by AJ Newman
The second pile was as expected. Mostly ho-hum Cs and Bs. Then I started grading the top fifteen in the class. As expected, there were three perfect papers, and the rest ranged from B plus to solid As. I was proud of them.
“Ladies and gentlemen, as usual, the fifteen of you who hang around have all done well. Jane, please take these to the office and make a copy, so I can turn these yahoos lose for the summer.”
While waiting on Jane to return, I looked around the classroom and asked, “What do you plan to do this summer to prepare you for success next year in my Physical Chemistry class? Or maybe some of you will try to save the world.”
Only a few raised their hands. Jeff said, “I’m working for my dad building houses and studying all summer.”
Harry said, “I’m going to go with my mom to our place on Dauphin Island and swim all summer. I’ll work as a lifeguard and might save a pretty blonde or two.”
The snickering stopped just as Jane walked back into the room with the tests. “I’m working with Doctor Brunner over at New Wave Labs at the old airport. Well, I have my application into New Wave. That will help me when I go into my master’s classes here at USA.”
The name, ‘Dr. Brunner’ rang a bell because his name appeared in the newspaper quite a bit. Yes, I still read the Mobile Press Register. The last article mentioned his lab was on the cutting edge of using nanotechnology to cure some unheard of disease found only in Africa. The hope was, if it worked on this orphan disease, the technology could be used to cure other ailments. My suspicious mind also wondered if people with no hope would volunteer to be guinea pigs.
Jane frowned. “You look concerned.”
I wasn’t, but for some reason, the hair on the back of my neck tingled. “No, not at all. I was just surprised you were interested in medical nanotechnology.”
“I am. Doctor Brunner is also working on cutting edge robotic nanotechnology. I’ve wanted to work in that field ever since I saw that old sci-fi movie Fantastic Voyage.”
I really didn’t like the movie. It was a bit cheesy. “That’s the one where miniature people get injected into a man’s blood vessels and attempt to save his life, isn’t it?”
“Yes, imagine what good could be done if we could perform microsurgery to cut out a tumor.”
My mind was a bit negative about this potential idea. “Or these tiny robots could do a lot of damage without anyone knowing they were ever in the body.”
Jeff said, “Like cause a heart attack and then calmly exit out through the victim’s nose. Doc, what are you doing this summer?”
I was in deep thought when Jeff asked for the second time in a more robust voice. “Doctor Logan, what are your plans for the summer? Will you solve another cold case murder?”
Another student said, “My dad’s a cop, and he says a dozen men and a woman are missing in south Mobile. They’re all black, and the speculation is a white supremacist is killing them all. You could work on that this summer.”
Jeff was referring to last summer when I’d stumbled into a murder mystery and solved a five-year-old cold case. The bad news was I’d ended up in a gunfight in a restaurant full of people. Only the gunman and I were wounded. The guy died while I’d been performing chest compressions. Killing was easy during the war, but killing that man still haunted me even though he’d been a serial killer.
I’d caught the killer and saved a woman’s life to boot. Just in a day’s work for a superhero like me. LOL. I have to admit solving the crime was a life-altering experience. I’d made some great friends and a few enemies in the Mobile Police Department. I’d even started reading murder mysteries and took a criminal forensics course to learn more about criminal investigation.
George, a normally quiet student, said, “The weird thing about some of the disappearances is that there was a buzzing or humming noise filling the air before several of the men disappeared. The police wonder if someone has weaponized African bees or some insect.”
I didn’t want to hear any more about the missing men. “No mysteries to be solved this summer. Serial killers and bees are safe from me.” I chuckled at my horrible joke. “I’m spending time with my girlfriend, fly-fishing with my buddy, and camping with my son. Oh, and brewing the world’s best ale.”
Then I added, “Maybe, I’ll save the world or stop these damned social media groups from taking away all our civil rights.”
They laughed. I walked out of the room, singing, “Dirty deeds … done dirt cheap,” by AC/DC.
I’d thought I’d escaped unscathed when Jane caught up to me in the parking lot. “Sir. Sir! Doctor Logan.”
I like being called Doctor. I’d finished my doctorate five years ago and still looked around for an MD every time I heard the word ‘doctor’ called out.
“Jane, is there a problem?”
“Not a problem, but maybe an opportunity for me to learn about nanotechnology and the robotic field at New Wave labs. You’ve been my mentor for three years, and I enjoyed working as your assistant. I hate to bother you, but would it be okay for me to call you for advice this summer?”
At first, I thought she was flirting with me. “Of course you can. You were a great student and a better person. I enjoyed having you in my classes, and here is my cell phone number. Please don’t share it with anyone else. I get enough crank calls as it is. Now, remember, I’ll be out in the woods in the northwest fly fishing for part of the summer and won’t get a signal.”
“I love fly fishing. My dad used to take me all the time before I joined the Air Force. We camped in Montana close to the Idaho border. I guess I’m just a tomboy.”
I tried to imagine Jane with a fly rod. “Jane, I knew you’d been in the Air Force, but never thought of you as an outdoor person.”
“I am. My dad and older brothers were already camping when I came along. They treated me just as they treated each other. I had to learn how to fight and survive with three older brothers. We went camping at least once a month, and I could out fish and outshoot any of them.”
Note to self, “Don’t piss Jane off.” I’d been close to Jane in the lab but didn’t really chit-chat with my students. I believed in keeping it professional.
Jane touched my arm. “I know this might be out of line, but if you start working on another mystery, could I help?”
Her request caught me by surprise. “Yes, I’d like the help, but remember, I’m not going looking for any mysteries this year. I stumbled onto the one last year and nearly got killed.”
She thanked me and walked away to join her girlfriend. She didn’t walk like a tomboy. Yes, I watched her walk away and then look back at me. Jane was older than the other students were and must be in her late twenties. Dark, almost raven hair touched her shoulders. She was a bit short at five-foot-four and had a great figure. Her complexion was a bit dark as though she was of Mediterranean descent. Her blue eyes sparkled and stood out against her skin. She dressed on the dull side and didn’t wear much makeup. T-shirts, jeans, and a ball cap were her clothes of choice. She wasn’t very social and didn’t have much to do with the other students outside of class.
I’d had specific rules in my life, and not dating my students was at the top of the list. I saw her turn and smile at me when she bent to get in the car. I smiled back and remembered she was going on to grad school and wasn’t my student anymore.
Chapter 3
Southeast Mobile County
I drove down Dauphine Island Parkway in my red 1970 Karmann Ghia convertible with the black ragtop down. The wind felt good even if you could cut it with a butter knife. The pine trees were pumping out pollen, and I sneezed a couple of times. The damned trees had covered my beautiful red sports car with that cruddy yellow dust.
The phone buzzed, and I saw “Bitch” displayed on the screen. My stomach got queasy, and I took a deep breath before pulling off into a vet’s parking lot. I can’t hear phone calls when driving with my top down. I slid the bar to answer. “What do you want?”
“Tha
t’s no way to answer when you know it’s the love of your life.”
“Sally, I did love you about twenty years ago before you started screwing every man in town. Sorry, I know you only screwed the rich ones.”
“John, you know I’m very fond of you.”
“What … do ... you … want?”
“Why do you think I want something every time I call?”
“Track record.”
“John, don’t be an asshole. It doesn’t become you. You’re still holding a grudge against me because you think I made you sell your part of the company. You sold it of your own free will.”
Bullshit! She’d wanted a beautiful home and nagged at me until my ears bled. “I’m not holding a grudge.”
Yes, I am. “Now, what the heck do you want?”
“Eric is going to be out of town for a week. I thought we might have a slumber party.”
Sally was in her mid-forties, five-foot-two, and a beautiful bleached blonde. Most men would find her attractive. I did once.
“Eric is your husband.”
“But you’re better in bed.”
It was getting hot even in the shade of some pine trees. “But not good enough to keep you from … ?”
“Don’t be crass. By the way, Alex won’t be joining you for your father-son outing this year.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Eric paid for him to hike around Europe this summer. He gets to stay in castles and such while visiting the museums and sights.”
Why I let Sally stir me up after all these years escaped me, but she did and did it well. “Tell Eric to screw himself. That bastard will do anything to drive a wedge between Alex and me. Sally, that’s just so wrong. Next, I guess you’ll tell me that Cindy doesn’t want to go to the Keys with me.”
Sally tersely replied, “No, the poor girl still loves her daddy. You do know she’s starting on her doctorate program in the fall. Why on earth she chose chemistry for a living is beyond me.”
She takes after her highly intelligent old man is the reason. “I know. I was at her graduation. Her degree is in nanotechnology and material science.”
“Whatever.”
This was going on for too long. “Tell Cindy I’d like to take her to dinner soon. Her choice.”
“John, Cindy might approach you about staying on the island with you this summer. She’s trying to get an intern’s job at one of the chemical companies at Brookley, but might even want to work at your restaurant.”
“I’d be glad to have the company.”
Sally paused for a few seconds. “Will your girlfriend be jealous?”
Bingo! Fishing for info on my girlfriend. The jealous bitch! “Huh? Of my daughter?”
I was good at playing dumb.
“No, silly. Of me visiting my daughter.”
Oh, crap. Meagan will shit a brick. “Meagan will be happy to see you as usual. She’s not a bit jealous. Call before you come.” I lied through my teeth and knew I’d get my butt out of town when she came to visit.
“Liar. When did you start banging her? I’m more than a bit jealous. She’s half your age.”
I wasn’t about to go down that rat hole. “Tell my son, John Alex Logan Junior, to call his old man before he goes to Europe.”
“I will, John. Have I told you how fond I am of you, John?”
“Yes, many times.” Still, she was more fond of Eric’s money. I didn’t even want to know when she’d started banging him.
“John! John, don’t hang up! Mr. Bert, our gardener, hasn’t shown up to cut the lawn or tend to the lawn in two weeks. Do any of your hundreds of businesses involve lawn care?”
“What do you pay him a week?”
“Two hundred.”
“Isn’t he the black guy who retired from the Theodore police?”
“Yes, he was such a darling.”
“No, I don’t do lawn care.” This was the third or fourth time I’d heard about missing black men. This was starting to nag me like a tune that keeps popping up in your thoughts.
I laid the phone down on the passenger seat and squealed tires leaving the vet’s parking lot. I fumed as I thought about not spending a couple of weeks during the summer with my son for the first time since he was born. We’d been to New England, the Northwestern states, and everywhere in between. We’d usually rent an RV or cabin and visit the national parks while fly fishing and camping. I’d noticed he was losing interest and had to get after him to stay off his phone.
Alex was my height, about six-foot-one, and my old weight of a hundred eighty pounds. I’m pushing two twenty now, but starting to run and work out. Well, anyway, Alex plays baseball and tennis for the University and has his pick of the ladies. He’s a good student but had no interest in chemistry. He’s a political science major with questionable morals. His mom, my ex, was a shady industrial real estate salesperson. He would fit right in with his mom and stepdad cheating people on warehouse sales and his stepdad cheating people selling cars.
The phone rang again as I reached the top of the Dauphin Island bridge. The ocean was beautiful in the afternoon sun. It had more of a green tint on this side of the island. Not the bright blue kinda see-through water people have come to expect on the Gulf of Mexico. The sky was clear blue with white puffy clouds and no hint of rain.
I heard, “Put me in coach,” and took a gander at the phone, and it read, “Shit head.”
“Hey Mike, how’s it hanging?”
“Kinda sorta like dangling your balls over a bear trap.”
Mike Newburn was a redneck from LA and was full of homespun sayings and humor. He was my best friend. Oh, LA is Lower Alabama. “What’s the problem? Is your girlfriend knocked up?”
“Oh, hell, no! I have to delay our trip. I know you and Alex were heading out when we got back home, but I have a new client who’s being a turd. We’ll talk in a few. Bye.”
What the hell did he mean, ‘talk in a few’? Mike was the perfect absent-minded professor but wasn’t a professor. He was an inventor, salesman, great marketer, and showman. What he didn’t have was the patience to follow up on his ideas and brainstorms. I’d been the half of the partnership that took our ideas and made them work. Mike hated details but was brilliant at coming up with new ideas on how to adapt chemical processes to provide chemical solutions to our client’s problems. When I’d left the company, he’d replaced me with Beth, who had half my talent but much better-looking legs. No, that wasn’t jealousy talking. She did have better-looking legs. Mine are hairy.
I was deep in thought when I drove away from the bridge and onto the island. I saw a blur running across the road, and a blue pickup hit a yellow dog a glancing blow. The dog yelped when it was knocked into a parked car and bounced out in my path. My Karmann Ghia slid sideways to a stop as I steered around the dazed pup. I yanked the emergency brake and flew out of the car, waving to stop traffic. A garbage truck didn’t stop, but I was able to heft the dog and jump out of the truck’s path to safety. I fell, slid to a stop with the dog on top of me, and received a bleeding elbow and torn slacks. A woman walked up and stood above me.
“You saved that poor dog’s life. You know that was stupid risking your life for a mangy old dog,” she said as she walked past.
Yep, if you take the time to think things out with all the time in the world, it was stupid. However, damn, it made me feel good even though I’d ruined my best pair of slacks. The mutt licked my cheek and whimpered.
“Lady, I’ll remember that if you ever need to be saved.” She huffed and walked away—what a bitch.
“Hey, boy, are you okay.” I checked and said, “Well, girl, you sure are pretty. Anything broke or hurting?” She didn’t answer, but instead gave me a grateful look and licked my arm. She was the classic yellow Labrador Retriever and was a beautiful and very friendly dog. I liked dogs but didn’t have time for pets in my life, besides they have a habit of dying on you.
She had a couple of scars and one open cut on her head, which had scabb
ed over. Someone had been abusing this pup. After feeling the dog’s legs for broken bones and such, I checked her collar for the owner’s phone number or other identification and didn’t find anything but the poor dog’s name. “Punk, I guess you won’t tell me why your owner named you Punk.”
Her big hazel eyes watched me sitting on the ground next to her. I looked around at the crowd. “Hey, y’all! Does anyone know this dog or who owns her?”
One old codger noticed Punk licking my arm. “Looks like it’s your dog now.”
I got up and walked away from Punk, who immediately followed. “Punk, stay!”
The dog stopped long enough for me to jump into my car and get away before I inherited a dog I didn’t need. Even a good dog like Punk appeared to be too much work for me. I looked back in the mirror, and Punk was not in sight.
Chapter 4
Brookley Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Mobile, Alabama. After it closed in 1969, it became what is now known as the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley. (Wikipedia)
Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley
“Doctor Brunner, the damned reaction got out of control again. I only achieved about half of the amount needed for phase II. Those idiots will be here in the morning. Doctor, I don’t know how to keep them from nosing around and guessing we’re up to something nefarious. Besides, they already think I’m incompetent.”
Brunner said, “Jacob, cut the titration rate down by thirty percent and start another batch. Use a new catalyst.”
“But Doctor, the real issue is it’s almost impossible to clean the reaction vessels of the residue from making the FXA2 on third shift. They need a separate set of equipment. One day they’ll leave an ounce and blow the entire lab to bits.”
Doctor Brunner was furious about the continual issues with the reaction. He knew the process worked in small batches but overheated every time they scaled the process up to make larger batches because of the residue leftover from making the new explosive. FXA2 was accidentally made during the early days of perfecting the FXA1 formula. One chemical was the base for manufacturing Nanorobots and the other, the most potent explosive short of a nuclear explosion.
