Simple Genius skamm-3

by David Baldacci

“There’s harm in everything.” Even so, she reached in her purse, pulled out a pen and piece of paper and wrote a number down and handed it to him.

  “You can leave a message there; if I don’t call back, well, I’m sorry. Thank you for saving me from another night in that bar. Goodbye.” She touched his arm, then walked off down the street, leaving Sean feeling very troubled. Valerie Messaline was probably what she seemed to be: a lonely woman treading water until something happened. His only viable lead to Camp Peary had just disappeared. Now where should he start looking?

  The answer came to him almost as quickly as the question had. The only thing was, would he have the courage, or more accurately, the level of insanity needed to pull it off?

  Chapter 55

  Michelle decided to combine her Viggie duty with a bold tactical move. There was still daylight left so she took the girl down to the boathouse after getting permission from Alicia. There she outfitted Viggie with a proper life jacket after ascertaining that the girl was only a fair swimmer. They pulled a kayak out and were soon on the water with Viggie in front with a paddle and Michelle guiding the craft from the rear while she instructed Viggie on the proper paddling motion.

  She quickly mastered the correct motion and soon her cuts were smooth and efficient through the water. Viggie was certainly stronger than she looked, Michelle decided.

  “This is fun,” Viggie said as the wind whipped through her hair.

  “I love it,” Michelle said. It only took her two cuts in the water with her paddle before she was once more in the groove. When you’ve paddled, collectively, hundreds of thousands of miles in the water, the muscle memory is ingrained.

  They quickly came, as Michelle had planned, to the area of the York across from Camp Peary. She stopped paddling and told Viggie to do the same. As they drifted in the current Michelle leaned back, and unobtrusively took in the shrouded-in-secrecy CIA installation. The perimeter fence gleamed back at her. There wasn’t a guard in sight, yet Michelle’s sixth sense told her that eyes were watching.

  “That’s Camp Peary,” Viggie said suddenly. “That’s where Monk died.”

  “You know about Camp Peary?” Viggie nodded. “Did Monk ever talk to you about it?” Viggie gave another nod. “What’d he say?”

  “Stuff.”

  “Codes and blood?”

  Viggie turned to stare at her. “You’ve been talking to that other man.”

  “Horatio Barnes, yes. He’s a friend.” Michelle had to bite her lip on that last comment.

  “I don’t like him.”

  “Well, he strikes some people the wrong way. So codes and blood? That sounds really interesting.”

  One good thing about being on a kayak in the middle of the river, Viggie couldn’t just get up and leave, which was one reason Michelle had brought the girl here.

  “Monk liked codes. He taught me about them. He was related to a very famous scientist.”

  “And you’re related to him too of course.”

  Viggie nodded with a proud look on her face. “Alan Turing was a homosexual. And people back then didn’t like that, so he ate a poisoned apple and died.”

  Michelle was at a loss for words with this change in direction of the conversation. Monk really had treated her like an adult. “That is very sad,” she finally said.

  “I hope I never have to eat a poisoned apple when people are mad at me.”

  “I’m sure you never will, Viggie,” Michelle said firmly. “Taking your own life is never the right answer.” Michelle felt a stab of guilt as she said this.

  “It’s like the wicked old queen in Snow White. She turned herself into a hag, got in an old boat and floated down the river to the cottage in the woods. Then she tricked Snow White into eating a poisoned apple. She didn’t die, but she went to sleep. It took a prince kissing her to wake her up. Yuck!”

  “Counting on handsome princes to make your life better is not very smart. Right?”

  “Right, but it also shows that whoever has the apple is pretty powerful.”

  Michelle decided to change the subject. “Viggie, have you ever heard of a secret room at the mansion?”

  Viggie turned around. “A secret room?”

  “Yes. We were at another old house around here and we found some kids inside a secret room there. One of the kids said lots of the old places down here had secret rooms.”

  “I’ve never heard of one at Babbage Town,” Viggie said.

  “Okay.” Michelle waited a moment and said, “Speaking of secret stuff could you teach me some codes?”

  “There are lots of different kinds. You can make them up too.”

  “Did you and Monk make codes up?”

  “Oh sure. Lots of times.”

  “I guess he wanted to keep things secret from other people. Do you know which people he wanted to keep secrets from?”

  “Everybody,” Viggie said. Then she turned and gave Michelle a sly grin. “Including you.”

  Michelle suddenly realized that Viggie knew exactly what she was trying to do and was having fun at her expense. Michelle decided to take a more direct tack. It carried risks but they didn’t have many options right now.

  “Viggie, we’re trying to find out who took Monk away from you, do you understand that? That’s the only reason we’re here.”

  Michelle watched as Viggie’s shoulders slumped. Not sure how to interpret that body cue Michelle plunged on. “If he was afraid of someone or kept secrets from people, it would really help us to know who. All we’re trying to do is help.”

  “People who say they want to help, they have other reasons why.”

  “Not us, Viggie, believe me.”

  Viggie wheeled around and stared at her. “Are you being paid to help?”

  The question caught Michelle off-guard, but she sensed lying to the girl would not be a good thing. “It’s my job to help people. It’s how I make my living.”

  “So you do get paid. That’s why you’re spending time with me. You wouldn’t want to be around me except for that. I bet you’d just want to hang out with your real friends.”

  “Viggie, I don’t have many real friends. In fact, other than Sean, I can’t say I have any.”

  “I bet that’s not true.”

  “Why, do you think everyone has lots of friends except you? And there are other children at Babbage Town, at the school.”

  “None of them like me. Everybody thinks I’m weird.”

  “Everyone is odd in a way. If you ever took a ride in my truck, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a trash pit that I can’t seem to get rid of no matter how hard I try.”

  Viggie stared at her. “That’s why they brought that Mr. Barnes down. Because I’m weird.”

  Michelle swallowed with great difficulty. “Actually, Mr. Barnes is also helping me. To get over some problems I have… from when I was a little girl.”

  “He is?” Michelle nodded. “You promise? You aren’t just saying it.”

  “I promise. Poor guy, I kept getting up and walking out on him when he was asking me questions, trying to make me better.”

  In a hushed voice Viggie said, “I did that too. Why did you walk out?”

  Michelle hesitated. It wasn’t because she didn’t know the answer to the question. It was just hard to say it. “Because I was afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?” Viggie said breathlessly as she stared at Michelle.

  “Afraid he was getting too close to the truth and I couldn’t handle it.”

  Viggie picked up her paddle. She said in a very small voice, “Me too.”

  “See, I don’t really remember what happened to me. That’s why he wants to hypnotize me, to help me remember.”

  “Are you going to let him?”

  “I don’t know, what do you think?”

  “You want my opinion?”

  “Sure. You’re really smart. So should I or shouldn’t I? I mean I guess I could just keep on going and never find out what it is. Sometimes the tr
uth is not so great.”

  “I think you should let him do it,” Viggie said decisively.

  “Really? Why?”

  “It’s always better to know, isn’t it?”

  Michelle didn’t answer right away. “I think you’re right. It is better to know.”

  “Can we go back now?” Viggie asked, sliding her paddle into the water.

  “Sure. I hope this was fun for you.”

  Viggie nodded but didn’t say anything. As they turned around and paddled away a man limped out of the woods on the Camp Peary side. Ian Whitfield lowered his binoculars but his gaze stayed on the small two-person craft. He’d been alerted to their presence by one of his men. He pulled a phone from his belt holder and punched in a number. His features were grim as he spoke. A few minutes later his aide, Six-Pack, joined him.

  Whitfield said, “Ex-Secret Service? Both her and Sean King?”

  “That’s right. Michelle Maxwell, down to investigate Turing and Rivest on behalf of the Babbage Town folks.”

  Whitfield said, “Turing’s daughter was in the kayak.”

  “What do you want to do about it, sir?”

  Whitfield didn’t answer the question. He just stood there staring through the chain link fence out at the water. Finally he turned to Six-Pack. “Sometimes it’s a thankless damn job, son.” Whitfield turned and limped into the forest.

  Back at the boathouse Michelle and Viggie put the kayak and gear away. As they walked back to Babbage Town Viggie placed her hand in Michelle’s and squeezed. “I hope Mr. Barnes can help you remember stuff,” she said.

  “Thanks, Viggie. I appreciate your helping me decide.”

  When they got back to the cottage Viggie ran to her piano and started playing. When she finished performing the song she looked up at Michelle. “I like you, Michelle.”

  “I like you too, Viggie.”

  Viggie jumped up from the piano and raced up the stairs. At the top of the landing she paused and turned. “Codes and blood,” she screamed and then ran down the hall to her room, leaving a stunned Michelle downstairs.

  Chapter 56

  Sean had arranged for a rental car in Williamsburg and drove back to Babbage Town after dinner with Valerie. He crossed the bridge over the York and was passing Gloucester Point when the car that had been following him all evening caught up and forced him off the road. Before Sean could get out a man was at the driver’s window.

  “Get out of the car,” he screamed at Sean, waving his ID.

  FBI Special Agent Mike Ventris wasn’t exactly exuding the warm fuzzies.

  “Can I ask what this is in reference to?” Sean said politely.

  “Shut the hell up and get in my car! Now!”

  Sean followed him back to his federal-issued cruiser. He climbed in the passenger side while Ventris ducked in the driver’s seat. When the doors slammed shut Ventris turned to him and snapped, “What do you think you’re doing, you idiot?”

  Sean said calmly, “I was driving back to Babbage Town when you ran me off the road. Is it time for your wheels refresher course at the Bureau or do you just do that for kicks?”

  “Knock off the wise-ass crap. First, you went to see Ian Whitfield.”

  “Actually he summoned me and Sheriff Hayes.”

  “And after that you met his wife at a bar.”

  “No, we just ran into each other.”

  “And you just had dinner with her.”

  “Not a crime, at least that I’m aware of.”

  “What exactly is your relationship with Valerie Messaline?”

  “We were drawn together by a common love of a good Mojito.”

  Ventris shoved a finger against Sean’s chest. “I am this far from arresting your ass.”

  “Can I ask the charge?”

  “I can lock you up for forty-eight hours no questions asked. In the meantime I can probably find something that’ll stick.”

  “I’m down here working, just like you. Trying to find out who killed Monk Turing and Len Rivest. Remember the little competition I mentioned?”

  “And I told you to stay out of my way.”

  “I wasn’t aware that Valerie Messaline constituted being in your way.”

  “She has no involvement in this case and neither does Ian Whitfield. The man has more important things to worry about than a dipshit PI poking around where he shouldn’t.”

  Sean looked at him in disbelief. “Since when is the Bureau the CIA’s lapdog?”

  “I’m telling you for your own good to back off. There are far more important issues here than a couple of murders.”

  “Care to share?”

  “Get out of my car. And if we have to meet again, you really won’t like it.”

  Sean climbed out of the vehicle and then tapped on the window. “By the way, any news on the ‘gas leak’ at the morgue?”

  Ventris almost ran over Sean’s foot as the car roared off.

  Despite the smart-ass attitude he’d taken with Ventris, Sean wasn’t smiling as he trudged back to his car. He was getting in deeper by the second and so far nothing made any sense at all. As he drove back to Babbage Town Sean knew what he had to do next.

  “You can’t be serious, Sean,” Horatio said. The three of them were standing next to Michelle’s truck and Horatio’s Harley, which were parked along a dirt road about a mile from Babbage Town.

  “Monk Turing went over the fence at Camp Peary and look what happened to him,” Horatio continued.

  “Trust me, I don’t want to go over that fence, but I’m running out of options,” Sean replied evenly.

  Michelle leaned back against her truck and studied her partner. “When do you propose we do it?”

  Horatio gaped at her. “You’re planning on going with this nutcase?”

  Sean looked at Michelle. “I go alone.”

  “Don’t even bother. You go, I go.”

  “If we get caught we are up shit’s creek,” he told her. “I mean really up.”

  “You’re never boring; I have to give you that,” she replied.

  “Will you two listen to what you’re saying,” Horatio pleaded. “This is the CIA for God’s sake. You could be executed for treason.”

  “We’ll go on Saturday,” Sean said in answer to Michelle’s previous question. “If we don’t get a break in the case by then.”

  She said, “The next scheduled flight?” He nodded.

  “I don’t know if you noticed on the map in South Freeman’s office, but the—”

  She finished for him, “The runway is on the other side of the line of trees where they found Monk’s body. So we’re doing a recon on the flight?”

  “At the very least it’ll be interesting to see who or what gets off the damn plane.”

  “Okay, you are really freaking me out here, Sean,” Horatio said. He added, “You know I can’t let you two do this.”

  Sean turned on him. “If you don’t want us to go over the fence then you come up with a way for us to get to the truth. You’re big on the truth, aren’t you? You’ve been working with Viggie and Michelle trying to do that, right?”

  “That’s different.”

  “It’s not different to me. Three men have been killed. Every instinct I have tells me Camp Peary is at the center of it. Someone from there tried to kill me. I can’t walk away from that.”

  “Then take it to the authorities.”

  “Sheriff Hayes would have a coronary if he knew what we were planning. Ventris would just shoot me and pretend his gun went off accidentally. I filled Hayes in on my dinner with Valerie and my little encounter with Ventris, but that’s it. I let you in on this because I trust you. And I’d never do anything to screw you.”

  “What’re you talking about?” Horatio asked nervously.

  “If we get caught the cops will try to round up whoever they think’s involved with us. That means you. So here’s your chance to go home, right now. Michelle and I will swear you knew nothing about it.”

  Horatio leaned a
gainst the truck. “Well, I have to say, most felons I’ve worked with aren’t nearly as considerate.”

  “And if we get through this and get back home, you can still see Michelle.” Sean looked at his partner. “If she wants to,” he hastily added.

  Michelle remained quiet.

  “And if I choose to stay?” Horatio asked.

  “There’s no problem if we don’t get caught. If we do, the cops might start nosing around if you’re still around. I can’t guarantee you won’t become a target.”

  “If you do get caught I can help build a great insanity defense for you both.”

  Sean smiled. “It’s nice to have options.”

  Horatio said, “But you’re risking your life, Sean.”

  “So? I’ve spent most of my adult life doing that.”

  Michelle added, “After a while, it sort of becomes instinctual, you know?”

  Horatio watched as the two exchanged a very knowing look that only came between two people who’d put life and limb on the line on a regular basis. “Viggie knows something. Codes and blood. If we can just find out what it means, it might crack everything wide open without you two going over that damn fence.”

  “Any good investigator follows up multiple leads because most don’t pan out. It’s a simple numbers game. But right now my focus is on the plot of land across the river.”

  “In the meantime,” Michelle said, “I can take a run at Champ.”

  Sean said, “And I can talk to Alicia too.”

  “What’s the weather forecast for Saturday night?” Michelle asked.

  “Cool and overcast.”

  “We have time to prep at least. We’ll need some things.”

  “I’ve already called in for them.”

  “So Joan didn’t ask questions?”

  “I didn’t use Joan, because I don’t trust her, at least not with this.”

  “I don’t want to hear any more of this,” Horatio said, pretending to cover his ears. “I’m already an accessory before the fact as it is.”

  “Not to worry. Like I said, if we’re caught we won’t rat you out.” He grinned. “Unless we can cut a better deal by selling your ass down the river.”

  “What I did to deserve friends like you I don’t know.”