BLUEPRINT
48
press one now. Otherwise, leave a message and I’ll get back to you.” The beep sounded, and he heard Erica’s voice.
“Kevin, it’s me. Give me a call when you get back...”
Kevin ran into the bedroom and snatched up the phone. “Erica. I’m here.” He stopped the recorder as he spoke. “I’m sorry you missed the party last night.”
“Me too, but I had a, uh, personal matter that came up.” Her voice was cautious.
“What happened?”
“Money problems. I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Me neither.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Are you all right?” Kevin asked.
“I’m fine,” she said, but she didn’t sound fine. She sounded as if she had been up all night, and Kevin knew that she wasn’t supposed to go on her ER rotation until this afternoon. He wasn’t going to press the issue.
“Do you want to get lunch?” he said.
“Maybe. I was going to try to get some more sleep before I leave for the hospital, but that may not happen. I was just calling because...Have you seen the news today?”
“You mean about Dr. Ward?”
“So it’s the same Ward you’ve told me about?”
“The one who fired me, yes.” Kevin went over to the printer and picked up the printout.
“Funny you should ask. I just got an email from him.”
“What do you mean?” Erica said. “Today?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
49
“Just a few minutes ago. It was sent yesterday afternoon.”
Kevin read the message to her.
“That’s weird,” Erica said. “Are you going to call the police?”
“The police? I hadn’t gotten that far.”
“I heard something about arson on the radio.”
“They said they aren’t ruling out arson, but they always say that.”
“Do you know who Stein or Clay are?”
“I had a high school math teacher named Joshua Clay, but I don’t think that’s him.”
“Do you know what any of it means?” Erica asked. “What about that code?”
“It looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. We never used a code in the lab. But I do know what NV117 means. It was an experiment we were doing for the Department of Energy on superconductivity using a new kind of chemical structure.”
“Superconductivity? Would somebody killed him for it?”
“I can’t imagine why. The experiment was a total failure. In fact, it was the one that got me fired. As far as I know, he stopped all work on it after the accident. Even if it wasn’t a failure like the message said, it wouldn’t have been groundbreaking. Certainly nothing worth killing for.
We’re probably getting worked up over nothing. Some people in the department said he was a drinker. He was probably wasted when he wrote it.” He told her his theory about the cigarette.
“That’s certainly possible. I’ve seen three alcoholics in the ER who’ve burnt themselves with cigarettes. Still, the police should probably know about the message.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just trying to avoid it because I also know it’s going to be a hassle. They might want me to go down to the station.”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
50
“What about lunch?” Erica said.
“I’ll call you back when I know. In the meantime, try to take a nap. You sound beat.”
“Thanks.”
Kevin hung up, thumbed through the white pages, and dialed the number for police headquarters. There wasn’t really any reason to call 911.
He was put on hold three times as staff at the police station shuffled his call around to various departments. Each time someone new answered, he had to explain the situation all over again.
As he waited for someone in Homicide to pick up, Kevin thought that at least his day couldn’t get any stranger.
* * *
Lobec and Bern listened as a female voice on the line said, “Homicide. Detective Chambers speaking.”
“Detective Chambers,” Kevin Hamilton said, “I hope I’ve finally got the right person. I have a message from Dr. Michael Ward--you know, the guy who died in the house fire last
48
press one now. Otherwise, leave a message and I’ll get back to you.” The beep sounded, and he heard Erica’s voice.
“Kevin, it’s me. Give me a call when you get back...”
Kevin ran into the bedroom and snatched up the phone. “Erica. I’m here.” He stopped the recorder as he spoke. “I’m sorry you missed the party last night.”
“Me too, but I had a, uh, personal matter that came up.” Her voice was cautious.
“What happened?”
“Money problems. I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Me neither.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Are you all right?” Kevin asked.
“I’m fine,” she said, but she didn’t sound fine. She sounded as if she had been up all night, and Kevin knew that she wasn’t supposed to go on her ER rotation until this afternoon. He wasn’t going to press the issue.
“Do you want to get lunch?” he said.
“Maybe. I was going to try to get some more sleep before I leave for the hospital, but that may not happen. I was just calling because...Have you seen the news today?”
“You mean about Dr. Ward?”
“So it’s the same Ward you’ve told me about?”
“The one who fired me, yes.” Kevin went over to the printer and picked up the printout.
“Funny you should ask. I just got an email from him.”
“What do you mean?” Erica said. “Today?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
49
“Just a few minutes ago. It was sent yesterday afternoon.”
Kevin read the message to her.
“That’s weird,” Erica said. “Are you going to call the police?”
“The police? I hadn’t gotten that far.”
“I heard something about arson on the radio.”
“They said they aren’t ruling out arson, but they always say that.”
“Do you know who Stein or Clay are?”
“I had a high school math teacher named Joshua Clay, but I don’t think that’s him.”
“Do you know what any of it means?” Erica asked. “What about that code?”
“It looks familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. We never used a code in the lab. But I do know what NV117 means. It was an experiment we were doing for the Department of Energy on superconductivity using a new kind of chemical structure.”
“Superconductivity? Would somebody killed him for it?”
“I can’t imagine why. The experiment was a total failure. In fact, it was the one that got me fired. As far as I know, he stopped all work on it after the accident. Even if it wasn’t a failure like the message said, it wouldn’t have been groundbreaking. Certainly nothing worth killing for.
We’re probably getting worked up over nothing. Some people in the department said he was a drinker. He was probably wasted when he wrote it.” He told her his theory about the cigarette.
“That’s certainly possible. I’ve seen three alcoholics in the ER who’ve burnt themselves with cigarettes. Still, the police should probably know about the message.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m just trying to avoid it because I also know it’s going to be a hassle. They might want me to go down to the station.”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
50
“What about lunch?” Erica said.
“I’ll call you back when I know. In the meantime, try to take a nap. You sound beat.”
“Thanks.”
Kevin hung up, thumbed through the white pages, and dialed the number for police headquarters. There wasn’t really any reason to call 911.
He was put on hold three times as staff at the police station shuffled his call around to various departments. Each time someone new answered, he had to explain the situation all over again.
As he waited for someone in Homicide to pick up, Kevin thought that at least his day couldn’t get any stranger.
* * *
Lobec and Bern listened as a female voice on the line said, “Homicide. Detective Chambers speaking.”
“Detective Chambers,” Kevin Hamilton said, “I hope I’ve finally got the right person. I have a message from Dr. Michael Ward--you know, the guy who died in the house fire last
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