The Cordovian Effect - Chpt 8

"You okay?"

"No, I'm not."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked

"No. Go away."

"Rose, I'm just trying to explain. Arlo is a good guy. It meant nothing. He was proving a point, nothing more."

"Fine. Explain it to me then... what point? What in the world makes kissing a strange woman okay in your book? And while we're at it what was all that genetically compatible stuff?"

In my enthusiasm to rescue Arlo I didn't think it through.

"It's not about what I think its about you and him."

"I thought as much. You got nothing."

"Just talk to the man. You know he loves you."

"I used to think so. Now, I'm not so sure what any of it means... genetically compatibility? And that spark? He is not the man I thought he was and I'm beginning to have misgivings about you."

"Look, just come with me, we're going to see Keri. You and Arlo can talk a little, you know straighten this whole thing out. What do you say?"

Before she could answer Corona ran up to where we stood, pulling at her hand.

"Come on, come on. Its time," She said excitedly pulling at Rose to follow.

"Corona? Why are you wearing that dress? What are you doing?"

"You stand here," She instructed pushing Rose to stand in the entry and then raced to me, guiding me to stand across from Rose. "And you stand here."

"Corona, answer me. You know that dress is for church not for play," Rose admonished, turning to the child.

"No, no, you'll ruin it. Stand here," she insisted pushing Rose back into place. "He's almost here."

"Who's almost here?" Rose asked. She and I looking at one another as if the other understood her meaning.

"My new daddy," Corona answered gleefully.

Before we could absorb her words there was a loud knock on the door.

Tentatively, looking over her shoulder at the child Rose answered the door.

"Hi, Ms. Lozano? I'm agent Moreno. I would like to ask a few questions of you and Mr. Ironwood if he's at home," he said holding up a leather casement containing a badge.

He smiled at her with a huge, charming smile.

Rose turned quickly to look at me as I pulled the door open all the way.

"I'm Jon Ironwood," I said offering my hand.

"Agent Moreno," he returned taking my offering.

Slim and physically well built, he was a good looking man if I say so myself. Dressed in a charcoal gray suit with a pale blue shirt and a deep rust colored tie, he appeared to be in his late thirties and he couldn't stop smiling at Rose.

Still standing at the end of the entry Corona bounced up and down lightly on her toes, her hands held behind her back. Her face held the largest smile I had ever seen.

"Well, hello Princes. Don't you look grand?" he said bending to be face to face with the child. "What's your name?"

"I'm Corona," She said with a curtsy.

"You must call me Felix," he returned with a formal bow.

"We've been waiting for you." Corona said taking his hand guiding him toward the dining table.

"You have? Then you knew I was coming?"

"Sure, Grandma told me," Corona said running a head.

If I weren't confused enough, standing next to the table was Xuxa with a cup and saucer, placing it at the head of the table.

"No, really, I can't," He protested.

To my surprise Xuxa spoke to him in Spanish, her voice light and airy, gesturing to the chair and the cup sitting in front of it and then returned to the kitchen. It's the first time I ever saw her smile.

"Please, sit," Rose offered as we sat at the table ourselves.

"Thank you. I just have a few questions for you if I may," he said taking the chair Xuxa had chosen for him.

Before he could get comfortable Xuxa returned with several small plates and a tray of cookies setting them down in front of our guest.

"Are these macaroons?" he asked.

Xuxa spoke to him in Spanish placing two on his plate.

"My Grandmother used to make us macaroons all the time. On holidays she would hide a penny in one... finding it meant good luck," he said wistfully.

"Bite it," Corona encouraged.

Cautiously he did as she instructed.

To his surprise as well as mine in the center of his cookie was a new, shiny, penny.

Corona laughed and clapped wildly.

All Rose and I could do was look to one another in surprise and confusion.

"I don't know what to say. I... how did you..? You couldn't possibly," he said placing the cookie on his plate, uneaten.

"It's a Grandmother thing," Rose said quickly. "You said you had a few questions."

He looked down at the plate and cookies, pushing them away. It took him a moment to straighten it out in his head. He shook it off, becoming more focused.

"I've read the report of the shooting," he began. "Do you know either of these people?"

He reached into his jacket pocket removing two photos, handing them to Rose. She studied them before passing them to me... one a man, one a woman, neither looked familiar.

"No," we both said at the same time. "Who are they?"

"Nobody really and that's what makes it so curious. They do have one interesting thing in common with our latest victim... they're DNA."

"What?" I asked, stunned as if suddenly slapped in the face.

"They have a very specific DNA... all of them. There have been a total of twenty nine murders nation wide. Each of them have the same type of DNA. Someone has the ability to find these people and has been killing them one by one. What I find most interesting is that line of bodies comes right straight here," he said leaning forward, watching our reaction closely.

"Really? What does that mean? Are we safe?" Rose asked.

"I think so," he returned placing his hand on hers. "The suspect had a gun in Mr. Ironwood's back, if she were looking to kill either of you she had the opportunity and passed on it to kill Mr. Kincaid so there has to be a link between them."

"Kincaid? Who was he?"

"We're not sure. I have to ask... do you know this man?" he said producing another picture, handing it to Rose but watching my reaction specifically.

"No," she returned handing it to me.

My heart raced with panic and indecision.

"Yes, it's Roger Keswick," I said as dully as I could.

"Oh that's right. I had forgotten I read somewhere that you and he were friends," Moreno said. His eyes narrowed and all good charm was gone from his face.

"I knew him but friends might be to strong a word. What does he have to do with all this?"

"Maybe nothing, maybe everything. Word is he tried to recruit you for his project."

Rose turned to look at me. I could feel her eyes on me like I had rammed my shopping cart into her car.

"He tried," I lied.

"Go on," Moreno said removing a note pad from his pocket.

"Not much to tell. He was interested in my B.C.E.D. He ran a few test and that was it. I went my way, he went his."

"I see. And did he tell you why he was interested in your... condition?"

"No, just research. Thought he might be able to cure it, at least that's what he told me."

"You went to Warwick with him... correct?"

"Yes."

"Did he talk to you about the Eve Project?"

"No."

Silence. He stared into my eyes testing me. He was looking for a sign of weakness, to see if I was lying to him.

"What does it mean and what was the Eve Project?" Rose asked.

"Sorry, above my pay grade, besides Mr. Keswick himself died a little over seven years ago. His project was shelved more than a decade before that... just an interesting coincidence, that's all."

'That's all' I thought to myself... pal if you only knew. I had a dozen questions that I wanted to ask but thought better of it. Most certainly he knew things that would help me but I didn't want to fan the fire of his curiosity.

"If he died seven years ago how would that have anything to do with this string of killings?" I asked. I couldn't help myself. He was still holding Rose's hand and it bugged me... a lot.

"Mr. Keswick invented some very, shall we say, interesting things for the government. The D.O.D. was the prime recipient for his work. We have a concern that his ideas or copies of his work has fallen into the wrong hands," he returned letting Rose's hand go at last.

"Then you work for the D.O.D. ?" I asked, stiffening a little more than I had intended.

"Yes. Didn't I mention it?" he asked knowing full well he hadn't.

"No, I don't think that you did."

"Stop it," Corona suddenly injected. We turned to look at her. Her eyes welled with tears, her face twisted with frustration. "You'll ruin everything."

"Corona," Rose admonished.

"He'll ruin it... he'll ruin everything," she cried and then ran down the hall to her room, slamming the door.

"I don't know what has gotten into her," Rose said standing.

"I'll go," I said.

"No, please, let me. Clearly she's upset with my questions, its my fault," Moreno stood, running his hand up and down, stroking Rose's arm.

Rose only nodded her agreement, folding her arms.

"Come on Buster. Lets go see Corona," Moreno said and the dog did his bidding as if he understood him completely.

"How did he know Buster's name?" I whispered to Rose once he was out of earshot.

"I don't know. Maybe he heard Corona or mother say something to him. God. Are you jealous or something because he called Buster by name?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be jealous? I just didn't know how he knew, that's all."

"He knew, so what?" she huffed, turning to follow him to Corona's room.

She was annoyed with me and I had no idea why.

I stood for a moment trying to decide what to do, when I had an uncomfortable feeling. I turned and standing behind me was Xuxa. Her arms were folded, her face fixed in its standard scowl.

"What?" I asked harshly, shrugging.

She shook her head, muttering something in Spanish before turning to walk away.

From down the hall the sounds of Rose and Moreno returning assaulted me... they were laughing. I was taken a back with the sight of them... Moreno now carried Corona in his arms, her head laid on his shoulder as he and Rose joked between themselves. I don't know why it bothered me but it did.

"I gotta go," I said, doing my best not to look at them.