CHAPTER 18

Mike Donovan led Ham Tyler into the Los Angeles Public Library's Central branch on 5th and Flower. He'd been to Central before, of course. He'd covered many a civic event there, particularly earlier in his career as a cameraman. As always, though, he was impressed with both the size and the sense of history radiating from the place.

"It's sad," he said.

"What is?" Tyler replied, never breaking stride.

"Not a lot of people visiting the library these days. Particularly this one."

"Yeah," Tyler said. "You sure about this, Gooder? This doesn't feel right."

"What doesn't feel right?"

"I don't know. It feels like we're being set up. We've already got solid intel on your lady friend. We know the Visitors took her alive."

"Well, let's just say I'm more comfortable if I get information from more than just one source."

"Journalist to the end, huh? Gotta have corroboration."

Donovan chuckled, then led Tyler to the elevator lobby.

"Where are we going again?"

"Social Sciences. Lower Level 3."

The two of them waited for an elevator, then stepped into the first one that was going down. As luck would have it the elevator was empty. Tyler pressed the LL3 button, then Donovan pulled out a folded newspaper he had stashed under his brown and tan leather jacket, tucked into his jeans.

"It's today's L.A. Times," he explained. "This is one way we stay in touch with the Fifth Column."

"I still can't believe you trust those lizards."

"Yeah, well, the Fifth Column has never let me down."

"You know your lady friend sold you guys out at the old HQ three nights ago," Tyler said, changing the subject abruptly.

"I can't believe that."

"Gooder, you know how to put two and two together, don't you?"

Donovan turned to look at Tyler. "Yeah?"

"How else did the lizards find out where your HQ was?"

Donovan's silence said everything.

The elevator doors opened right then, and Donovan was relieved he could leave that part of the conversation behind him. He and Tyler stepped out, finding themselves just outside the Social Sciences section. Tyler pointed out an unoccupied table, which was pretty easy since there was hardly anybody in that part of the library, and they walked to it. Donovan laid the paper on the dark-stained wood, then opened up the Times to the classified ads section.

He found the Career ads, then traced his finger down the page of listings. After about ten seconds he tapped his finger on one listing.

"This is it."

Tyler read the ad silently.

"Help wanted. Research assistant sought. Expertise with Voltaire's Candide a must. Send resume and contact info to: Mr. Hunter Scott, Five Columns Academia, 2nd Edition St., #77, West Hollywood, CA 90046."

"Clever bastards," he said sotto voce, eliciting a short laugh from Donovan.

"C'mon," Donovan said. "We know where to look."

He led Tyler down the aisles of shelves until they found the section where books on Voltaire were located. "Now look for Candide," he instructed Tyler.

"It won't be here," Tyler said.

"How'd you know?" Donovan asked, his eyes already searching the shelves.

"Because I know Candide will be in the Literature section."

Donovan looked at Tyler. "I'm impressed. I never figured you to be an academic."

Tyler snorted. "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"True," said Donovan, his eyes back on the shelves. "And, actually, you're right; Candide would be in the Literature section. Except – " He reached in between two large volumes of literary criticism tomes on Voltaire's work and fished out a thin yellow and black paperback, holding it up for Tyler's inspection.

Candide, by Scott Hunter. 2nd Edition.

"Son of a bitch," Tyler said.

"Like you said – pretty clever."

"I figured the ad was coded; I thought I broke it," said Tyler.

"Yeah, well, you broke most of the code." Donovan smirked at Tyler, then opened the book up. There was writing on the margins and markings on the text on many of the pages. "Page 77… page 77," he said, flipping through the paperback until he got to the right page.

There was one handwritten note on the margin, and Donovan read the message. "Katherine Howe. It will be obvious."

He showed the message to Tyler. "Know who she is?"

"American novelist."

"I guess we're going to the Literature section after all."

Donovan and Tyler took the copy of Candide and left it at the librarian's desk so the staff could return it to the correct section, then went to the elevator. They ascended to the Literature & Fiction section on Level 3.

It took them about five minutes to find Katherine Howe's works on the shelves.

"Fess up, Gooder. This isn't the first time you've perused the Young Adult section, either here or at the bookstore."

Donovan ignored Tyler's jab, but then let out an audible sigh. He reached for one of Howe's books.

"Fuck," was all he said as he held out a novel titled, simply, "Conversion."