“You must have been pretty intrigued by her work to leave the EC,” observed Cragmire. “They’re a tough group to get into.”
“Yes, and I am glad I came. We have made several breakthroughs here. The compounds available from the indigenous animal population are unlike anything we studied back in the consortium.”
Alton looked out the rear window of a nearby storage nook and studied the animal enclosure. “Is that why you have those Galapagos Tortoises out back?”
“Yes.”
“It seems like you have a lot of them, considering they’re an endangered species.”
“We have eight males and seven females on loan from the Charles Darwin Research Center here on Santa Cruz,” said Gromov. “We want to be sure to have enough tortoises to support our research without harming the animals. We use their secretions in our research.”
“Dr. Tuttle said something about these substances not doing well in transit,” said Delaney. “Is that why Dr. Summit set up shop here rather than back in the States?”
“Yes, exactly. These substances deteriorate rapidly if not used, so Dr. Summit had to establish the facility here. Hopefully, we’ll be able to synthesize the chemicals in the future. In the meantime, it doesn’t hurt the tortoises to collect their secretions unless we take too much. So the more tortoises we have, the less we need from each individual. And we help restore the population. We encourage breeding here.”
The Gooch leaned over to Cragmire. “How do you do that? Candlelight and Barry White tunes?”
Cragmire shook his head and looked at his fellow agent with disdain. “You construct nests made of the right materials and keep them at the correct temperatures.”
“Summit knew what she was doing,” said Alton, musing. “She gets to present herself as a hero for encouraging reproduction in an endangered species. At the same time, she’s expanding the supply of tortoise secretions for her research.”
“Speaking of Dr. Summit, I am worried about her,” said Gromov.
“We all are,” said Delaney. “That’s why we’re here.”
“I know she may be…dead. But even if she was only kidnapped, what will happen to her without her asthma medications?”
“That’s a good question,” said Delaney. “Dr. Tuttle, you’ve told us how serious Dr. Summit’s condition is. It could become life-threatening, right?”
Tuttle nodded. “If left untreated by her daily meds and inhalers, yes, her asthma could turn lethal.”
“How long would that take?”
“It’s tough to say. Her attacks tend to flare up for a few days, then subside. If she’s in a quiet period, she might have a week or two before things turn ugly.”
“And if she’s not?”
Tuttle sighed. “A week—tops. And she seemed to be sliding into a bad spell over the last day or two. She could be in trouble quite soon.”
“Unless she took some medicine with her,” said the Gooch.
“That hardly seems likely,” said Cragmire. He lifted his voice into the falsetto range. “‘Wait, before you kidnap me, would you mind if I pack my overnight bag?’”
“On the other hand,” said Delaney, “if the purpose of kidnapping Summit, a senator’s wife, was to demand a ransom, the perps would be motivated to keep her alive.”
“True,” said Alton, “but it’s been three days now, and there’s still been no ransom demand, right, Captain Fuentes?”
“That is correct,” replied the policeman.
“So we have to conclude the attackers had some other agenda,” said Mallory. “Otherwise, why wait so long to state their demands?”
“Whatever their motive is, the clock is ticking,” said Alton. “Even if Summit is alive, she won’t be for long unless we find her within the next few days.”
CHAPTER 9
“Maybe there’s a way we can give her more time,” said Gromov.
“Really?” said Alton. “How’s that?”
“I don’t mean to interrupt your investigation,” said Gromov, “but if Dr. Summit is alive, we need to keep her that way until you find her.” She turned to Tuttle. “The kidnappers won’t try to buy her asthma medicine from a pharmacy. Surely they would expect us to be watching for that. On the other hand, I am wondering if there are any local plants they could use as a replacement medicine.”
“I’d have to look into that,” replied Tuttle. “But even if there are some native medicinal plants, how would we let the kidnappers know? Advertise on TV?”
“If it’s that or Dr. Summit dies, it’s worth a shot. There’s always social media, too.”
Tuttle nodded in acknowledgment. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try. We could research—”
“Hola!” came a new voice from the lab’s main entrance. A short, stocky man strode into the room. His midnight-black hair was trimmed in a bowl cut, and the leathery quality of his hands and face bore witness to a life spent outdoors.
“Ah. Señor Pavia is here for his debriefing,” said Captain Fuentes.
Gromov turned to Delaney. “I don’t want to delay your investigation. Dr. Tuttle and I can discuss the topic of replacement medicines a little later.”
“Let’s not wait,” said the allergist. “Why don’t we both research the local flora and compare notes as soon as we have something worthwhile?”
“That’s a good idea,” replied Gromov. “We will probably need a day or two, so I will get started now.” She rose to leave. “Do you need any more information from me, Agent Delaney?”
“Not at the moment,” replied Delaney, “but I’d like to get your cellphone number in case we have any follow-up questions later on. And if you could stay for a few minutes while we wrap up these statements, that’d be great. Like I told Dr. Tuttle, you might hear something that jogs your memory.”
Gromov nodded. She handed over a business card and took a seat on an empty stool just as the new arrival joined the gathering.
“I am called Cesar Pavia,” said the man in a thick accent, glancing around the group in an apparent attempt to identify the leader. “Captain Fuentes say you have some questions?”
“Yes, thanks for coming, Mr. Pavia,” replied Delaney. “We’re assisting Captain Fuentes in the investigation of Thursday’s attack on this building. I apologize if you’ve already answered some of the questions we’ll be asking, but I want to ensure we’re familiar with all the facts surrounding this case.”
“Is okay,” said Pavia, shifting his eyes from person to person.
“Mr. Pavia, you worked for Dr. Summit, correct?”
“Sí.”
“And what is your job here?”
Pavia wiped beads of sweat from beneath his heavy shock of hair. “I am manager of this building and the land around it. Dr. Summit is dedicated scientist. She does not want to spend time organizing the workers who are not part of her research.”
“Such as…?” asked Delaney.
“She needs the rooms cleaned, so I hire the cleaning crew. She needs meals and the coffee, so I hire people to buy those things and carry them back here for the lunch and dinner. And I hire the people to maintain the grounds and feed the animals. Dr. Summit needs all types of supplies, so I buy them for her.”
“What kind of supplies do you buy?” asked Alton.
Pavia shrugged. “Everything we need here: cleaning products, chemicals for the research, raw materials for the animal enclosures, food and medicine for the animals, computer equipment. A little of everything.”
“So basically, you keep the place running so Dr. Summit and Dr. Gromov can focus on their research,” said Delaney.
“Exactly, señorita.”
Delaney smiled and twirled her wedding band.
“What about security?” asked Alton. “Were you in charge of that?”
“Sí,” replied Pavia with a grimace.
“Considering the value of the research being conducted here, it doesn’t seem like there were a lot of security measures taken,” said Alton.
�
�Is true. Dr. Summit tell me this, too. She already arrange with her boss at Lexington Labs to have three men from the United States come guard this place. She tell me to arrange for them to stay in the empty bungalow down the road. The men were scheduled to arrive here in nine or ten days.”
“Too bad it wasn’t sooner,” said Delaney, shaking her head. “Mr. Pavia, were you here when the lab was attacked on Thursday night?”
Pavia stared into the distance. “No.”
“What time did you leave the building that day?”
“I am not sure exactly. I remember the sun was still in the sky when I walk to the street to catch the bus, so I am thinking it must be before seven o’clock when I leave.”
Alton turned to Captain Fuentes. “What time was the attack?”
“Approximately nine-fifteen.”
“Any security cameras?”
“No,” said Pavia. “The men from the United States, they were going to install a security system in the building.”
“When she first came here, Summit didn’t consider Puerto Ayora a high-risk area. Normally, I would agree with her. And Tuttle has a dog that barks at strangers. But now…” Fuentes shrugged.
“We know she locked the door, at least,” said Mallory. “That’s why the attackers entered through the windows, according to Tuttle.”
“Mr. Pavia,” said Alton, turning to the manager, “I know everything is messy in here, but have you noticed anything missing? Something the thieves took?”
Pavia pondered the question for a moment. “The only thing I know for sure is missing is some of the new copper pipe I buy to run water to the tortoises.”
“That could be valuable,” said Alton. “People swipe copper back home. Where had you stored it?”
“I put it beside the tortoise enclosure out back, in the grass next to the gate. About half of it is not there anymore.”
“The real question is whether stealing copper was the true objective of the attack or just a diversion,” said Alton, walking over to gaze out the lab’s back window.
“It could have been just a crime of opportunity,” said Mallory. “Maybe the thieves were here for something else and figured they’d pick up the copper supplies on the way out.”
“Yes, which leads us back to the question of the true reason for the attack,” said Alton, returning from the window to rejoin the rest of the group.
“Mr. Pavia,” said Delaney. “Did you ever hear Dr. Summit express any concern about someone trying to steal the results of her research?”
“Sí, all the time. Is why she wanted the security men. She ask her bosses for it last month, when she realize she find something important. But her boss doesn’t agree to add the extra guards until last week.”
“Did she say specifically who she was worried about stealing her research?”
“Everyone,” replied Pavia in a matter-of-fact tone. “She say anyone who knows enough about her research might try to take it. But I don’t think she expect an actual attack on this building. Her main worry is someone stealing it from her computer.”
“Hence the heavy-duty encryption of her files,” said Alton, nodding. “If anything, she expected a cyber-attack, not a physical one. Or at worst, a theft of her computer.”
Fuentes nodded. “I think you are right. She mentioned that concern to me at a Christmas party a few months ago. She asked if I could send a patrol car by the property on a regular basis. I asked her why, and she said the information on her computers are worth a lot of money. She was worried about people stealing them.”
“Mr. Pavia,” said Delaney, “Have you seen any unauthorized people here in the last few weeks?”
“Santa Cruz is not a big island, but there are about eighteen thousand people living here. The tourist shops and restaurants in Puerto Ayora don’t have enough positions for everyone on the island who wants a job. People come here looking for work all the time. I see fifteen or twenty people every week.”
“Have you hired anyone recently?”
“No. I don’t need to. Working here is good job, so the people I hire don’t leave.”
“Did any of the people who came here in the last week or two act suspiciously?” asked Alton. “Maybe different than the rest?”
“I did have a guy come back two more times the week I already tell him no,” replied Pavia.
“And that’s unusual?”
“Three times in one week? Sí, very unusual. And he don’t even listen when I talk to him. I tell him I wouldn’t give him a job if I had one, if he can’t pay attention better than that.” Pavia scowled with the recollection.
Alton shifted his weight off his bad leg. “What was he doing when you were talking?”
“He keep staring behind me, like he is looking for someone else.”
“Or something else,” added Mallory.
“Exactly,” said Alton. “Makes you wonder if coming here seeking employment was just a ruse.”
“Mr. Pavia, what exactly did the man say when he came to you for a job?” asked Delaney.
Pavia removed his baseball cap again and scratched his head. “He say he is good worker and knows the English. He say he could be…how you say…personal assistant for Dr. Summit because he do this kind of work before.”
“A job that would take him regularly into her office,” said Alton, musing. “If I were trying to access her computer or just plain steal it, that’s the position I’d want.”
“Did this man give you his name?” asked Delaney.
“No, I just tell him to leave, that I don’t need him, so he go.”
“Do you remember what he looks like?”
“Sí, is easy. He have a…thing on the eyebrow where he was cut a long time ago.”
“A scar,” said Alton.
“Sí. It goes like this.” Pavia drew a finger from above his left eyebrow down to the top of his orbital socket, bisecting the eyebrow along the way.
“What else can you tell us about him?” asked Delaney.
“He is a little taller than me,” he replied, holding up his hand to a height four or five inches shy of six feet. “And the nose is not straight, like he get into a fight.”
“Do you remember what clothing he wore or any special tattoos or body piercings?”
Pavia pondered for a moment. “His clothing is same as we all wear: dark pants and a shirt with the collar. I don’t remember anything else. I only talk to him for a minute each time he came.”
“What about the people who work here?” said Delaney. “Have any of them acted a little strange or unusual recently?”
Pavia studied the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought. “No. They all do their job like normal.”
Delaney turned to Fuentes. “Do you have a list of everyone who works here?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Pavia,” said Delaney, turning back to the site manager, “let me ask you one more question. You said you haven’t seen any uninvited people around here besides job seekers and this guy with the scar, but did Dr. Summit ever have visitors who were invited?”
The man ruminated for a moment, then shrugged. “No, not that I see.”
Captain Fuentes spoke up. “Summit said something at the Christmas party,” He squinted in concentration. “Ah yes…when she asked for more police patrols, I asked her how her research was going. She said good and told me a little about it. I said it sounded very interesting. She told me, ‘You’re not the only one who thinks so.’ She said it with a smile, like she had a little secret.”
“But she didn’t say who was interested?”
“No,” replied Fuentes, “and I didn’t have a reason to ask her.”
Delaney screwed up her brows in thought. “Dr. Tuttle, Dr. Gromov, do you all remember seeing any visitors here or hearing Dr. Summit speak about specific folks who would be interested in her research?”
They both shook their heads.
“Maybe it was no one in particular, then,” said Delaney, “Mr. Pavia, I think that’s all th
e questions we have for you. We’ll contact you if we have any more. Thanks for your time.”
“De nada. I hope you catch these guys who do this,” he said, sweeping his hand in the direction of the lab’s chaos. “Capitán Fuentes, you let me know when I can clean this up, no?”
“Yes, I will tell you. It’s still a crime scene for now.”
Pavia turned to leave.
“Mr. Pavia, Before you go,” said Tuttle, “tell me…how’s that cut on your arm?”
“Is good,” replied the site manager, swiveling a bandage on the outside of his right bicep into view. “Is just a little cut now.”
“Glad to hear it,” said Tuttle. “Let me know if you have any trouble with it.”
“Okay,” said Pavia. He picked his way through the rubbish and exited the building.
Mallory turned to Fuentes. “It sounds like Pavia has hired a fair number of workers to support this facility. You’ve already run background checks on all of them, correct?”
“Yes,” replied the captain. “One of the janitors went to jail for getting into a fight at Casa de Torres. It’s a bar down at the harbor. And Señor Pavia himself had to pay a fine and spend a month in jail for stealing a wallet when he was a teenager.”
“Really?” said Alton. “Do you think Summit knew about Pavia’s background before she hired him to run this place?”
“I don’t know, but that was a long time ago. He doesn’t get into any trouble since then.”
“Dr. Tuttle,” said Alton, “you’re here all the time. What’s your impression of Pavia? Could he be mixed up in this somehow?”
The doctor shook his head. “I don’t think so. He seems like a regular worker. But honestly, psychology isn’t my forte. I may not be the best person to ask.”
“And before you ask me,” interjected Gromov, “I can tell you I don’t pay any attention to Mr. Pavia. I have enough to worry about keeping Dr. Summit’s research on schedule.”
“Fair enough,” said Delaney. “Captain Fuentes, can we return to your office and spend a little time reviewing the records of the facility’s employees in a little more detail?”
The Evolution of Evil (The Blackwell Files Book 6) Page 5
