Simple Genius (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 3)

“But Monk appointed me guardian.”

“That doesn’t matter when a parent is invo

lved.”

“I’m not going to worry about that until it happens.”

“18,313 and 22,307.”

They turned to look at Viggie, who was now staring at them.

“Those are the prime factors of 408,508,091,” the girl explained. “Aren’t they?”

Alicia nodded. “That’s right. If you multiply 18,313 and 22,307 you get 408,508,091.”

Viggie clapped her hands together and giggled.

“But I just gave you that number barely an hour ago. How did you come up with them so fast?” Alicia asked.

“I saw them, in my head.”

Alicia said eagerly, “Were they lined up? Were you doing math in your head again?”

“No. It just popped into my mind. I didn’t have to do math.”

“At least not any math of which mere mortals are aware,” Alicia said thoughtfully. “Viggie, I think Mr. Sean wanted to ask you something.” Viggie looked at him expectantly.

“Well, I just wanted you to know that I’ll be coming to see you. Would that be okay?”

Viggie looked at Alicia, who nodded.

“I guess so,” Viggie said. “But I should really check with Monk.”

“You call your dad by his first name?”

“He calls me by my first name. Isn’t that what people do?”

“I guess it is. I haven’t met your dad, but he sounds like a really cool guy.”

“He is. He played in a rock band in college.” Viggie looked out the window again and Sean was afraid she was about to lapse into one of her “funks,” but she merely said, “I wish he’d come home soon. There are lots of things I have to tell him.”

“Like what?” Sean asked, perhaps a little too quickly.

Viggie immediately rose and started playing the piano again, louder and louder.

When she momentarily stopped, Sean said, “Viggie, when was the last time you saw your dad?” This query only caused her to play even more fiercely.

“Viggie!” Sean said, but Alicia was already pulling him toward the front door as Viggie smashed her fists down on the keyboard and raced out of the room. A few seconds later they heard a door slam. An instant later the woman Sean had seen sleeping on the couch the night before entered the room.

Alicia said, “I’ll be back in a few minutes to check on her, Mrs. Graham.” Alicia led Sean from the house.

“Okay, I see your problem with Viggie,” he said, scratching his head.

“I think she knows, deep down, that there’s something wrong with her father. Anytime anyone starts nibbling around that subject she just shuts down.”

He caught sight of Viggie staring at them from her bedroom window and then, like a thought he’d lost in his head, she was gone.

Sean turned to Alicia. “Those numbers she told you. Couldn’t she have figured it out on a calculator?”