Sebastian had certainly said a mouthful, but who were they going after? After all, there was trouble in Central and South America, but Russia was once again becoming a pain in the ass, and China had also become a major concern.
“So, who’s the target and why?” Tim asked. May as well be blunt.
“Aw, that will all be revealed in time,” Sebastian said, obviously enjoying his role as the mastermind. “But first, let’s talk about poisons. Would it be possible to administer a poison to an individual over a period of time that would eventually kill him or her?”
Tim thought about Sebastian’s question. Sure, there were poisons that could be administered over time, like arsenic—but the problem with that was that they’d have to be administered every day, which might be difficult to do without the cooperation of the subject.
“We would need a sort of timed-release poison,” Tim volunteered, “but I would have to think about how we could do that.”
Tim was beginning to wonder how all of his spy-craft suddenly seemed to be coming back to him. Could the stem cells really be responsible for his recovered memory?
The SUV had crossed the Potomac, and they were now back in Virginia. Toby took the sharp left turn onto Pam’s driveway, and the SUV made the slow climb up the hill.
When they parked, Pam came out of the house to meet them. “Did you make any progress, Tim?” she asked. “Can you help us?”
“I guess it all depends on exactly what you want me to do, Pam,” Tim replied. “Let’s go in and talk about it.”
Pam shot Sebastian another one of her looks, but Sebastian just shrugged. The three of them entered the house while Toby took his usual place outside guarding the SUV.
It was just after one in the afternoon, and Pam, being the perfect hostess, had prepared a light lunch consisting of ham and cheese and tuna sandwiches. After some polite conversation about the drive, the three got down to business. “So, Tim, what has Sebastian told you about our mission?” Pam asked.
“He has indicated—or should I say, insinuated—that you two would like me to develop some kind of poison in order to eliminate some head of state. At least, that’s the impression I’ve received.”
Pam glared at Sebastian. “Sebastian, is it possible for you to be direct for once in your fucking life?”
Sebastian appeared to be somewhat stunned by Pam’s reprimand. Tim felt a little guilty for making him sound too obtuse. Still, Pam was correct. Sebastian just seemed incapable of telling someone exactly what he wanted without playing some kind of game.
Pam looked back at Tim. “I’m sorry, Tim. Yes, we need you to come up with a poison that will gradually kill someone, and we also need to develop a method to administer the poison to the individual without their knowledge. What thoughts do you have?”
Tim was looking out the window and thinking about how beautiful everything was. It was springtime, and the trees along the river were beginning to bloom. Tim thought how strange it was that the conversation they were having was about murdering another human being, but he redirected his thinking back to poisons.
“Well, I feel that in order to accomplish a slow death for the subject, we would need to employ two poisons. Perhaps a combination of arsenic and thallium delivered via a common device like a tool, maybe even a knife or a fork.”
Pam raised her eyebrows. “A knife or a fork? How would that work?”
“We could place two very small needles in a piece of silverware.” Tim got up and walked into Pam’s dining room, coming back with a very nice silver fork.
“Be careful, that’s my best silver,” Pam said, half-joking.
Tim held the fork in his right hand and then his left hand, remembering that he used his right hand for the knife. “See, if we could place the needles on the bottom of the fork, then you may have two or three injection sites.” Tim showed Sebastian and Pam his fingers and where the possible injections sites would be located.
“Will you be able to make some thallium and arsenic?” Sebastian asked Tim.
“It all depends on what Pam has in her chemistry set downstairs, but thallium was used up until 1978, so it’s not a secret,” Tim replied. “The arsenic should not be a problem at all.”
“I actually have some thallium already made,” Pam said as calmly, as she would tell someone that she’d baked an apple pie.
“Somehow, you are having thallium on hand doesn’t surprise me in the least,” Tim said as he closely examined one of the tuna sandwiches she’d made for lunch.
“I think the main issue will be obtaining the silverware,” Sebastian added.
“We should be able to get anything we need,” Pam replied, “but, in the meantime, Tim can use the fork he’s already picked out.”
“And ruin a piece of your best silver?” Tim commented sarcastically.
“Well, anything for the cause,” Pam replied.
Tim got up with his fork and half-eaten sandwich and headed for the basement. “I’m going down to the lab to start working on this.” Tim looked down at his bag. “Is it okay if I spend the night?”
“Sure,” Pam replied with a smile. “After all, it is your house too, sort of.”
“Okay.” Tim looked at Sebastian. “You and Toby can take the night off, Sebastian, but I will be returning to Baltimore in the morning.”
Tim turned and headed for the basement as Sebastian and Pam watched.
“I believe your memory restoration project in Santa Domingo worked a little too well, don’t you think?” Pam remarked to Sebastian when Tim was out of earshot.
“Yes, Pamela, you may be correct. You just may be.”
Chapter 16
It took Tim almost three hours to set himself up to begin constructing the deadly fork. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he determined that a fork may not be able to carry as much poison as would be needed, so he decided that he would have to include a knife and possibly a spoon. The amount of thallium needed to be a fatal dose was a little tricky to gauge, but the good news (or, at least, the good news to Tim) was that thallium could be absorbed through the skin, which meant that perhaps Tim could cover the knife and spoon with enough poison to accomplish the mission. Pam had bought down her package of thallium, which was way more than he would need. Tim also considered using the arsenic as a kind of decoy. If the victim thought that he or she had been poisoned with arsenic, then perhaps the doctors would not check for thallium poisoning—at least, not until it was already too late. Tim also thought about using ricin, which would be almost guaranteed to work, but would also perhaps work too quickly, defeating the whole purpose of the assignment.
Tim was also able to find a number of hypodermic needles of various sizes. He labored to work these downs to the point where they were almost microscopic. If he could place these on the fork and spread poison around the pins, it just might work.
Using a large magnifying glass, Tim cut down two of the hypodermic needles until they were each less than a millimeter in diameter. Next, he drilled two extremely small holes for the needles and glued both into the fork. The general idea would be to fill the two needles with the poison, then cap them with a little bit of wax. Additional poison or poisons could be spread around the needles. The needles would barely break the skin, and the poison in them would provide enough moisture to activate the additional poison spread on the fork. This was all rather primitive, of course, but it would most likely do the job.
In order to test this, Tim took some Xylocaine and painted it on and around the needles. He then picked up the fork with his left hand as if he were eating and felt the two pins pierce his skin. Tim’s fingers began to feel numb, indicating that the trick had indeed worked. Happy with his progress, Tim decided to call it a night.
As Tim began to walk up the stairs, the basement door opened, and a large African American male began to descend. Tim stepped back down to the basement in order to allow the man to pass. “Hi there. My name is Tim. I’m doing some work here,” he offered.
> “Yes sir, I am aware of who you are and what your purpose is,” the man replied, sounding neither friendly nor unfriendly. “My name is Darrel Murphy. I am responsible for security.”
Tim looked at Darrel a little more closely and realized that he had a striking resemblance to one of the Dominican men who picked Tim up at the airport. Tim considered asking Darrel about this for a second, but he was afraid he would be accused of racial profiling. “Yeah, we all look alike” was the response Tim feared, so he decided to let it drop and ask Pam about it later.
“Well, nice meeting you, Darrel,” Tim said.
Darrel was opening the gun safe. “You too, Mr. Hall. I’m sure we will see each other around.”
Tim had a feeling they would.
As Tim came upstairs, he noticed that the time on the clock was 8 p.m. Pam was sitting in the library reading a book, but got to her feet when she saw Tim. “I have dinner ready, but would you like a drink first?” she offered.
“Yes, a drink would be great, dear,” Tim answered. He’d placed a little too much emphasis on the last word, but Pam ignored it and made Tim his vodka tonic.
At that point the basement door opened, and Darrel came out. “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Hall,” he said. “I will be on the grounds if you need me.”
“Thank you, Darrel. Let me know if you need anything,” Pam answered. She was always the perfect hostess, Tim thought once again. Even to the help.
“Any reason why you have this much security, Pam?” he asked.
“Oh, it’s not really that much. Darrel comes around a few times a week. I am rather isolated up here. Of course, if we have guests, we have more.”
What Pam meant by “guests” were the various types that the Agency needed to house temporarily. In other words, Pam’s home was what was also known as an Agency safe house, and Pam was known as a hostess. Occasionally, people in need would show up in the middle of the night, but that did not happen as much as it did back in the old days during the Cold War. In fact, it happened so infrequently that Tim had to wonder if he was the reason Darrel was even on duty. Perhaps Sebastian and Pam thought that he would change his mind about helping them and hightail it out of there.
“Pick up your drink and come into the dining room, Tim,” Pam ordered.
Tim got to his feet and followed Pam. The dining table was beautifully set with two candles lit. “Sit at the head of the table, dear,” Pam told him.
It was not lost on Tim that Pam’s “dear” wasn’t nearly as sarcastic as Tim’s had been earlier.
After he obeyed, Pam disappeared into the kitchen and came out again with a small roast beef surrounded by potatoes on a platter. “Why don’t you start carving, Tim?” she asked as she went back for two bowls of green vegetables and a bottle of a red wine. She filled her own and then Tim’s glass, turned on the classical radio station, and sat in a chair to the left of Tim’s.
“Mrs. Robinson, I think you’re trying to seduce me,” Tim joked, referring to a line in the film The Graduate.
“You would be so lucky,” was Pam’s response.
The meal was delicious, probably the best that Tim had enjoyed for several years. At least, for the years he’d been in Baltimore...which were becoming the elephant in the room. Tim still hadn’t asked Pam why she’d decided to desert him there.
Well, there was no time like the present. “So, tell me, Pam, why did—”
“Why did I leave you in Baltimore?” Pam interrupted.
Tim blinked. “Since you bring it up... Yes, why did you?”
“Did Sebastian tell you what happened in China?” Pam asked.
“He did, but I’m interested in your side of the story.” Tim knew that Pam would know that this was his big chance to trip her up. Tim seriously doubted that Pam would let that happen, but he thought he should give it a try anyhow.
Pam took a sip of her wine and gently dabbed her lips with her napkin. “The plan was for me to make a sexual advance on Ms. Lin, which I did, but instead of being receptive, which you said she would be—” Pam paused to collect herself. “Anyway, Ms. Lin slapped me across my face and produced a gun, which was unexpected. She aimed the gun at you and appeared to have every intention of shooting you. That’s when I pulled out my 9mm and shot her in the neck.”
“I have no memory of any of that,” Tim interjected.
“Yes, we know, Tim.” Pam now sounded discouraged.
“But why dump me in Baltimore?” Tim wanted to know.
“Because it was the safest option for you.” Pam picked up her wine glass and finished it in one gulp. “Agency management was furious, Tim. Some of the higher ups were apparently willing to disavow us and send us back to China to face prosecution for murder. However, cooler heads prevailed.”
“That usually does happen.”
Pam gave Tim her patented stare, which warned him that he was about to get it. “You know, Tim, I am not exactly happy being the fucking den mother to the idiots who come to this house for refuge,” she said, referring to her job operating the safe house. “I would probably be a Station Chief by now in a nice country like the UK or France, but instead I’m running a hotel for losers. Why do you think that is?”
Tim did not really want to know, but he knew that his wife was about to tell him anyway.
Pam didn’t disappoint him. “It’s because my husband miscalculated the situation in China some years ago,” she informed him. “But hey, guess what? He can’t remember shit.”
Pam got up and poured herself a shot of bourbon, drank it, and continued her rant. “But you know what? I am very fucking lucky I have what I have, and now I have a chance to redeem myself and maybe even redeem you in the process. That’s why I don’t need you to screw this one up.”
“Pam?” Tim answered softly after a pause. “Do we have dessert?”
Tim figured that the shot glass Pam threw at him missed by about a quarter of an inch. It didn’t break, but it did leave a dent in the dining room wall.
“Chocolate cake,” Pam said, walking back into the kitchen.
Pam cooled down dramatically after her rant. Both Tim and Pam ate cake and drank coffee with brandy after dinner while having a very enjoyable conversation. They talked about old friends, and Pam shared the latest Agency gossip. Tim was again surprised by how much he now remembered about his former work, but he was also concerned that he was becoming the man that he used to be again. Tim wasn’t sure that he liked that person. The fact that Tim had experienced a certain amount of satisfaction that afternoon when he discovered that he probably would be able to poison someone by simply giving them some tainted silverware bothered him. Why would that make someone happy?
This was what Tim was thinking about as he began to fall asleep when he heard his closet door slowly open. He watched as the figure of a woman quietly entered his room. Yes, it was Pam. Tim would have wondered if she’d entered his bedroom in order to murder him in his sleep, but he didn’t see any weapons.
Pam silently removed her nightgown and climbed into bed with Tim, putting her hand down the front of the sweatpants he was wearing. She pulled Tim’s pants off and began to kiss his belly button, then worked her way down from there.
“Oh my god, Pam,” Tim moaned as he released himself.
Pam came back up and kissed Tim passionately. “If we end up getting back together,” she whispered in his ear, “then that slut Mary Ann has to go.”
Tim placed his right hand between Pam’s legs and began to reciprocate. “This is all I need,” he thought to himself.
Chapter 17
Tim woke up alone the next day. He looked around to see if there was any evidence that Pam had been there, but there wasn’t. The only thing that had changed was that Tim was now naked. His sweatpants were on the floor, his t-shirt under the pillow. Tim did smell bacon being cooked, so he assumed that Pam was making somebody bacon and eggs.
By the time Tim was dressed and made it downstairs, Toby and Sebastian had arrived and were seated in t
he kitchen.
“Coffee, Tim?” Pam asked.
“Please,” Tim replied.
As Tim sat down, Toby got up. “Don’t leave on my account, Toby,” Tim said as the other man headed for the door.
“Oh, he has plenty to do today,” Sebastian remarked as Toby went outside. Through the window, Tim saw Toby get into the SUV and drive away. He wondered where he was going.
“Would you like some eggs and bacon, Tim?”
Pam was certainly playing the role of the dutiful wife, but Tim was not buying it, despite their love making the night before. Tim knew that Pam would do anything to get what she wanted.
“So, Tim, did you make any progress on you poison device?” Sebastian asked once he was sure that Toby had cleared the room.
Tim figured that Pam had already told him something, but now that they were together, he might as well bring them both up to speed. “I think I have a working prototype.” Tim paused and looked down, seeing the fork that he had been working on the night before placed in front of Sebastian. Tim had discussed his progress on the device with Pam after her post-dinner rant. She had apparently brought the fork up from the basement in order to try it out on Sebastian.
“So?” Sebastian wanted to know as he picked up the fork.
“And it simply needs to be tested.” Tim watched Sebastian put a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, thinking about how fat and stubby his fingers were.
Sebastian did not appear to notice the two small needle pricks, but he soon began to rub his numb fingers. Tim looked at Pam, who was smiling. “Fingers a little numb, Sebastian?” she said as Sebastian began to examine his right hand.
“Excellent,” Sebastian said as he continued to look at his hand. “Assuming that you indeed have not poisoned me, and this numbness will go away at some point.” Sebastian was now shaking his hand vigorously. Pam must have applied a lot more Xylocaine than Tim had.
The Adults in the Room Page 10