The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 22

"Our CID forensic group searched the homes of the three inventors," Nara said. "They found a strange list of numbers written on tomorrow's date on a calendar in Ian Carlson's home. Would you look at it? It looks like a coded message."

Paul's arms instantly developed goose bumps in anticipation and said, "Codes are one of my specialties."

"I know, you mentioned that at our last meeting." Officer Long entered the office accompanied by two other officers.

"Inspector Nara, I brought officers Kou and Simpson from our cryptography section to look at the numbers you told me about," Officer Long said.

"Thanks, I've just given the list to Mr. Jacobs who is somewhat of a code expert himself," Nara said. Officer Long scrunched up his face in disapproval. His two colleagues stood by, puzzled about the Inspector's decision to share the code with a civilian.

Paul looked at the numbers, immediately immersing himself in the code. He could see the others talking and heard muffled sounds, but it all seemed far away. They are probably discussing the wisdom of giving me the code? The CID cryptographers haven't even seen it yet. Paul got up and walked out of the office, still in a trance. He could see the others seated in Nara's office and Officer Long following him. He walked around the office not paying attention to his surroundings, strangely pacing very slowly around the office. After doing this for three circuits he returned to Nara's office, Officer Long in tow, where the others were waiting bewildered by his absence.

Paul looked up. His eyes reflected his return to consciousness. "I have the message," Paul announced. Nara looked at him in anticipation. The others skeptical expressions accompanied their astonishment. "The message is the letters: B I J O U T E N."

Nara wrote it down, and they all circled around his desk looking at the paper. One of the CID cryptographers burst out, "Bijou Ten, what kind of code was it?"

"It was a fairly simple matrix code."

The astonished officer said, "A matrix code could take us weeks to decipher with all the possible combinations and not knowing the key."

Paul shrugged his shoulders. "Once I determined it was a matrix, my mind went through many combinations and came up with this solution."

"Are you sure it's correct?" Officer Long said.

"Yes, there's no doubt. You can check it out yourself. I'll give you the matrix key. You can test it using your computer program." Bijou Ten? Why a coded message at all?

"We'll do that," Officer Long snapped back.

Inspector Nara asked, "Assuming it's correct, what could it mean?"

The CID Officer said, "I know a Bijou Theater that rents for private events. It's down on the waterfront near the Marina, I think."

Another officer piped in, "Yes, I know it. Perhaps Carlson had an appointment there at ten o'clock tomorrow night?"

"Ten o'clock tomorrow night seems reasonable," Nara said. "Let's send a team tomorrow to see if anything develops. In the meantime, let's think about other possible meanings, and Officer Long, please have your team check out Paul's decipher of the coded message."

Officer Long nodded avoiding eye contact with Inspector Nara but instead talking with the others he brought to the meeting. He and his team left the office followed by Paul who, feeling somewhat elated, returned to his hotel. Bijou Ten?