Part 15 (1/2)
”Hmm, well that's all well and fine, but the little things don't mean s.h.i.+t if you don't notice the big things, too.”
”Like what?”
I pointed out the rain-spotted window at the gray Hummer in front of the house. ”Like Howard Snow showing up right under your nose.”
”I would have noticed that.”
”Come on. Let's go.”
We hopped out of the car and hurried across the street. Fortunately, Snow was wearing a rain jacket with the hood pulled over his head, acting as blinders. That allowed us to come around him undetected from both sides.
”Mister Snow,” I said, flas.h.i.+ng my badge and ID. He looked frightened at first, but after seeing my badge, his expression changed to one of relief. ”Mister Snow, can we talk to you?”
He shut the car door and that is when he noticed Carlos. He put his hands up in surrender. ”Please,” he said. ”I didn't do anything.”
”That's all right.” I returned my badge and ID to my pocket. ”You can put your hands down. We only what to ask you some questions.”
He glanced over his shoulder, up one end of the street and down the other. ”How did you find me?”
”We're Big Brother,” said Carlos. ”We find everyone.”
”Carlos, please. Mister Snow, what are you afraid of? Why do you keep looking over your shoulder?”
”What does he mean, you're Big Brother?”
”He means nothing. We are not the Feds. We're cops from the Second Precinct. We only want to ask you a few questions. Is that all right?”
He dropped his hands slowly. ”Okay.”
”Do you have any weapons on you Mister Snow?”
”No.”
”Mind if we check?”
He shook his head. I gave Carlos a nod and he pat him down quickly.
”He's clean.”
”Mister Snow, do you know why we are here?”
He scoffed. ”I hope you're here to find out the truth.”
”The truth?”
”About what happened to Gerardi, Brookfield, Williams and Delaney.”
”And McSweeney?” said Carlos.
Snow seemed surprised. ”Her, too?”
”What is the truth?” I asked.
”The truth,” said Snow, ”is that the government killed those people and they want to kill me, too.”
”Why is that?”
”You know why. QE647. They want to snuff out everyone involved in its research and development.”
”So it's true? QE647 is not a sweetener?”
He laughed nervously. ”Please. You have no idea, Detective. QE647 will change the course of humanity. I knew from the beginning the government would never let knowledge of its existence go public. It's Area 51 all over again. I'm telling you. I just didn't know they would kill for it.”
”Who has it now,” I asked. ”Did you steal it?”
”What? Is that what they told you? Detective, don't you see? It's a sham, a cover-up. No one stole the compound. It's a blame game to throw you off track. Did you see they blew up my house?”
”We did.”
”They want you to think I'm dead so that you will stop looking for me.”
”Why would they want us to do that?”
”So they can find me and kill me without anyone knowing what ever happened to me. Ha, don't think for a moment they don't wish I was in the house when it blew. Ah, but I'm too smart for them. After Williams and Delaney, I knew it was no coincidence. They must think I'm an idiot not to know they are after me now.”
”Mister Snow, I don't understand. If Biocrynetix Laboratories wants to keep this all under wraps, why did Ferguson report the theft of the compound to the police?”
”Because Ferguson is afraid for his life, too. h.e.l.l, the only reason he's still alive is that he has no idea what is in QE647. He knows what it is. He just couldn't help anyone replicate it.”
I looked at Carlos. He seemed to be buying the story, and frankly, so was I. Things were beginning to make a lot more sense to me now.
”Mister Snow. We had cadaver dogs out at your house this morning. The police know you were not in the house when it blew.”
”d.a.m.n it. Detective, please, you have to help me. I have nowhere else to turn. I lost my wife last night you know. She died.”
”We know that. We're sorry for your loss.”
He shook his head. ”Probably for the better. I would not be able to stay away from her. We would both make easy targets.”
”I think we can help you. We can hold off reports regarding your house for a while, maybe buy you time. Buy us some time, as well.”
”You would do that?”
”I'll try, but you will have to promise me you won't leave town, at least until we can piece a few more bits of this puzzle together. If you would like, I can have the neighborhood patrolled every so often.”
”No. Don't do that. I would rather no one knows you found me. I cannot trust a soul. You can't trust a soul, not even your own people.”
”You can trust us,” I said.
Carlos nodded.