Simple Genius

“Deal!” As soon as she said this Viggie kicked it into another gear and flew down the path toward Alicia’s cottage, leaving Michelle behind.

She rounded the last bend and there sat the cottage dead ahead. She squealed with delight and increased her speed. Ten feet from the front steps she watched in disbelief as Michelle, who’d been purposefully hanging back, blew by her, raced up the steps and sat down on the top step.

Viggie stopped short and stared in amazement at her. “You cheated,” she said.

“Exactly how did I do that? You ran. I ran. I won. Now pay up.”

“I like you, Michelle.”

“Okay, Viggie,” Michelle said warily. “But what about our deal?”

Viggie ran past her and into the house. Michelle quickly followed. By the time she got there Viggie was seated at the piano. She started playing frantically, beating the keys with her fingertips. The pace became so frenetic that Michelle couldn’t even follow the music.

“Viggie, please, stop. Stop! VIGGIE!”

The next instant Viggie stopped, jumped up and raced to the stairs. She paused, turned to Michelle and yelled, “Codes and blood!” Then she shot up the steps. A moment later her bedroom door slammed.

A few seconds later a half-dressed Alicia Chadwick came rushing down the stairs. “My God, what is going on?” she cried out.

Michelle uncovered her ears and turned to her. “Hell if I know. She just went nuts on the piano.”

“She doesn’t usually do that unless something or someone has upset her,”

Alicia said in an accusing tone.

“Well, this time she did it all on her own.”

Michelle tapped Alicia on the shoulder. “Tag, you’re it. I need a break from the kid.” She stalked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Michelle reported to Sean later that for now Viggie was a dead end.

“That makes getting into Camp Peary all the more important,” he said.

“The equipment I ordered will arrive tomorrow.”

“Good. I’ll check in with you later,” Michelle said.

“Where are you off to?”

“I struck out with Viggie. I’m going to see if I have better luck with Champ. But I’m going to change first into something, you know.”

“Michelle, I’m impressed at the depths you’ll go to get to the truth.”

“You’ll be even more impressed when I put my foot through your mouth.”

“And while you’re seducing the world’s greatest mind, I’m going to start canvassing Babbage Town and see if anyone saw anything at Rivest’s place the night he was murdered. And then I’m going to take a look around for that secret room.”

“I told you I already did that.”

“Never hurts to have a fresh pair of eyes on it.”

Two hours later Sean had finished his canvassing. No one reported seeing anyone suspicious, no one who shouldn’t have been there. Puzzled, Sean walked over to the mansion for lunch in the dining room. He saw Viggie eating with some of the other children as Alicia sat alone at the other end of the room while waiters scurried around serving all the hungry geniuses.

He joined Alicia, ordered his food and said, “Factor any good numbers lately?”

Alicia frowned. “I’m glad to see how easily you amuse yourself. Where’s your sidekick? She left Viggie in shambles this morning. That wasn’t exactly my intention when I hired you.”

He leaned forward. “See, the thing is, Alicia, you didn’t hire us. We work for a firm retained by the owners of Babbage Town, whoever the hell they might be, to find out who killed Monk Turing.”

“A task at which so far you’ve failed utterly.”

“People who kill other people usually go to great lengths to make sure they’re not caught.”

“That’s so very reassuring.”

“I understand the session with Viggie and Horatio went well.”

“Yes, if you call Viggie walking out in the middle of the session going well.”

“What about codes and blood? That’s what Viggie said, right?”

Alicia nervously fingered her cup of tea. “I’d never heard her use that phrase before. It was frightening the way she said it actually.”

“And you have no idea what she could have meant by it?”

“No. I told Barnes the same thing.”

“Come on, Alicia, you have an analytical mind, use it.”

She sighed deeply. “There are lots of codes. Did Monk teach Viggie how to make a code? Maybe. Did they communicate via codes? Could be. How can you decipher a code if you don’t even know what the code is? Find me a sample and maybe I can help you.”

“What about the term blood?”

“Bloody enough the way Monk died.”

“Right, but presumably Monk wasn’t dead when he talked to her about it.”

“Viggie is a very unstable, emotional young girl given to severe mood swings and hyperbole. If you’re basing your whole case on something she said, well, I’m not sure that’s wise.”

“If you can think of anything else, I’m listening.”

“I have a job to do here too, you know.”

“Does Champ know who owns Babbage Town?”

“I don’t know. I do know that he goes away once a month for a few days. Maybe he’s meeting with them then.”

“That’s interesting. Does he drive or fly?”

“He flies his own plane.”

“Really? Where does he keep it?”

“A private air terminal about five miles from here. I’ve been up with him once.”