Joseph Kanon - Los Alamos

Connolly stared at the book, his face growing warm. This wasn’t what he’d wanted to find. Just a Bible. Why hadn’t Eisler thrown it away? But he never threw books away. Look at the room. The parking lot was easy, no problem there, everything straight. Had he gone into the church at all? What had they said to each other? Connolly drew in a breath, still staring at the picture. He heard the voices in his head, crossword clues falling into place, until they came to a blue flash. An eye for an eye. But not for the gadget. Something else.

“Mr. Connolly?” He looked up. “Is something wrong? I’ve been calling you.”

“No, nothing.” He stood there, startled, holding the book in front of him.

“Are you sure? You look—”

“I’m sorry. I was thinking.”

She clicked her tongue. “Just like Hans. Once he puts his head in a book—”

She glanced toward it, and for a second Connolly wanted to snap it shut, before anyone else could know. He looked down. It was absurd. A tourist guide. There could be any number of explanations. But he knew there wouldn’t be. Eisler. But how? The head had been smashed in.

“You were reading?” Frau Weber said, drawing him back.

“No, just looking for something to take him. I’m afraid I don’t know German.”

She smiled. “I’ll find something for him. I know what he likes. Go to work now-I’ll take the valise. You’ve been very kind.”

“Isn’t it heavy?”

“This? A feather. Wet laundry is heavy. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.”

He started to turn away, the book still in his hand, and she looked at him strangely, as if he were stealing.

“I thought I might borrow this,” he said, closing it. “I don’t think Professor Eisler would mind. It’s just what I’ve been looking for.”

“Sightseeing?” Mills said when he saw the book in Connolly’s hand.

“You still have those bank files?”

“Boy, you never stop, do you? Who’s the suspect this time?”

“Let me see Eisler’s.”

“Now what? What are you going to do, cuff him in his bed?”

“Do you have the file?”

“No, but I can tell you. It’s all up here.” He placed a finger by his temple. “There’s nothing in it.”

“But he opened one?”

Mills nodded, now curious. “When he got here. One deposit, the first month. Nothing after that. Guess he kept it himself.”

Karl had recognized Emma right away. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“Let me see it anyway.”

“What’s all this about, Mike?” Mills said, but Connolly just looked at him until he backed away from the desk, holding up his hand. “Okay, okay. I’ll get it.” He went over to rifle through the stack on his desk.

Connolly sat looking at the book. Adobe Press, something local; copyrighted before the war. Glossy paper, but thin, photographs darker than they should be. He took out the Santa Fe directory and when he couldn’t find a listing called Holliday instead.

“Ever hear of something called the Adobe Press?”

“Sure. Now what made you think of that?”

“Where are they?”

“Well, ‘they’ is a he. It’s just old Art Perkins. Made that guidebook. I guess that’s what you mean. Not bad either. But the tourists just kinda dried up during the war, so he closed the shop. Well, shop. Garage was more like it. What’s the interest?”

“Where can you buy them?”

“Anywhere. Art had a nice little business with that. I’ve got one myself if you need it, but they’re still around in the stores.”

“He do any mail business?”

“Not now. Art died about a year ago.”

“Oh.”

“Now you going to tell me what this is all about?”

“In a day or two, Doc. Some things I want to check out first.”

Mills had slid the account sheet in front of him, an empty column with one deposit, just as he’d promised.

“Don’t forget to call, now,” Doc said, hanging up. “The suspense’ll kill me.”

Connolly pushed the sheet aside and looked at the book. You could buy it anywhere. So Eisler had walked into a store, maybe one of those near the plaza, and bought-no, it was too elaborate. How would he know where to mark? If it was a message, it had to be sent. But not by the Adobe Press.

“Mills, the mail censor’s off-site, right?”

“Right. The envelope goes unsealed. They check it out, then seal it and send it on its way so no one out there’s the wiser. Or it comes back here if they’ve got a problem with it.”

“What about incoming?”

“That just goes to the post office here. Problem’s in the other direction.”

“But the top scientists. Somebody must look.”

Mills shifted in his chair. “I wouldn’t know about that,” he said carefully. Again Connolly just stared at him. “Check with Bailey, two doors down,” he said finally. “And don’t mention my name.”

Bailey had no such scruples. He was sitting in front of a pile of unread mail, glad of the interruption. “We don’t keep a record,” he said. “No point. But what are you looking for?”

He was small and delicate, not quite filling the neatly pressed uniform, and when he took off his glasses he looked no older than fifteen.

“Dr. Eisler.”

“That’s easy. He doesn’t get any. No letters. Nothing.”

“Ever?”

“Not since I’ve been here.” He noticed the book in Connolly’s hand. “Well, there was that,” he said nervously, as if he’d been caught in a lie.

Connolly, unaware that he was still carrying it, held the book up. “You remember this?” he said skeptically.

“Well, he never got anything, so it stuck out.”

“Any letter with it?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure,” he said, slightly prissy, a craftsman challenged in his work.

“When was this?”

Bailey looked at the book again, then closed his eyes, concentrating. “April,” he said, opening them.

“You’re wasted here,” Connolly said, impressed. “And nothing with it. Just the envelope.”

“Right. I figured it was something he sent for.”

“What about a return address?”

Again he closed his eyes. Connolly waited.

“No. Nothing.”

Connolly sighed. “Okay. Thanks,” he said, turning to leave.

“But it was from Santa Fe,” Bailey said, eager to help.

“How do you know?”

“The postmark. Santa Fe.”

“You remember a postmark?” Connolly said, amazed. The boy nodded. “Christ. You are wasted here.”

“No, I enjoy it. It’s interesting.”

Connolly looked at his open young face, imagining him reading Oppenheimer’s correspondence, witnessing history. Another Hill story. But now there wasn’t time. “Thanks,” he said, “I appreciate it.”

When he got back to his desk he lit a cigarette and took out Eisler’s security file, leaning back in his chair to read. He wasn’t looking for anything specific; the trick was to look at the same information differently, like turning a prism. Wasn’t the money enough? Why not, all of a sudden? The book arrived in April, a meeting notice. But Karl had been there too.

“Mike,” Mills said, interrupting him. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m trying to figure it out.”

“But you’re not going to tell me. Look, if you don’t think you can trust me, you should—”

“I trust you,” he said, stopping him. “I just don’t trust myself. Not yet.”

Mills shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’m going to get some air.” He headed toward the door. “One thing.” Connolly looked up. “Karl liked to work alone too.”

When he was gone, Connolly didn’t turn back to the file but looked at the wall instead. Karl did like to work alone. Nobody planned to kill him. A snake would attack if surprised. But the meeting was planned, and he was there. Connolly pictured the road down from the mesa. The alley. The car in the box canyon. All the lines were there, waiting to be connected. You just turned down the wrong street, that’s all it took.