anxious, but not aggressive.
“No. Who the hell is he, and who the hell are you?”
James pointed nervously at the new man. The man shoved his own gun into his coat pocket, then reached down and picked up the intruder’s weapon. He leaned the small man’s head back, as if he were examining his handiwork.
“I…am Dr. Robert Paynter. I’m the one who sent Kevin to find you. He…is the man who has stirred the hornet’s nest, so to speak, and…he could be the death of us all. He was supposed to be dead. We were all supposed to be dead. And, it’s somewhat amazing to actually see anyone still alive, especially him…after twenty-four years. That…is Dr. Fred Taylor…such as he is,” Paynter said, waving a hand at the motionless man.
Paynter suddenly turned, walked back into the downstairs hallway and out of view. James took another couple of steps downward to see that he had gone to the front door. Paynter peeked out of the window then reached for the door and pulled it open. There was a sound of a revving car engine and accelerating wheels on the road outside. He closed the door and returned to the base of the stairs. He stared up at the three, with what James might have mistaken for awe if the situation hadn’t been so strange.
“Is he dead?” Nicole said, pointing to the heap of a man at the base of the stairs.
The man called Taylor had slumped nearly horizontal, his mouth lolling open, a thin strand of spit that hung from his bottom lip was just about to reach the carpet.
“Oh, no,” said the man, pulling the bulky, fake-looking gun from his pants, as if that itself were an explanation.
“Tranquilizer,” he continued. “He should be out for a good hour or so with the dose I gave him. Nowhere near enough to kill…but, he’ll have a heck of a headache when he wakes up. Now, get packing. We haven’t much time.”
“Right,” James said, “so…what?”
“We need to get the hell out of here,” said the man. “That car outside wasn’t just a curious neighbor.”
“And I would want to go somewhere with you because…?”
“Because, after I’ve had some time to tell you what I know, you’ll want to come with me.”
“James, he did bring us together,” Kevin said. “That’s gotta say something for the guy.”
“Start talking,” James said, folding his arms across his chest.
“We don’t have time for this. Once they find out that…”
“They? Who’s they?” James said. Nicole stirred behind him, and came down the few steps to his level.
“You do have the envelope, don’t you?” said the man.
“Again with the envelope? What’s so special about this friggin’ envelope! It’s a ratty old envelope that held my birth certificate,” James said.
“You lied to him?” Nicole asked.
“Taylor asked for it? That’s troublesome. Listen, I’m here to help. I promise. I just need to know that you still have it,” Paynter said. James looked into the man’s eyes. If he was lying, he was well practiced.
“I keep it in my mother’s old lock box. I’ve seen it a hundred times…what’s so important about my birth certificate.”
“It’s the envelope that matters, not the birth certificate,” Paynter said.
“What is all this?” James asked. “Why are people coming into my home and threatening me?”
“I’m sorry, but you…have information…that is possibly harmful…,” Paynter stammered.
“You’re lying,” James said.
“No, it’s true. We are in a lot of danger here. If we’re not moving, we’re asking to be caught. That’s why we have to go. Now. There are people who want that envelope…people who would kill to get it,” Paynter said.
“Like him? Taylor?” James asked.
“Well, I never thought so…I don’t really know why he’s here…that’s a completely unexpected development. It doesn’t make sense that he was threatening you…and that bothers me,” he said.
“Then who else is out to get me?” James said.
“I’m not one
“No. Who the hell is he, and who the hell are you?”
James pointed nervously at the new man. The man shoved his own gun into his coat pocket, then reached down and picked up the intruder’s weapon. He leaned the small man’s head back, as if he were examining his handiwork.
“I…am Dr. Robert Paynter. I’m the one who sent Kevin to find you. He…is the man who has stirred the hornet’s nest, so to speak, and…he could be the death of us all. He was supposed to be dead. We were all supposed to be dead. And, it’s somewhat amazing to actually see anyone still alive, especially him…after twenty-four years. That…is Dr. Fred Taylor…such as he is,” Paynter said, waving a hand at the motionless man.
Paynter suddenly turned, walked back into the downstairs hallway and out of view. James took another couple of steps downward to see that he had gone to the front door. Paynter peeked out of the window then reached for the door and pulled it open. There was a sound of a revving car engine and accelerating wheels on the road outside. He closed the door and returned to the base of the stairs. He stared up at the three, with what James might have mistaken for awe if the situation hadn’t been so strange.
“Is he dead?” Nicole said, pointing to the heap of a man at the base of the stairs.
The man called Taylor had slumped nearly horizontal, his mouth lolling open, a thin strand of spit that hung from his bottom lip was just about to reach the carpet.
“Oh, no,” said the man, pulling the bulky, fake-looking gun from his pants, as if that itself were an explanation.
“Tranquilizer,” he continued. “He should be out for a good hour or so with the dose I gave him. Nowhere near enough to kill…but, he’ll have a heck of a headache when he wakes up. Now, get packing. We haven’t much time.”
“Right,” James said, “so…what?”
“We need to get the hell out of here,” said the man. “That car outside wasn’t just a curious neighbor.”
“And I would want to go somewhere with you because…?”
“Because, after I’ve had some time to tell you what I know, you’ll want to come with me.”
“James, he did bring us together,” Kevin said. “That’s gotta say something for the guy.”
“Start talking,” James said, folding his arms across his chest.
“We don’t have time for this. Once they find out that…”
“They? Who’s they?” James said. Nicole stirred behind him, and came down the few steps to his level.
“You do have the envelope, don’t you?” said the man.
“Again with the envelope? What’s so special about this friggin’ envelope! It’s a ratty old envelope that held my birth certificate,” James said.
“You lied to him?” Nicole asked.
“Taylor asked for it? That’s troublesome. Listen, I’m here to help. I promise. I just need to know that you still have it,” Paynter said. James looked into the man’s eyes. If he was lying, he was well practiced.
“I keep it in my mother’s old lock box. I’ve seen it a hundred times…what’s so important about my birth certificate.”
“It’s the envelope that matters, not the birth certificate,” Paynter said.
“What is all this?” James asked. “Why are people coming into my home and threatening me?”
“I’m sorry, but you…have information…that is possibly harmful…,” Paynter stammered.
“You’re lying,” James said.
“No, it’s true. We are in a lot of danger here. If we’re not moving, we’re asking to be caught. That’s why we have to go. Now. There are people who want that envelope…people who would kill to get it,” Paynter said.
“Like him? Taylor?” James asked.
“Well, I never thought so…I don’t really know why he’s here…that’s a completely unexpected development. It doesn’t make sense that he was threatening you…and that bothers me,” he said.
“Then who else is out to get me?” James said.
“I’m not one
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