Missing?" Elie asked. "But he was here this morning."
"The university reported him missing," Joe informed her. "He packed up and cleared out. He even took the wolves he had been keeping in his lab."
"But why would Dr. Mayhem steal my truck?" demanded Elie, perplexed. "I never even met the guy before today."
"And you didn't think it odd he would invite you to breakfast and then ask you, someone he had just met, to return some books to the library for him?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
"But if what you are implying is true, that he was planning to steal my truck all along, then he would have to of known me," she pointed out.
"Maybe not," said Joe with a frown. "Look I think he had something to do with Craig's disappearance and..and.." he stressed the repeated word to keep her from interrupting him, "he probably took your truck because he thought we would go after you once he came after us."
"He knows you're detectives too?" Elie asked.
Joe nodded. "Frank told him after Aliem kidnapped me."
"Where is Frank now?" she asked.
"He went to the police station. He thinks Anderson was working with Mayhem in addition to Aliem," he answered.
"And you don't?" she queried, picking up on Joe's tone.
"Not really," Joe replied with a sigh. "But we have to follow every channel of the investigation."
***
After Joe left, Frank looked through the dissertation that had snagged Joe's interest. Feeling guilty, he took it with him when he left. Locking the lab behind him he went downstairs to the central office where a copier machine graced the far wall. Telling the student on duty he had been asked to make a copy he preceded to do just that before returning to Mayhem's lab where he returned the original and finished going through what Mayhem had left.
Finding nothing useful, he left and went to the police station and straight to the desk of Sergeant Con Riley. "What's up?" Con asked as Frank came to a standstill.
"I want to talk to Anderson," Frank stated his request that came out more like an order.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," hedged Con. While he knew Frank was even-tempered and levelheaded, he also knew that where Joe was concerned Frank's rational side could vanish completely.
"I promise not to lay a finger on him," said Frank reading Con's thoughts. "I just want to find out if he and Mayhem had anything to do with each other."
"All right," Con finally relented. "But I have to warn you, he hasn't been in the least bit cooperative."
Twenty-five minutes later Frank had to admit Con was right. No matter what tactic Frank tried, Anderson refused to talk. The only thing Frank could get out of him was, 'I want my lawyer.'
Disgruntled and depressed, Frank left the interrogation room. "Frank! Wait up!" Con called out as Frank was on his way out of the building.
Frank stopped and turned around, his resigned look changing to one of curiosity as he took in the sparkle in Con's eyes. "What's up?" Frank asked as Con reached him.
"I decided to check with Aliem and see if he knew anything about Mayhem," Con explained.
"Does he?" inquired Frank.
"Yes and no," answered Con. "I don't know if it has any bearing on what Anderson did to Joe but from what I can gather, Mayhem certainly made an impression on Deyman."
"What do you mean?"
Con shook his head. "Come on back," he instructed Frank. "I'll let you talk to Aliem."
Frank followed Con to an interrogation room just down the hall from the one he had been questioning Anderson in. "All right," Con began once he and Frank were inside and the officer who had been watching him left. "Start at the beginning."
Aliem looked nervously at Frank. "I didn't hurt your brother," he said. "I don't know what Anderson did to him."
"I know," replied Frank. "I heard you and Anderson talking. That's not why I'm here," he continued. "I want to know everything you know about Boris Mayhem."
"That isn't much," Aliem began. "I'm sure you know as much about him as I do but Craig seemed to know more than anyone. At least, I think he did."
"Why is that?" inquired Frank.
"Because Craig was afraid of Mayhem," Aliem asserted. "Whenever I had to talk to Mayhem and Craig entered the room his face would turn white and he would leave immediately. Once when Craig, Angela and I were working, Dr. Mayhem came into the lab. Craig started trembling and became extremely nervous. He excused himself and didn't return until after Mayhem had departed."
"Do you have any idea why Craig reacted so negatively to Mayhem's presence?" asked Frank.
"None," Aliem answered. "But for awhile Craig was actually afraid to be in the building at night."
"Maybe Aliem's wolves spooked him," suggested Frank.
"But if he were afraid of the wolves then why did he start reading everything he could find out about them?" countered Aliem.
"How do you know?" Con asked sharply.
"Because I saw Craig around campus," Aliem explained. "He got to where he was always reading about wolves. Either non-fiction or fictional."
"Fictional?" Con asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
"Werewolves," Aliem answered. The reply did not generate a response from Frank although Con looked like he was about to laugh. "You don't seem surprised," Aliem commented looking at Frank and ignoring the officer.
"No," Frank admitted. "That kind of fits in with what I've heard," he added then turned to Con without explaining. "Have you been to Deyman's apartment?"
Con nodded and opened the door. An officer entered to take Aliem back to his cell. "We found a stack of books from the University Library all concerning werewolves."
"I think Mayhem may have brainwashed Craig into believing he was a werewolf," Frank said after Aliem and the other officer had departed.
Con erupted into laughter. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of," he replied.
"Agreed," Frank replied. "But it would explain his newfound fascination and his fear of Mayhem."
"No," Con disagreed. "Oh, it might explain his fascination but he wouldn't have been afraid of Mayhem unless he thought Mayhem was the wolf."
"Unless Mayhem convinced Craig there was a werewolf in the building at night and then arranged it so Craig would think he had been attacked," Frank pushed his theory.
"But he would have to have been quick about it," Con argued. "You only get one full moon unless you count the waxing and waning."
"You're right," Frank agreed, smiling. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? he wondered, planning on using that important information to combat Joe's belief that he was a lycanthrope.
When Frank arrived home he found Joe upstairs. "What are you reading?" he asked, going in and snagging the book when Joe hastily closed the cover and tried to hide it. "Joe," Frank moaned, sitting down on the bed with the werewolf book in his hand. "You're not a werewolf."
"Yeah, I know," Joe said, looking miserable. "The scratch. But look, it's healing," he said holding up his arm.
"Of course it is," Frank insisted. "It happened hours ago and it wasn't bad. Look, if you were a werewolf, you would change when the moon is full, right?" he asked but didn't wait for Joe's reply. "And you say you only transformed once but the moon is actually full for..."
"Frank," Joe interrupted him. "Some of the things I have read say a werewolf transforms on each full moon. Some say even on the waxing and waning. Still others say every single night regardless. But what if they're wrong? What if it only happens on a new moon?" he demanded, his blue eyes fearful. "That was four nights ago. That was when I changed."
"The university reported him missing," Joe informed her. "He packed up and cleared out. He even took the wolves he had been keeping in his lab."
"But why would Dr. Mayhem steal my truck?" demanded Elie, perplexed. "I never even met the guy before today."
"And you didn't think it odd he would invite you to breakfast and then ask you, someone he had just met, to return some books to the library for him?" Joe demanded in disbelief.
"But if what you are implying is true, that he was planning to steal my truck all along, then he would have to of known me," she pointed out.
"Maybe not," said Joe with a frown. "Look I think he had something to do with Craig's disappearance and..and.." he stressed the repeated word to keep her from interrupting him, "he probably took your truck because he thought we would go after you once he came after us."
"He knows you're detectives too?" Elie asked.
Joe nodded. "Frank told him after Aliem kidnapped me."
"Where is Frank now?" she asked.
"He went to the police station. He thinks Anderson was working with Mayhem in addition to Aliem," he answered.
"And you don't?" she queried, picking up on Joe's tone.
"Not really," Joe replied with a sigh. "But we have to follow every channel of the investigation."
***
After Joe left, Frank looked through the dissertation that had snagged Joe's interest. Feeling guilty, he took it with him when he left. Locking the lab behind him he went downstairs to the central office where a copier machine graced the far wall. Telling the student on duty he had been asked to make a copy he preceded to do just that before returning to Mayhem's lab where he returned the original and finished going through what Mayhem had left.
Finding nothing useful, he left and went to the police station and straight to the desk of Sergeant Con Riley. "What's up?" Con asked as Frank came to a standstill.
"I want to talk to Anderson," Frank stated his request that came out more like an order.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," hedged Con. While he knew Frank was even-tempered and levelheaded, he also knew that where Joe was concerned Frank's rational side could vanish completely.
"I promise not to lay a finger on him," said Frank reading Con's thoughts. "I just want to find out if he and Mayhem had anything to do with each other."
"All right," Con finally relented. "But I have to warn you, he hasn't been in the least bit cooperative."
Twenty-five minutes later Frank had to admit Con was right. No matter what tactic Frank tried, Anderson refused to talk. The only thing Frank could get out of him was, 'I want my lawyer.'
Disgruntled and depressed, Frank left the interrogation room. "Frank! Wait up!" Con called out as Frank was on his way out of the building.
Frank stopped and turned around, his resigned look changing to one of curiosity as he took in the sparkle in Con's eyes. "What's up?" Frank asked as Con reached him.
"I decided to check with Aliem and see if he knew anything about Mayhem," Con explained.
"Does he?" inquired Frank.
"Yes and no," answered Con. "I don't know if it has any bearing on what Anderson did to Joe but from what I can gather, Mayhem certainly made an impression on Deyman."
"What do you mean?"
Con shook his head. "Come on back," he instructed Frank. "I'll let you talk to Aliem."
Frank followed Con to an interrogation room just down the hall from the one he had been questioning Anderson in. "All right," Con began once he and Frank were inside and the officer who had been watching him left. "Start at the beginning."
Aliem looked nervously at Frank. "I didn't hurt your brother," he said. "I don't know what Anderson did to him."
"I know," replied Frank. "I heard you and Anderson talking. That's not why I'm here," he continued. "I want to know everything you know about Boris Mayhem."
"That isn't much," Aliem began. "I'm sure you know as much about him as I do but Craig seemed to know more than anyone. At least, I think he did."
"Why is that?" inquired Frank.
"Because Craig was afraid of Mayhem," Aliem asserted. "Whenever I had to talk to Mayhem and Craig entered the room his face would turn white and he would leave immediately. Once when Craig, Angela and I were working, Dr. Mayhem came into the lab. Craig started trembling and became extremely nervous. He excused himself and didn't return until after Mayhem had departed."
"Do you have any idea why Craig reacted so negatively to Mayhem's presence?" asked Frank.
"None," Aliem answered. "But for awhile Craig was actually afraid to be in the building at night."
"Maybe Aliem's wolves spooked him," suggested Frank.
"But if he were afraid of the wolves then why did he start reading everything he could find out about them?" countered Aliem.
"How do you know?" Con asked sharply.
"Because I saw Craig around campus," Aliem explained. "He got to where he was always reading about wolves. Either non-fiction or fictional."
"Fictional?" Con asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.
"Werewolves," Aliem answered. The reply did not generate a response from Frank although Con looked like he was about to laugh. "You don't seem surprised," Aliem commented looking at Frank and ignoring the officer.
"No," Frank admitted. "That kind of fits in with what I've heard," he added then turned to Con without explaining. "Have you been to Deyman's apartment?"
Con nodded and opened the door. An officer entered to take Aliem back to his cell. "We found a stack of books from the University Library all concerning werewolves."
"I think Mayhem may have brainwashed Craig into believing he was a werewolf," Frank said after Aliem and the other officer had departed.
Con erupted into laughter. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of," he replied.
"Agreed," Frank replied. "But it would explain his newfound fascination and his fear of Mayhem."
"No," Con disagreed. "Oh, it might explain his fascination but he wouldn't have been afraid of Mayhem unless he thought Mayhem was the wolf."
"Unless Mayhem convinced Craig there was a werewolf in the building at night and then arranged it so Craig would think he had been attacked," Frank pushed his theory.
"But he would have to have been quick about it," Con argued. "You only get one full moon unless you count the waxing and waning."
"You're right," Frank agreed, smiling. Of course! Why didn't I think of that? he wondered, planning on using that important information to combat Joe's belief that he was a lycanthrope.
When Frank arrived home he found Joe upstairs. "What are you reading?" he asked, going in and snagging the book when Joe hastily closed the cover and tried to hide it. "Joe," Frank moaned, sitting down on the bed with the werewolf book in his hand. "You're not a werewolf."
"Yeah, I know," Joe said, looking miserable. "The scratch. But look, it's healing," he said holding up his arm.
"Of course it is," Frank insisted. "It happened hours ago and it wasn't bad. Look, if you were a werewolf, you would change when the moon is full, right?" he asked but didn't wait for Joe's reply. "And you say you only transformed once but the moon is actually full for..."
"Frank," Joe interrupted him. "Some of the things I have read say a werewolf transforms on each full moon. Some say even on the waxing and waning. Still others say every single night regardless. But what if they're wrong? What if it only happens on a new moon?" he demanded, his blue eyes fearful. "That was four nights ago. That was when I changed."