Chapter 19

Setting her teal gaze on me, Renata offered another pleasant smile. "Well, good luck to you, detective.As I mentioned, I'm available if you need any more information or help."

I thanked her again before she continued on her journey to wherever she was going.Returning to our own quest, Dane gave me a polite nudge at the elbow and moved us right along.We managed to circumvent the long, cluttered laboratory and proceed to a room at the far end.Here very ordinary chairs and a horse-shoe conference table inhabited the space with a large display screen on the back wall.Dane consulted his wristwatch."The doc should be here in ten seconds."

Again, as if on cue, a man appeared from a recessed doorway, actually more of a character dressed in a white lab coat and bow tie.He, too, had kept his hair, although by the look of that fulvous frizz going in all directions, he'd be better off going bald.Besides the angular face, the doc possessed a pronounced hawk-like nose where a pair of black-framed glasses now sat, his eyes behind the specs dark and glassy.I knew the glasses had to be for effect, since in this day and age government-funded laser surgery, simple and easy, corrected all ocular shortcomings.Now people wore glasses to shade the sun's powerful rays and to enhance simulator, multi-dimensional games played at home or at the arcades.

Dane glanced at the doctor and announced:"Dr. Zeff Nutter, I'd like you to meet Detective Cadye Parrish from the LA police."

The man gave me a curious look from behind his specs, his eyes small, but darkly intense and sharply aware like those of a hawk."Yes?What do you want, officer?"

"I'd like to ask you a couple of quick questions, doctor.How well did you know Gavin McAllister?"

The scientist crinkled his forehead, his hairline converging to the middle in a prominent V, or as they call it in popular lingo, a widow's peak."Gavin McAllister?I never associate with those who work here, least of all those number-crunching idiots from management.I did not know Gavin intimately or professionally.And I'm not sorry to say that if I had no use for him in life why should I think of him in death?"

When I glanced at the company spokesman, Dane threw me a thin, disconcerted smile and a shrug of those firm shoulders.Then he addressed the doctor."Sorry, Zeff, I thought you knew Gavin McAllister a bit better than the rest of us.I guess I was mistaken."

"Yes, yes, yes."Seemingly distracted now, the scientist went to the wall display and configured the side panel until images began to appear on the screen, icons and numbers and symbols found in scientific formulas."Now what else do you want?"He didn't bother to turn and address us but continued to bring up and manipulate the data on the screen.

I took in a steadying breath."I'd like to form a more comprehensive picture of what you have accomplished, Dr. Nutter."

Taking up a stylus he herded two round and dimpled 3-D shapes to the middle of the screen.They looked like cells, the kind found in the human body.The doctor tapped the shapes and continued to focus on the images."You see these?They're the normal cells found in living creatures, natural, unadulterated, perfect.But this one--!"He produced another cell, though different from the others, its color a dark gray and its surface pitted and stressed."This is a mutated cell that will ultimately grow and consume the good cells, thus producing a debilitating and often fatal disease in the living orgasm.But I have formulated a defense against such mutations." Suddenly a mass of good cells formed a protective barrier around the bad one, like a band of covered wagons circling around the bad guy in those old Western movies.Then the "good guys" began a fast, wild spin, moving in closer and closer until, once they made a tight fit around the black enemy, they aggressively attacked it, winding down only after they had totally decimated the mutation-like a frenzied feast, eating the bad cell alive.

"There!Now you can see it!We have a way to kill the mutants and destroy the corrupted spawns of disease.This is a simplistic reenactment, of course.Normally, large armies of good cells take over and destroy the grid work of burgeoning disease.Simple!Effective!Beautiful!"Jabbing his stylus at the good cells now drifting about the screen, the doctor jerked his head back, gave a wild shake of his ragged mop of hair, and sent his glasses flying off his nose.They clattered to the floor and lay there; but since the doctor never bothered to retrieve them as he continued with his bellicose lecture, Dane and I left them alone as well.

"And this is just the beginning," he continued, raising his voice a notch."I can go a step further and isolate and destroy those factors that inhibit natural aging.Here the good cells can be enhanced and made to control the output of somatotrophin, the growth hormone.Then, zap, zap, and we can live forever!" He began to laugh, a giddy stream of high-pitched "hee-haw" chortles.

This time when I glanced at Dane I shrugged and rolled my eyes.I understood most of Dr. Nutter's ravings, at least enough to get a decent handle on the work done here at the institute.I also understood why everyone here called the scientist Dr. Franken-nut.Raising my voice above his braying, I thanked the doctor for his time and help, but the man continued to jab at the floating cells and chuckle like a hyena with hiccups.

Hooking his arm through mine, my escort led us quickly out of the room and through the lab."Now you saw it for yourself," Dane chuckled, too, although his laughter sounded quite normal with a pleasant, breezy air. "That man is crazy but brilliant.No doubt about it, Zeff will win the Nobel Prize for his discoveries this year, nutty or not."

"I'm just glad he's on our side." I continued to grin as Dane whisked us out of the lab, down the hall and over to a set of elevators.

As we waited for a down tube, he glanced at me and offered a sexy smile."Ready for coffee and a piece of real New York-style cheesecake?"

"Of course."I tried not to let my enthusiasm get the best of me as we made our way to the staff commissary.

The institute's board of directors had made sure to give their employees plenty of attractive work and rest areas.The commons area offered numerous seating options, tables and chairs for those who wished to eat lunch and comfortable padded chairs and couches for those who wanted to read the numerous selections of materials available, or just to relax over coffee and conversation.The décor came in muted blues and agate browns, except for the food, of course, which in itself proved quite attractive and sumptuous.The cafeteria style selections included regional cuisines, standard favorites, and a plentiful salad bar, not to mention the variety of drinks and desserts--and all gloriously real.

When I mentioned this fact to the PR man, Dane readily explained that the managers wanted all of the institute's employees to work and live well, which included a detailed regimen of diet and exercise.So, in addition to the health-conscious choices, the staff could take advantage of a fully equipped gym, an Olympic-size swimming pool and sensory stations that featured music, relaxation and self-improvement recordings.

"Well, that all costs money," I mentioned when we both had selected nonfat lattes and cheesecake slices.

Continuing to offer his congenial smile, Dane led us over to one of the cute café tables where we took a seat."Yes, but its well worth the investment when you compare it next to the employee-work output."

"And I suppose you cut some of the overhead costs by locating out here."After my first bite of the rich dessert, I almost had a hard time switching to conversation when my mouth and taste buds kept crying for more cheesecake, and less talk.I detected at least three kinds of cheeses, mascarpone, a creamy and ricotta for sure, plus the addition of lemon zest.I couldn't imagine why I knew this, unless I had tasted cheesecake in the past.Perhaps, my mother fed it to me during my babyhood, pureed heaven on a graham cracker crust.Now I tried to concentrate on Dane's commentary.

"The city, county and state offered incentives to any organization and company wanting to help re-energize the area out here.And of course public transportation is readily available.Our employees come from various parts of the county and find it easy to travel back and forth.Of course, we do have a few who work from their home offices, one from Sacramento, one from San Diego and two from the San Francisco-Oakland area."

"Any hail from Terre Celeste?" I asked between sips of the wonderful coffee.

Dane's smile faltered just a smidgen."I'm not sure.We built down here to include everyone, not just a few.We concentrate on research and results, not on looking good to our investors."

"But I suppose you live upstairs."

Now he shook his head."No, I don't.I prefer to live here on good ol' Terra Firma.Actually, I just bought a place off Melrose.The developers actually took a burned-out building and converted it into apartment units, not necessarily up-scale but stylish and affordable."

His real estate pitch caught my attention.I wouldn't mind taking a look at his place, but of course, I couldn't voice my interest lest he misunderstood my intentions, not that I had any to offer at the moment.Instead, I glanced at the portfolio display on the institute he had given me earlier.I took note of the institute's personnel listings, particularly the chief operating officer, Mendell Joffe and the chief financial officer, Dalton Hendricks.I asked Dane if either one would be available for an interview.

"I believe," he told me, sitting back with his coffee cup in hand, "that Dalton is out of town on business this week, but Mendell should be here.Let me contact his assistant and set up an appointment."

"That would be great."I noted Dane used the first names of both big shots, and I had to wonder how tight he was with his bosses.Did he play golf with the big guys on the weekend, perhaps attend their barbecue and cocktail parties at their palatial estates on Terre Celeste? Oh, I had no illusions to the contrary.Both Mendell and Dalton had to be pulling down some decent salaries, which automatically put them in the higher-income and living brackets.

"But in the meantime," Dane continued, "I'll round up a few of our managerial staff who dealt with Gavin in the past.Hopefully, they'll help you in your investigation."

"I'd appreciate it."The smile that now affixed my face had been pieced together from a mixed bag of feelings, everything from sugar-laden bliss to nitty-gritty curiosity.

While my tour guide went to make arrangements, I finished my dessert, making sure to pick up every last crumb.For the rest of the day and evening, I'd be on a giddy cheesecake high.