The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 36

Lee escorted Maria, her arm in a sling, back to his apartment and Paul, now alone in the hospital lobby, decided to return to his hotel. I'm glad it wasn't any worse than a sprained elbow. As he neared the double doors he heard Nara say, "Paul, wait a minute. I'd like to talk with you." Paul stopped and turned back to see Inspector Nara coming in his direction. "That was really brave of you to help your friend."

"I'm not sure brave is the right word," Paul said. "Maybe dumb would be a better one?"

"No, no, when someone puts themselves in danger to help another, that's bravery."

"Well, thank you, VK." Paul remembered that the Inspector wanted him to use his nickname. "I appreciate that. I'm not sure why I did that? That's really out of character for me. I'm not much of a fighter." Nara chuckled as Paul gestured by opening his arms wide drawing attentions to his thin frame.

"You should be proud of what you did today. Sometimes, when faced with an unpredictable situation, you just have to do something and you did."

"I appreciate that." Paul looked away not wanting to recognize the praise he earned. Switching the subject he asked, "While I think of it, did you check out the laboratory address in the Ecopolitan complex?"

Nara responded without hesitation. "Yes, two officers went there, but they found nothing. The room number didn't exist. It was either a fake number or a mistake. Although it was remodeled several times, there was no room with that number."

"Too bad. It would have been surprising, after ten years, if the laboratory was still there. But I was hoping for a break. What about the names of the disease survivors?"

"Nothing there either. Our legal department told me that the guidelines for document retention changed from seven to ten years so there's a good chance they still have the records. If so, we can get them released."

Nara looked at Paul and said, "I know you didn't take part in the kidnapping or the bombing in NY. But someone has gone to great lengths to stop you from learning more about the inventors. We'll track them down and find out why."

Paul listened as Nara went on, "you have special talents that could help us get the perpetrators faster than if we use our police procedures alone. We've already been working together on the decoded message follow-up. I hope you will agree to keep helping us when we need it."

Nara's invitation to become part of the police investigation team caught Paul by surprise. He was always the last one chosen for schoolyard games and mostly worked alone at his job.

"Of course," Paul said. "I'd like to help anyway I can." What I can do? "I wasn't going to say anything but since we are working together, you probably should know."

"What's that?"

"Strange things happen around me." Nara was puzzled by this admission. "I can't explain it, but since I was a little kid strange things occurred either to me or to people around me. Nothing too serious. Usually just something terribly embarrassing. I used to think it was just bad luck, but when things happen enough times, it makes you wonder. People avoided me because of it. My classmates in school and later at the University nicknamed me Paul the Plague.

Nara almost fell over laughing. He told only a few of his embarrassing admission. Each time the reaction was the same. He stood watching as Nara regained his composure. It is funny and ridiculous. I'll see if he's laughing when something humiliating happens to him.

~~~

"Paul the Plague, Paul the Plague," Johnny Millhouse, the classroom bully, repeated over and over from the team dugout. The jerk. I can't help it.