David Baldacci - Simple Genius

“When was the first time he went there?”

“Before we came here. When we were living at the other place.”

“What other place was that?”

“In New York City. I didn’t like it there. We lived in an apartment building. Everybody there was old. I didn’t like them because they smelled funny. All except one person. An old man. I liked him. Monk liked him too. They talked a lot. He talked funny though. It was hard to understand him.”

“Do you remember what they talked about?” Michelle had little reason to believe this was important, but she wanted to keep Viggie engaged.

“Not really. They talked about old stuff from a long time ago.”

“I see.”

“I’d just play my piano really loud when they did that.”

“But you said you liked the old man.”

“I did. He was nice, but he only talked about old stuff and it was hard to understand him.”

“Well, sometimes that’s what elderly people like to do, remember their past. And apparently Monk found it interesting.”

“The old man knew a lot about math and science. And he showed Monk some old maps and I saw him once writing all these letters down on a piece of paper and seeing if my dad could understand them.”

“So like a code?”

“I guess.”

“You said letters. I thought Monk was just into numbers?”

“Monk said history was full of numbers, important ones. Alan Turing used numbers a long time ago to help end a big war. Monk used to tell me about that. But they used alphabet letters too.”

“Is that what he and the old man talked about? Alan Turing and what he did during the Second World War?”

“Sometimes.”

Michelle, impatient by nature, was finding it difficult not to start screaming, “Just cut the bullshit games and tell me the truth, you little twerp!” Instead she said, as calmly as she could, “So what did they usually talk about?”

Viggie stood. “I’ll race you home.” She turned and sped off. Within five steps Michelle had caught her, but then fell back as though tiring.

Faking being out of breath she said, “I tell you what, Viggie, if I beat you back to the house, you have to tell me about codes and blood. If you beat me back I promise to never ask you another question about it. Deal?”

“Deal!” As soon as she said this Viggie kicked it into another gear and flew down the path toward Alicia’s cottage, leaving Michelle behind.

She rounded the last bend and there sat the cottage dead ahead. She squealed with delight and increased her speed. Ten feet from the front steps she watched in disbelief as Michelle, who’d been purposefully hanging back, blew by her, raced up the steps and sat down on the top step.

Viggie stopped short and stared in amazement at her. “You cheated,” she said.

“Exactly how did I do that? You ran. I ran. I won. Now pay up.”

“I like you, Michelle.”

“Okay, Viggie,” Michelle said warily. “But what about our deal?”

Viggie ran past her and into the house. Michelle quickly followed. By the time she got there Viggie was seated at the piano. She started playing frantically, beating the keys with her fingertips. The pace became so frenetic that Michelle couldn’t even follow the music.

“Viggie, please, stop. Stop! VIGGIE!”

The next instant Viggie stopped, jumped up and raced to the stairs. She paused, turned to Michelle and yelled, “Codes and blood!” Then she shot up the steps. A moment later her bedroom door slammed.

A few seconds later a half-dressed Alicia Chadwick came rushing down the stairs. “My God, what is going on?” she cried out.

Michelle uncovered her ears and turned to her. “Hell if I know. She just went nuts on the piano.”

“She doesn’t usually do that unless something or some one has upset her,”

Alicia said in an accusing tone.

“Well, this time she did it all on her own.”

Michelle tapped Alicia on the shoulder. “Tag, you’re it. I need a break from the kid.” She stalked out the door, slamming it behind her.

Michelle reported to Sean later that for now Viggie was a dead end.

“That makes getting into Camp Peary all the more important,” he said.

“The equipment I ordered will arrive tomorrow.”

“Good. I’ll check in with you later,” Michelle said.

“Where are you off to?”

“I struck out with Viggie. I’m going to see if I have better luck with Champ. But I’m going to change first into something, you know.”

“Michelle, I’m impressed at the depths you’ll go to get to the truth.”

“You’ll be even more impressed when I put my foot through your mouth.”

“And while you’re seducing the world’s greatest mind, I’m going to start canvassing Babbage Town and see if anyone saw anything at Rivest’s place the night he was murdered. And then I’m going to take a look around for that secret room.”

“I told you I already did that.”

“Never hurts to have a fresh pair of eyes on it.”

Two hours later Sean had finished his canvassing. No one reported seeing anyone suspicious, no one who shouldn’t have been there. Puzzled, Sean walked over to the mansion for lunch in the dining room. He saw Viggie eating with some of the other children as Alicia sat alone at the other end of the room while waiters scurried around serving all the hungry geniuses.

He joined Alicia, ordered his food and said, “Factor any good numbers lately?”

Alicia frowned. “I’m glad to see how easily you amuse yourself. Where’s your sidekick? She left Viggie in shambles this morning. That wasn’t exactly my intention when I hired you.”

He leaned forward. “See, the thing is, Alicia, you didn’t hire us. We work for a firm retained by the owners of Babbage Town, whoever the hell they might be, to find out who killed Monk Turing.”

“A task at which so far you’ve failed utterly.”

“People who kill other people usually go to great lengths to make sure they’re not caught.”

“That’s so very reassuring.”

“I understand the session with Viggie and Horatio went well.”

“Yes, if you call Viggie walking out in the middle of the session going well.”

“What about codes and blood? That’s what Viggie said, right?”

Alicia nervously fingered her cup of tea. “I’d never heard her use that phrase before. It was frightening the way she said it actually.”

“And you have no idea what she could have meant by it?”

“No. I told Barnes the same thing.”

“Come on, Alicia, you have an analytical mind, use it.”

She sighed deeply. “There are lots of codes. Did Monk teach Viggie how to make a code? Maybe. Did they communicate via codes? Could be. How can you decipher a code if you don’t even know what the code is? Find me a sample and maybe I can help you.”

“What about the term blood ?”

“Bloody enough the way Monk died.”

“Right, but presumably Monk wasn’t dead when he talked to her about it.”

“Viggie is a very unstable, emotional young girl given to severe mood swings and hyperbole. If you’re basing your whole case on something she said, well, I’m not sure that’s wise.”

“If you can think of anything else, I’m listening.”

“I have a job to do here too, you know.”

“Does Champ know who owns Babbage Town?”

“I don’t know. I do know that he goes away once a month for a few days. Maybe he’s meeting with them then.”

“That’s interesting. Does he drive or fly?”

“He flies his own plane.”

“Really? Where does he keep it?”

“A private air terminal about five miles from here. I’ve been up with him once.”

“Pretty nice to be able to afford your own plane.”