“He is. But not that much.”
“Thank you for a great time last night,” George said.
“You are the cool dancer.” Ellen smiled. “It was nice. Topped off with Andrea and Margaret being arrested.”
“Have you spoken to Andrea?” George asked.
“Briefly,” she replied. “She’s not angry about it. She’s Ok. She even said she tried to talk to Margaret. Says Margaret is ….” Ellen winked. “Jealous of everyone.”
“Really?” George whistled. “That surprises me. She doesn’t act it. There’s nothing more that I want than to make amends with her. I want things good before I head back.”
“I can understand that. You still love her.”
“Very much,” George said. “We had a lifetime together. That has to mean something. She has to feel something besides contempt.”
“She does.”
“I just don’t know what to do.”
“If I can help, let me know.”
George nodded.
“So, did you speak to her at all?” Ellen asked.
“I went to the jail, as Hal suggested. Even put on that I was the one who bailed her out.”
“She didn’t buy it.”
George shook his head. “Nope. Stormed right by me, even hit me in the gut.”
“That’s love.”
“Third grade love.”
Ellen snickered, then her smile dropped. “Speaking of love.”
George looked up mid bite. Margaret was at the Joe Board.
Ellen whispered. “She’s watching you.”
George leaned into Ellen. “I know.”
Ellen laughed.
Margaret folded her arms, tapped her foot, looked over her shoulder, and then walked to them.
Ellen nudged George. “Here she comes.”
Margaret stood before them. Seemingly holding a stance of authority a she blocked out the sun, becoming a partial shadow.
“Margaret,” George said. “You look lovely.”
“Fuck off George.”
Ellen giggled.
“And you.” Margaret pointed.
“Me?” Ellen asked. “What?”
“Oh, don’t give me the sweet and innocent thing. I know your reputation. I found out. And I thought we were friends. Ha! All of it an act for the day you could pay me back about Dean. Thank you, Ellen, thank you very much.” With that said, Margaret spun and stormed off.
Ellen was puzzled. After a pondering moment, she shrugged and bit her sandwich. “That was weird.”
“I can’t believe it,” George murmured.
“Excuse me?”
He turned to face her. “You said if there was anything you could do to help me get her back, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“Ellen, there is. There is something you can do. If you don’t want to help me, you don’t have to. But it may just work.”
“I don’t know what I can do now. She’s not liking me much at this moment.”
“Exactly.”
“Huh?”
George smiled. “She think you’re trying to get me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Margaret is jealous all right, of you. Of you and me.”
“I’m sorry, George. I know that doesn’t help.”
“Quite the contrary, Ellen. I know Margaret. I know here well.” George grinned. “And now I have a plan.”
<><><><>
“Did you get everything you needed?” Frank asked Hal as he and Elliott entered his office.
“The list was long,” Hal stated. ‘But I know there is going to be hell to pay.” He took a seat.
“Over what?” Frank asked.
“Over the fact that the last pair of size nine Ben-Tastic shoes are gone.”
“Ask Henry.”
“Ask Henry?”
Frank nodded. “He was wearing them. Long story.”
The door opened and Robbie along with John Matoose walked in.
“Gentlemen.” Frank held out his hand. “Have a seat. Please. I won’t keep you long.”
John closed the door and was the last to join the table.
Frank stood, walking around the table as he spoke. “Now us five are the only ones who know there is a clone in Beginnings. A clone of Dean.”
“What about Danny?” Elliott asked. “I thought he knew.”
Frank shook his head. “No, he has no idea. And I want it to be kept that way. Just us five. We’re gonna draw him out. And I think tomorrow is as good a day as any.”
John asked. “Once we draw him out, then what?”
“We know he was there at the time of the explosion,” Frank said. “We also know his fingerprints weren’t anywhere on the device. An unidentified set of prints. I think drawing out the clone is the best bet. Get on his good side; get to know what he knows. Because he is well aware of the circumstances of my father’s death.”
“So do we treat him like the clone?” John asked.
“Nope.” Frank shook his head. “Treat him like Dean. Make him think we think he’s Dean. He’ll eventually slip up. And we’ll be able to get some answers regarding my father’s death, who was responsible and why.”
Elliott stated, “It’s obvious why.”
Everyone looked at him.
Elliott continued. “It wasn’t against Joe. It had something to do with the future. Joe couldn’t be in that future. The reason is obvious. Dean lived. Dean was supposed to die in that warehouse. What did Dean do? He cured Joe. Had Dean died, not only wouldn’t we have the clone, but Joe would have passed away from his illness. So … therefore, Joe was not supposed to be in the future. Just my theory.”
“That …” Robbie said. “Is a really good theory. It is.”
Elliott shrugged. “There’s no other reason to kill Joe. Unless our killer ends up having something against him.”
“Which …” Frank said. “Can be answered by the clone. The only way to draw the clone out is to get rid of Dean. Obviously, the clone watches Dean. So when he realizes Dean is gone, the second he makes an appearance, we nab him as Dean.”
“You think he’s tracking him?” Hal asked.
“He’s found a way, yeah. I think,” Frank said. “That’s the only way to avoid the run ins. He’s tracking Dean like we track him. Hal did you secure that?”
Hal nodded. “The house is located six miles north of Bowman. Very secure. Over the next several days, we may have to take Dean the times he needs. But we’ll be the only ones who know he’s there. But how are you going to get Dean to agree to go.”
“Aside from telling him the truth. He wants the time. We have a problem in the Killer Toddler region. Actually two problems. He wants to work on them full time, but told me he doesn’t know how he’s going to get the time. This will give it to him.”
“Problems?” Robbie asked. “What problems?”
“One.” Frank sighed and sat down. “A nest. Not to alarm anyone, and I told Dean I wouldn’t say anything, but it’s possible it’s alien.”
Hal tilted his head. “Alien as in unknown.”
“Yes,” Frank said.
“Oh.” Hal exhaled. “I thought you were saying it was alien as in outer space.”
“Yes.”
Hal looked up quickly and spoke almost nonbelieving. “We have aliens in Beginnings.”
“We don’t know. It looks like an alien nest.”
“Frank please.” Hal chuckled. “Aliens as in outer space. Please.”
“Hal, I’m telling you. Dean said.”
“Dean bites,” Hal snapped. “They can’t be aliens Frank.”
“Well, they could be like Predator. Not sure. We’ll see.”
“They can’t be aliens, Frank.”
“How do you know?”
“Because they just can’t be.”
“Did you put the nest there?” Frank asked.
“No.”
“Then you don’t know for sure.”
“You’re retarded.”
Hal waved out his hand.
Robbie snickered. “Ok, so, we have aliens in Beginnings. Possibly.”
“We have a nest,” Frank said. “Yes.”
“What’s the other problem?” Robbie asked.
Hal answered. “Barney the dinosaur is running around up there?”
“No,” Frank said. “The Killer Toddlers are reproducing.”
“Good God.” Hal put his hand to his eyes.
“No. We know for a fact. That sperm you found Robbie, it was some sort of amniotic fluid,” Frank said. “We got video. And... We have the offspring.”
Hal looked up. “You’re serious.”
“Caught one. But they aren’t babies. They’re Fetuses. Killer Fetuses.”
Hal blinked. “We have Killer Fetuses in Beginnings now, as well.”
“Is this fucked up or what?” Frank asked. “Killer Babies, Killer Toddlers, aliens, an impending war, and now Killer Fetuses.”
“Fetuses?” Hal asked in disbelief.
“Yeah, you have to stop and see one. About four inches. Kind of cute. Look what they did to my boot.” Frank ejected his leg on the table. “Tore through.” He put his leg down. “Dean said they aren’t fully developed, still have a tail and shit. Fetuses.”
“Wait. Wait.” Hal held up his hand. “Robbie finds embryonic fluid of sorts.”
“Me, too.” Frank said.
Hal nodded. “He finds this. You find this. You find a nest. You also find a …” he cleared his throat. “Killer Baby offspring.”
“Fetus.”
Hal winced. “Killer Fetus. And you don’t see the correlation between the nest and the fetus?”
Frank looked at Hal. “Are you saying the Killer Fetuses are aliens?”
“No, Frank I’m …”
“Fuck what if they’re inbred.”
Robbie corrected. “Hybrid.”
“Fuck.”
“Stop!” Hal shouted and stood. “I am not saying that the Killer … Fetuses are part alien. I am saying that the nest belongs to the offspring and the nest is not alien. Good God!” Hal exhaled. “I’m leaving. I have the house to finish for Dean. Tell him. Let me know when he’s coming. I have to find pink shoes, excuse me.” He walked to the door. “Sgt. Ryder.”
Elliott stood and followed.
Frank said. “Hope you find your pink shoes, Hal. I’m sure you’ll look great.”
With a smug look, ignoring the Robbie and Frank snickers, Hal flipped him off and walked out with Elliott.
He sighed as he placed on his bandana. “Killer Fetuses and aliens.”
“Captain, you wanted your brother back.”
“Yes, Elliott I did.” Hal huffed and walked to the jeep. “But not at the risk of a stroke. And never remind me again that I wanted that.”
“Yes, Captain.”
With a shake of his head, and disgusted murmur of ‘Fetuses’, Hal got in the jeep with Elliott and took off.
<><><><>
Admittedly, Danny ignored the calls. There were several. The first came early, stating that she needed to speak to him.
Danny didn’t mind his job taking concerns and acting as Chief of Staff, but he was pretty clear about the rules. He’d take email complaints and questions during a certain time of day and then he’d take walk ins.
Take them.
Not make house calls.
But Trish insisted her job was far too important to leave and Danny would have to come to her.
Matter of importance she labeled it.
Urgent.
He went about his business, taking care of things, and then finally as afternoon settled, he went and saw Trish in History.
Ding-ding, the bell rang.
Trish looked up from her desk. “It’s about time. I’ve been calling you all day.”
“I know, but I’ve been busy,” Danny said.
“And I haven’t?” Trish held out her hands. “It can be a madhouse around here.”
Danny looked around at the empty office. “I see that.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Yes.”
“You could have taken my complaint over the phone instead of telling me you’d get back to me.”
“Trish, you’re a great gal,” Danny said. “But I’m really busy. What is it?”
“Fine.” Trish huffed out. “I have a complaint.”
“Obviously.”
“Look. You need to handle this.”
“I’ll try. Just tell me what it is.”
“He is abusing the system. I know he used to be the leader.”
“OK.” Danny nodded.
“And I respect that he used to be the leader. But since he’s not the leader anymore, doesn’t that mean that Frank has say so.”
“Yes.” Danny nodded. “What the problem.”
“He’s coming in here, looking at history and he doesn’t have an appointment. He’s coming in when he wants, and looking. I can’t determine whether he added things. But I don’t know.”
“That’s weird. Do you know what he’s looking at?”
“Events around the time of the explosion.”
“Wow. OK.” Danny rubbed his chin. “When is he coming in here?”
“When no one is here. Last night after we closed.”
Danny whistled. “Really.”
“Really.”
“OK, I don’t know why, but I’ll speak to Frank and he and I will speak to George. Thanks.” Danny turned.
“Why are you talking to George?”
“Because he was coming in here.”
“When?”
“You said last night.”
“No.” Trish shook her head. “I didn’t say George came in here last night.”
“You said he used to be leader,” Danny said.
“Yes, he did. But that’s not who I’m talking about.”
Danny tossed out his hands. “Then who?”
“Joe.”
Danny paused. He nodded. “Joe?”
“Yes.”
“Joe’s been coming in here without an appointment and viewing history?”
“Yes. Why do you think I’m so mad? Since he’s not the leader anymore, he should have an appointment. Ghost or not.”
“I agree.” Danny pacified. “And you saw him?”
“No. of course not silly, he’s a ghost.”
“OK, but you know he’s been in here?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Because I check the password logins. Joe’s password has been used.”
“And?” Danny asked.
“Joe was the only one who had that password.”
“And you’re sure it’s Joe using that password. He couldn’t have given it to anyone else.”
Trish shook her head. “Joe never shared his passwords at all. It’s an executive password Actually, Frank has his own.”
“Trish, Joe isn’t coming in here. Joe died.”
“OK, his ghost.”
Danny shook his head. “There’s got to be another explanation. He gave that password to someone, that’s all.”
“Maybe. But I changed it about an hour before he died and called him with it.”
“That’s weird. OK. This is something I’ll look into.”
“Thank you.”
Danny started to leave.
“Oh, and Danny. I don’t care if he’s coming in here; he just needs to make an appointment.”
“Gotcha.” Danny turned from Trish, widened his eyes, and walked out. Although it was ridiculous, that Joe’s ghost was visiting history. She did bring up something to look into. Someone was sneaking into History. Why?
<><><><>
It took Robbie about an hour to load up a jeep and take the stuff out to the mobile located next to the quantum lab.
It was dusty and smelled stale when Robbie went in, and before he unpacked a single box, he cleaned up.
He set up the fingerprint computer, loaded Darrell’s interview into the hard drive as a ba
ckup.
He was ready to go.
Now he just needed answers.
All day long it weighed heavily on his mind. Even when he tried not to think about it.
The truth was, the fingerprints on the bomb matched his fathers’.
Robbie racked his brain. Had Joe made an explosive for something else and the killer knew it. That was a possibility, actually a big possibility. Joe made the bomb at another time, and the killer used it against him.
That was the only explanation that made sense to Robbie.
He caught his reflection in the glass of the back lab.
He looked tired and worn.
Maybe the burden was just weighing too heavily on him. Maybe it was too much for him to handle. But Robbie wanted to solve it. He wanted to be the brother who brought an end to the questions concerning his father’s death.
Easily he could speak to Frank, Hal, or Jimmy, but Robbie didn’t. He wanted to present them with hardcore truth.
However, it was increasingly becoming evident that he would have to seek help.
Two minds were better than one.
But who.
Readying to close up shop, and put the investigation on hold until the next day, Robbie turned to leave when he heard it.
It sounded like something had dropped in the trailer next door. The one attached to the lab.
The connecting doorway oddly had been dismantled, so Robbie walked around.
It struck him as strange that the front door was unlocked; it was even stranger to him that the light was on in the living room of the trailer.
“Hello.” Robbie called out.
No answer.
He looked around, checked, nothing. Or at least no people.
He did find the bed slightly unmade, a hideous leather jacket on the bed, and the room had a fresh smell.
He heard something. He knew it. But… it was clear that someone had been in the trailer. When?
He stopped in the middle of the living room.
How did he miss it on his first pass through?
The small dining table in the living room had dishes on it. Crumbs graced the plate, and what looked like jam. Robbie ran his hand across the jam.
He balked.
Fresh?
Fresh jam in a trailer that was supposed to be empty?
The very first thought that came to Robbie’s mind was the clone. Clothes. A jacket, a bed unmade. Food? They didn’t know where the clone was; perhaps he discovered the clone’s hideout.
Consigning Fate: Beginnings Series Book 23 Page 17