Oh boy. She knew she was in for it. His expression didn’t give away much, but he walked to the phone and pushed a button. One button. ProbablySecurity.
* * *
Dante had pored over the alchemy book, making lists of what they’d need. His brother played on his iPad and seemed oblivious, which was weird, since it was his book and experiment. “Noah, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You just seem quieter than usual.”
“I’m fine. Just doing a little background check on Dr. Samuels.”
“Kizzy? Why? What have you found?”
“Just the usual stuff on Facebook. Pictures of her in her cap and gown. Some with an older guy who must be her father. A couple of shots at a lake with Ruth and a couple of other girls. She doesn’t post much. There was a charity clothing drive and a 5K she was asking people to sponsor. A LinkedIn and Google search confirmed that she’s a doctor at Boston General.”
“So basically, she told you the truth. You didn’t discover any surprises?”
“Nope. The only thing she didn’t tell me is that she likes good causes.”
“So, how about if you invite her to the Battle of the Badges basketball game? It’s to raise money for the children’s hospital.”
“Sure, except I’ll be on the court, and she’ll be sitting alone in the stands.”
“She’d probably love watching you play for charity. And who says she’ll be alone? She could bring her sister or a friend.”
Noah nodded slowly, as if he were thinking about it.
“Not to change the subject, but I was about to go out and get some of the stuff we need to set up our lab,” Dante said.
Still not looking up, Noah asked, “Do you really think it’ll work?”
“There’s only one way to find out, dude. With your science brains and my Latin translation skills and both of us believing in the unbelievable, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re rolling in gold someday.”
Noah laughed. “Even if we only get a nugget, it’ll be more than we had before.”
“Do you want to come with? Or would you rather stay here and clean the spare room?”
Noah looked up from his iPad and opened his mouth as if to make a smart remark when Dante’s phone rang.
Dante held up one finger. “Hold that thought. Hello?”
“Dante, it’s Mallory. I…uh…I need a ride home from work. Would you be able to come and get me?”
“Sure.” He thought he heard her sniffle. “Are you okay?”
“Not really. I got fired from my job. The security guards escorted me outside and everything. They don’t want me to take the bus. They want someone to come and get me.”
“I’ll be right there. Where should I look for you?”
“I’ll be the loser on the sidewalk across from Lord & Taylor.”
“You’re not—”
“And don’t tell me I’m not a loser!”
“Okay. I’ll be there in fifteen or twenty minutes.” Dante hung up the phone and said, “Plans have changed, Bro. Mallory needs me to pick her up at the mall.”
“Does that get me out of cleaning the back room or shopping for glass beakers and stuff?”
“Hey, this is your baby. I’m just assisting you.” Dante grabbed his jacket and keys. “Maybe you can find that lead musket ball you’ve been hanging on to for some damn reason. We need lead to turn into gold.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll see what I can do about that. Maybe I’ll even clean up the spare room. Should I wait for you before I make my first million?”
“Nah. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Mallory might want to talk or something.”
“Okay. Go play knight in shining armor.”
Dante smiled. Noah was joking, but he’d love to be Mallory’s knight.
