Madeleine & the Mind (8 page)

He pulled her to the left then froze. Muffled voices came from the other side of the hedge.

"Why did you try to kill her? Don't you think that will look suspicious?"

"She's getting in the way. If he gets his memory back before we find those plans…"

The voices moved off. Steven bounded away from her like a sprinter.

The men had been too far away for Madeleine to recognize them, but perhaps Steven did. She raced after him, but he was too fast for her. By the time she came out of the maze, no trace of Steven or the men remained. Her stomach sank. What if he'd caught them? He couldn't hope to take down two grown men.

Madeleine ran around the end of the maze and bumped into Steven. He held out his arms to steady her.

She looked up. "Did you find them? Do you know who they are?"

He shook his head.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, Steven, you understood me. Somebody wants to kill us."

She took his hand, and they walked back through the maze. When they got to the arbor, Madeleine lay down in the grass beside Steven and stared up at the sky.

"You know if I could forget everything that's happening here, this would be a perfect sunny afternoon in Spain." She reached for his hand. "With you. Look up at those puffy, white clouds. Which one is a rabbit?"

She waited for a few seconds to see if he would respond. He held up his arm and pointed at the cloud she indicated.

She laughed. "That's right. Now I see a birthday cake with one candle on the top."

That one took him a little longer, but he eventually pointed.

"Very good." She rolled over to look down at him. "Do you think if we stayed out here forever they would come looking for us?"

The rose tumbled from her hair, and he picked it up and put it behind her ear, letting his finger trail the line of her jaw.

She shivered and looked at him in surprise. "I…I think we better go back. It will be time for dinner soon."

Immediately, his eyes faded to that empty, dull look she hated.

She stood and pulled him to his feet. She didn't take his hand as they walked back. She didn't say anything.

At the elevator, she had a sudden thought. "Let's go back to the lab. We can sit there, and you can watch your buddies until Mike is finished for the day."

She didn't look at Steven to see if this plan was acceptable as she punched the button for the correct floor.

When they reached the lab, no one seemed surprised to see them. Mike let them in and took Steven to see what he'd been working on. He spouted off a lot of technical terms that held no meaning for Madeleine, so she walked to a far corner of the lab and sat down on a high stool, letting her mind drift.

What a tremendous undertaking this lab was. Whoever owned the Institute had some major money. How could she find the answers to the questions no one else would answer?

Inspector Banderas.
She still had his card. He would probably find her little problem fascinating. At her earliest convenience, she'd contact him.

Dr. Giliteau wandered over and leaned against the counter. "Well, Madeleine, have you given any thought to my proposal?"

"Uh, you mean to take me into town? Yes, I'd appreciate that."

Steven appeared at her side and stood slightly in front of her, hands on his hips and chin jutting out.

Dr. Giliteau pondered Steven's face then raised his voice as if Steven were hard of hearing. "And how is our boy wonder?" He shook his head. "What a waste."

Madeleine's ire rose. How she'd like to say something insulting. She swallowed the bile and smiled. "Perhaps you could find out when I'll have a day off…and a paycheck."

"An excellent idea. I'll let you know in the morning."

"Thank you."

Mike joined the little group, and Madeleine looked up at him. "Are we ready for dinner, Mike?"

"Yes, if you can tear yourself away from your admirer."

Madeleine frowned as a blush rose up her neck. "Whatever."

She rushed out of the lab and waited at the elevator for them. When Steven passed the library, he paused. Madeleine would have gone back, but Mike called Steven, and he joined them at the elevator.

Dinner was a stilted affair. Steven stared out the window the whole time, and Madeleine felt he was pouting. Mike gazed into space, sometimes talking to himself, and made no effort to socialize.

When Madeleine finished her tray, she stood and set it outside. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to make a call."

She walked into her room and shut the door. She pulled the rose from her hair and put it beside her bed. Then she got out the inspector's card, a little worn around the edges and a trifle faded but not bad after an unexpected swim in the pool.

She dialed the number. While she waited for someone to answer, she doodled on a sheet of paper.

Who owns the Institute? What is Dr. Giliteau's background? Could he be an Islamic terrorist? What about Dr. Hanover? For whom is Dr. Faraday designing his laser?

A gruff voice answered the phone, and Madeleine found herself attempting to converse with someone who didn't understand English.

"Inglais. Inglais," she said.

"No."

The dividing door opened, and Steven walked in and sat beside her.

She glared at him. She should have locked the door.

He reached for the paper she'd been writing on, and she slapped at his hand. "Behave."

"Inspector Banderas. May I speak with Inspector Banderas?"

"Inspector Banderas? Si. Si. Una momento, por favor."

Madeleine waited. She hoped that meant the Inspector was coming.

"Inspector Banderas here, may I help you?"

"Inspector, this is Madeleine Price. You said I could call if I had any problems."

"Ah, Senorita Price. Don't tell me you are in trouble again."

"I'm afraid so. Someone tried to kill me today."

There was silence a few moments.

"Inspector? I'm serious. I don't know what to do."

"When you say someone tried to kill you, are you saying someone tried to rob you again?"

"No, no. Not like that at all. Someone purposely tried to kill me. Look, can you come and see me? It's very difficult to explain on the phone."

"Where are you?"

"The Institute of Resources and Technology. Do you know it?"

"Si. I'll be there in an hour."

"I'll be waiting out front."

Madeleine hung up.

Steven was now holding the list of questions.

She took it from his hands. "Where's your keeper? Dr. Hanover?"

Mike stepped through the door.

"I told you I needed to use the phone. What is Dr. Faraday doing in here?"

He didn't look the least bit guilty. "Sorry. He was through the door before I knew where he was going. I figured you'd throw him out if he got on your nerves."

"I have an appointment in an hour. Could you please keep an eye on him?"

"Of course."

Madeleine looked back at Steven. He grinned at her with the innocence of a child, and she ruffled his hair. "Please go sit with Mike like a good boy."

Madeleine was waiting, without her shadow, at the entrance to the Institute when Inspector Banderas arrived. Steven had tried to follow her out of her room, but she pushed him back and told him no.

The Inspector greeted her warily. "What have you got yourself into, Senorita Price?"

"It was a good idea not to come in a police car. Let's walk through the grounds. This place has too many ears."

He followed her around the side of the building. They ambled along as if they had no specific direction in mind. When they passed the pool, Madeleine paused. Many bathers frolicked in the waters. After work hours, it was a popular place.

"This is where it happened. Look at the building. There are very few windows on this side because this is where the scientists have their lab."

He nodded, although he couldn't possibly have understood what she was getting at. Thank goodness for a man who let a woman tell a tale at her own speed.

She led him away from the pool to a secluded bench.

"You see, the attacker could be fairly confident no one would see him. If someone happened to come out to the pool, he could have said it was an accident...that he didn't realize I was drowning."

His eyes widened, but other than that, he made no response.

"I'll have to tell you everything."

She started at the beginning with Dr.Faraday's accident and ended with the conversation she'd heard at the maze.

He listened patiently. When she finished, he sighed. "May I see your leg?"

Madeleine pulled up her pants leg.

"You say no one but you and the mute heard this conversation."

"True, but Dr. Faraday isn't really a mute. Physically, he's very fit."

She handed him the list of questions. "Do you think you could investigate these?"

He read the questions on the list. "Have you considered what connection the American consulate might have with this? There was no reason for them to know about the needs of Dr. Faraday unless someone at the embassy is involved."

"That's another thing. Since I've been here, no one besides those scientists have communicated with me at all. The physician didn't show up until today, and he had very little to say. Wouldn't you think in a high security facility such as this that someone in a managerial role would be checking on me?"

He scratched his chin. "This is all very strange. Would it be possible for me to meet your Dr. Faraday?"

If they walked through like they owned the place, she didn't think anyone would stop them.

"Probably. But I've got another problem. Dr. Giliteau has offered to take me shopping for some personal items. I don't really trust him. If he was the one who tried to kill me in broad daylight at the pool…"

"It would be most unwise to accompany him on an outing…unless you were followed. I could have someone tail you."

"That's what I hoped. Do you think I should draw attention to being followed so he won't try anything, or should I let nature take its course? Leave myself out there as a target."

The Inspector's mouth twitched then he smiled. "Let me think about it. I'll let you know after I find the answer to some of these questions." He stood. "And now…Dr. Faraday."

Madeleine took the Inspector through the side door. She didn't recognize any of the people in the pool. Presumably, she had conducted her meeting without the surveillance of those plotting against her.

She unlocked her room and went to the dividing door. It was shut. She knocked, waited a few seconds then called out. "Dr. Hanover…Dr. Faraday?"

There was no answer, so she opened the door. Steven was parked at the window. He didn't look up when they entered.

"Steven. I've brought someone to meet you."

She walked across the room.

When he didn't respond, she took his chin and turned his head around. He looked worse than usual. Glazed eyes, and he was completely unresponsive to her questions.

"I'm sorry, Inspector. He has his moments, but sometimes he just completely fades out."

"And you think you can help this man, Senorita Price? He looks beyond human assistance."

"I have to try. If he can remember…Dr. Hanover said it's a surety the plans are hidden somewhere. Before the fire, Dr. Faraday told them he'd found a solution to some problem. They have to be hidden at the Institute because Dr. Faraday never left here."

"Have you searched this room?"

"No. I assumed Dr. Hanover would have done that. He said they listened to all of Dr. Faraday's dictation tapes. I'll search it tonight. I can't imagine where Dr. Hanover is. I asked him to keep an eye on Steven. He wanders off sometimes."

"I think you have your work cut out for you. And I would do my best to search every room that Dr. Faraday was known to frequent. However…be careful."

He had his hand on the door. "If you get a firm date on your outing, call me. Otherwise, I'll be in touch."

"Thank you, Inspector. Thank you for believing me. I know it all sounds crazy."

He shook his head and looked at Steven. "That man has gone through something. We will find the answer."

"Let me walk you out."

"No, I think we should not be seen together again. Stay with your ward. It might be better if you kept him with you when you search. You are probably safer together."

"Yes, sir."

With the Inspector's departure, Madeleine wandered through Steven's rooms. His bedroom was closest to hers. There was a bathroom off to the side. In the next room, his desk, a small couch, and a chair. There was a refrigerator and a microwave in the corner behind a bar.

"You've got a microwave, and I've eaten cold dinner twice."

Steven sat, staring out the window again, completely oblivious to her presence.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to search your room. I know it's probably already been done, but it won't hurt. Unless, you don't want me to?"

Madeleine looked at his back. When he didn't move, she opened every drawer and cabinet in each room. She went through all the paperwork, piece by piece. "All of this might as well be Greek to me. Why don't you help me? If you see what we're looking for, you can tell me."

To her surprise, Steven stepped to the table and sat beside her. She handed him one document at a time, but she feared it was a waste of time. His eyes didn't seem focused on the task at all.

When Steven finished reviewing the stack of papers, he disappeared into her room. Madeleine started yanking out cushions and seats from his sofa and chair. She looked behind frames on the wall and went through his medicine cabinet. She found nothing unusual.

She stood in the middle of his room, wondering where to look next when Steven bumped her in the back. She whirled around. "What is it?"

He handed her a poetry book from the library…love sonnets. It was opened to one in particular with her red rose lying in the spine.

Madeleine took the book and looked at the poem. "My love is like a red, red rose…"

She laughed. "Very clever. Sometimes, I wonder if the real Dr. Faraday might have a wicked sense of humor." She tousled the hair on his head and sat down in a chair. "Do you want me to read this? I really don't think it's your bag, but I like it."