Shelby looked into Duke’s cold black eyes, eyes that shone with confidence and defiance. He did not like to be belittled and didn’t hesitate with his response. “Mr. Duke, maybe you’re out of your league in this investigation. Maybe you should leave this to the police department.”
“Captain, I am a professional. Twenty years with the FBI and now I’m chief over a nine-hundred-man security department. How many men do you oversee, Captain?”
“Hold on, gentlemen,” said Kendrick. “We’re getting off to a bad start here and it’s not necessary. We each have our own expertise and that’s why we’re part of this team, to find out who or what is causing this Human Brain Virus to attack. Now let’s get on with it.”
The next two hours were spent going over every detail each investigator could provide. Salinas explained the medical situation at the hospital and gave a dim prognosis as to any recovery of the victims. Duke went over the phone system at the Johnson Space Center and said he was looking into any connections between the six men. “So far, I’ve found none.”
Kendrick discussed what she felt they should look for. “Water contamination, food bacteria, or an air-transmitted virus. Electrical and digital viruses are out of my league,” she said. “We’re looking for classic food toxins. Right now we’re running every test known to man on their blood samples. If that doesn’t pay off, then we’ll look at standard poisons such as arsenic and cyanide, followed by household poisons and medical poisons. Drugs of some kind could cause this, as well as industrial pollutants. Way down on my list are fungi and poisonous plants, but who knows? Mr. Duke, could you provide me a list of any pesticides that are being used at the Space Center?”
Duke nodded and wrote in his notebook. He didn’t look up as Shelby started with his part of the briefing. Quickly Shelby went over his findings about computer viruses and spoke in detail about the call. “Maybe it’s only a joke of some kind, but I’m afraid it’s the real thing.” He closed by telling them that the chief and Senator Mitchell were very interested it the case and that he had been assured the investigation had top priority at the department.
No one said anything for a few seconds, then Salinas gave a tired grunt and stood. “I’ve still got rounds to make and a class to teach tonight,” he said. “Let’s meet tomorrow in the main conference room about noon. Is that okay with everyone?”
“Agreed, noon tomorrow.” Shelby was first out the door. He had made the first turn on his way to the parking lot when he heard a voice behind him. “Captain Shelby, do you have a minute?”
By now he knew the voice. It was Kendrick. “Captain, I’ve got a couple of questions I’d like to ask you. Can I buy you supper? We can let Atlanta pay for it and, to tell you the truth, I hate to eat alone.”
“Sure, I know a nice place where we can get some decent food,” Shelby said with a strange sensation of embarrassment. Although it had been six years since his wife Mary died, he felt guilty about a dinner date with Dr. Kendrick.
“I knew you’d know a good place. In my travels for the Center, I’ve found that policemen and truckers always know the very best places to get food. Policemen know where the food’s good and free. Why is that?”
“They teach us that in the academy. Sack dragging 101.”
They both laughed as they left the hospital. Shelby opened the door for Kendrick and quickly walked around to the driver’s side. She had the door unlocked for him and he got in, started the car, and drove to the street before asking, “Texan, Mexican, or Chinese?”
“In Georgia we’re plenty proud of our barbecued pork. I hear you all think barbecue beef is the better way to go. Think we can find a place that serves up spare ribs and cold beer?”
She’s beautiful, bold, and brilliant. A dangerous combination, Shelby thought. “Yes ma’am, I think I know just the place. The County Line’s got great ribs.” They turned west on Holcombe and then right onto Main. Soon they left the medical complexes and passed Rice University on their left, then Hermann Park with its woodland beauty loomed to their right.
As the Crown Vic weaved in and out of heavy traffic, Shelby became aware that someone was following them. He slowed and they slowed. He sped up and they sped up. He turned onto Montrose and the car lights followed about two blocks behind them. Keeping a careful eye on the car in the rearview mirror, he told Kendrick, “We’re being followed.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. He’s been on our tail since we left the hospital. I’m going to call for a marked unit to make a stop on him. Then maybe we’ll be one large step closer to solving this mystery.”
Another turn onto Richmond, then he called, “One-oh-three, any unit in the vicinity of Richmond and Montrose, respond for officer assistance.”
“Ten-Henry-seventy, I’m on Bissonnet. Go ahead.”
“Ten-Henry-seventy, I’ve got a tail, blue or black Lincoln. We’re just passing St. Thomas University, westbound. Request that you stop and detain vehicle and its occupants until I can get back and ID the subjects, copy?”
Ten-Henry-seventy was clear. “I’m about ten blocks from your location at this time. Should be in position in two or three minutes.”
Suddenly the dark car turned off and disappeared on a cross street. “He’s monitoring the channel,” Shelby mumbled to Kendrick. “Who can do that?”
“How do you know he’s monitoring your radio?”
“As soon as we started talking about him, he turned off. Yeah, he’s on the channel.”
The radio broke, “One-oh-three, I’ve lost him. Did you see which way he went?”
Shelby pulled over to the curb and waited for the blue-and-white unit to pull beside him. Then he hollered out the window, “Look, the guy’s got a scanner. Drop off a few blocks and see if he comes back. If not, just let it go. Keep a watch on the parallel street to our right, Colquitt. He might be smart and follow us from one street over. I don’t know who or what the deal is, so be very careful if you make a stop.”
Shelby pulled away from the curb and continued west. The blocks slipped by and no car. At Buffalo Speedway, Ten-Henry-seventy turned left, back to Bissonnet, and was gone. They were alone. Against who or what, Shelby had no idea, but he was sure they hadn’t seen the last of the dark car. He took the Glock 9mm from its warm hideaway under his left armpit and laid it on the seat next to him. Just in case.
They didn’t talk much for the next several minutes. Shelby watched the mirror and Kendrick turned to watch each intersection. When they parked at The County Line, Shelby said, “I think maybe we lost him. I’m not going to check out over the radio, but I’ve got a pager so they can get me if I’m needed. I’ll give the office a call from the restaurant.”
Once inside they both seemed to relax. She’s really very nice, he thought. After Shelby called his office and they ordered, he said, “This was one of my wife’s favorite places to eat. Mary loved barbecue.”
“Are you divorced?”
“No. She died a little over six years ago. Died of breast cancer. We went to Milby High School together and married two years after we graduated. She was my first love. Actually, my only love. We started going steady when we were freshmen and she’s really the only girl I ever dated. Well, almost. We had a fight our senior year. We broke up for a week or so. I asked another girl to a basketball game just to make Mary mad.”
“Did it work?”
“Yeah, I guess. We were going steady again the next day.”
“It’s obvious she meant a