“The person you saw wasn’t my father, and it wasn’t the person behind this. It was the person whowon.”?
?Chapter 38
“Won? What doyou meanwon?” Vaughn asked.
Ivy indicated the green and red buttons on the desk.
“I recognize this setup. It’s a game theory experiment called the prisoner’s dilemma. And whoever was in this room won the game. That’s why the door was unlocked—they were permitted to leave.”
She almost said,while the other was killed.
That damn mental image of Aaron Treadman again.
“The prisoner’s dilemma?” Vaughn repeated. “I thought the other one was the prisoner’s dilemma. This looks hella different.”
Ivy shook her head.
“That was the 100 prisoners problem. This is the prisoner’sdilemma. Like I said, it’s a very different experiment. The game is broken into rounds.” She pointed at the display board now. “Looks like they played ten rounds. Each player can select either green or red for each round. They won’t know what their opponent chose for that round until their decision is locked in. Points are attributed...” Ivy trailed off. She’d lost Vaughn. It was the stupid mask muffling her words.
“It would help if I had a piece of paper,” she said.
Vaughn looked to Delaney, who patted his pockets.
“In the car,” he said, moving to leave.
“Let’s head outside,” Vaughn suggested.
Ivy didn’t need to be asked twice. The night air was cool. Felt good on her skin. They walked toward Delaney’s car. As the cop rooted through his glove box, Vaughn took off his mask, inhaled. Helped Ivy with hers.
That was better.
Ivy scrunched her nose, stretched her face.
“I had paper in here somewhere,” Delaney muttered.
“Don’t worry about it,” Vaughn said. “Any word from the troops on the ground?”
Delaney pulled out of his car. He squeezed the radio on his shoulder, leaned down, and said a few words. Waited. Someone replied.
“They’re still getting set up. Coupla boots on the ground but nothing yet.”
“What about the ME?”
“I got here just before you—haven’t called him. Where is your partner, anyway?” Delaney asked.
“Getting some rest.”
Delaney had since removed his mask, too, and Ivy saw distaste cross the man’s features.
She pictured Darnell, his tone and mannerisms, the way he’d spoken to her—abrupt, curt—when she’d been cornered in the hall. Detective Sacker’s approach couldn’t be more different than Vaughn’s. Was it a good cop, bad cop thing? Could be. But Ivy had thought that this approach was reserved for suspects. That’s the way it was in all those cop dramas.
“I’ll give the ME a call.” Vaughn did, speaking concisely. The phone call lasted only a few seconds. “Dr.Button was already made aware of the situation.”
“That was me,” Horowitz informed them. He was still wearing his mask.
“Good. He’ll be here within the hour. Delaney, how do you feel about holding down the fort? Waiting for Dr.Button? Taking photos—those 3D ones again?”
“I can do that once Landon arrives.”
