Simple Genius (37 page)

A WEEK LATER SEAN AND MICHELLE met with Joan Dillinger in her office, along with another man who gave neither his name nor affiliation. He would only say that the ownership of Babbage Town was grateful for the work done by them and he had presented them directly with a check. The amount, Sean quickly saw, would resolve ll their financial problems for the foreseeable future and fund some vacation time as well. They certainly needed it.

“Hope you found someone to take Champ’s and Alicia’s places. Too bad you lost such valuable people.”

“Oh, we have. But thanks to you our research won’t be preyed upon by electronic eyes anymore,” said the man.

As the fellow was leaving Sean couldn’t resist a parting shot. “So why spend all this time and money on creating something that will stop the world in its tracks?” he said.

The man had looked at him quizzically. “Who told you that’s what Babbage Town was doing?”

“A couple of real geniuses.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Well, let’s just say that while what you described is certainly a possibility, it’s a tad more complicated than that.”

“And you’re just ready to roll the dice with the whole world at stake?” Sean exclaimed.

“Well, if we don’t, someone else will.”

After he left, Michelle added glumly, “I’m sick of geniuses.”

Joan smiled. “Good work, Sean.” She paused and glanced at Michelle. “And you too, Maxwell. From what I’ve heard I don’t think Sean would’ve made it without you.”

She knew nothing of their ordeal at the hands of Valerie Messaline or their arrangement with the government, and never would.

The two women extended to each other a grudging handshake.

When they returned to their apartment and were getting out of their car in the underground parking garage a limo pulled up in front of them. Ian Whitfield leaned out and said tersely, “Get in.”

They sat across from Whitfield, who said, “Sorry it took me so long to spring you.”

“And how exactly did you manage to turn the tables on the wicked witch?” Sean asked.

Surprisingly, Michelle answered. “You found out she was taking a cut from the drug shipments and selling them. You nailed her with that, right?”

Whitfield said, “How do you figure that, Maxwell?”

“When I was at the airport and they loaded the drugs on Champ’s plane, I noticed they kept some bales back. That was Valerie’s cut. The old guy from the government told us the CIA was destroying the drugs, but Hayes and Ventris said the area was being
flooded
with drugs.”

Whitfield said sternly, “Not even Valerie was connected enough to dig herself out of that one.”

Sean snapped his fingers. “That explains her going to that bar and pretending to get hit on. She was really moving her drug shipments.”

Whitfield nodded. “I finally got one of her team to turn on her. I used his information to crack her plan open, spring you two and nail her.”

“But why take the risk of Champ flying the drugs out? Why not just destroy them at Camp Peary?” Michelle asked.

“We don’t have the facilities to do it there. But when Michelle caught Champ in the act, we didn’t have time for anything else.”

Sean said, “Okay, what happened to old Val and her homicidal sidekick, Alicia?”

In answer Whitfield held up a copy of the
Washington Post
. On page A-6 was a brief story about the unfortunate deaths of two State Department employees in a car accident near Beijing. There were two grainy photos of the victims.

Sean looked at Michelle and then back at Whitfield. “Damn, I didn’t mean for them to be killed.”

“And what exactly did you expect would happen to them? That we’d try them in a court of law where their stories would come out? Where highly sensitive programs they were involved in might possibly
be
revealed to the public?” He looked at the photo of Alicia. “I was riding in the Humvee with her in Iraq when we hit the IED. I was the one who pulled her out. That’s how my leg got banged up. She used to be a good agent. Something just went wrong somewhere.”

“What about the treasure?” Sean said.

Whitfield pulled out some documents and handed them to Sean.

“The full proceeds were split into thirds, tax-free, as you requested. A nice gesture,” he added. “Most people wouldn’t have been so magnanimous.”

“And Viggie?”
Michelle said.

“That’s where we’re headed right now. And she’s absolutely fine. It was fortunate Valerie was so busy with you two she put her plans for Viggie on hold.”

Sean hunched forward. “Ian, you took our side against your own agency. Why aren’t you dead or under arrest?”

His features turned grim. “I was the technical head of Camp Peary, but Valerie really ran the place. She’s done impressive work and her rise at the Agency has been amazingly swift. I didn’t know that was the deal when I took the job, but I had to live with it if I wanted to continue my career.

“Very quickly I saw it was a mistake because she started doing things that were way over the line. She co-opted several of the paramilitary squads based at the camp. All I could do was
wait
for an opening, though it didn’t look like one would ever come along.” Whitfield glanced at Sean. “I know Valerie made a hard rush at you to get you in the sack.”

“I didn’t have much trouble resisting,” Sean said almost truthfully.

“Good. Because you wouldn’t have walked out alive. That’s why I showed up on the beach. I knew she was concerned about how much you were finding out. I followed her and pretended to be the cuckolded husband. She was pissed at me for letting you get away.”

Sean looked stunned. “Thanks for saving my life.
Again.”

“It’s my job to protect Americans, even from my own agency.”

“I’m surprised Valerie just didn’t have us killed right away.”

“I think she wanted to pay you back, for messing up her plans. And she also needed to find out how much you knew.”

“So who killed Len Rivest?” Sean asked.

“The only thing I can tell you is that Alicia’s interest in Rivest wasn’t romantic.”

Sean said, “And her and Champ being at Babbage Town was no coincidence?”

“Champ and Alicia were recruited long ago by the CIA. They were posted at Babbage Town when it first started. By the way, they were the real deal in the science world.”

“And they were at Babbage Town to steal whatever technology they came up with on quantum computers?” Michelle said.

“Let’s just say they were very interested observers. But what they were really working on at Babbage Town was a counter to the quantum computer.”

“A counter?”
Michelle said.

“It’s a given that a commercially viable quantum computer will be a reality one day. The folks that owned Babbage Town were attempting to build a quantum computer so they could, in turn, construct an effective counter-device to it.”

“So the owners of Babbage Town were the very ones who would be hurt by quantum computers?” Sean said.

“Like banks and multinational companies?” Michelle added.
“Really deep pockets.”

Whitfield nodded. “They had to do it on the Q.T. If the public found out, there would’ve been a panic. But the CIA wasn’t going to stand by and let something like that take place right under its nose. I can’t say we were interested in a counter-device though. We are spies, after all.”

“So how close are they to stopping the world in its tracks?”

Whitfield shrugged. “If I were you I’d start paying in cash and stocking up on paper and pen for your correspondence.”

“But was it a coincidence that Babbage Town was located right across from Camp Peary?” Sean asked.

Whitfield shook his head. “CIA owns the estate through a shell company. They bought it because it
was
right across from Camp Peary. Champ convinced the people behind Babbage Town to lease the place.”

Michelle added, “And Champ was a pilot who could fly the drugs out for you.”

“Be clear on this point: Champ is a good agent. He was doing what he was ordered to do. That’s all. He wasn’t working with Valerie or Alicia.” He glanced at Michelle. “He told me to tell you that he was sorry how things turned out.”

“Sorry! The bastard shot me in the arm!”

“If he wanted to kill you, you’d be dead.”

“Viggie was in his plane. Was he going to kill her?”

“No. We were getting the girl away from Valerie.
You
just got in the way.”

“Oh,” Michelle said, looking chagrined.

“Champ also told me to tell you that you have a lot to live for.
And to give up trying to fly planes.
I’m not sure what he meant by that.”

Michelle looked down at her hands. “So Champ is okay?” she said.

“Yes. And like me, he’s been reassigned.”

“Why was Viggie taken?” Michelle asked.

Whitfield said, “There was also code in the song’s notes that Alicia managed to break using the computers at Babbage Town. It was actually based on the World War II–era Enigma code.”

Sean said, “I knew it! She used my clue about the Enigma code to break it and then lied to us about it. And Viggie was also a code, a living, breathing one.”

“And the song title was the big clue: ‘Shenandoah,’ ” Michelle added.

“That’s right,” Sean agreed.

“What did the decoded song say?” Michelle asked.

“It described some of the things Monk Turing saw at Camp Peary. It was enough to make Valerie order Alicia to take Viggie.”

“Alicia kidnapped her?” Michelle exclaimed.

He nodded. “I know it probably doesn’t mean much after all she did, but Alicia helped me and Champ get Viggie onto that plane. I believe she really did care about the girl because it was a big risk, her doing it.”

“It might mean a little bit,” Sean admitted.

“Ian, how can you continue to work for a place that’s dealing in
drugs!
” Michelle exclaimed.

Whitfield shrugged. “You need poppy seeds to make opium and you need opium to make heroin. And right now in Afghanistan, the poppy crop is the only thing keeping the economy going. And if we don’t buy it terrorists will and use the enormous profits from dealing the drugs to attack us. Lesser of two evils; sometimes it’s the only choice we have.”

“It’s still wrong,” Michelle persisted. “And what Valerie did was criminal.”

“Valerie was a rogue clear and simple. As crazy as it sounds I believe she was going to kill you both after the torture was done, and she probably believed she’d get away with it. The role of the CIA she had in mind is not the same one I have, and never will be so long as I have anything to say about it.”

“Ian, you have to tell us one thing: How did Monk Turing get across the river?” Sean asked.

Whitfield hesitated. “I guess I owe you that. It was an underwater propulsion device. We found it.”

Sean looked at Michelle. He said, “No, that was––”

Whitfield cut in: “We found
two
of them, actually. One on the night all hell broke loose.” He eyed them both. “Know anything about that?”

Sean smiled. “Great minds
do
think alike.”

The limo slowed and then stopped.

“We’re here,” Whitfield said, opening the door. “Take your time, I’ll wait outside.”

WHEN THE WOMAN OPENED THE DOOR, Michelle saw that Viggie Turing had indeed taken after her mother.

She’d been expecting them, the woman said, and ushered the pair inside.

“You’re Viggie’s mother?” Michelle said.

“No, I’m her aunt. My poor sister died years ago. But people have always said that we looked a lot alike.” She led them into the living room. As soon as Viggie saw Michelle she started playing the piano. Michelle sat down next to Viggie and hugged her.

Viggie’s aunt, whose name was Helen, said, “I didn’t even know they were in Virginia. And I certainly didn’t know anything had happened to Monk. And then Viggie just appeared one day. I nearly fainted.”

“So Monk had custody of her?”

Helen lowered her voice so Viggie couldn’t hear. “My sister had a very troubled life. Drugs, mental illness; we believe that she even physically abused Viggie. Monk finally got her away but maybe I should have tried to intervene more. But I have a way to make it up to her. I’m going to adopt Viggie.”

“That’s great, Helen,” Michelle said out of Viggie’s earshot. “She’s a very special girl.”

“I know that she needs counseling and other treatment. At first I was worried because the help it seems she needs is very expensive. But then very recently I’ve come to understand that Monk died a rich man. Viggie will have more than enough money for anything.”

Sean said, “If you need a good psychologist, I have a name for you. And he’s already seen Viggie.”

Viggie pulled Michelle to the window and pointed outside at a nearby lake. “Can we go on the water again?”

“You think you’re up to it? Remember last time.”

“That’s because I went alone. If I go with you everything will be okay, right?”

“Right.”

As they were walking back to the limo later Michelle said, “It really was generous you giving the treasure away, considering you found it.”

“Heinrich Fuchs really figured it out. But finding the treasure cleared up something else that had been bugging me.”

“What?” Michelle asked.

“Remember Monk had those red stains on his hands?”

“Right, rust stains from climbing the chain link fence.”

“No. That chain link was brand-new, it had no rust stains. I saw that when I was cutting through the fence. Monk got the stains from scraping at the bricks to get to the treasure, just like I did.” Sean shook his head.
“Codes and blood.
I was wrong. It had nothing to do with Alan Turning and bloodlines. Monk was being literal. His hands looked
bloody
because of digging through the brick for the treasure.”

“How many times do you think Monk infiltrated Camp Peary?” she asked.

“At least once too many.
He obviously witnessed what we saw too. Only he didn’t get away. The fact that he left a coded message in those musical notes about what he’d seen makes me believe he started out a treasure hunter and ended up trying to bust what he saw as illegal activity at Camp Peary.”

“But how was he going to get the treasure out? Gold isn’t easy to move.”

“Maybe Monk just did it for the challenge of finding the treasure. But the guy was a genius. Maybe he was just planning to take the jewels. They’d be relatively easy to carry.”

“And when Monk said to Len Rivest that it was ironic––” Michelle began.

“Right, it was ironic that the greatest secret-keeping organization in the world was clueless about a
secret
treasure right under its nose.”

When they got back in the limo, Whitfield said, “We need to finish the deal.”

“The copies of the video?”
Sean said and Whitfield nodded.

Sean told the limo driver where to go. Sean had gotten the copies from Horatio and hidden them in various safe places. After they collected the copies, he handed them to Whitfield. The man looked at them and handed one back to Sean.

Sean said, “Ian, they’re expecting five. If you only deliver four you could be having an accident in China too, not to mention what’ll happen to us.”

“I’ll make another copy from one of these four. You didn’t hear it from me but when dealing with CIA it’s always best to keep an ace up the sleeve. I’ll emphasize that we have no way of knowing if you made other copies. That should keep you both safe.”

The limo took them back to their apartment and they got out of the car. Sean turned back. “Look, I know we probably won’t be seeing you again, but if you ever need help, you’ve got a couple of friends in Virginia.”

Whitfield shook both their hands. “If I’ve learned anything in this business it’s that
real
friends are damn hard to come by.”