‘Was he implying you did it with my consent?’
‘Implyin’? He was out and out accusin’. And I gave him a piece of my mind. I told him that you were a good American and the best friend I had in the world. I said that I wouldn’t use you like that. I told him that you solved my sister’s murder when he just wanted ever’body to hush up. I said, “Maybe you put those rats in there just to make Miss Clark look bad.” He didn’t like that one little bit. That little vein on his forehead was throbbin’ to beat the band.’
I knew it wasn’t wise for her to sass the lieutenant colonel but still I had to smile. No one would ever call Ruth timid.
‘Then, he started askin’ me about where I was at a bunch of different times. I remembered most of them – I was at work on night shift or I was sleepin’ or one time, I was in the administrative buildin’ fillin’ out paperwork. After that, I sat alone in that bare, boring room. After a bit, I got up and paced, then remembered the handcuffs and sat back down. Finally, a private came in and said I was free to go now. He offered to give me a ride but I told him “No thank you very much.” I felt safer walkin’ than ridin’ with any of them.’
The three of us planned on getting together again next Sunday. Ruth accepted my offer to stay overnight. Izzie, though, turned down the offer to sleep on the sofa and went back to the dorm.
Before turning out the light, Ruth said, ‘Libby, I think Crenshaw’s done with me but it sounds like he’s acomin’ after you and maybe your scientist friends, too. Y’all need to be careful.’
TWELVE
Since Ruth was on day shift this week, we walked up to Y-12 together, parting only when we came to her entrance. She gave me a hug and whispered, ‘Remember, girl, careful.’
I don’t know how she did it. Changing from one shift to another each week to be where she was needed most. I know there were a lot of girls working swing shifts like that but I doubted that I could handle it without falling asleep on the job.
Charlie approached me a couple hours into the workday. ‘Have you heard from Tom?’
‘No. Should I have?’
‘When he left for his father’s funeral, he told me he’d be back to work today or he’d let me know that he’d been delayed and I haven’t heard from him,’ Charlie said.
‘Maybe he is travelling back today.’
‘Maybe. But he wasn’t in the best shape when he left here and I’d feel better knowing he was okay. Do you have any way to contact him?’
‘I think I can get a phone number for a family member this evening.’
‘If you reach him, ask him to call me. I’d like to talk to him directly,’ he said handing me a piece of paper. ‘I gave him my home phone number before he left but in case he misplaced it, you can give it to him again.’
I walked across the room to Gregg’s station. ‘Did Tom write down an emergency contact on the list we circulated in our group?’
‘I’m pretty sure everyone did. Was he supposed to be back today?’
‘Yes. I was thinking, at the end of the day, I could go back with you to your dorm and you could run in and get it for me.’
‘No problem. I also have a bunch of change I can give you to use in the pay phone.’
‘Perfect, thanks!’
After lunch, I was in the middle of weighing new samples when Joe shouted my name. He stood at the door to the lab with sopping wet shoes and pant cuffs. ‘The bathrooms are flooded. I went in the men’s room and all the faucets were on. There’s water rushing under the ladies’ room door, could you …?’
‘Yes, on my way,’ I said as I rushed past him. The faucets were all wide open. I turned them off but still heard running water. I checked the first stall. The toilet was overflowing. The top was off the back of the tank and the rubber gasket that stopped the flow was on the floor. The rod that worked the mechanism was bent out of shape. Repair might be possible but I took the quickest route to a solution and turned off the water flow to the tank. I went down the line doing the same in all the stalls.
When I stepped out into the hall, the maintenance crew was already busy with the clean-up. Joe and I sloshed back to the lab and greeted a puzzled Charlie. ‘What in the blue blazes is going on around here?’
We explained what we found down the hall and Charlie asked, ‘Our prankster again?’
‘It looks like it,’ I said.
‘Or,’ Joe suggested, ‘someone who wants us to think that.’
‘I suspect we’ll be seeing more of Crenshaw after this,’ Charlie said.
‘Yes, you will,’ Crenshaw said as he walked up to the doorway. ‘I’d like to speak with Miss Clark, please.’ He latched on to my elbow and exerted a slight tug toward the exterior door.
‘Sure,’ Charlie said, ‘come on in. No need to go outside. You can use my office.’
‘I believe—’ Crenshaw began.
‘No problem at all,’ Charlie said, as he put a hand in the small of my back and steered me in the other direction. ‘You can close the door and have total privacy.’
Joe folded his arms across his chest. Gregg and Stephen joined him, mimicking his posture. Crenshaw looked at the three men and at the other staring faces around the room and apparently decided a low-key response was in his best interest.
‘I believe I know the way. Thank you for your accommodation.’
Crenshaw latched onto my elbow again in a painful grip as he led me to Charlie’s office. I glanced back over my shoulder to flash a grin at Charlie. He returned it with a wink.
Crenshaw sat in Charlie’s chair on the opposite side of the desk and cast a disdainful glare at the cluttered desktop. I sat on the edge of the seat closest to the door, my back straight, hands folded in my lap.
‘Relax, Clark. I’m not going to drag you out of here.’
That comment made me more agitated. ‘What do you want from me, sir?’
‘Just a little cooperation. So that you know, I have already checked out your suspicious Miss Nance, learned that she was at work today and never left her post without accompaniment. I won’t be bothering her over this matter.’
I suppose he wanted me to say ‘thank you,’ but I wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction.
‘I have concluded that a member of this lab must be responsible for these pathetic acts of sabotage. Your supervisor assured me after the false fire alarm that everyone was accounted for. I don’t think he lied to me but I suspect someone in this lab is covering for the culprit. I also strongly suspect that you know about everything and everyone in there. You might not have proof but you have a strong certainty about who is involved.’
I could deny his accusation and I’d be telling the truth but I knew he wouldn’t believe me. I said nothing.
‘You are one obstinate woman. Perhaps you confided your suspicions to someone. It could have been Miss Nance. Maybe I could convince her it would be in your best interests to divulge your secret.’
The burning in my chest almost made me explode. I knew, however, he wanted me to react in anger. He wanted me to lose control. I inhaled and exhaled with force but said not a word.
He slapped his hand down on a pile of paper on the desk, sending a few sheets flying. ‘These are stupid, juvenile, amateur pranks – very unprofessional. I cannot believe you would protect a fellow scientist who is jeopardizing the freedom of his peers and the outcome of this war. These acts might be childish but they are also treasonous. You may win the battle, Miss Clark, but you will not win this war.’ He stood, knocking the chair back into the wall and marched out of the office slamming the door behind him.
For a moment, I could not move. His wrath was as fierce as a conflagration. I prayed no one I knew was responsible for fueling his flames.
THIRTEEN
Gregg and I went together to the phone booth with Tom’s emergency contact number for his Aunt Gertrude and a pocketful of change. Someone was on a call when we arrived but there wasn’t anyone standing in line. Five minutes later, I was dialing the number.
The woman who answered confirmed that she was Tom O’Malley’s Aunt Gertrude and asked, ‘How is he? Is he hurt? Is he sick? Oh, please tell me he’s not dead, too?’ The last question sounded like a wail.
‘Ma’am, I’m not calling because I have news about Tom. I was hoping to speak to him. We work together.’
‘Why did you call me?’
I explained about the group’s list and said, ‘He left here last Tuesday to attend his father’s funeral.’
Her silence felt as heavy as a free-falling boulder.
‘Ma’am?’ I prodded.
She hiccupped a sob. ‘He did not arrive for his father’s funeral. I simply thought he couldn’t get away from work. I haven’t seen him since he left here to go to that lab. He said he was in the war effort but I don’t know where he was living. He said he couldn’t tell me.’
‘No, ma’am. None of us were allowed to tell our families.’
‘I just don’t think that’s right. How can I even report him missing when I don’t know where he was last seen?’
‘Ma’am. I will promise you this: we will look for him. If we find him, I will personally contact you immediately. If I am unable, someone else from my group will. Even if we don’t find him, one of us will contact you this coming weekend to let you know that much. I am so sorry.’
‘I’m worried,’ Aunt Gertrude said. ‘I know he and his father, my brother, had words the last time they talked. Unpleasantness like that can take a toll on one’s soul. I hope Tom hasn’t done something rash. I hope he hasn’t … oh, I can’t bring myself to say it.’
After hanging up, I asked Gregg. ‘If you were to commit suicide …?’
‘She’s worried that he took his own life?’
‘Yes, I think that’s what she meant. If you were to do that, how would you do it?’
‘It’s not something I’ve ever thought about, Libby.’
‘Think about it now.’
‘Well,’ Tom said scratching his chin. ‘I suppose it would be easy to get a rope and go out into the woods and hang myself. Or … or … better yet. I’d hike up to Dossett Tunnel, guzzle a bottle of Splo and lay down on the tracks. I can’t believe I’m even talking about this.’
‘Obviously, we are going to have to find time in daylight to search for him.’
‘It’ll have to wait until Sunday, then. Why don’t we report him as missing? Then the police and military can do that work right away.’
‘If Tom is still alive, he’d hate us for alerting the authorities about him. And, honestly, it’s been nearly a week. If he’s dead, letting the search wait a few days won’t make any difference.’
‘What if he’s just injured and waiting to be rescued?’
‘Wishful thinking, Gregg. There’s no reason for him to be in the wilderness when he was supposed to be going into Knoxville and taking a train home. Do you think we can move our group meeting to Tuesday night instead of Wednesday to talk this all out?’
‘I should be able to find most of the guys in the dorms and if I miss anyone, we can catch up with them at work tomorrow.’
‘Just make sure you find someone in Alpha lab tonight or it could get tricky. I will have to tell Charlie in the morning, too.’
‘Of course, he asked you to call. Just don’t make any commitments to him until we’ve talked to the group. Persuade him to give us enough time to get together before he takes any action.’
I walked back home at a slow trudge. I wasn’t any more active physically today but the emotional toll had sapped all my energy. When I reached my flat-top, I discovered a letter from my Aunt Dorothy. Just the sight of it forced me to think about my mother. I’d pushed her out of my mind all week and I felt guilty about doing that but sometimes I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t shove some of my worries to the back of the closet.
G.G. put on a scampering show as I entered the door. He raced around the living room, into the kitchen and back again. He didn’t wag his tail like a dog but he always made it clear he was glad to see me. I scooped him up and nuzzled his chin. He bounded out of my arms and led me to his food dish. I refilled that bowl and set a saucer of milk down beside it, wondering if his desire for food fueled more of his excitement than any affection he might have for me.
I put on the tea kettle and opened the letter.
Dear Libby,
Thank you for your promptness in letting me know the package arrived. However, I was disappointed that you had nothing to say about your mother. I expected at least some acknowledgement of the situation even if you had no desire to see her before she dies.
I will be going down to the University of Virginia for a conference in early May and hope you will consider joining me there and accompanying me and your half-brother to the jail.
With love, despite my disappointment,
Aunt Dorothy
I had expected a rebuke of some sort but still reading the words stung me deeply. I knew she was right. When cancer is concerned, time is not on anyone’s side. I needed to decide one way or the other. I needed to talk to someone. It couldn’t be Ruthie – she thinks family is first no matter what. The only person I could think of who would understand was Teddy. He made it so hard by being so bossy. He knows that irritates me but somehow, he can’t seem to help himself. If I’m honest with myself, I realize he doesn’t mean it the way I perceive it, yet it bristles me every time. What did Aunt Dorothy always say? We are responsible for our own perceptions. And we can’t change how another person acts but we can change how we react. I know she’s right but living up to that philosophy is not as easy as it sounds.
I changed into my nightgown, fixed a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich and took them with me when I curled up in bed with Dragon Seed. G.G. jumped up beside me and tried to steal some cheese. I gave him a small piece but devoured the rest. With a full stomach and a warm furry body by my side, I fell asleep with the book in my lap and a half cup of tea turning cold on the nightstand.
FOURTEEN
Tuesday morning, I packed up another shipment of crystals and called for a soldier and jeep for my escort. The ride through the sunny late morning was quite pleasant but my driver was silent. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get him to engage in the most innocuous conversation. I suspected that was the result of an order from Crenshaw.
I delivered it to the new rendezvous point right by a guard station with my imagination working overtime. I scanned the eaves of the building seeking any sign of smoke. I saw a puff in the air and nearly ran back to the jeep before a soldier smoking a cigarette came around the corner of the building. I opened the door and stood to the side of the opening, leaning against the wall for a moment before stepping inside. I saw threats everywhere. I had never been more relieved to turn over a package.
The rest of the afternoon, I couldn’t drown out the negative thoughts of something or someone interfering with the courier before he reached his destination. I was glad when the workday ended before any calamity struck. Afterwards, I rustled up dinner for me and G.G. before heading to the Walking Molecules meeting. Half the group was there when I arrived, the rest followed shortly thereafter. Except for Tom. I had been hoping against hope that he’d surprise us all, show up and eliminate one serious worry.
Teddy sat down beside me and I told him that I wanted to talk to him about a personal matter after the meeting. He studied my face until I was uncomfortable.
‘Will you?’ I repeated.
‘Is this about us?’
‘No.’
‘Well, please put that on your agenda. We really need to talk. I don’t understand the signals I’ve been getting from you lately.’
To my great relief, I saw Gregg standing to get everyone’s attention for the start of the meeting. ‘Later, Teddy,’ I said, pointing to the head of the table.
Gregg started the story about Tom and then turned it over to me to finish it up, just interrupting me once to find out if Charlie was willing to go along with our decision to wait before con
tacting the authorities.
‘Yes, he is. He was not particularly comfortable with the delay. He did, however, point out that it would be easier for him to hold Tom’s position open for his return if he didn’t tell anyone that he had disappeared.’
After I reiterated my phone call with Tom’s aunt, I fielded questions from the group. All were the same ones Gregg and Charlie had already asked but I repeated my answers just the same, with Gregg nodding in agreement as I spoke.
Gary, though, grew more agitated with every word out of my mouth. ‘Tom would not commit suicide. You can forget about that.’
‘I don’t know, Gary. Guilt and grief are a toxic combination. Who knows what any of us would do under similar circumstances,’ Dennis said.
‘I do know Tom wouldn’t commit suicide. He told me it was a sign of weakness,’ Gary insisted.
Silence filled the room until Gregg broke it with a pacifying statement. ‘Nonetheless we still need to explore the unlikely or improbable for no other reason than to eliminate them.’
‘Waste of time,’ Gary said.
‘If Tom has not shown up by Sunday, some of us will gather at Libby’s house to check out the tunnel and the woods. Any disagreement here about not informing the authorities?’
‘I agree with that,’ Joe said. ‘Crenshaw’s visit to the lab yesterday was eerie. Someone is informing him about every move we make.’
‘He came to your lab yesterday? Why?’ Dennis asked.
‘Libby, you talked to him,’ Joe said. ‘What did he want?’
‘He wanted me to point the finger of blame for the fire, the rats, the fire alarm and the flooding of the bathrooms. He is certain the prankster is someone in my lab.’
‘What did you tell him?’ Gary blurted.
Before I could answer, Joe chuckled. ‘Not what he wanted to hear. You should have seen the steam rolling out of his ears when he stomped out the door.’
Gregg cleared his throat and we all turned in his direction. ‘It’s hard to ask this question but someone has to do it. If someone in this room is playing these pranks, tell us about it. We’re all bound to keep anything said within this room. We will not turn you in. We need to know why you are doing it. You need to help us understand.’ Gregg looked from one person to another moving on when he got a negative response. ‘I have to trust each one of you. I also ask if you find out anything that points to the identity of that person, bring it to this group. Right now, Crenshaw is on Libby’s back. Sooner or later he’s bound to exert pressure on more of us – maybe on everyone in both labs. We need to find answers and we need to bring this all to an end.’
Sabotage in the Secret City Page 7