"I'm not sure that I'm the person you need," Roger said to the anxious couple sitting across from him. "It sounds to me like what you really want is a bodyguard."
"We want to know who's behind it," Reginald Anderson said. "We want you to find that person and negotiate with him. She deserves a chance to grow up, with her family, before we start worrying about Memories."
"I don't blame you for that," Roger said, smiling at the silent little girl. "When did you begin to realize that you were being watched?"
"I'm not sure," Anderson said. "Kathryn came home one day after taking Molly to the park and realized there was a man standing on the corner watching them. He didn't speak or do anything other than stand there, but as time went on, Kathryn realize she was seeing him everywhere they went."
"Did you recognize him?" Roger directed the question at Kathryn herself.
"I had never seen him before," she replied. "At first, I didn't think anything of it. But a few days later, when Molly and I went to the market, he was there again, sitting on a bench in front of the store. He's never spoken to us or approached, he just... watches."
"A neighbor you hadn't met?" Roger asked.
"We thought the same thing at first," Anderson interjected. "When we moved after I got a better job two years ago, though, within a few days, he was there again."
"If it's been going on for this long, why are you worried about it now?" Roger frowned.
"He spoke to Molly," Kathryn sounded terrified. "We were shopping and I realized I had left one of my bags inside. She waited outside with the rest of our things while I went in to get it. I was only gone for a minute, but when I came back, he was standing there talking to her!"
"What did he say?" Roger asked.
"She won't tell us," Anderson said. "When Kathryn came out, the man left."
Roger's voice dropped to the gentle tone he used with young children and the very old. "Molly? What did the man say to you?"
"I can't tell you that," the child answered flatly. She started at him unblinkingly. "You have an android," she said.
"Well... there is an android who lives here," Roger smiled. "Her name is Dorothy, would you like to meet her?"
"Absolutely not!" Anderson jumped to his feet as if to prevent Roger from leaving the room. He motioned to his wife, who immediately got up and led the child out of the study. "Mr. Smith," he said when they were alone, "Molly acts very... odd around androids. We've found that it's better to keep her away from them."
"I see," Roger said. "I only thought that perhaps if she wouldn't tell us what the man said, she might tell Dorothy."
"If it was any other child, I'd say it was a good idea," Anderson said. "But Molly... No, Mr. Smith. I'd appreciate it if you would tell your android to stay well away."
"I can ask her," Roger said. "I don't think anyone can tell R. Dorothy Wayneright what to do, though."
"Foolishness," Anderson dismissed his words. "Androids are meant to serve humans. You've just made the mistake of letting her think she can do what she wants."
Roger checked his suddenly flaring temper with a visible effort. Much as he was beginning to dislike Reginald Anderson, his daughter seemed to be in real trouble, and the child was blameless. "Be that as it may," he kept his voice deliberately calm, "I think your problems are a lot more serious than Molly acting strange around androids."
"So what's the next step?" Anderson asked.
"Try to find out what that man said to your daughter. I'll start checking a few things on this end." Roger walked him to the door. Kathryn Anderson and Molly were waiting for them in the entryway.
Roger knelt down in front of the little girl. "Molly, I don't know why you think you can't tell us what that man said, but we'd like to get him to stop following you around. If we knew what he wanted, it would be a lot easier."
"It won't help," she said gravely.
"Just think about it," he said. He stood and turned to her parents. "I'll be in touch in a couple of days," he said.
"Thank you, Mr. Smith," Anderson said as Norman opened the door.
Roger went upstairs and went out to the balcony, wondering what strange synchronicity had brought the very thing he was investigating straight into his home.
He went back inside and began to pace, thinking about it. There was something very, very familiar about that little girl, but for the life of him he couldn't put his finger on what it was.
"Something about this situation stinks!" Roger suddenly announced.
"What do you mean?" Dorothy asked. She had been busying herself with dusting the solarium, clearly curious as to why the girl and her parents had been there at the mansion.
By now she knew Roger well enough to know not to disturb him when he was trying to think something through, but she also knew that when he reached a certain point, he would want to talk about it. More and more, she was the person he talked to.
"Kathryn Anderson said that a strange man was talking to her daughter," Roger began to enumerate the main points on his fingers. "This man has apparently been watching them for more than two years, but only now are they concerned enough to seek help."
"That is odd," Dorothy agreed, sitting down on one of the couches.
Roger poured himself a drink and sat down on the couch across from her. "Molly has Memories centering around androids... at least, that's the rumor. Her parents neither confirmed nor denied this, by the way, but when I offered to introduce you to Molly, her father became quite agitated. He said she tended to act strange around androids."
"She asked me for help," Dorothy said.
"Well, I suppose that would seem strange, wouldn't it?" Roger sighed. "I need more information. I'll have to see if I can turn anything up. Oh, and at least for the moment, if you could avoid Molly if she's here, I'd appreciate it--while I'd love to see exactly what it is she does, I don't want to upset her parents."
Dorothy nodded. "I understand," she said. "I will keep my distance for now."