by Gin Hollan
"Only when you beat him." She laughed.
"Which you've done."
"He bets favours, never money, but he does take it seriously." Arabeth shrugged. "The point is, I'm sure I can convince him to expand the broadcast range." She chuckled. "I might even let him win a few matches along the way."
And now she knew how to stay safe while investigating. She hadn't worried about being exposed to a pathogen or other influencer. Not until Marble's problem. Thankfully, the cause of her concern was also the cure. She just had to figure out the radio frequency. Then again, not really. As long as she used the one she knew about, she'd be fine.
"I'm going back to sleep." She stood. "Now that we have the start of a plan, I'll be able to actually rest."
Hicks jumped up to his feet. "I'll be going then. When do you think you'll be able to talk to Mr. Rogers?"
"I'll drop by the radio station tomorrow, but I'm not sure if he's a hands-on manager, so it may be a day or so until I track him down. Come back tomorrow evening. I'm going to fabricate a couple devices for use in areas that station doesn't cover, or in the unlikely event of a power outage there."
"You've thought that far ahead."
"This is an intentional attack. I don't think they'll sit quietly as we subvert their plans."
He nodded. "Right."
"What's your to-do list?"
"Legwork. I'm going to see if there have been any large purchases of broadcast equipment or parts lately. Coils, small power sources, relay dishes, that kind of thing."
"Perfect. Let's meet up again tomorrow evening." It didn't strike her as odd that there was a full-grown, attractive, single male in her house unchaperoned after dark until that moment. Many considered Hicks to be a highly eligible bachelor, and that he was not given to vice was rare. She sighed. Part of her wished there could be more between them, but no. She'd done the marriage thing once, and that was plenty.
"What was that about?"
"Hmm, what?" She hadn't realized she'd done that out loud.
"The sigh," he asked, eyes narrowed.
"Well, we have one answer, but it opens up a hundred other ones." That sounded believable. He'd never believe she had more-than-friends thoughts about him now and then, anyway. He'd really be confused if he found out she'd had these thoughts since they first met in junior high, and the feelings had never really gone away.
"At least we have a direction."
"That we do," she smiled, offering him his hat, hinting that he needed to go so she could sleep.
// Chapter 11 //
THE NEXT DAY, Arabeth headed to the radio station early. If Mr. Rogers was an early riser, she wanted to catch him fresh and ready to think. If he wasn’t, someone at the station could tell her when he would be in.
He was early, but he was also in a bad mood, it seemed. As she stopped outside his office, she heard a quiet stream of invective preceding what sounded like drawer slamming.
She rapped softly and pushed the door open a bit more, peeking in. He was alone, and smiling as she entered.
He waved her in, but didn’t seem to be listening as she started her spiel.
"Sorry, Arabeth. If the police need us to increase the signal strength, they'll have to pay for it." Mr. Rogers was a genial man, even when he was letting her down. Slight jowls and a natural smile helped. "Thanks for the tip, though. I'll be sure to broadcast that information as a public safety measure."
Panic started to climb up through her limbs, making her shiver once. "You can't let this information out. Not until we catch this man. You must understand, this is our only lead."
"I think stopping them is the point, regardless of the method."
"You will cause mass hysteria and won't make a penny. In fact, you may be overrun and suffer property damage instead," she said, scrambling to change his mind. "Are you sure you haven't heard anything about a shortwave transmitter being tested in the area?"
"I am sure." His eyes narrowed. "This news won't stay quiet long, though, so what if I say you have two days of boosted signal, and I still broadcast it but tell people the entire city is protected?"
"Since we can safely conclude that theirs is a hostile endeavour, you will make targets of yourself and your family."
"If I team up with a couple other stations, it's not a problem."
"You would need to anyway. What if you say that you're doing it, but not why? Call it a public service. Then, when the why comes out in court, your fame will skyrocket. This is the kind of thing that makes mayors, you know."
"There will be other broadcasters that hate me for it. This will override their signal."
"I have a feeling they owe you favours." She smiled. If he was fishing for money, she was going to make him work for it.
"Do I want to use something as valuable as a favour on this?"
"You'll find an angle to work, I've no doubt. And you'll come out on top still."
"You keep me in the know on this, and I'll do it. Information is power, and you seem to be rich in that regard as well," he chuckled. "Change every radio you have to my station, in case I need to get a message to you."
Clever guy, teaming up with her like this. When the story finally hit the papers, he'd be there right beside her and Hicks, happily taking credit. Not a bad deal. It was one of those everyone-wins situations.
"Agreed." She stuck her hand out and Mr. Rogers shook it to seal the deal. Her father's voice echoed through her memory: 'The only deal worth making is one that's on paper.' He had little faith in people - probably a side effect of his occupation. Would Mr Rogers keep his word?
Next, she had to find Hicks. He’d said he'd be checking shops that sold transmitter parts. Most of those were in the same general area, so she headed that way.
She spotted him chatting with a short twenty-something guy she'd often bought information from, named Bernie. It wasn't unusual for Bernie to be chatting with a police detective, but she doubted Hicks would get any advanced information out of him. She waved and called out her greeting as she got close.
"Greetings, gentlemen. Talking about anything interesting?"
"No, Miss Barnes," Bernie smiled. "But since you're here, I might have something for you."
He often had something interesting. The hard part was finding the guy. He was better than Larry at digging up useful information, but twice the ghost.
"This one is particularly savoury, so it's double my usual."
She pulled out her money pouch and overpaid him. "All right Bernie, don't spare the details."
"There's a place in the country that's taken these people. They say they can cure the madness. It's past Eller's Grove, nearly to Sayden's Mill."
"You didn't tell me this," Hicks said accusingly.
Arabeth laughed. "You get what you pay for, you know."
Hicks shook his head. "Some things need to be done for the greater good, you know."
That made Bernie laugh. "It's an open market, right? Even I have debts to settle, bills to pay."
"All right, Bernie." Arabeth put a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me why I overpaid you."
"Well, miss, there's a special wing in that hospital. There's no normal door that lets you in - you have to puzzle your way through. It's like a secret, hidden entrance."
"Well, that is interesting. Can you tell me how to get in?"
Bernie reached into a pocket but hesitated. "I'm not keen on risking a steady income, but I'm sure you'll come back out just fine. Between that fox and your gadgets, you've got more luck than anyone I've ever met." He handed her a small folded paper. "I'm sure you can decipher this. It's a bit of a riddle, but I have a guarantee that it works."
Arabeth gave him a couple extra coins with a nod. "A pleasure doing business with you, Bernie, as always."
"Also, I'm not sure I should be saying this, but I'm hearing some nasty things from Larry. He's talking funny about you lately. He's giving you information that will be dangerous to you, and hanging around for the photos. Thought you should know. He's trying to c
onnect you to the brawling and attacks. I'm not sure how or why."
Arabeth smiled. "Thanks, Bernie. It's nice to have someone confirm it." There was a code among informants, and Bernie had just broken it for Arabeth's sake.
As Bernie walked away, Hicks sighed. "You trust him too easily. How do you know he's not selling you fish oil?" he asked.
"There are precious few people I trust. He knows my rules. Good information pays good money. If someone gives me bad information, their next seven leads pay at half price. Not half my price, mind you. Half of what people normally pay. That's a significant income drop for my regulars. They don't risk that more than once."
Hicks shook his head. "It makes sense on one level, but...."
"It's a waste of money to hire two of them for the same information. These days I only pay the first one to get back to me. They like the challenge of beating their peers."
"I take it Larry been a bit slow to get back to you."
"Well, he doesn't take requests. He hears what I need and if he has anything, he sends it by messenger. No charge. What irritates me is that he always sends details that get me into danger. Not much of a gentleman, but he knows how to get a strong story. He's been useful, in his own way." The note he’d given her was probably one of those into-the-fire kind of leads, giving her no real motivation to find a translator.
"I see," Hicks said, his jaw tight.
Arabeth dismissed it. They had to get back on track. "Have you been to that hospital? I’d forgotten it even existed." She couldn't remember one that far out of the city. Then again, she didn't travel that way often.
"It's shut down. They closed it about two decades ago."
“It’s worth a look, then.”
"You want to go look at that rickety old death trap, based on the idea that someone is there operating an illegal medical practice?" Hicks was smirking.
"No, but it’s my next lead."
"You're serious? What do you expect to find?"
"Information." Arabeth turned to go pack her satchel. She wanted to make a radio-protected strap-on hat for Marble. It might look silly, but looks took a back seat to safety. And she'd make it stylish, like a pilot's helmet. "It seems reasonable." She also needed food for Marble and herself. "Should we meet up later, around two p.m.?"
// Chapter 12 //
IT WAS NEARING dinnertime as the hospital came into sight - and what a sight, Arabeth thought. The building was irregularly covered in vines and the entire grounds were unkempt. The structure itself sat in staggering disrepair. Bernie's leads were rarely wrong. That meant this was a front. As such, it was the perfect disguise for something … but what?
Silently, she and Hicks dismounted their horses. With no hitching post or other horse-friendly parking, Arabeth led her steed forward, looking for a sturdy tree with tall branches to high-tie to.
"I hear voices," Hicks said. "Calm, but loud."
"Someone giving a group instructions?"
"Like that. Why? What are you thinking?"
She shook her head. "Just speculating. Let's have a look."
"We're not exactly going to blend in," she said, looking at Hicks in his usual suit and long coat. "We'll need a story."
Hicks reached out and took her arm. "Wait, I hear someone coming. From inside."
Arabeth turned to see who was opening the door. Hicks reached out suddenly, pulling her behind him.
"Stay back," he whispered.
She was about to peek around when a voice called out to Hicks.
"Samuel Hicks! What brings you out this way? Looking to get away from the city for a while?"
Harold Jacobs? What was he doing out here, and was Melanie still safe back at Betsy’s house? Arabeth peered out from behind, hoping he didn’t see her. Jacobs was wearing travelling clothes, a long, heavy wool coat and cap, and high-quality boots. Apparently he'd been helping himself to things the Marshes had left behind. She was about to step around and forward to ask what he was doing all the way out here but intuition stopped her.
"Got a report of strange goings-on. Thought it should be checked out. What brings you out here? I thought you had to keep a close eye on the Marsh house," said Hicks.
"That place watches itself, for the most part. No one wants to go near it, saying it brings bad luck."
"This place seems to have its own bad luck."
Jacobs fidgeted a moment then shrugged. "It's an oddity. I'd heard stories and wanted to see. Was supposed to meet up with a friend here. He didn't show, but I did, so it’s one less thing on my list now. Pretty dangerous inside. It's falling apart. Not sure what you're looking for, but you'll be risking your neck if you go inside."
Hicks nodded, and Arabeth wondered if he noticed the lie. Mr Jacobs had clearly been here before, but was still meeting a friend here to explore?
"Thank you for your warning, but I'm sure it can't hurt to look inside," Hicks said.
Jacobs' face went red and his hands tightened into fists.
Hicks cocked his head to one side. "Every report must be thoroughly investigated," he said.
Arabeth could only imagine his expression but his body language said he was confident, maybe even arrogant. Playing up to the class expectations Jacobs would have, no doubt.
"You can't say I didn't warn you," Jacobs said as he pulled his cap down and turned away, leaving the hospital.
Why was he leaving, all of a sudden? Had he spotted Marble, and therefore knew the extra legs behind Sam were hers? Still, his abrupt change of direction made more curious than ever. Now it felt like a moral imperative to get inside that hospital. Would he actually leave, or go out of sight and return once she and Sam were inside?
"I'm a little nervous to leave the horses here unattended," Arabeth said.
"You should wait here with them, just to be sure. If I can't handle this on my own, I’ll fetch a few constables."
She didn't like the idea of them splitting up, but it was her idea.
"You'd better be careful. If you're not out in fifteen minutes, I'm coming in looking."
"I do have experience with this sort of thing, you know." He cocked an eyebrow at her, but neither his words nor his attitude calmed her nerves.
"Right, right. Detective Samuel Hicks, eight years on the job. I know." She sighed. That didn't make it easier, watching him walk into the building. It was three storeys, and probably had a couple basement levels. Doomed to fail from the start, she mused. Even the city ones stayed under four storeys total. At one time, Hicks had told her, this one was supposed to double as a medical college, but they'd failed to build student accommodations before the budget ran out.
She pondered random facts, trying to keep her mind off what Sam was doing. Off of where he was going. She shook her head. Call him Hicks. Calling him Sam felt too ... personal. You didn't use first names unless you were family or until you were in a very personal kind of relationship. That was a necessary social cue, proving your intent to respect boundaries.
Why did she let Mr. Jacobs rattle her? That wasn't like her. Besides, she had Bernie's paper, and Hicks would need that if he wanted to find the hidden area.
Arabeth walked on foot around the horses, ensuring they were in a good spot for tying before heading to the entrance. Her horse, Kate, didn't seem worried. She could wait for Hicks to come back out but she didn't want to. Maybe she was being impatient, but maybe not. It would be better if they didn't get separated, anyway. He didn't have backup here, and she didn't have a way to get help quickly enough to actually be helpful.
As she stepped inside, there was a significant lack of light. Boards on the windows made sure of that. She decided it would be best to walk along one wall and follow where it went, stopping now and then to listen for any other signs of life. The first time she ran into a desk, she stopped. There had to be a smarter way to do this. She fumbled through her satchel, thinking that if she could get electricity in the little tiny device to track Marble, there must be a way to power a small light source.
&n
bsp; She'd heard about someone making a realistically usable light bulb, but she'd never seen it in real life. Her fingers bumped into her lighter. That would be inefficient but still functional. She didn't carry candles, but maybe a small one would be prudent. It would certainly be more efficient.
Flicking the lighter on, she looked around to see if there were lanterns or torches left behind. Chiding herself, she knew there wouldn't be.
"Marble, find Hicks."
Marble gave a short yip and headed off. Arabeth followed closely, glad she'd used Hicks as one of her training targets for Marble. Finally, something was going right. As she went around the third corner of increasingly narrow corridors, the sound of voices became clearer. Her heart started to race until she recognized Hicks speaking and realized his voice was calm. There was also light ahead. She shut her lighter and put it away.
She slowed to a stop at the corner before Hicks’s location but Marble didn't notice. She made a quick, low sound trying to get the fox's attention. She peered around the corner. The light was bright to her eyes. Squinting a bit, she saw Hicks standing with his hands in his coat pockets, leaning over a desk. The man with him was a stranger to her.
Marble turned around and came back, sitting at Arabeth's feet. It seemed neither man had noticed her. At least, if Hicks had noticed, he didn't let on. Arabeth dropped down to sit on her heels and slipped Marble a treat for staying close. Waiting just out of view, she listened. Her belief that people are born as gatherers and mature into hunters kept her looking for choices as she went. Blithely walking in was a foolish gatherer mentality. She needed to be more like the fox. More like a hunter.
The hardest part of hiding was the sudden, nearly irresistible urge to sneeze out some of the dust of this place. What part of the brain said, 'Oh, we're hiding? We should do noisy things then'? She grumbled silently.
"Will it really work?" Hicks asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Mmm, all indicators say it will, but there's only one real way to find out."
She knew the other man's voice, but couldn't immediately put a name to it. The sound of it made the back of her head itch. That was odd.