by H. G. Nadel
“Why not?”
“We should talk about this in person. Could you meet me?”
“What, right now?”
“I know how this sounds, Julia. And the way I’ve been acting, lately, I don’t blame you for being skeptical. But I am your friend, and I am worried for you. We need to meet tonight.”
“I don’t know if I can leave. There’s a cop watching my place.”
“The back window. Could you slip out through that?”
“I don’t know. I mean, he’s a detective. Wouldn’t he be watching for that?”
“For someone sneaking out? Not likely.”
Julia considered his plea. Then she reconsidered. “Dr. Bertel, the police have been good to me, and you have been, well, inconsistent. There’s no way I’m going with you after what happened last time.”
“Julia, I’m very sorry about last time. Like I said, I wasn’t myself. But I promise that if you hear me out, I will go to the police, I will go see a therapist, I will do whatever you want. I just want you to know what is really going on.”
“I don’t know.” Julia quickly reviewed her options. If she met Bertel, then she could finally find out what was going on. At the very least, he would get some professional help. If she didn’t, he’d keep calling. And if she got the police involved, she knew they wouldn’t be as forgiving as she would be to her mentor and friend. “Okay,” she finally said.
“Wonderful. I knew a great mind like yours couldn’t resist the lure of knowledge. Let’s meet at Le Delice. The tables are candlelit. No one will notice us there.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”
It took her forty-five minutes to arrive at Le Delice. She couldn’t use her car, which was sitting out front, right under the nose of Detective Alvarez. She walked to the next block and called a cab company from her cell. She grew increasingly frightened as she waited in the dark. Bertel had told her that she was in danger, possibly from the police. But was that just a ploy to draw her out into the darkness, where she would be more vulnerable? Could someone be watching her right this minute?
By the time the taxi arrived, she was covered in a thin film of sweat. The driver gave her an odd look, and she wondered if he might be in on it too. Then she looked at herself in the rearview mirror and saw that her eyes were ringed in raccoon circles of mascara. She hadn’t looked in a mirror since her tearful meeting with Tyler. She grabbed a tissue from her purse, spit on it, and rubbed away the black smudges. When she was done, she didn’t look that much better; her eyes were now ringed in pale white instead of black. But at least she no longer looked deranged.
When she arrived at the restaurant, she saw that Le Delice was dim, almost dark. The hostess guided her to a booth toward the back. As she approached, she saw Bertel scowling and twirling a glass containing some sort of drink on the rocks. She’d never seen him look so angry before, nor had she ever known him to drink. But then, she’d never spent much time with him outside of work, aside from the rare lunch or coffee break. When he saw her, his face transformed into a distracted but friendly smile, as he pushed a nonexistent pair of glasses against his nose bridge. Now that was classic Bertel, who could never seem to get used to wearing contacts. He rose to his feet, and she took in the all-black suit he was wearing. Bertel had always been good-looking for a middle-aged man, but there was something new, something dangerous, about his demeanor this evening.
They both sat down in the high-backed booth and considered each other over the ruby glow of a flickering candle. Anyone who saw them would have assumed they were on a date, an intimate candlelit dinner for two. “Did you get held up?” he asked. She explained about her car.
He nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. So, now can you tell me about this danger I’m supposedly in?”
Instead of answering, he pushed a menu toward her. “What do you say we order first?”
She stared at the closed menu without touching it. “I’m not hungry.”
“Well I’m starving. After all, this is a restaurant. When in Rome, or in this case, Paris.”
He flagged down a waiter and ordered a blood rare filet mignon and a bottle of Bordeaux, much to Julia’s surprise. Julia ordered a side salad.
When the waiter left Julia said, “Meat? I thought you were a vegetarian.”
“I was. I thought it would be healthier. But I couldn’t seem to get enough protein.”
When the waiter brought two glasses for the wine, Julia waved hers away. “That’s okay, I’m not having any.”
“But we should celebrate,” Bertel said.
She looked directly at Bertel and said, “I’m barely eighteen.” Then she addressed the waiter. “So I won’t be having any wine, thank you.”
The waiter snatched up the glass and strode away without another word.
Julia hissed, “Dr. Bertel, what are you doing?”
He smacked his head. “I wasn’t thinking. I keep forgetting how young you are.”
“So, can we talk now?”
“Yes, of course. I just didn’t want the waiter to interrupt. You never know who you can trust.” He leaned across the table and whispered so low she could barely hear him. “I know who left that note on your car.”
She shivered. “How did you know about that?”
“After I ran out of the building, I didn’t know what to do. So I found an unlocked car in the parking lot, hid inside, and rolled down the window. Remember, I still wasn’t sure who I was or what I should do. I waited a long time. When I saw you and that detective come out, I sank down in the seat so you wouldn’t see me, but I could still see you. I saw you find the note. I heard him read what it said.”
“You realize we thought the note was from you?”
Dr. Bertel looked perplexed. “Why would you think it was from me?”
Julia ignored the question. “Who is it from?”
“I can’t tell you everything yet, because I’ve been cooperating with an FBI investigation, former associates of mine when I worked at the Bureau, and much of what I know is strictly confidential. But I will tell you that we have enemies who would like to steal the research we’ve been doing, and others who would simply like to see it fail.”
Enemies? For a moment Julia wished she could return to the days when she’d simply been unpopular. “Are these enemies religious? Is that why they chased me through the graveyard and wrote ‘Death to the heretic’ on my car?”
“Corporate, scientific, religious, you name it. I am unable to tell you specifics. But you must know: Austin Moore is working with one of these clandestine organizations that the FBI is tracking.”
Julia stared at Bertel, silent. “But he’s a cop—”
“You’ve never heard of a corrupt police officer?”
“… from a family of cops.”
“I’m sorry, Julia. No doubt this comes as a great shock. I sense that you … like this Detective Moore. Nonetheless I’m telling you the truth. Moore is not to be trusted.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
He shrugged. “Pretend to cooperate. Just don’t give him any more information about our research. As long as you keep up the charade, you’ll be safe.”
“About the research, Dr. Bertel …”
“Yes?”
“Someone stole my laptop.”
“Oh, not to worry, Julia. The FBI took it to protect you and the secrets that lie within it.”
“You took it? But how? Why?”
“They were concerned that critical, proprietary information might fall into the wrong hands.”
“How did you get into my apartment?”
He smiled. “The FBI has its ways. We didn’t intend to invade your privacy, I assure you. We just wanted to protect our research.”
Julia didn’t know what to believe. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“Think of my former research with the FBI. My cover story was that I had ‘retired’; but I never left the Bureau. T
hey merely changed my assignment. I was to work at UCI to have better access to university resources and funding without incurring suspicion.”
Julia eyed him with suspicion. Bertel continued.
“Don’t worry, Julia. My mission is almost over; and when it is, you and I will see our dream through to a fruition beyond our wildest dreams. We should be celebrating!”
“Celebrating what?”
“That you and I have found the human soul and a way to turn death back to life.” He grabbed Julia’s hand, fumbling, and gazed into her eyes with total adoration.
Shocked, Julia pulled her hand away. This was a side she had never seen before. “What are you saying?”
“That we’re two of the most brilliant minds in science. We belong together.”
“What are you talking about? You’re my boss, and, and … this is inappropriate!”
“What is wrong, Julia? That heretic, Pierre? You must know by now that you’ll never feel the meeting of minds with him that you have with me.”
“You mean Tyler, don’t you?”
“Who?”
“My boyfriend, Tyler?”
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“No. You said Pierre.” The name she had given Austin in her dreams. Julia stood up. She could feel herself shaking from head to toe. “And what makes you say that our research worked? We haven’t tested it on any actual people, just cadaver brains.”
Dr. Bertel cleared his throat. “Perhaps I am a little overeager, but somehow I truly believe it is going to work.”
Julia felt as if she had been punched in the stomach. Her head was spinning, and she was utterly confused. But she knew one thing: she had to get out of there. “I’m sorry, Dr. Bertel, but this conversation is over!” She turned to leave and barreled into the waiter, who dropped the plate he was carrying. Julia stared at the bloody hunk of filet between her feet, then broke into a run.
“Julia, beware!” Bertel shouted after her. “He will drag you down with him!”
EIGHTEEN
Julia ran outside, zig-zagged three blocks, and stopped at a well-lit convenience store to catch her breath. She was about to dial her father’s number when she heard a car slow to a stop next to her. She looked up and saw a familiar nondescript sedan. Jack leaned out the window, a look of exasperation on his face. “What the hell are you up to?”
“I’m sorry … I didn’t mean … I just …” Julia stumbled over her words. She was still confused, so she said simply, “How did you find me?”
“I was doing the rounds of your building, and I found the open window. You gave your name to taxi dispatchers. It wasn’t hard to find out where they dropped you. And I saw you run out the door of the restaurant. Who were you meeting? That Tyler creep?”
“No. I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Who were you calling?”
“My dad.”
“Hop in. I’ll take you where you need to go.”
“Am I under arrest?”
“No, but you are being stalked, by two different guys as far as I can tell. And you just ran out of a restaurant looking scared as hell of something, or someone. Do you really want to stand here on the street and wait for your dad?”
“No, I guess not.”
“Then get in, already.”
Jack made a call on his cell phone to the restaurant. Then he made another call. “It was like I thought. The manager said she was with someone matching Bertel’s description … Uh-huh … When I found her, she said she was about to call her father … Okay … Right. See you in a few.” He ended the call, dropped the phone in the center console, and put the car in gear. “I’m taking you to the police station. Austin wants to talk to you.”
Julia looked down at the floor and said nothing. Neither of them spoke all the way to the station. She wondered if she needed a lawyer.
When Jack pulled up to the entrance, Austin was waiting out front. Julia opened her door and got out. Jack leaned toward her open door and said to Austin, “I’m going to see if I can scare up Bertel.”
“Right. Be careful. If you don’t find him in an hour, come back here and we’ll regroup.”
“Will do.” Austin shut the door and Jack drove away.
Julia looked at the ground. Austin stared at her. Neither spoke for a moment.
“Let’s go somewhere that we can talk,” he said simply. She obediently followed him down a scenic trail next to the police station.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“There’s a bench on this trail where we won’t be overheard. Unless you’d rather have me take you to the interrogation room.” There was no need to answer. About a hundred yards away, they came to a park bench, and he motioned for her to sit down.
“What is the exact nature of your relationship with Dr. Bertel?” he asked. His voice was even, almost masking the betrayal she knew he felt.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m asking you.”
She looked him in the eye. “He was my boss. He was my friend. My mentor.”
Austin’s eyes were filled with hurt, but his voice was cold. “I’m sorry, but we’re trying to protect you from Bertel—then you go meet him? My personal feelings aside, I do need to know …”
His personal feelings? So he did have feelings for her. Her voice softened, “I know how it looks, but I promise I had nothing to do with his disappearance.”
Austin continued to press her. “Did he get you into something over your head? Something illegal, maybe?”
“Of course not. How can you think that?”
“Look, you were both involved in very controversial research. Then a mysterious accident happened, and you saved his life; then he became abusive and threatened your life. You were attacked by a man fitting Bertel’s description in the graveyard. You said you thought he was possessed, or at the very least involved in something you didn’t know about. We assigned you police protection, then you went and met with him. How can I help but wonder if you’ve been in on whatever it is the whole time?”
His suspicions hurt her feelings, even though she could see why he had them. She chose her next words carefully. “You know me better than that. I know you know me. I don’t know how, but you do.”
He nodded slowly, his rational mind struggling to overpower his desire to believe everything she said. “Then why did you meet with him after all that’s happened?”
“He—he said I was in danger. Said we have a lot of enemies, different organizations trying to get their hands on our research. He said he was cooperating with an FBI investigation.”
“FBI? Then why didn’t you tell me, Julia, before you went running over there? I’m a cop. I could’ve checked on all that.”
“He said you’re in on it.”
“Julia, I’m a detective.”
“I know. I told him that. He said that cops can get involved in conspiracies too.”
“And you believed him?”
“No, I didn’t. But he promised to get some professional help and go to the police if I met with him first. And I wanted to believe so badly that he was telling the truth. It all made more sense than the crazy stuff I’ve been thinking.”
“That he was possessed?”
“Right. Wouldn’t you rather believe it was a conspiracy? A human conspiracy?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Ever since I met you anything seems possible. It’s like I’m …”
“Living in a dream?”
He nodded.
“I know.” Julia paused, then took a long breath. Should I tell him? she thought. It was now or never. “Austin, I keep having a dream about a man named Pierre. I haven’t told anyone about it, not a soul. The dreams are so vivid, they seem like … almost … real. And Pierre, well, he looked—”
“Like me?” Austin’s eyes were staring at her intently.
“How did you know?”
Austin took a deep breath and held it. Finally, he let it out with a sigh. “I’ve been having dreams abou
t you. You called me Pierre.”
Julia knew she should be surprised, but the revelation seemed natural. She nodded. “When I met with Bertel, he asked about Pierre. Then when I asked what he was talking about, he tried to cover it up and said he meant Tyler. But I distinctly heard him say ‘Pierre.’ How could he know my dreams?”
“How could we be having the same dreams?”
“I don’t know, but he called Pierre a heretic.’“
Austin spoke slowly. “So, you think that note was possibly directed at me?”
“‘Death to the heretic,’“ Julia muttered. “I don’t know. It was on my car.”
“But Bertel knew you’d show it to me.”
“Maybe he, or someone, was threatening you because he knew it would upset me, or threatening me because he knew it would upset you. Maybe he knew, somehow, that there was some kind of connection between us.”
“Julia,” Austin turned to face her on the bench. “There is a connection between us.” He put his hands around her waist, drawing her body close to his. The feel of his hands on her body made her relax instantly. She leaned forward.
“Can you feel it too?” she asked.
“Since the moment we first met. Because of my job and your boyfriend, I have held back. But now I don’t care. I don’t care about your boyfriend. I don’t care about my job. I don’t even care about whether you’re telling me the truth. I care about you” He said the last words with an intensity that made Julia’s heart leap.
Julia was overcome with fear, with worry, but mostly with love for this man who had just laid his soul bare and set it at her feet. Any words would have been inadequate for the emotions she was feeling at that moment. So she did what she had seen herself do so many times in her dreams. She closed her eyes, turned her face toward him, and kissed him. The kiss was deep, warm, lingering. He gently wrapped his hands more tightly around her waist and felt underneath her shirt for the bare skin of her back. The touch of his fingertips sent electricity through her skin that stirred the pale hairs on her arms. As she opened her mouth to him, every nerve ending throughout her lips vibrated with a longing that filled her soul. His hands moved up her back to her shoulders, as he kissed her eyes, her ears, her neck.
