Pursuits Unknown

by Ellen Clary

  “To sniff him out?”

  “Yes, and you can store his scent in the olfactory reflectometer along with Herman’s, so we can see if there is anything in common.”

  “Well, you know the scents are mostly fake, recreated molecularly. There’s no guarantee that you can draw any conclusions from them.”

  “No stone unturned,” Beth said, smiling with that won’t-take-no-for-an-answer look.

  “Okay, when?”

  “Got time tomorrow?”

  “For you? Anytime.”

  “Okay, I’ll come by and pick you up in an unmarked dog carrier car at 11:00 a.m.”

  “Okay, see you then.”

  Beth cut the connection. Amy announced, “Well, this should be strange.”

  “How strange?” Yolanda asked.

  Amy looked over at the other LAI agent. While she hadn’t been involved in the first search for Herman, Amy really wanted her insight. “Beth wants Lars to check out the other vic in this early-onset disorientation case. Lars said that the one guy, Herman, smelled funny and she’s wondering if there is anything in common between the two.”

  “Sounds like a stretch,” Yolanda said, running her hand over her close-cropped black hair.

  “Yeah. Lars won’t even know what he’s looking for.”

  “Does Lars know how to fish?” Steve called out.

  Amy said, “What are you talking about?”

  “Fishing is when you want to catch something, but you don’t know what you’re looking for,” Steve added.

  “He won’t understand fishing without having a goal.”

  Yolanda shifted in her chair, swiveling around, trying to sit up a bit taller than her five-foot-four-inch body would allow. “Why do they call it fishing I wonder? Real fishing has this goal called fish,” she said, making a swimming motion with her hands. “This type of thing is more casting a net and seeing if anything swims into it.”

  “Fish at least have a smell,” Steve said.

  “This one probably has a smell, just not one he likes,” Amy said.

  “What are they looking for?” Yolanda asked.

  “Any kind of connection that would suggest something more than two ill employees from the same company.”

  Steve and Yolanda looked at each other and then back at Amy and said, “Fishing.”

  CHAPTER 5:

  Meeting Lincoln

  BETH PULLED up in the grey SUV. Amy opened its back door and said to Lars, “Okay, hop in.”

  Lars jumped up and went into the crate. He flopped down in that thunking way that was half “I’m getting comfortable” and half “Game on.”

  Amy got in while Beth told the car about their destination.

  The car located the address and started off.

  Amy, settling in, said, “So tell me about Lincoln.”

  Turning to face her, Beth answered, “Well, he works in the same facility as Herman doing similar work. A few months ago, he started forgetting things and was having trouble focusing. Small things like what day it was or having to be reminded to go to a meeting. Then suddenly he couldn’t remember the details of what he was working on and he went on disability. He’s been getting worse; now he has trouble with speaking and writing and communicating with both humans and computers.”

  “And you think meeting with him is going to help?”

  “Well, it couldn’t hurt, and then Lars gets to get a sniff too and we’ll get Lincoln’s data also.”

  “I feel like we’re on a therapy visit.”

  “Well, you can make it that way if you like.”

  Amy said, “Thera-visits are so rewarding sometimes. Some people, who won’t talk much to a person, will tell a dog anything. They want to touch the dog or cat or rabbit so much. Lars likes the attention, though the hugging and the thumping pats on the head can be a bit much for him.”

  “The willingness to talk is useful with crime victims, too,” Beth said.

  They talked about doggy therapy, mountain climbing, flying planes, and what it might be like to skydive until the car pulled up to Lincoln and Laura DeLaVitt’s home. It was a well-kept, vintage Spanish-style stucco house with a red tile roof.

  As they got out, they met a muscular, college-age man who was digging in a front planting area. He introduced himself as Darin and said he was their son. Amy found the way that he smoothly stood up and, while smiling, shook hands using a powerful but gentle grip more than a little distracting, but she tried her best to focus.

  After their greetings, Beth, never one to miss an opportunity to get another perspective, said, “While we’re here to talk with your father, Lincoln, I was wondering if you could give us your take on how he’s doing?”

  Darin’s smile faded into a sadder expression. Looking at the ground and shaking his head, he said, “He’s nothing at all like he was.” Reaching down for a weed that he had just pulled, he clenched it in his fist and continued, “He was brilliant, and talkative, and completely annoying with his incessant curiosity. Mom and I were forever saying, ‘Give it a rest, Dad.’ Now I regret ever saying that.”

  “I’m so sorry, Darin,” Amy said.

  Beth said, “The CDT, sorry, I mean the Center for Disease Tracking, is asking us to investigate further. It’s more than a little unusual for two people in the same workplace to come down with early-onset disorientation.”

  Darin’s gaze intensified. “You mean this was caused by something external?”

  “No, we mean we don’t know but want to look for any data we can find.”

  “Come on in,” said a voice from the front step of the house.

  Looking up, Beth said, “You must be Laura. Hi, I’m Detective Beth Hanscom and this is Agent Amy Callahan.”

  “And this is doggy Lars,” Amy added.

  Laura was petite. She held the door open and shook their hands as she ushered them in. Laura looked at Lars with concern, so Amy said, “Lars is very friendly and can be very polite when I ask him to be. Lars, can you sit?”

  Lars sat, looking expectant. Laura said. “I’ve had big dogs run me right over, so I’m sorry if I’m a little hesitant.”

  “He only knocks people over that we ask him to,” Amy said, hoping that was going to be taken the right way.

  Laura laughed and said, “Okay, big guy. May I pet him?”

  “Of course. He likes it best on his neck and sides.”

  “Not on the head?”

  “It’s not his favorite, but he’s okay about it. A lot of dogs don’t like it though.”

  “Really? I didn’t know that.” She reached out and tentatively touched his neck. Lars extended his neck and leaned slightly into her touch. Working her way into a full-on petting, she said, “Oh you like that, don’t you?” Lars groaned in obvious happiness and leaned into the petting.

  “Yes, he does, and he’ll let you do that all day.”

  They stepped up into a bright foyer with surprisingly high ceilings. The oak floor had darker maple or walnut trim around the edges.

  Beth, noticing that Lincoln wasn’t in the room, said, “We were just asking Darin for his opinion on how his dad was doing. Can you tell us what you’re seeing?”

  “Well, there’s not much to tell. He’s not himself, but he seems fine in a way. But he no longer understands his work, which is weird because that was his passion. He’s over in the next room watching TV.”

  They entered a living room with two black leather arm chairs and a rose-colored sofa with beige throw pillows. A red and white hand-woven rug on the floor had a geometric pattern woven with intricate stick-figure symbology. Lincoln, who had been slouching in one of the arm chairs with his leg over the arm, stood up immediately.

  Lincoln was of medium height, somewhat thin, with hair just below his ears that was just starting to curl at the ends. He had a boyish appearance with a genuine, open smile.

  Reaching out his hand, he said, “How do you do? My name is Lincoln.” He shook hands with both Beth and Amy and then knelt down to greet Lars.
>
  “Hello, Lincoln. I’m Detective Beth Hanscom and this is Agent Amy Callahan.”

  Lincoln looked askance at the titles, so to lighten the mood, Amy added, “And this is Lars.”

  Lincoln, talking to Lars, said, “Pleased to meet you.” Then he turned to the women and motioned to the chairs. “What brings you out on this fine day? Please have a seat.”

  They sat, with Lars sitting beside Amy’s chair.

  Laura slipped in and sat on the sofa beside Lincoln.

  Amy noticed that, unlike Herman, Lincoln seemed aware of his surroundings and understood that he was meeting someone he hadn’t met previously.

  Beth asked him if he knew about something that happened yesterday, and he was able to say what year it was. He didn’t seem at all like Herman.

  Beth said, “Your wife, Laura, tells me that you’re having trouble understanding your work.”

  “Are you a doctor?” he asked, sounding hopeful.

  Beth angled her head. “No, but your colleague Herman has similar symptoms, and a coincidence is not very likely.”

  Lincoln shook his head. “I wish I understood what’s going on with Herman. He doesn’t even know he’s here. He doesn’t recognize us, keeps talking about his childhood like he’s there.”

  “Tell me what’s going on with you, Lincoln.”

  Lincoln shrugged, looking at Laura who patted his back in encouragement. “I look at my work and I just don’t get it. I remember it used to make sense, but it doesn’t anymore. I can read and understand the news, but not my work. My doc says this could be an early onset of disorientation, but I don’t feel that disoriented.”

  “Has anyone you don’t know asked you for a thumbprint?”

  He frowned. “No, definitely not.”

  “And no one has threatened you physically?”

  He smiled, “I think I’d remember that.”

  Amy got the sniff-o-meter out and called up the smell that Lars had keyed on.

  She held it out to Lars who breathed in deeply.

  “Lincoln, is it okay if my dog sniffs at you some?”

  “Er, sure. It won’t hurt, will it?”

  “Not a bit.”

  She said to Lars mentally, /Could you see if this man, Lincoln, smells like this scent?/

  Lars got up and walked over to Lincoln. He took two sniffs and said, /Here./

  Amy asked him, /The scents match?/

  /Yes./

  Amy said to Beth, “We have a match. The smell that was on Herman matches Lincoln.”

  Laura said, “What?”

  Beth said, “Really? Hmmm.”

  Amy walked over with the meter, held it up to Lincoln, and said, “I’m taking a sample of what Lars is smelling. There appears to be something that both you and Herman were exposed to.”

  “Really?” Lincoln said, looking a little shocked. “What is it?”

  “That’s what we have to figure out. Have you noticed anyone following you around? Anyone closer than you would expect?”

  “Not really. Darin says he noticed a car nearby that caught his attention, but I didn’t notice anything.”

  “We’ll talk to Darin again on the way out. In the meantime, try to have someone with you when you’re out and about. I don’t want you to be assaulted.”

  “Laura and Darin have been tailing me around everywhere.”

  “Good for them,” she said, standing up. “We’ll be in touch.” She gave him her contact information.

  They shook hands again and parted ways.

  DARIN WAS outside cursing at a plant that he was trying to pull out.

  Beth said, “Hi, Darin. One quick question.”

  Darin stood up, kicking at the uncooperative plant. “Yes, anything before I get violent here. Or can I say that?”

  Smiling, Beth said, “Yes, you can say that to plants. Your dad says you noticed a vehicle that seemed to be following you?”

  Darin nodded. “Oh heck yeah. We’re walking along the street to dinner and this white van cruises by real slow. I’m closest to them, and as soon as I stare at them, they speed up, but after dinner, I saw it parked further up the street. My dad thinks I’m just being paranoid, but it didn’t feel right.”

  “Did you get a look at the people inside?”

  He shook his head. “No, it was getting dark.”

  “Trust your instincts in these cases. It can’t hurt to be cautious.” She reached out her hand. “Thank you for watching out for him.” She gave him the same contact info that she’d given Lincoln.

  “Oh no problem, I don’t mind spending time around him. Is he in danger?”

  “We don’t know yet, unfortunately,” Beth said.

  CHAPTER 6:

  Exploring Herman and Lincoln’s Lab

  AMY WAS working on one of their Public Relations articles when her incoming call message light flashed. It was Detective Beth Hanscom again. Amy answered the call and Beth appeared on the screen. “Detective Hanscom, how are you?”

  “Hello, Agent Callahan, and please call me Beth,” she said, smiling.

  “Only if you call me Amy. What can I do for you?” she said, relaxing into her chair. “Oh, if this is sensitive, I can put a headset on.”

  Beth was looking at something just off the screen. She looked like she was reading. “Don’t worry about it. I just got a report that there’s been a break-in at Nanology, where Herman and Lincoln worked.”

  “Uh-oh.” Amy brushed back her hair.

  “I thought you would find it interesting that someone got in using Herman’s thumbprint.”

  Amy frowned. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

  “I didn’t think you would. They stole a couple of data units using his thumbprint to release them from their dock.”

  “Must be some thumb, and I assume that Herman wasn’t on another walkabout?”

  “Nope. Not one, but two alibis. The break-in happened around 9:00 p.m. Herman was at home watching a paid movie from one of the studios with his wife, and he called one of his kids later.”

  Seizing on the random detail, Amy asked, “Herman was watching a movie?”

  Beth laughed. “I think it was Carolyn doing the actual watching, but she says he was there.”

  “But somehow I think that’s not why you called.”

  Amy could tell Beth was gesticulating with her hands, even though she couldn’t see them. “She gets it in one try! Before I send a team in, I’d like you and Lars to take a sniff around to see if you can find any olfactory correlation, if I’m using my terms correctly. Do you have time?”

  Putting on her jacket, Amy said, “You have just saved me from my treatise on interspecies dog–human communication.”

  “I’m sending you the address.”

  “We’ll be right there.”

  AMY AND Lars pulled up at Nanology. Like LAI, it was a two-story structure, but larger, with a more guarded appearance. Smaller windows looked out of dark red, stone-like walls. Carefully placed maples stood by the entrance where Beth was waiting.

  Inside, they were met by a young, serious-looking woman who had the distracted appearance of someone whose day had been completely rearranged.

  Beth showed her ID and shook hands. “You must be Ann. Karen told me you’re the IT person who would be meeting us.”

  Ann smiled and shrugged, rearranging her black hair with one hand. “Yes, I’ll be taking you back into the scientists’ work area. We will be walking past the labs, but we won’t be going in them so we don’t have to change clothes or put on coats, masks, or caps—which is a relief.”

  Beth said, “And while the opportunity to play dress-up would be fun, that’s not why we’re here.”

  “And you probably don’t have Lars’s size anyway,” Amy said.

  Ann looked down as if she hadn’t seen him before. She smiled and said, “No, I think not.”

  THE LABS were behind full-length glass partitions, and they could see people working inside. Amy had only paid partial attention in he
r high school chemistry class, so while she could recognize hoods, flasks, beakers, and (after a moment’s reflection) pipettes, she wouldn’t have been able to say what the overall meaning of it was. They continued past the labs, went around a couple of partitions, and came to a separate area that had Herman’s and Lincoln’s names on a sign. Each space had a desk, a display, and a couple of old keyboards. Lower down on the floor was a place that had a connection bed where equipment could be docked.

  Amy noticed that Ann was carrying a cube of something with her.

  Beth said, “So it’s my understanding that you had a couple of data units stolen last night.”

  Ann nodded, showing them the cube. “Yes, this is a similar one. They disengaged them from the dock with Herman’s thumbprint.”

  “Herman, who we know wasn’t here. Is there any video?”

  “Just on the outside of the building, and they were hooded.”

  Beth said, “Back up a second. When they’re here working what does it look like?”

  Ann said “Well, they—either or both—would be at their desks with their tablets or handhelds or whatever they were using. They might be talking or using a stylus or one of those ancient keyboards they’re so fond of. Their data is stored on these encrypted data units and we swap them out once a week.”

  Beth asked, “So the thieves have the data?”

  “No, actually they have the encrypted data. The thumbprint will allow the disk to be swapped out, which is what we do in IT, but to actually decrypt the data there is a second level of authentication.”

  Amy was wishing they had Harris around to help with the Technese. “Authentication?”

  Ann paused, searching the room for another word. “Er, like verification, permission. A second way of checking that this person is really who they say they are.”

  “So what do they have now?” Amy asked.

  “Pretty much nothing. A lot of gibberish,” Ann said.

  Beth said, “And some angry burglars. Amy, can you have Lars take a sniff?”

  Amy put down her bag and removed the sniff-o-meter.

  Tapping on the display, she told Lars, holding out the meter, “Two scents this time. One.” Lars sniffed in. “And two.” He gave a second snort. “Go search.”