Chapter Fifteen - Understanding
"I don't like it. I really don't."
"He'll be fine, Grandma."
"I thought that Lady Penelope was supposed to be keeping an eye on him?"
"She still is. She wouldn't have let Dad go to Florida if she thought that it wasn't worth it."
"I wish that he'd just left well alone." Josie Tracy shook her head as she prepared vegetables for the evening meal. "He's literally looking for trouble."
"He needs to do this," Scott replied.
"Do what? He solved his mystery. He realised that the woman he saw wasn't your mother – which we already knew - and that should have been the end of the matter."
"If that was all there was to it, yes. But there's more. Dad's a problem solver and he's not going to give up until he finds the solution." Scott's calmness was a contrast to his grandmother's agitation. She added the vegetables to the large casserole dish.
"Well, at least he's out from behind his desk," she said, trying to put a positive spin on her fears.
"That's the spirit," Scott said. Josie did not look spirited. Rather, she looked at her eldest grandson, her sky blue eyes unhappy.
"When are you going to tell your brothers the truth?"
"I don't know," Scott admitted. "I guess it depends on what happens with Dad. And I think telling them will cause headaches that we don't need at the moment."
"Why do you think that, Scott?"
"John adored mom, remember? If all of this has been hard on me and Virg, it'll kill him."
"What about Gordon and Alan? They don't remember your mother."
"That's what bothers me. I've absolutely no idea how they'd react. Neither of them talks about mom much – not to me, anyway. Gordon will probably take it in his stride, I guess. But Alan… Alan I just got this real bad feeling about."
"I could talk to him," Josie said. She adored all of her grandsons, but Alan had a special place in her heart, being the baby of the family.
"No," Scott said. "I encouraged Dad to take the steps that has led to this adventure of his; I should take responsibility for any fallout. If it comes to it, I'll tell Alan. I'll tell all of them." His grandmother squeezed his arm.
"Hopefully this will all be wrapped up shortly and your father can tell them himself," she said.
"I hope so too," Scott replied.
Thousands of miles away in sunny Florida, Jeff was completely unaware of the consternation of his mother and eldest son. Instead, he was making his way to the Kennedy Space Centre to meet up with an old associate of his. Jeff sat back in his seat, watching the passing scenery. He associated Florida more with his profession than anything else. Here, he had enjoyed the height of his career as an astronaut, which peaked with him being the first man to step back on the moon in some three decades. Back then, it was simply him, Lucy and Scott until Virgil joined them in the August of 1999. Just over a year later, Jeff had quit his active space career, deciding instead to focus on building what was, in those days, a small aerospace company and the family had moved north to settle in Boston. Their time in Florida might have been short, but it had been happy and Jeff had always enjoyed making business trips to the Sunshine State in order to do business with contacts at NASA and the WSA.
Today though, the memories were a little soured by the thought that something untoward had gone on behind the scenes, that someone had seemingly used Lucy as an unwitting pawn in their plans. If what Natasha said about her birthplace was true, then Florida was the place where this whole affair had begun, the place where she held a direct connection to Lucy. And as Jeff knew well, there was no better place to start than at the beginning.
Elsewhere, in a windowless room, Parker sat eating a small meal. They seemed to be treating him a little better, giving him somewhere to freshen up and take a nap, meals and even newspapers to read. The courtesy had not yet extended as far as his free movement. It had been three days since he and Natasha had been made guests of these mysterious people and Parker was still not really any wiser as to what they wanted with him. All Posh – Doctor Blalock – had told him was that he, Parker, was going to be very important to the future of Blalock's consortium, because Parker was going to succeed where others had not. He had placed Parker into the care of two of his assistants, who performed what seemed to be some sort of routine medical examination. Parker submitted to the tests, still deciding that cooperation was still the best option. He answered questions succinctly, not giving anything away, but not giving a reason for the assistants, or Blalock, to make deeper queries. When asked his name, Parker had responded with, "Fred Peabody". There was no story behind the pseudonym. Over the years, his mind had become adept at creating false identities on a whim.
The other man Parker had encountered, the one he called Business, had disappeared not long after Parker's interrogation. Parker had no idea where or why he had to go, and in a way, he didn't really care. It was one less person to deal with. Besides, Parker was certain that Blalock would be easier to get talking to, easier to try and build up some sort of trust with – as far as Blalock could be trusted, which Parker suspected, wasn't very much. Still, Parker prided himself on being able to obtain information from anybody if he was given enough of a chance to worm his way into their confidence. He finished his meal, and was just about to put his feet up and finish his newspaper when he heard the sound of the door unlocking. He put the paper aside and stood. He was unsurprised to see that his visitor was Blalock.
"Mr Peabody."
"Hi was never one for formalities. Call me Fred," Parker replied, with an edge of geniality. Blalock smiled his humourless smile.
"Very well then, Fred. But I'd prefer Doctor Blalock if it's all the same to you."
"Suit yourself," Parker shrugged. "How may hi be of assistance?"
"Oh, I'm not paying a house call for business purposes," Blalock said. "I thought that you might like a walk."
"That would be much happreciated, Doctor," Parker said. "Hi'd like the opportunity to learn more habout this consortium of yours. You know, clarifying my role since it's of such himportance to you."
"All in good time," Blalock said, showing Parker out of the door. "I think that first you'd like to be reintroduced to somebody."
"Miss Natasha?" Blalock chuckled in a manner that made Parker feel inclined to want to call upon his old boxing skills.
"You guessed correctly," the doctor said.
"Hi trust that she's well?"
"I wouldn't make you talk to a corpse," Blalock replied. Parker thought of Mr Tracy's conviction that Natasha was identical to his dead wife, but wisely kept his mouth shut on the subject. The two men exchanged no further words until they reached their destination. Blalock unlocked the door and ushered Parker in. Natasha was reclining on the bed, but scrambled to her feet when she saw Parker.
"You," was all she said.
"I thought that you both could do with some company," Blalock said.
"That's very generous of you," Natasha said, flatly. Blalock gave her a somewhat smug look before leaving her alone with Parker.
"I'm surprised to see you," Natasha said. "I see that you've met the good doctor."
"Hi don't know if I'd describe him as good," Parker replied.
"You'd be right there," said Natasha, sitting back down on the bed, somewhat stiffly. Parker sat on a chair.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She seemed a little distant, but a moment later she shook back her russet hair and looked at Parker with renewed energy. "I should thank you for what you tried to do."
"No need. Hi'm sorry that it didn't turn out 'as hexpected," replied Parker. Natasha's mouth tugged up at the corners.
"You're a real Cockney," she said. Parker looked impressed.
"You 'ave a better brain than that feller who kidnapped us," he said. "He thought hi was French."
"Doesn't surprise me. Torres is an idiot."
"Was an idiot," Parker said. Natasha looked back at him but then gave a half shrug.
"They don't like imperfections around here."
"Well, hi'm surprised that they're keeping me around then," Parker said. "Hi is the picture of himperfection." Natasha smiled again, a little more broadly.
"I won't hold that against you… I'm sorry. I don't recall your name."
"Peabody. Fred Peabody."
"You don't look like a Fred."
"You don't look much like a Natasha." Parker's reply made Natasha draw back a little.
"People get things into their heads, I guess," she said carefully, a slight quirk of an eyebrow telling Parker that they shouldn't get onto that particular subject. For his part, Parker had no intention of openly discussing their earlier meeting with Lady Penelope and Mr Tracy. Blalock's apparently cordial gesture could be a genuine act, or it could just be an attempt to eavesdrop for holes in Parker's story.
"Hi wish that I could get it into my 'ed what hi is still doing here," Parker said. "Doctor Blalock said that hi was himportant, but hi sees no evidence of that."
"Blalock likes his secrets," Natasha replied. She gave Parker an odd look that seemed almost sad. Again, it was quickly covered up.
"Do you know how long hi can be expected to be kept here?" Parker asked.
"Have they given you what appears to have been a medical?"
"Has a matter of fact, they 'ave."
"When?"
"A few days ago."
"Oh." Natasha frowned slightly. "I'd have thought that you'd be free to go by now."
"Perhaps there are some paperwork issues," Parker said. "Hi'm sure that you can understand how I'm finding this all rather confusing. Hi'm just a salesman hafter all. Perhaps you can fill me in. You seem acquainted with Doctor Blalock."
"Let's just say that I work for him," Natasha said.
"Doing what?"
"Research." She appeared to lean forward in a casual gesture, but she looked him carefully in the eye. "I used to work in New York, as part of a governmental science project."
"I see," Parker said, also carefully. "Hi 'ad a cousin who was into the sciences. What discipline did you study?"
"Mostly biology related subjects. You know, physiology, genetics, that sort of thing. Not very interesting."
"Hi'm sure that some people would disagree there," Parker said. "Hi think I'll stick to doing odd jobs."
"What sort of jobs?"
"Oh, hi think I've managed to 'ave a go at most things in my life," Parker replied. "Hi've even worked for 'er Majesty. 'Course, that was a long time ago."
"You look like you've known aristocracy," Natasha commented. "It's in the way you carry yourself."
"Hi don't think that hi'll see those days again henytime soon," Parker said, and heaved a carefully tuned sigh. He looked at Natasha and an understanding flashed between them. They were going to work very well together.