I manage to avoid the ‘tea’ questions until I’ve stuffed the last bite of the chocolate tiramisu cake into my mouth. Or perhaps it is that Molly and Ron are too polite.
Crunch time, though. Molly has this intent squint as she leans in, propping her forearms on the little round table. An umbrella shields us from the sun, and the only other outdoor table is unoccupied, and those passing by on the sidewalk are either tourists interested in taking selfies and vids, or locals striding quickly by with urgent stuff to do.
“Revenant seems overrun with tourists?” I forestall her questions.
“We get busloads looking at the LHC, mostly, since that last antimatter movie. It was a load of nonsense, of course. It’s not the antimatter causing all this fuss. Now. The tea,” she whispers. “What are we doing next, dear?”
“We?” My eyebrows have risen to my bangs.
“And how much do you want to divulge to the Weirdos?” Ron says from the right as he, too, leans in. “At the Maelstrom Bar, tonight, about half past six.”
“To the book club?” My voice squeaks and rises. “I never thought I would be?—”
“You must.” Suddenly Molly has the demeanor of a praying mantis, and I’m the bug she wants to eat. “It’s not a requirement, but it would be nice.”
“Oh?” Nice? I recline, licking the last of the chocolate off my fork so I have time to think. “Why? I know you said it’s a book club that figures out the weird manifestations in Revenant, but has it? Like, does it ever solve anything because this problem of mine is not trivial. My father died.”
Then I wait.
“Well, there was that body someone saw in the lake, a few weeks ago, last time the Collider was on, that were. And it turned out to be…” Ron twists his mouth. “A dead deer. With unusual markings, I heard.”
“I see. Not to be skeptical but revealing what I know, telling about Kail, that might wreck things.” I gesture, vaguely. “I am going to see if I can get an appointment to see Clay Skinner so I can ask him, to his face, to explain. I sent an email to the institute earlier. He’s CEO now, right?” I drag out my phone and check the replies.
He won’t be the Clay I used to know at school. Though, really, that guy was a bit of an asshole and a bully. We were not friends. Now he is this super-rich CEO of a huge company and I’m a relative of a dead ex-employee with barely enough funds to pay for the tires on his Porche, or whatever he drives.
“He is.” Molly nods. Her predatorial gaze has leached away. “He’s hard to pin down, that Clay. The media rarelygets an interview. Don’t get your hopes up. Anyways, why don’t you just come along tonight after we close? We generally go over and have something to eat from the bar before the book club starts. We rent a room for that. You can say hi to the members. Have a drink, some nibbles, then you can think.”
“Yup. Good advice. Or go home and get eaten by Mr. Frankenstruct.” Ron nods, grins, sinks back into a semi-slumberous repose in that chair. “I will lend you that shotgun, to keep awhile.”
“Is this good cop, bad cop?” Neither answer me, despite my glare. “Fine. I’ll come.” I glance at the emails, spring straight in my seat. “My god. There’s a slot this afternoon to see Mr. C. Skinner.” I reread it to be sure. “I can see him in half an hour. Will have to leave soon.”
“That’s interesting.” She clucks her tongue. “You must have something he wants, girl. Maybe you can pump him for answers after all? Be careful.”
“I must have. And I will be careful.” What do I have that he wants, and how do I extract what I want from him—a confession of guilt? Because the institute killed my father, and that, a confession sayingexactlythat, is what I need. It’s the only explanation that fits the facts.
I did not expect this opportunity so soon.
The pressure to make this appointment worthwhile crushes in.
“He’s not going to confess, is he?” Frowning, I whisper this, knowing Molly and Ron will hear me. They’re both so attentive, and that expression doesn’tquitefit what I expect of my two bookish if somewhat invalid neighbors. Molly inclines her head, lips straight.
“I’m still going to try. If I go to your thing tonight, if Irefuse to divulge anything about Dad or that frankenstruct, I need you to promise you’ll not push me.”
“Of course.” Ron reaches across and holds Molly’s hand. “We won’t. This is to see if it helps you, nothing more.”
“Nothing more. Okay. Good. I am a bit lost as to where I’m going…” My throat clogs up so that I croak out that last part, struck by emotions, by a sadness I can’t suppress. “And Clay…I’m going to dig. I’m going to see if he will slip up. But after that…” I shake my head, press the back of my bent finger to each eye to soak up the tears.
After that, where do I go?
Kail
With my back to the parapet wall on the roof of the bakery, I listen to her conversation with the neighbors, the McCluskers. When she drives away, I stay where I am. It was hard enough to get down here in time without a vehicle and unobserved. I haven’t any hope of reaching the institute, infiltrating it, and intercepting her there at some unknown room. Her safety isn’t an issue there, so skipping it shouldn’t matter.
I hope I’m right. They wouldn’t do anything to her during a fucking appointment?
Finding theMaelstrom Bar,that part is easy. I passed it on the way here. I can watch for her there, after I steal a change of clothes. Something dark with a hood. There were clothes at her house and if I fit her dad’s old clothes, no one will notice them missing.
Ruefully, I eye the hill where the two highest houses arehers and the McCluskers’. Looks like I have more walking to do.
