. They sat.

"I spoke with Malcolm this morning. It occurred to me that what happened with the drug, and his immunity, could draw the wrong kind of attention."

"I see."

Gwen suspected the woman knew what she was going to say. "We believe Malcolm's immunity is genetic."

"What are you trying to ask, Ms. Cooper?"

"Do psychic-like abilities, of any kind, run in your family?"

"I don't read crystal balls or tea leaves, if that's what you're asking."

"No, ma'am," Bree said. "Its an actual genetic difference associated with certain people born in Cardiff. If active, it would look like a psychic ability."

"The Red Dragon Centre."

"Yes. We believe that man was a victim of research, and targeted because of genetic information he unknowingly provided."

Colina Dove hesitated. "I can calm people and animals. Its an ability that runs in the family." A beat. "Have you spoken to my brother?"

"No."

"He doesn't believe in it. Our mother, two aunts, and our grandmother had similar abilities. To him, its a mental illness."

Gwen wondered if that had something to do with the trust funds. "Is that why Malcolm chose medicine?"

"No."

"Your nephew has a Torchwood file. The investigator opened it when he was eight. She suspected the family was keeping secrets."

"My nephew is touched by the Otherworld, Ms. Cooper." One of the cats suddenly jumped on the table. Colina absently petted it. "He died for three minutes, as a child, and didn't come back from the Otherworld alone."