Mutation

Victor got right to the point. “VJ, did you use the computer upstairs tonight?”

“Yeah,” VJ said.

Marsha watched as VJ glared at Victor insolently. She saw Victor hesitate, then avert his eyes, probably to maintain his train of thought. For a moment there was a pause. Then Victor continued: “Did you use the PC to log on to the Chimera mainframe computer?”

“Yes,” VJ said without a moment’s hesitation.

“Why?” Victor asked. His voice had changed from accusatory to confused. Marsha remembered her own confusion when VJ had so quickly confessed to his truancy.

“The extra storage makes some of the computer games more challenging,” VJ said.

Marsha saw Victor roll his eyes. “You mean you are using all that computer power of our giant unit to play Pac-Man and games like that?”

“It’s the same as me doing it at the lab,” VJ said.

“I suppose,” Victor said uncertainly. “Who taught you to use the modem?”

“You did,” VJ said.

“I don’t remember . . .” Victor began, but then he did.

“But that was over seven years ago!”

“Maybe,” VJ said. “But the method hasn’t changed.”

“Do you access the Chimera computer every Friday night?”

Victor asked.

“Usually,” VJ answered. “I play a few games, then I range around in the files, mostly Personnel and Purchasing, sometimes the research files, but those are harder to crack.”

“But why?” asked Victor.

“I just want to learn as much as I can about the company,”

VJ said. “Someday I want to run it like you. You’ve always encouraged me to use the computer. I won’t do it anymore if you don’t want me to.”

“In future, I think it would be better if you don’t,”

Victor said.

“Okay,” VJ said simply. “Can I go back to my movie?”

“Sure,” Victor said.

VJ pushed away from the table and disappeared through the door. Instantly, the soundtrack for Sheer Terror was back on.

Marsha looked at Victor. Victor shrugged. Then the doorbell sounded.

“Sorry to bother you folks so late,” Sergeant Cerullo said after Victor had opened the door. “This is Sergeant Dempsey from the Lawrence police.” The second officer stepped from behind Cerullo and touched the brim of his hat in greeting.

He was a freckled fellow with bright red hair.

“We have some information for you and we wanted to ask a few questions,” Cerullo said.

Victor invited the men inside. They stepped in and removed their hats.

“Would you like some coffee or anything?” Marsha asked.

“No, thank you, ma’am,” Cerullo said. “We’ll just say what we come to say and be off. You see, we at the North Andover police station are pretty friendly with the men over in Lawrence, both being neighbors and all. There’s a lot of talk that goes back and forth. Anyway, they have been proceeding with the investigation of that mass murder over there involving the Gephardt family, the one Dr. Frank here discovered. Well, they found some rough drafts of the notes that you people got tied to your cat and around that brick.

They were in the Gephardt house. We thought you’d like to know that.”

“I should say,” Victor said with some relief.

Dempsey coughed to clear his throat. “We also have ascertained by ballistics that the guns used to kill the Gephardts match those used in several battles between some rival South American drug gangs. We got that from Boston.

Boston is very interested to find out what the connection is up here in Lawrence. They’ve some reason to believe something big is going down up here. What they want to know from you, since you employed Gephardt, is how the man was connected to the drug world. Do you people have any idea whatsoever?”

“Absolutely none,” Victor said. “I suppose you know the man was under investigation for embezzlement?”

“Yeah, we got that,” Dempsey said. “You’re sure there’s nothing else that you can give us? Boston is really eager to learn anything they can about this.”

“We also think the man had been fencing laboratory equipment,” Victor said. “That investigation had just started before he was killed. But for however much I suspected him of these sorts of crimes, it never occurred to me he was involved with drugs.”

“If anything occurs to you, we’d appreciate it if you’d call us immediately. We sure don’t want some drug war breaking out up here.”

The policemen left. Victor closed the door and leaned his back on it and looked at Marsha.

“Well, that solves one problem,” Victor said. “At least now we know where the harassment was coming from, and better still, that it isn’t going to continue.”

“I’m glad they came by to let us know we can stop worrying,” Marsha added. “Maybe we should send that security man home.”

“I’ll cancel in the morning,” Victor said. “I’m sure we’ll be paying for it one way or another.”

Victor sat bolt upright with such suddenness that he inadvertently pulled all the covers from Marsha. The sudden movement awakened her. It was pitch dark outside.

“What’s the matter?” Marsha asked, alarmed.

“I’m not sure,” Victor said. “I think it was the front doorbell.”

They both listened for a moment. All Marsha heard was the wind under the eaves and the rat-a-tat of rain against the windows.