CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Attwood and the others arrived at Enrique's residence, a large house with a triple garage, a driveway, and the feeling of wealth. The accountant opened the door, and let Attwood and the others in except for Sloan and Tom.
"Don't you want to stay here?" asked Enrique.
"Tom and I were planning to go for a walk. He's been confined for so long," said Sloan holding onto Tom's hand.
"I wouldn't recommend it," said Ed, "he's still quite weak."
"You can borrow one of my cars and if you're very careful, no one will notice you," said the accountant, tossing them a key. "It's the black one, the Intrigue. That detective and his family are already here. It also looks as if Señora Leon's granddaughter and Valerie have returned. So I've got quite a bit of business to do."
While Tom and Sloan drove off, they went into Enrique's house that was just as wealthy looking as the outside. However, unlike a lot of wealthy families, Enrique had several offspring. One of his sons, Vito, also in the Navy but not in the reserves, worked at the local Veteran's Administration hospital. He was specializing in mental disorders due to chemical imbalances and since Ed's field was in chemistry, Tate and the other man took a great interest in each other.
He was not married to the girl who took Daniella to the school, by the way. That was Cesar who ran a branch of a popular office supply shop. Enrique received either a substantial discount on his printer, fax machines, and various other equipment or else he was just plain wealthy. Attwood suspected it was a combination of both.
The captain helped Ed carry in what they saved when they fled California and the accountant told them they could use his computer. Unfortunately, even though it was almost the latest and fastest one, it did not have the programs required.
"From what you tell me," said Enrique, "it looks like you'd have to go to the Pentagon for verification. What about it Carl. Can you help?"
Putting down the box containing Ed's notes, Carl took the list the doctor showed him. "This is military issue. Just wait a moment." He ran back outside, talked to the Marine officer, and then returned. "My cousin's has to get his jeep out of the garage. He knows someone in the Pentagon and they'll arrange a requisition order. It should be here, if all goes well, about a few hours."
"That fast?" asked Ray.
"He knows quite a few people. I know more, but I'm also stuck here with another case. Someone found a piece of metal and assumed it came from a spaceship. We have to investigate of course."
"Of course."
They heard the garage door shut and the jeep drive away.
Enrique enlisted one of the children to help his new guests clear a couple of rooms to put their equipment when it arrived while he telephoned the Church. "They'll release the body after the autopsy," he said. "Yes the hospital chaplain gave him the last rites—.I'll have my daughter, Linda, bring his best suit tonight."
Ed had taken his binders and books from the box and placed them on a shelf. Meanwhile, another of Enrique's sons, Pedro set up a large desk and a chair and a daughter, Dolores ran down to the basement with a couple of circuit breakers. "We need more power!" she called up.
"How long will it take to add an extra line?" asked Attwood engrossed in checking in his notebook what needed done.
"Too long," said Ed, "we'd have to go to either Home Depot or Tandy for the extra cords and switches and that'd bring up suspicion." He took a serious look at Pedro. The boy looked the same age as the dead Alejandro and so did that girl, what was her name, Dolores? Triplets? Could be. Now if they were Dominants, there'd be another one. Couldn't be. The desk has rollers on the bottom. He apologized to himself for thinking such things. Their uncle belonging to a quasi-secret organization and this being Area 51, naturally the family would act a bit different. Didn't we act strange once we found out about the Dominant plans to kill all of mankind?
Enrique made up a list of the equipment they would need, and as he had a standing account with Tandy, as well as that other store where Cesar worked, he would get anything they wanted at a considerable discount. Over fifty dollars, delivery was free. He would claim it as office expenses and since the management knew that the accountant was always trying out the "latest and greatest" which often caused one or more circuits to blow, no one would be suspicion. It would be that "Enrique's trying out another toy so if there's a brown out, you know who to blame." . Meanwhile Dr. Tate went into the closet, bringing out a box with a cord protruding. Unfortunately, that would not do. It was only a television cable. He listened to Enrique figuring what they needed.
"An extra outlet, battery power supply...I have to cut a hole in the wall, electric tape which I already have—we have to do it ourselves. That'll cut down on the labor. I hope you have some cash ready. For obvious reasons, we can't use your credit cards."
Attwood took several bills out of his wallet. "Will this do?"
"That'll do. Sandra, will you go to Tandy's and pick these up?"
"I'll walk."
While she was on her errand, Enrique cut a hole in the wall to put through the extra cords when they arrived.
Attwood and the others arrived at Enrique's residence, a large house with a triple garage, a driveway, and the feeling of wealth. The accountant opened the door, and let Attwood and the others in except for Sloan and Tom.
"Don't you want to stay here?" asked Enrique.
"Tom and I were planning to go for a walk. He's been confined for so long," said Sloan holding onto Tom's hand.
"I wouldn't recommend it," said Ed, "he's still quite weak."
"You can borrow one of my cars and if you're very careful, no one will notice you," said the accountant, tossing them a key. "It's the black one, the Intrigue. That detective and his family are already here. It also looks as if Señora Leon's granddaughter and Valerie have returned. So I've got quite a bit of business to do."
While Tom and Sloan drove off, they went into Enrique's house that was just as wealthy looking as the outside. However, unlike a lot of wealthy families, Enrique had several offspring. One of his sons, Vito, also in the Navy but not in the reserves, worked at the local Veteran's Administration hospital. He was specializing in mental disorders due to chemical imbalances and since Ed's field was in chemistry, Tate and the other man took a great interest in each other.
He was not married to the girl who took Daniella to the school, by the way. That was Cesar who ran a branch of a popular office supply shop. Enrique received either a substantial discount on his printer, fax machines, and various other equipment or else he was just plain wealthy. Attwood suspected it was a combination of both.
The captain helped Ed carry in what they saved when they fled California and the accountant told them they could use his computer. Unfortunately, even though it was almost the latest and fastest one, it did not have the programs required.
"From what you tell me," said Enrique, "it looks like you'd have to go to the Pentagon for verification. What about it Carl. Can you help?"
Putting down the box containing Ed's notes, Carl took the list the doctor showed him. "This is military issue. Just wait a moment." He ran back outside, talked to the Marine officer, and then returned. "My cousin's has to get his jeep out of the garage. He knows someone in the Pentagon and they'll arrange a requisition order. It should be here, if all goes well, about a few hours."
"That fast?" asked Ray.
"He knows quite a few people. I know more, but I'm also stuck here with another case. Someone found a piece of metal and assumed it came from a spaceship. We have to investigate of course."
"Of course."
They heard the garage door shut and the jeep drive away.
Enrique enlisted one of the children to help his new guests clear a couple of rooms to put their equipment when it arrived while he telephoned the Church. "They'll release the body after the autopsy," he said. "Yes the hospital chaplain gave him the last rites—.I'll have my daughter, Linda, bring his best suit tonight."
Ed had taken his binders and books from the box and placed them on a shelf. Meanwhile, another of Enrique's sons, Pedro set up a large desk and a chair and a daughter, Dolores ran down to the basement with a couple of circuit breakers. "We need more power!" she called up.
"How long will it take to add an extra line?" asked Attwood engrossed in checking in his notebook what needed done.
"Too long," said Ed, "we'd have to go to either Home Depot or Tandy for the extra cords and switches and that'd bring up suspicion." He took a serious look at Pedro. The boy looked the same age as the dead Alejandro and so did that girl, what was her name, Dolores? Triplets? Could be. Now if they were Dominants, there'd be another one. Couldn't be. The desk has rollers on the bottom. He apologized to himself for thinking such things. Their uncle belonging to a quasi-secret organization and this being Area 51, naturally the family would act a bit different. Didn't we act strange once we found out about the Dominant plans to kill all of mankind?
Enrique made up a list of the equipment they would need, and as he had a standing account with Tandy, as well as that other store where Cesar worked, he would get anything they wanted at a considerable discount. Over fifty dollars, delivery was free. He would claim it as office expenses and since the management knew that the accountant was always trying out the "latest and greatest" which often caused one or more circuits to blow, no one would be suspicion. It would be that "Enrique's trying out another toy so if there's a brown out, you know who to blame." . Meanwhile Dr. Tate went into the closet, bringing out a box with a cord protruding. Unfortunately, that would not do. It was only a television cable. He listened to Enrique figuring what they needed.
"An extra outlet, battery power supply...I have to cut a hole in the wall, electric tape which I already have—we have to do it ourselves. That'll cut down on the labor. I hope you have some cash ready. For obvious reasons, we can't use your credit cards."
Attwood took several bills out of his wallet. "Will this do?"
"That'll do. Sandra, will you go to Tandy's and pick these up?"
"I'll walk."
While she was on her errand, Enrique cut a hole in the wall to put through the extra cords when they arrived.