"You two about done for the day?" Frank asked, coming over to where Todd and Joe were working.
"Yeah," Joe said, sitting up and stretching. "We can pick this up tomorrow."
"Be careful," Todd said, standing up and walking away.
"What did he mean by that?" Frank asked, frowning.
"I'll tell you on the way home," Joe promised picking up the papers before him and putting them back in their proper folders. "We've got to grab our gear and get back here by seven."
Joe filled Frank in on the way home. "Maybe Craig's metamorphosis was because he did take the research," Frank hypothesized.
"Maybe," Joe said, not really agreeing. He hadn't told Frank everything. For some reason, he had decided to not let Frank know about Todd's comparison of himself and Craig. It made no sense. Nothing had happened to him. Joe clenched his hand as he said this, the caged wolf and the supposed scratch flitting through his mind. Great! I'm paranoid! he thought.
"I wish I knew how Mayhem fit into this," Joe said, scowling.
"Maybe he doesn't," Frank said as they neared their house.
"Oh, puhleeze," Joe scoffed. "Three of his students are involved in this," he reminded Frank. "And he keeps late hours at the science building and he invited us to stay with him in exchange for cooking dinner and conversation. He's up to something."
"The students probably just saw the poster the professor put up at the start of term," Frank said. "Just because they all have one of Mayhem's classes is nothing to get excited over. They are in the same building."
"Working late?" Joe demanded.
"He has live animals. Maybe he was feeding them," Frank offered an explanation.
"Okay," Joe agreed. "I'll buy that. But why would he want us to stay with him?"
"He wanted you," Frank reminded him. "And he's probably just being nice. Why would he suspect you, or me, of investigating the theft? He may be what he claims....lonely."
Joe disagreed but kept quiet as Frank parked the van. "We won't have time for dinner before we leave," Frank said.
"Just as well," Joe told him. "Our deal was we cook, or at least provide dinner every other night. Guess we had better pick up some take-out for tonight."
The boys went inside, packed some clothing and bid their parents good bye. Frank promised he would be back later to catch his dad up while Joe got to know Mayhem a bit better. "Why me?" Joe whined once they were under way.
"Because it was your idea," Frank told him. "I don't see how he could be involved but since you do you should get him to talk to you."
"Great," grumbled Joe.
They reached Mayhem's at five till seven. "Welcome, welcome," Mayhem greeted the two boys. "Oh, my," he continued, seeing the boxes of Chinese take-out they carried. "I hadn't expected you to start with dinner tonight. But I am glad you did," he ended, smiling.
He led the boys inside where they deposited the dinner on the dining room table. "Let me show you boys around and then we can eat," Mayhem said. He led them on a tour of the top floor first. "My room is at the end of the hall," he informed them. "You two can have the room at this end but we'll have to share the bath unless you would care to use the one downstairs."
"This is very kind of you," Frank said.
"Kindness has nothing to do with it!" Mayhem assured him as the two boys set their bags down in their room. "Here is a key for each," he continued, pulling two newly made keys from his shirt pocket. "They fit only the back door, I'm afraid. The machine at the hardware store broke down before the ones for the front could be made."
"This is fine," Joe told him, smiling although his eyes remained suspicious.
Dr. Mayhem led the two back downstairs and showed them the living room; library; bathroom; and kitchen, ending the tour back in the dining room. "Well now, gentlemen, shall we eat?"
"An excellent suggestion," Frank agreed, grinning as Joe's stomach chose that moment to voice its own opinion.
After dinner, Frank excused himself and left Joe and Dr. Mayhem alone. "Your brother seemed anxious to leave," Mayhem said as he and Joe adjourned into the living room.
"He has a date," Joe fibbed as he took a seat near the telephone. "So, how long have you been studying wolves?" Joe asked. The good doctor wanted conversation and that was fine with him. He felt a need to know as much about Boris Mayhem as he could.
"About eight years now," Mayhem answered. "Fascinating creatures. Did you know there used to be several tribes, both here and abroad, that worshipped these creatures?"
"Not surprising," Joe responded. "Let's face it, if people can worship crocodiles, why not wolves?"
"Indeed," agreed Mayhem. "Wolves are extraordinary creatures. They are territorial and extremely social within their own group."
"What made you decide on wolves?" Joe inquired, not really wanting a lecture on the species.
"I met this young man who seemed obsessed with the creatures," Mayhem informed Joe. "No matter which subject I tried to steer him towards, he always brought it back to wolves. I'm afraid I was very short with him and rather than get angry, he challenged me to an encounter with a particular wolf he had grown acquainted with."
Mayhem broke off and stared at the TV that was not on. Silence ruled the room which Joe found to be suffocating. Unable to take it any longer, Joe cleared his throat, emitting a low, almost imperceptible growl as he did so.
Mayhem turned to Joe and his eyes refocused. The faraway glint, which had possessed them, vanished to be replaced by a glint that could only be described as hard and cunning. "I must apologize," Mayhem said, smiling faintly. "Occasionally, I am vexed with the sordid memory of that evening. The young man who introduced me to the wonderful world of wolves lost his life that night."
"I'm sorry," Joe said softly.
"As am I," Mayhem said. "But seeing the magnificence of the creature that night made me need to learn all I could." He smiled at Joe. "I'm still learning. Even after eight years there is much that I still can't comprehend."
"Do you know Professor Aliem?" Joe asked, changing the subject. This was getting depressing.
"We have talked occasionally," admitted Mayhem. "However, I don't think the word "know" would be entirely accurate."
"But you let him use your students," Joe pushed.
"At the Dean's request, yes," acknowledged Mayhem. "As I mentioned earlier, my Friday classes are mainly re-caps and question and answer days. As a scientist, I am well aware of the crunch for personnel as well as funding for projects."
"But still, helping out Professor Aliem must have some kind of reward," Joe stated.
"I'm sure it does," agreed Mayhem. "Otherwise you wouldn't be there for such meager earnings," he turned the tables on Joe.
Joe nodded his head and gave a silent sigh. Perhaps Frank was right. Perhaps Dr. Mayhem was a lonely person whose only crime was working odd hours.
"Yeah," Joe said, sitting up and stretching. "We can pick this up tomorrow."
"Be careful," Todd said, standing up and walking away.
"What did he mean by that?" Frank asked, frowning.
"I'll tell you on the way home," Joe promised picking up the papers before him and putting them back in their proper folders. "We've got to grab our gear and get back here by seven."
Joe filled Frank in on the way home. "Maybe Craig's metamorphosis was because he did take the research," Frank hypothesized.
"Maybe," Joe said, not really agreeing. He hadn't told Frank everything. For some reason, he had decided to not let Frank know about Todd's comparison of himself and Craig. It made no sense. Nothing had happened to him. Joe clenched his hand as he said this, the caged wolf and the supposed scratch flitting through his mind. Great! I'm paranoid! he thought.
"I wish I knew how Mayhem fit into this," Joe said, scowling.
"Maybe he doesn't," Frank said as they neared their house.
"Oh, puhleeze," Joe scoffed. "Three of his students are involved in this," he reminded Frank. "And he keeps late hours at the science building and he invited us to stay with him in exchange for cooking dinner and conversation. He's up to something."
"The students probably just saw the poster the professor put up at the start of term," Frank said. "Just because they all have one of Mayhem's classes is nothing to get excited over. They are in the same building."
"Working late?" Joe demanded.
"He has live animals. Maybe he was feeding them," Frank offered an explanation.
"Okay," Joe agreed. "I'll buy that. But why would he want us to stay with him?"
"He wanted you," Frank reminded him. "And he's probably just being nice. Why would he suspect you, or me, of investigating the theft? He may be what he claims....lonely."
Joe disagreed but kept quiet as Frank parked the van. "We won't have time for dinner before we leave," Frank said.
"Just as well," Joe told him. "Our deal was we cook, or at least provide dinner every other night. Guess we had better pick up some take-out for tonight."
The boys went inside, packed some clothing and bid their parents good bye. Frank promised he would be back later to catch his dad up while Joe got to know Mayhem a bit better. "Why me?" Joe whined once they were under way.
"Because it was your idea," Frank told him. "I don't see how he could be involved but since you do you should get him to talk to you."
"Great," grumbled Joe.
They reached Mayhem's at five till seven. "Welcome, welcome," Mayhem greeted the two boys. "Oh, my," he continued, seeing the boxes of Chinese take-out they carried. "I hadn't expected you to start with dinner tonight. But I am glad you did," he ended, smiling.
He led the boys inside where they deposited the dinner on the dining room table. "Let me show you boys around and then we can eat," Mayhem said. He led them on a tour of the top floor first. "My room is at the end of the hall," he informed them. "You two can have the room at this end but we'll have to share the bath unless you would care to use the one downstairs."
"This is very kind of you," Frank said.
"Kindness has nothing to do with it!" Mayhem assured him as the two boys set their bags down in their room. "Here is a key for each," he continued, pulling two newly made keys from his shirt pocket. "They fit only the back door, I'm afraid. The machine at the hardware store broke down before the ones for the front could be made."
"This is fine," Joe told him, smiling although his eyes remained suspicious.
Dr. Mayhem led the two back downstairs and showed them the living room; library; bathroom; and kitchen, ending the tour back in the dining room. "Well now, gentlemen, shall we eat?"
"An excellent suggestion," Frank agreed, grinning as Joe's stomach chose that moment to voice its own opinion.
After dinner, Frank excused himself and left Joe and Dr. Mayhem alone. "Your brother seemed anxious to leave," Mayhem said as he and Joe adjourned into the living room.
"He has a date," Joe fibbed as he took a seat near the telephone. "So, how long have you been studying wolves?" Joe asked. The good doctor wanted conversation and that was fine with him. He felt a need to know as much about Boris Mayhem as he could.
"About eight years now," Mayhem answered. "Fascinating creatures. Did you know there used to be several tribes, both here and abroad, that worshipped these creatures?"
"Not surprising," Joe responded. "Let's face it, if people can worship crocodiles, why not wolves?"
"Indeed," agreed Mayhem. "Wolves are extraordinary creatures. They are territorial and extremely social within their own group."
"What made you decide on wolves?" Joe inquired, not really wanting a lecture on the species.
"I met this young man who seemed obsessed with the creatures," Mayhem informed Joe. "No matter which subject I tried to steer him towards, he always brought it back to wolves. I'm afraid I was very short with him and rather than get angry, he challenged me to an encounter with a particular wolf he had grown acquainted with."
Mayhem broke off and stared at the TV that was not on. Silence ruled the room which Joe found to be suffocating. Unable to take it any longer, Joe cleared his throat, emitting a low, almost imperceptible growl as he did so.
Mayhem turned to Joe and his eyes refocused. The faraway glint, which had possessed them, vanished to be replaced by a glint that could only be described as hard and cunning. "I must apologize," Mayhem said, smiling faintly. "Occasionally, I am vexed with the sordid memory of that evening. The young man who introduced me to the wonderful world of wolves lost his life that night."
"I'm sorry," Joe said softly.
"As am I," Mayhem said. "But seeing the magnificence of the creature that night made me need to learn all I could." He smiled at Joe. "I'm still learning. Even after eight years there is much that I still can't comprehend."
"Do you know Professor Aliem?" Joe asked, changing the subject. This was getting depressing.
"We have talked occasionally," admitted Mayhem. "However, I don't think the word "know" would be entirely accurate."
"But you let him use your students," Joe pushed.
"At the Dean's request, yes," acknowledged Mayhem. "As I mentioned earlier, my Friday classes are mainly re-caps and question and answer days. As a scientist, I am well aware of the crunch for personnel as well as funding for projects."
"But still, helping out Professor Aliem must have some kind of reward," Joe stated.
"I'm sure it does," agreed Mayhem. "Otherwise you wouldn't be there for such meager earnings," he turned the tables on Joe.
Joe nodded his head and gave a silent sigh. Perhaps Frank was right. Perhaps Dr. Mayhem was a lonely person whose only crime was working odd hours.
