coffee smelled like but couldn't.
Sara was standing by the door, ready to introduce herself to the federal agents. Lisa was in a back corner with a newspaper covering most of her face.
"These agents won't tell us anything voluntarily," Alfred said. "We'll have to use our powers to encourage them."
"I'll let you go first," Virgil said.
"OK. I actually feel guilty about forcing people to be friendly. It's manipulative."
"It's part of the job. Heaven gave you that power for a reason."
"Do you feel bad about inflicting fear and shame?" Alfred said.
"Why should I? Learning the wages of sin is never a wasted lesson. I make people behave better. Speaking of which, what do you think of Cat?"
"Such a shame. That woman could've been a great success in many legitimate professions. These cases are usually a result of childhood neglect and abandonment."
Two men in nice suits entered the coffee shop. One wore brown and the other wore blue. Their muscular bodies and fluid movements put Virgil on edge. He recognized the signs of expert martial artists. Gun bulges showed they carried weapons under their jackets.
"They're worried," Alfred said. "I can see it in their eyes."
The agents spoke briefly to Sara, and she brought them over to the table. Everybody sat down.
"Hello," one man said. "I'm Mr. Bravo, and my associate is Mr. Charlie."
Bravo had an interesting scar under his left eye. He sat on the edge of his seat and leaned forward aggressively.
Virgil raised his eyebrows. "Your real names are secret?"
"Exactly. Do you mind if we see your police identification?"
Mei had created false identities for the whole team. Virgil, Alfred, and Sara took out their State Police ID cards and handed them over. Bravo used his phone to take pictures of the fronts and backs.
"What are you doing?" Virgil said.
"Taking pictures is faster than writing down names and numbers. We need to record who we talk to. Standard procedure." Bravo returned the cards.
Virgil was a little worried. If the agents called the State Police Department, they would quickly discover the ID cards were fake. Mei could do only so much.
"Can we get down to business, gentlemen?" Alfred said. "We have questions about that body."
Virgil could tell Alfred was using his special voice even though it had no effect on him. The sound resonated musically like the chords on a grand piano. The agents visibly relaxed.
"As was stated over the phone," Bravo said, "the entire matter is classified. I can tell you there is no danger to civilians. The O.E.A.P. has taken every conceivable step to contain the dangers inherent in our important research."
"We can't just take your word for that. We need some details. Just between you and me, one friend to another, what's really going on? I promise we'll keep the secret."
Both agents opened their mouths to respond, but they didn't speak. They were visibly struggling to fight off Alfred's power. Their strong wills impressed Virgil. He remembered soldiers sometimes received special training to resist interrogation.
"No," Bravo finally said in a tight voice. "We can't talk about it. I'm surprised the state police are involved. The victim was found in Chicago. Doesn't that department have jurisdiction?"
"Detective Haymaker asked for our help," Alfred said. "He hoped we might have better luck than him at dealing with an obstructive federal agency."
"No need for hostility. We're just following regulations."
Virgil noticed a woman sitting by the window. She had brown hair and glasses, but the shape of her face was familiar. He realized it was Cat Lady wearing an excellent disguise. I'll give her points for persistence, Virgil thought. Her head was angled so she could see his table out of the corner of her eye.
"That's odd," Alfred said. "What regulations allow for lethal tests on human subjects?"
"The death was an unfortunate accident," Bravo said. "We're working hard to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Vague promises don't impress
Sara was standing by the door, ready to introduce herself to the federal agents. Lisa was in a back corner with a newspaper covering most of her face.
"These agents won't tell us anything voluntarily," Alfred said. "We'll have to use our powers to encourage them."
"I'll let you go first," Virgil said.
"OK. I actually feel guilty about forcing people to be friendly. It's manipulative."
"It's part of the job. Heaven gave you that power for a reason."
"Do you feel bad about inflicting fear and shame?" Alfred said.
"Why should I? Learning the wages of sin is never a wasted lesson. I make people behave better. Speaking of which, what do you think of Cat?"
"Such a shame. That woman could've been a great success in many legitimate professions. These cases are usually a result of childhood neglect and abandonment."
Two men in nice suits entered the coffee shop. One wore brown and the other wore blue. Their muscular bodies and fluid movements put Virgil on edge. He recognized the signs of expert martial artists. Gun bulges showed they carried weapons under their jackets.
"They're worried," Alfred said. "I can see it in their eyes."
The agents spoke briefly to Sara, and she brought them over to the table. Everybody sat down.
"Hello," one man said. "I'm Mr. Bravo, and my associate is Mr. Charlie."
Bravo had an interesting scar under his left eye. He sat on the edge of his seat and leaned forward aggressively.
Virgil raised his eyebrows. "Your real names are secret?"
"Exactly. Do you mind if we see your police identification?"
Mei had created false identities for the whole team. Virgil, Alfred, and Sara took out their State Police ID cards and handed them over. Bravo used his phone to take pictures of the fronts and backs.
"What are you doing?" Virgil said.
"Taking pictures is faster than writing down names and numbers. We need to record who we talk to. Standard procedure." Bravo returned the cards.
Virgil was a little worried. If the agents called the State Police Department, they would quickly discover the ID cards were fake. Mei could do only so much.
"Can we get down to business, gentlemen?" Alfred said. "We have questions about that body."
Virgil could tell Alfred was using his special voice even though it had no effect on him. The sound resonated musically like the chords on a grand piano. The agents visibly relaxed.
"As was stated over the phone," Bravo said, "the entire matter is classified. I can tell you there is no danger to civilians. The O.E.A.P. has taken every conceivable step to contain the dangers inherent in our important research."
"We can't just take your word for that. We need some details. Just between you and me, one friend to another, what's really going on? I promise we'll keep the secret."
Both agents opened their mouths to respond, but they didn't speak. They were visibly struggling to fight off Alfred's power. Their strong wills impressed Virgil. He remembered soldiers sometimes received special training to resist interrogation.
"No," Bravo finally said in a tight voice. "We can't talk about it. I'm surprised the state police are involved. The victim was found in Chicago. Doesn't that department have jurisdiction?"
"Detective Haymaker asked for our help," Alfred said. "He hoped we might have better luck than him at dealing with an obstructive federal agency."
"No need for hostility. We're just following regulations."
Virgil noticed a woman sitting by the window. She had brown hair and glasses, but the shape of her face was familiar. He realized it was Cat Lady wearing an excellent disguise. I'll give her points for persistence, Virgil thought. Her head was angled so she could see his table out of the corner of her eye.
"That's odd," Alfred said. "What regulations allow for lethal tests on human subjects?"
"The death was an unfortunate accident," Bravo said. "We're working hard to make sure it doesn't happen again."
"Vague promises don't impress
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