was first. Today was not normal. He looked through the foggy peephole and could make out two men in suits. He recognized neither of them.
“Who is it?” he said loudly.
“Detectives Barnett and Kaplan,” a well-spoken voice said. “Guy Robley radioed us and asked us to stop by since we were in the neighborhood. He said he couldn’t get to the phone right now to call you. If you’ll crack the door, you can see our identification.”
At the mention of Detective Robley’s name, Kevin calmed. Even so, he kept the chain on and gave the IDs presented a thorough inspection. They seemed all right to him, not that he’d know what fake badges looked like. Satisfied, he removed the chain and asked the officers to come in.
“Man, am I glad you’re here.” The officer named Barnett looked to be in his late thirties and was neatly dressed in a gray suit and paisley tie. He looked more like a businessman than a cop.
His matching gray eyes examined Kevin thoroughly, but he gave Kevin a friendly smile. The other officer, Kaplan, was younger and more rumpled in his navy suit. Both were shorter than Kevin by about four inches. “You guys must be hot. Can I get you something to drink?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
54
Barnett glanced at Kaplan and then shook his head. “No, thank you. We just had a late breakfast, and I think we drank a pot of coffee between us.” As they sat down in the living room, his smile changed to a concerned frown. “We are working on the Stein case with Guy. He said you called with some information concerning Mr. Stein.”
“Actually, I was calling about a professor, Dr. Michael Ward.”
“The professor from STU who died in the fire last night?” Barnett said.
“Yes, I go to STU. I worked with him for year and a half until last May.”
Barnett concerned expression deepened. “This must be difficult for you. I’m sorry. Please, go on.”
“I wasn’t very close to Dr. Ward. I just worked for him.” Kevin told them everything that had happened to him since he woke up. During the story, Barnett asked a few questions for clarification, but Kaplan just scribbled on a notepad and said nothing. When Kevin got to the part about the message from Ward, Barnett stopped him.
“Do you know what the message means? This could be very important in our investigation into Mr. Stein’s death.”
“No, I don’t. Maybe if Dr. Ward had been able to finish it, I would have understood. The last sentence was cut off, as if he’d stopped typing abruptly.”
“Could I see this e-mail message?” said Barnett.
“Sure,” Kevin said, “I can even give you a copy.” He went to the Mac and typed the commands to print them a fresh copy instead of giving them the torn one in his pocket. “Do you really think it’s from Dr. Ward?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
55
“As you said yourself, this could have been typed by anyone and merely sent from his account.
But I don’t think we can rule out the possibility.”
Kevin gave them the note. Both officers read it intently.
For the first time, Kaplan spoke. His voice was surprisingly high for his size. “What is NV117?”
“It was an experiment we were conducting right before I stopped working with Dr. Ward. It was research I was conducting for the Department of Energy, fairly harmless stuff.”
“Why would someone be interested in research in superconductivity?” Kaplan said.
Kevin gave Kaplan a puzzled look. “I have no idea. How did you...”
Barnett interrupted. “Do you know what the code means?”
Kevin shrugged as he completed the commands to print the message. “I keep thinking I’ve seen it before, but nothing comes to mind. Like I said, the message wasn’t finished.”
Kevin turned back toward Barnett, and for a split second, caught Barnett glaring at Kaplan.
The look vanished quickly and smoothly, as if Kevin wasn’t meant to see it.
“Did you know Herbert Stein?” asked Barnett.
“Never heard of him before. Who
“Who is it?” he said loudly.
“Detectives Barnett and Kaplan,” a well-spoken voice said. “Guy Robley radioed us and asked us to stop by since we were in the neighborhood. He said he couldn’t get to the phone right now to call you. If you’ll crack the door, you can see our identification.”
At the mention of Detective Robley’s name, Kevin calmed. Even so, he kept the chain on and gave the IDs presented a thorough inspection. They seemed all right to him, not that he’d know what fake badges looked like. Satisfied, he removed the chain and asked the officers to come in.
“Man, am I glad you’re here.” The officer named Barnett looked to be in his late thirties and was neatly dressed in a gray suit and paisley tie. He looked more like a businessman than a cop.
His matching gray eyes examined Kevin thoroughly, but he gave Kevin a friendly smile. The other officer, Kaplan, was younger and more rumpled in his navy suit. Both were shorter than Kevin by about four inches. “You guys must be hot. Can I get you something to drink?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
54
Barnett glanced at Kaplan and then shook his head. “No, thank you. We just had a late breakfast, and I think we drank a pot of coffee between us.” As they sat down in the living room, his smile changed to a concerned frown. “We are working on the Stein case with Guy. He said you called with some information concerning Mr. Stein.”
“Actually, I was calling about a professor, Dr. Michael Ward.”
“The professor from STU who died in the fire last night?” Barnett said.
“Yes, I go to STU. I worked with him for year and a half until last May.”
Barnett concerned expression deepened. “This must be difficult for you. I’m sorry. Please, go on.”
“I wasn’t very close to Dr. Ward. I just worked for him.” Kevin told them everything that had happened to him since he woke up. During the story, Barnett asked a few questions for clarification, but Kaplan just scribbled on a notepad and said nothing. When Kevin got to the part about the message from Ward, Barnett stopped him.
“Do you know what the message means? This could be very important in our investigation into Mr. Stein’s death.”
“No, I don’t. Maybe if Dr. Ward had been able to finish it, I would have understood. The last sentence was cut off, as if he’d stopped typing abruptly.”
“Could I see this e-mail message?” said Barnett.
“Sure,” Kevin said, “I can even give you a copy.” He went to the Mac and typed the commands to print them a fresh copy instead of giving them the torn one in his pocket. “Do you really think it’s from Dr. Ward?”
MORRISON/THE ADAMAS BLUEPRINT
55
“As you said yourself, this could have been typed by anyone and merely sent from his account.
But I don’t think we can rule out the possibility.”
Kevin gave them the note. Both officers read it intently.
For the first time, Kaplan spoke. His voice was surprisingly high for his size. “What is NV117?”
“It was an experiment we were conducting right before I stopped working with Dr. Ward. It was research I was conducting for the Department of Energy, fairly harmless stuff.”
“Why would someone be interested in research in superconductivity?” Kaplan said.
Kevin gave Kaplan a puzzled look. “I have no idea. How did you...”
Barnett interrupted. “Do you know what the code means?”
Kevin shrugged as he completed the commands to print the message. “I keep thinking I’ve seen it before, but nothing comes to mind. Like I said, the message wasn’t finished.”
Kevin turned back toward Barnett, and for a split second, caught Barnett glaring at Kaplan.
The look vanished quickly and smoothly, as if Kevin wasn’t meant to see it.
“Did you know Herbert Stein?” asked Barnett.
“Never heard of him before. Who
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