Simple Genius (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 3)

Barry looked at her blankly. “You know him?”

“I should. I won a silver medal in the Olympics with his daughter. When I tell him what happened, you’ll be fortunate to see sunlight before you’re eighty. Must be my lucky day.”

They took Barry away, kicking and screaming. The cops made some noise about charging Sandy, but Michelle ultimately dissuaded them from doing so. “Do you really want to fill out the paperwork on that one? And besides, every wife in America would be s

creaming at you for being jerks,” she added, staring pointedly at the wedding band on one of the cop’s fingers.

“The gun was unloaded,” that cop said nervously to his partner.

The other cop said, “Screw it, I don’t need the hassle. But we’re taking the weapon.”

Michelle wheeled Sandy back to her room and spent some time talking to her. When Michelle got back to her room, she heard a whimpering sound. She opened the bathroom door and Cheryl nearly fell out.

“Cheryl, I’m sorry, I forgot all about you.” Michelle led the quivering woman over to her bed and sat down with her. Then she spotted the straw on the floor, picked it up and handed it to her. To her surprise Cheryl didn’t start sucking on it. Instead she clung tightly to Michelle’s shoulders. Michelle could feel the woman’s sharp bones against her skin.

Michelle sighed, then smiled and hugged the woman back. “I hear they’re having a really good session on eating disorders tonight. What say we go together? After dinner.”

In a tremulous whisper, Cheryl said, “You don’t have an eating disorder.”

“Are you kidding? Cheryl, I ate the Salisbury steak, a double helping. And actually liked it. If that’s not a disorder, I don’t know what is.”

CHAPTER

35

THE NEXT EVENING SEAN WAS PACKING when someone knocked on his bedroom door.

“Come in.”

Champ Pollion poked his head through the door.

“Did Alicia talk to you?” Sean asked.

“About the move? Yes. I have no problem with you acting as Viggie’s guardian angel. I would just caution you not to end up dead,” he added firmly.

“Self-preservation has always been high on my list of priorities.” Sean closed his bag and set it on the floor. “You know, we never got around to talking about what it is you do here at Babbage Town.”

Champ came into the room. “I was really counting on Len to go through the details.”

“Since Len can’t do the honors, care to give me the tour? I could take a stroll to Hut Number Two with you right now.”

“So you know about Hut Number Two, do you?”

“And I’m really curious about that gadget you had, the one that will make people forget about Edison and Bell?”

“I have been known to give in to hyperbole from time to time.”

“Why don’t you let me see for myself?”

“Look, I don’t mean to be uncooperative—” Champ began.

“Then don’t be,” Sean cut in.

“There are confidences one has to keep,” Champ said loftily.

“Let me explain the situation to you, Champ. First, I’m working with Sheriff Hayes on the case and he can compel you to show me if you force me to go down that road. Second, we’ve got two dead men tied to Babbage Town. I doubt you’d like to see it go to three, especially if you happen to be the third corpse.”

“Me! You think I’m in danger?”