Part 27 (1/2)
”We called,” Donovan said, ”but your lines were busy.”
”I have two days left, and you show up three and a half hours late.”
The room grew deathly quiet. Donovan didn't hold my gaze, turned to Achara and then Stephanie for succor. I'd been getting angry at people all morning, more surprised with each episode.
The voices outside grew louder, and then the front door opened and Wes and Lillian Tindale burst in. My daughters ran past them and into my arms. Smothered in kisses, I held them in my arms for a few moments, and then let them slide to the floor.
Sensing the tension they'd walked into, Wes said, ”We got them back in time for lunch.”
”It's nice to know somebody's punctual.”
After they left, Allyson whispered to me. ”Grandpa said he had to go to the rest room, but he went to the tavern instead.”
”Thanks.”
Achara introduced herself to the girls and said, ”Would you two like to show me around? I don't know that I've ever been in a fire station.”
After they left, I turned to Donovan. ”So what the h.e.l.l's going on?”
”We were late. It's not the end of the world.”
”Not for you.”
”We've been working on it. I'm sorry if we weren't in touch the way you would have liked. I remember this from Chattanooga. People get emotional. I should have been on my toes. I'm sorry.” Donovan turned his blue eyes to Stephanie, as if she were an ally, or as if he wanted to make her one. ”I was at Canyon View at five this morning. Achara was there all night. I brought her up to speed on everything we'd done in Tennessee, and after that she wanted to do some records searches. She's a better chemist than I am-I'm mostly administrative these days-and she wanted to go over the list of chemicals we'd come up with in Tennessee to see if there were any that might have produced your symptoms. After that we were waiting for phone calls, mine from London, hers from Hong Kong. With the time differences and everything, it took a while.”
”Did you find anything?”
”Unfortunately, not yet. We have two more people back at the plant going through the lists of chemicals we know were involved in Tennessee. We're doing everything we can think of as fast as we think of it.”
”And what about Jane's California Propulsion, Inc.?”
”I still haven't been able to find out if they were involved in Tennessee.”
My cell phone rang. ”Yes?”
It was Olefson, one of the county chiefs from our committee. He told me they would be organized and working by Monday morning. ”Fine,” I said. I should have told them all at the meeting that I had the syndrome. Everybody was working in slow motion while I was dying at sixteen frames per second.
”Look,” Stephanie said, sensing how irritated I still was. ”Why don't you go break Achara free while Mr. Donovan and I compare notes.”
”Sorry I went off on you,” I said.
”Call me Scott. And don't worry about it. One thing, though. We'd like to see as many of the victims as possible. That would certainly help a lot.”
”Mary McCain is expecting me this afternoon.”
”Who is?”
”Her husband's got it. She's expecting only me, but I think I can get you all in.”
I found the three of them sitting in the front seat of the tanker. When I opened the door, Britney giggled and leaned past Achara, who was on the outside. ”We were hiding.”
When Achara smiled, it was clear her heart was breaking for me. I could only surmise what spending five minutes with my daughters had done to her, because either one of them could have charmed the scales off an alligator.
”We're finished in there,” I said.
”Everything resolved?” Achara asked.
”More or less.”
”Achara thinks we should get our hair cut,” Allyson said.
”So do I.”
”Really, Daddy?” Britney was so excited she was about to burst.
”Yes.”
”Grandma said short hair wasn't ladylike.”
”Grandma has short hair,” I said.
”That's what we told her,” said Allyson, still indignant about it.
”You want out?” I said to the girls, who both shook their heads.
”You want to come over for dinner tonight?” Britney blurted. Allyson elbowed her and whispered in her ear. Britney added, ”Stephanie won't mind.”
”Thank you, but I'm afraid I'll be busy,” Achara said. As I helped her climb down out of the rig, she said, ”Maybe we should sit down and talk one-on-one about what's happening. I have some ideas.”
”Sure.”
”Later?”
”Yeah.”
43. JOKESTERS WHO PUT ZOMBIES IN MOVIE THEATER SEATS.
We caravanned to Joel McCain's house, Stephanie navigating the route by memory, having followed the fire engine there earlier in the week. On North Bend Way, in the middle of town, we pa.s.sed a couple of high school girls in shorts and halter tops holding cardboard signs for a car wash. I figured this was where Donovan's Suburban had gotten wet. The thought made my blood boil all over again. They seemed helpful enough and indicated that they were working on the problem day and night, but every little thing was making me irritable.
Stephanie parked the Lexus in front of the McCain homestead while Donovan pulled his Suburban into a spot behind us in the cul-de-sac. The neighborhood was resplendent in the June suns.h.i.+ne, the lawns green and manicured.
A perplexed expression on her face, Mary opened the front door while we gathered at the end of her walkway. ”Listen,” I said. ”Let me go first. She wasn't expecting all of us.”
”No, it's fine!” Mary shouted. ”Company will be good. I'm sure he's ready to see people. Whoever you want to bring is fine.” As we drew closer and I made the introductions, Mary said, ”If Dr. Riggs was here to treat Joel, I would veto it, but this is a matter of public health. Scientists always want to cooperate with the medical authorities. It's in the manual. Mrs. Eddy was very explicit.”
I wondered what was going on with Joel that Mary wanted him to have this many visitors. Was it possible the syndrome really was transitory, that Holly was going to get better, and that Karrie and I weren't doomed? That Stan had killed himself for nothing?
”Thank you, Mary.” My daughters were behind us in the cul-de-sac, Allyson walking across the street toward a girl her age, Britney lagging behind. ”You two going to be okay out here?” I shouted.