A Story Believed by Homer Kizer

Author:Homer Kizer [Kizer, Homer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781468908213
Publisher: Booktango
Published: 2012-06-26T00:00:00+00:00

8.

"Did you find Dr. Macfarland?"asks Ben Gould, Jim's detective acquaintance. The detective, at Jim's request, has stopped by, letting Missy sniff his leg before mounting the porch step.

Remembering that only two people knew he visited the lab before it burned and only one knew he would go after the scientist, Jim says, a little deceptively, "I did, but I had two flats," he shows one of the jaxs, "so I couldn't catch up to him. He's out there."

"Glad to hear that."Examining the piece of hardened steel, Ben asks, "Do you know where you picked this up?"

"I have an idea, but no, I don't know."

"I haven't seen one this small. Looks like it's for smaller tires."

"How big are the jaxs German police use?"

"Wouldn't know. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular. Just wondering."

"You expect me to believe you'd ask a question like--"

"Hang on." Jim looks for the hoe he left in the flowerbed—the bindweed seems to have grown another foot in the past thirty-six hours. But the hoe is still there, with the device still attached. "Here, look at this. A tracking device. German origin."

"Where did you get this?"

Jim points to his pickup's back bumper.

"I've seen similar trackers for sale in trade publications. They are fairly expensive, but not uncommon.… I'm just surprised you have this. Normally the rabbit never knows it's there."

"Is that what I was, a rabbit? … Well, I guess I was just lucky to find it." Statements that are less than truthful leave a dusty aftertaste. "Anything more on Wyte's suicide?"

"No. We considered it a homicide, looked at the position of the hand, of the gun, of his head, computed the angle of the bullet. Everything checks out. It looks like a legitimate suicide."

"I was out to the fire this morning. Nothing's left. It's all been sanitized."

"What did you want to tell me?"

"There's a lab in town or nearby that's doing germ warfare research. I can't prove it." Pointing to the device, Jim continues, "But somebody wants to keep tabs on me just in case I find it."

"You, Deputy, want to complicate my life. … You might well be onto something. If you, this morning, can get a hold of INEL's personnel rooster, you will find Dr. Macfarland listed as working in that 500 West site. A copy of their personnel list was faxed to our office this morning, a copy we didn't request."

Jim cocks his head as Missy does when he talks to her.

"How many names are on that list?"

"I don't know. Twelve researchers. Others."

"Who sent the fax? Surely there's a machine number."

"It came from the Site."

"It doesn't have Macfarland in Alabama?"

"It has him drawing pay here for all of this week."

"That can't be right."

"A person wouldn't think so, but it's impossible to list him as missing when he's at work."

"And he's working at the lab, out 5th?"

"Yup."

"There's computer tampering going on at the Site, maybe." Then remembering what Macfarland said about downloaded files, Jim adds, "Throughout their whole system more like it."

"What do you know about computers?"

"How to turn one on … not much.

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