Sleeping Dogs Lie

Alice

Alice was feeling pleased with herself. Her story was shaping up and Mike was quite a dish. He was scruffy and a little inept but maybe she'd piled on her charms a little too much. He'd sounded more suave on the phone. I'll just have to dial it back and let him take the lead, she thought. He was taking the lead now, guiding her through the labyrinthine corridors of the Abnormal Psychology Research Unit's offices. She hoped they'd soon come to a door that actually exited the place. She amused herself by watching Mike's tight, narrow rear as he strode ahead of her along the corridor.

Why do men in academia insist on wearing corduroy? She asked herself. Although, Alice had to concede, the brown corduroy trousers that Mike wore did look rather good on him. At least he doesn't have one of those jackets with the leather elbow patches.

Perhaps she was paying too much attention to Mike's derrière and not enough attention to where she was going because she ploughed full on in to some fellow coming out of a darkened doorway. Their heads knocked together with a resounding clunk.

"Ouch!" was all Alice could say as she staggered to a halt. She scrunched her eyes up in pain and lifted a hand to her forehead. Mike was beside her in an instant. He took her elbow with one hand and placed the other on the small of her back, as if she were about to keel over.

"Are you, okay? Do you want to sit down?" he asked.

"Hmmm," she replied. The pain was receding but she quite liked the sensation of his warm hands.

"I'm terribly sorry," said a deep voice, full of gravitas. "Entirely my fault."

Alice opened her eyes and got her first look at the other party involved in the collision. Visually he didn't match up to his voice. He was an older man, late fifties, with graying dark hair that brushed his shoulders. His neatly trimmed goatee was also going to grey. He wore round glasses and a concerned expression. She was dismayed to see leather elbow patches on his jacket.

"I'm sorry," the bearded man continued, with a small smile, "but have we met?"

"Alice, this is Professor Peter Whiting, the head of the APRU," Mike said. "Professor, this is Alice Ashton, she's a reporter for the local paper."

The Professor narrowed his eyes. "Were you looking for me, Michael?" he asked without taking them off Alice. She got the impression he was sizing her up.

"No, I was just showing Alice, Miss Ashton, out to the car park," Mike said.

"And so, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit to my research unit?" the Professor prompted after an awkward moment of silence.

"Background research," Alice replied, "I'm doing a story on a local psychic and I wanted Mike's opinion as a sort of expert on this kind of thing. Not sure if anything will come of it really."

"I see," the Professor said. "I hope Mike has made it clear that our area of research is strictly to do with the psychology of people who have such extreme beliefs and not about the paranormal, per se."

"Yes, he's made that very clear," Alice replied. Mike nodded in assent.

"Well, perhaps you would like to know more about the different areas of our research and the work we do here? I'm sure you would find it fascinating and it would make an excellent article for your paper. If you would like to follow me to my office-"

"I'm sorry, Professor," Mike interrupted. "M.s Ashton was just taking me to a séance session so I could give a firsthand opinion. I'm afraid we don't really have time."

"I see," the Professor said. He stroked his goatee and stared at Mike with hooded eyes. Mike looked uncomfortable under the Professor's gaze, like a naughty boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Here's a thought," the Professor said, turning his attention back to Alice. "I can come with you and give you a full background on my research unit and its work. It will also give me an excellent opportunity to observe Michael's field work."

Alice looked from the Professor to Mike, who opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again, his lips pursed in anger. She looked back to the Professor to find his disconcerting stare was still focused on her.

"That's an idea," she said with an insincere smile.