Page 156 of The Bone Code
“I doubt it’s anything worrying. Batch numbers make sense, given your subject’s interest in vaccine production.”
“Thank you so much for taking the time.”
“My pleasure.”
I sat a while contemplating the significance of Bangoboshe’s insight.
Ryan called again at one.
“Les pompiersretrieved a body.” When exhausted, or agitated, Ryan often jumbles French and English. I knew he meant firefighters.
“Badly burned?”
“A crisper.”
I waited.
“It’s Murray.”
“Beyond a doubt?”
“LaManche rousted a forensic dentist. She confirmed ID.”
“Any theory on the cause of the explosion?”
“The arson boys are finding traces of explosives. I forget which ones.”
“They’re thinking IED?”
“They’re not sharing their thinking with me.”
“Is Murray being viewed as a victim or as a suspect?”
“Same answer.”
“Talk to Claudel?”
“My next call.”
Again, I sat pondering the significance of Ryan’s news. Hadn’t worked with Bangoboshe. Didn’t work now.
Frustrated, I glanced through the living room toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Outside, a cloudless blue dome wrapped the island and the sea beyond, and a warm autumn sun sparked pinpoints of radiance off the zen-calm waves.
The window was similar to that in the Montreal condo, the views like scenes from different planets.
I got iced tea from the fridge and went out onto the deck. As on the plane, I closed my eyes and let my thoughts roam free, the afternoon rays warm my face.
They roamed among newly acquired data bytes.
The explosion at InovoVax. Ryan’s crisper, Arlo Murray. CRISPR. The tape left at the hostel by Harmony and Lena. Capnocytophaga. HGP. The television ad for GeneFree.
My eyes flew open.
Bytes were colliding in my brain.
34
Friday, November 19
