Chapter 16

Sunday, June 7, 1987- Afternoon

Donovan returned to the lab complex that afternoon. Angry thoughts from a brief discussion with Connie about his "self-centeredness and lack of concern for Julie's safety," churned in his mind.

Upon entering the building, he headed for the laboratory. At first, it seemed no one was there. Then Donovan started to search and discovered Pico lying unconscious on the lab floor. He tugged at Pico's arm. It didn't budge. He studied Pico's chest. There was no movement. He placed his index and middle fingers against Pico's wrist.

No pulse…

Heat rose in Donovan's face. Ham was gone and the old man was dead.

What now? he wondered. Gather evidence.

He spotted a small rectangular box on the lab table, and pulled out a pair of snug-fitting latex gloves. Picking through a mess of glass and plastic containers on the table, he located a sealed vial filled with thick yellow liquid, then sorted through an array of pill bottles without labels. He wondered if the prescription Pico ingested was something already on the pharmaceutical market, or if Pico had created it himself. He realized in order to know whether the drug could help Julie, he needed to learn the source of Pico's demise. He guessed that source was more of a someone than a something, and that someone was Ham.

He searched Pico's shirt and pant pockets until he found an empty pill bottle.

Maitland can test it for chemical residue. Getting him to cooperate without him squealing to the authorities is another issue. You can't trust him… You don't have a choice.

#

Steve unzipped a two-tone brown sleeping bag then spread it on his couch. Connie sat in the easy chair nearby dressed in a hideous, floral printed muumuu which looked like it came straight out of Mrs. Roper from Three's Company's closet.

"I appreciate this, Stevie," she said. "If you need help with bills, I'll have Jeff wire more money."

"Don't worry about it." Steve clicked on the TV set, wanting to see the latest media coverage of Julie's ordeal. He stopped on KDHB. Footage of Julie standing mid-way up the Med Center's lobby staircase, next to the Visitor Supreme Commander, John appeared. "The Visitors are not our friends!" She'd spoke sternly. "They've come to rape our planet and kill us! They are not who they appear to be." She tore at the man's face, revealing the hideous reptilian features beneath. "This is who they are!"

Such spunk! It was Steve's first time viewing the footage.

"Turn that off!" Connie said.

"Why?"

She gawked at him. "I don't want to watch that garbage. I don't want to hear anything about her involvement with that… group."

Connie's hostility toward Julie's heroism angered Steve. He wished Connie was as proud of Julie as he was.

Connie stabbed her cigarette into a plain white bowl. Steve didn't own an ashtray and wasn't about to purchase one to accommodate her.

The doorbell chimed. Steve peered through the peephole.

Donovan. What the hell does he want?

"Who is it?" Connie asked as Steve opened the door.

"Maitland, we need to talk!" Donovan trotted in.

Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you…

Steve clicked off the television. "How'd you get my address?"

Donovan glanced at Connie, then Steve again. "Can we go someplace… private?"

"What are you hiding?" Connie asked.

Steve held Donovan's gaze. "Precisely."

"Look, we need to set our differences aside for Julie's sake," Donovan said. "We need to discuss this Pico situation."

"The authorities haven't located the psychopath." Steve sensed Donovan wouldn't leave without a discussion. "Let's go outside."

"Whatever he has to say, he can say in front of me," Connie protested.

Steve followed Donovan outside then closed the door behind them.

Donovan shuffled farther into the yard.

Steve joined him. "What do you want?"

"I need you to swear you won't say anything about this to Connie or anyone else."

"Like you've not been feeding anything to the press? The footage is upsetting to Connie."

"I haven't reported to work today," Donovan said. "I don't know what's going on with the investigation, but I do know the police are wasting their time looking for Pico."

"He is the person who shot her, right?"

"Promise me you won't say anything."

"What is the deal?"

Donovan withdrew a sealed, yellow package from his jacket pocket, and handed it to Steve. "There's a vial in there like the one Julie stepped on at Science Frontiers. I need you to test it. Find out what's in it."

"Where did it come from?"

"Pico's lab."

"At Science Frontiers?"

"No. Where he works."

"And where is that?" Steve studied the package, skeptical of Donovan's story. The envelope contained no identifying marks. Tracing his hand over two hard objects, Steve found one to be much larger in circumference than a vial. "There's something else in here."

"It's a prescription bottle," Donovan explained. "Now look, you can't share this part. And I don't know how to explain it to Doc Akers without getting the police involved."

"Which is a dilemma, because?"

Donovan paused. "Pico's dead."

"Really? Did you execute him and don't want to face the consequence?"

"No, I did not execute him," Donovan bit off. "I think what's in that vial could've killed him. If you don't find out what that something is, it may also kill Julie."

Little does he know, Steve thought.

"Julie's doing better. She spoke to Connie just before we came home… Oh, and you can't share that by the way. It's classified information." He winked.

Donovan's eyes lit up. "She's talking?"

"Yes." Steve smiled. "And she requested to see you. But sadly, you were off obstructing justice. I tell you what; I'll run a gram stain and get back to you."

Donovan's expression turned blank. "A what?"

"Run it under a microscope for bacterial classification."

"Then you'll want to test the pill bottle too."

"For tablets?" Steve shook the bag. Nothing rattled inside. "Sounds empty."

"Find out what it contained. Whatever it was, Pico might've taken it to cure himself."

"Inferring that he truly is deceased, it wouldn't be a magic antidote, now would it?"

"I'm not certain if it was the disease that killed him," Donovan explained. "I had someone look after him while I was away. When I came back, my friend was gone, and Pico was dead."

Steve chuckled. "Ooh! You have an accomplice. Now tell me something, Mike." Placing his hand on Donovan's shoulder, he asked, "I can call you Mike, right?"

Donovan's shoulder tensed as his eyes narrowed.

"Before you and your fictitious accomplice killed Pico," Steve continued. "Did you bother to ask him why he sought to destroy Julie?"

"Several times. Even better, I knew the answer before hand." Donovan winked.

"Before or after you tried to have her annihilated?"

Setting his jaw, Donovan looked like he was about to explode. "Pico had a copy of yours and Julie's contract! I know all about the money. I need to know if Pico bid on that project too."

He's not bluffing. How much does he know?