Sinister Eccentricities by Penemuel part 2 Hume had just rolled over and pulled the covers nearly over his head, settling back into sleep, when a voice said, "Time for *work*, Detective. You don't want to be late..." He jerked awake, startled, and found himself nose-to-nose with Richard Collector. Memories of the night before came back in a flood and suddenly the aches and pains in his back, ass, and thighs all made sense. _Oh god -- it was real,_ he thought, horrified. And then Collector's words sank in. "Oh *shit* -- work!" He slid out of the bed as fast as his body would let him, and retrieved his clothes, dressing as he went. He studiously ignored Collector as the older man lounged on his bed, watching; until he was mostly dressed and working on tucking in his shirt. Then he turned and glowered at Collector and said, "You did this on purpose -- I'm *already* late and I don't have time to even get home and change." Collector merely smiled and said, "After the exercise you got, I figured you needed the rest. After all, you did have a head injury..." Hume shook his head and muttered, "I don't fucking believe it..." then finished dressing and looked up at Collector again. "I need a car to the CPB, *now*." "Of course, Detective," Collector said smoothly, standing and pulling on an elegant robe, "All you need to do is ask..." He smiled smugly at the outraged expression on Hume's face; walked out past the seething detective who was struggling with his shoes. When Hume entered the office where he had first awoken the night before, Collector was just hanging up the phone. He noticed immediately that the older man had retrieved the cane he had left there the night before. "There is a car ready to take you to the CPB building. It's a pity you don't have time to stay for breakfast..." "No, thanks," Hume said flatly as he reached for the door. "I think I've been here *more* than long enough." Collector feigned a hurt expression and said, "I hope that doesn't mean you won't be visiting again -- I *know* you had a good time..." Hume stopped with one hand on the doorknob and stared at him in disbelief. "You think I'm going to just walk back in here on my own?" Collector's expression turned cold and he leaned back in his chair. "If you want me to stick to my part of the agreement regarding your partner, I expect you to stick to yours, Detective," he said with the slightest hint of anger in his tone. "Or did you perhaps think that this was only a one-time thing?" "Shit," Hume muttered, leaning back against the door. "You're not -- okay, okay. We have to talk about this *later*. I'm sure you've got some way to get in touch -- I gotta go." And before Collector could answer, he was out the door and heading for the car. He did not see the look of smug satisfaction as Collector watched him leave... --==**==-- The instant Hume entered the CPB office, his partner's attention was riveted to him. Ian Farve watched from his desk as Hume hurried to their supervisor's office; not surprised when a moment later Lt. Martin Ehrenthal poked his head out of that office, caught his gaze, and motioned for him to join them. Farve nodded once and strode into the office, closing the door behind him. Then he studied his partner briefly, noting the air of discomfort and the fact that Hume was wearing the same clothes he had the day before. Before he had a chance to speak, however, Ehrenthal said, "Glad to see you're okay, Hume -- Olivia called Olan when you didn't show up, and we were all worried. Then she called again later saying someone had called to say you'd been attacked, and were okay but wouldn't be home that night. Just what the hell is going on?" Farve watched, intrigued, as many emotions passed across his partner's face. The one that lingered after all the others was anger. Hume cleared his throat and met Ehrenthal's gaze, answered, "Yeah, I was attacked on the street last night. Someone knocked me out. I think they wore some kind of black fatigues, but I'm not completely positive..." "Black fatigues? Sounds a lot like Rekall Internal Security," a new voice said from behind them. Hume spun and Farve turned his head to see Lt. James Calley of the Assessors' Office leaning back against the closed door. "Calley," Hume muttered. "Just great. Well, you'd be interested to hear that I think you're right -- although I'm not completely sure they're -- or that one, at least -- all that loyal to Rekall." "Why do you say that, David?" Farve asked softly. Hume thought he sounded slightly perplexed. _Must be trying to figure out hunches again,_ he reflected. "Well," Hume answered, "because when I came to, I was on a couch in the apartment of one Richard Collector..." "Collector..." Calley mused. "Interesting. We'd heard some rumours that he was no longer on Luna, but until now there was no confirmation...So, what did he want?" Hume paled slightly, not enough for most of them to notice -- although Farve did. "To tell you the truth, he wanted to get his hands on Farve," he answered, looking at his partner. Farve nodded, feeling vague discomfort. "Yes, I know he seemed very eager to learn everything he could about me when we were on Mars..." "So now he's escaped Rekall's so-called rest facility and is back on Earth -- with or without their blessings?" Calley asked. "To tell you the truth, I really don't know," Hume answered. "I got a hunch he's working on his own, without Rekall's backup. He might have a small group of loyal people, but I doubt he's got the power he used to have." "That's got to annoy him," Ehrenthal commented. "Never underestimate Richard Collector," Calley said quietly. "Even without the support of Rekall, he can still be extremely dangerous..." Then he caught Hume's gaze and asked, "Do you have proof of any crimes he's committed so far?" Hume ducked Calley's gaze an instant before he shook his head. "Nope, nothing I can prove. I can't even prove that he was behind my attack -- anyone out there can buy black fatigues, and I never saw a face -- I could never identify my attacker..." He missed the raised eyebrow and curious look Calley gave him. "So what, he found you lying in the street and took you home to nurse your wounds?" Calley asked, sarcasm dripping from his words. "He claims," Hume answered, still avoiding eye contact with Calley. "Although he *did* ask me if I had learned anything new about Farve -- and he asked me why *you* were around so much." Calley frowned and said, "I'm around so much because I'm doing my *job*, Hume." "Yeah," Hume murmured, looking back at the shorter man again. "Well, he implied otherwise..." Calley's eyes narrowed and very quietly he said, "He's just trying to undermine your trust, trying to make you feel like *he's* the only one being truthful. Do *not* fall for it, Detective -- even without the support of Rekall, do *not* underestimate how dangerous he can be." "Don't worry, I'm not about to," Hume answered testily. "Was there something you wanted, Calley?" "Matter of fact, yes," Calley answered, looking at Ehrenthal for a moment, "I need the assistance of a couple of detectives to investigate an incident that happened at VariDyn yesterday. Looks like a case of industrial theft gone wrong -- from what I can tell, someone got into their primary research lab here on Earth and made off with some new drug they're working on. One of the scientists on the project must have been staying late that night to finish up some work, because he tangled with the thief. Unfortunately, we won't know the complete story unless the scientist comes out of the coma he's in." "How likely is that?" Ehrenthal asked with a frown. "He suffered a severe blow to the head, skull fractures; latest news from the hospital was that he was out of surgery but still comatose. Right now I'm hoping we don't need to change this to a murder investigation, but I'm not holding my breath," Calley answered flatly. "Did the thief manage to get out of the lab with the drug?" Farve asked. Calley nodded, then said, "Yes. And not just the drug itself, all of the research notes, too. I'm not sure if the thief plans to sell it to someone else, or go into business for himself; but right now, we've got one very upset company rep tossing around words like espionage and conspiracies..." "You have any idea what kind of drug it could be?" Hume asked. "Is it something that one of the other corporations could be interested in -- or even something that could bring a good price on the street?" Calley smiled humorlessly and said, "Interestingly enough, all VariDyn was willing to say was that it was classified, and still experimental. I'm going to have to remind them exactly what the Assessor's Office has jurisdiction over..." "Then you are expecting to have the information for us soon," Farve stated. When Calley nodded, Hume thought _Sometimes he enjoys his job too much..._ Then he asked, "When you say experimental, just *how* experimental? Could this be *dangerous* if it shows up on the street?" "Part of the reason I'm going to lean on them -- right now we have no idea..." "Wonderful," Hume said. "So," he began, looking back at Ehrenthal, "You want us to go to VariDyn and check out the crime scene?" Ehrenthal nodded and then looked at Calley. "You *will* update us as soon as you have more information, won't you?" When Calley nodded, he said, "Okay, Hume, Farve, get over to VariDyn and see what you can learn. If they give you any trouble..." "We'll call Calley, don't worry," Hume said. "Come on, Farve, let's get out there." He turned to head out of the office, and found Calley in his path. "I need to talk to you for a moment, Detective," Calley said, glancing over Hume's shoulder at Farve, "Alone." "Yeah, all right. Farve, I'll meet you in the car," Hume said with an exaspirated sigh. Calley turned and walked out of Ehrenthal's office, Hume following him. Calley led him down the corridor, stopping near one of the interrogation rooms where it was unlikely they would be overheard. "Okay, what do you want?" Hume asked, allowing his irritation to show. "Are you all right, Detective?" Calley asked, surprising Hume with the uncharacteristic concern. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?" Hume answered uncomfortably. "Because I *know* Richard Collector, Detective," Calley hissed, leaning in close. "I've worked for him -- if you're smart, you'll stay away from him." Hume tried to back away, made even less comfortable by Calley's invasion of his personal space. "Yeah, I plan to. I didn't exactly go looking to get attacked and then picked up by him, you know?" Calley drew himself up as tall as he could and got right into Hume's face, then very quietly said, "He's a very dangerous man, Detective -- you have *no* idea what he's capable of..." When Hume's eyes widened in surprise, Calley just turned and walked away, shaking his head. Once he was out of view, Hume leaned back against the wall and took a deep, shaky breath. _He knows..._ he thought, unsure if he was embarrassed or angry. And then he realized exactly what Calley had said..."And just how well *do* you know Collector, eh, Calley?" he mused. Then he shook his head and headed for the car where Farve was waiting. As he climbed carefully into the car and gingerly sat down, Hume realized Farve was studying his every move. _Great, here it comes..._ he thought uncomfortably. "What is it, Farve?" "You are hurt," Farve stated. "Do you need to see a doctor?" "No, I'm fine," Hume answered, "We should get over to VariDyn before they screw up the crime scene on us." "Of course, David." He set the car on course to take them to the VariDyn lab, then turned back to look at his partner again. "Did Mr. Collector hurt you, or did it happen in the attack?" "Must have been the attack," Hume answered, "Look, I'm just a little sore, don't worry about it. And just stay away from Collector -- he wants to experiment on you..." "I don't think I would like that," Farve said uncomfortably, "although as you know, I could recover quickly from anything he does to me." "Just stay away from him," Hume said with finality. Farve looked at him inquisitively, then nodded and said, "Don't worry, David, I will." The rest of the trip was made in awkward silence, with Hume leaning back in his seat trying to doze off. Farve watched him the entire time, concerned that his partner still had not told him the complete truth. However, he pushed that concern aside when they arrived at the VariDyn lab and met the company representative in charge. "Detectives Hume and Farve," Hume said, holding up his ID for the man to read. Farve mirrored his moves, taking a quick look around as the man inspected their ID's. "We'd like to see the lab where your scientist was attacked." "Detectives," the man said, "I have been told to allow you into that lab, but I must accompany you to make certain that you do not remove any classified materials from the area. We have already lost the compound that Dr. Biggs was working on, and all of his notes not in the computer -- you understand why we're concerned..." "Yeah, I understand -- and you understand why we have to know what kind of compound Dr. Biggs was working on, don't you?" Hume said. When the rep opened his mouth, frowning and looking like he was going to protest, Farve added, "We will have a better chance of finding some leads if we know what kind of people might have stolen it, or where on the black market it might be sold..." "Oh, well, of course," the rep answered, "but please, don't let it get any further than you have to -- we have to protect our corporate secrets, after all." "You think some of the competition might be behind the attack?" Hume asked suddenly, looking at the rep and studying his reactions. "Well, I -- I don't really think they'd be that...brutal. Or sloppy. It just seems too crass for another corporation to..." Hume broke in, "That's interesting, Mr.--" "Maier..." the rep supplied. "Mr. Maier," he continued, "you see, Lt. Calley of the Assessors' Office said that you were claiming this was some kind of corporate theft or sabotage. What made you change your mind?" "Well, it was just so terrible, what happened to Dr. Biggs...I tend to think of corporate employees as being more...civilized..." Maier trailed off and shook his head. "You would be surprised what corporate employees are capable of, Mr. Maier," Farve said quietly. "Please, you were about to tell us what kind of compound Dr. Biggs was working on," he prompted, studying the man's reactions very carefully. "Oh, yes, sorry..." Maier said absently, "You know that with all of the medical advances we have made, there are still diseases of the mind that we have been unable to cure. The people who suffer from these diseases are often unable to contribute to society; to live any kind of normal, productive life, and this should not be... Dr. Biggs lost his little sister to one of these conditions." "I am sorry to hear that," Farve said softly. Hume nodded, then looked at Maier expectantly. "He was working on a treatment for these kinds of conditions -- it was something that meant a great deal to him, as I'm sure you can imagine... Unfortunately, at least in the preliminary testing, the compound doesn't seem to actually cure any of these conditions, but makes the patient more calm, more tractable -- sometimes even more open to suggestion." Hume's eyes narrowed as he looked at Maier. "You mean that this compound could make it easier for someone else to control the patient's mind?" he asked sharply. "Would it be easier for someone to -- say for example, *implant* memories into someone's mind when they took this compound?" The man nodded uncomfortably and refused to meet Hume's gaze. "David, could I speak with you for a moment?" Farve asked quietly, taking a few steps away. "Mr. Maier, if you'll excuse me," Hume said, walking over to lean close to Farve, "What is it, Farve? You got a bad feeling about this, too?" "Yes, David, this makes me extremely suspicious. A compound that would make someone susceptible to suggestion would be extremely useful for a corporation like Rekall. Or for Mr. Collector..." "That's what I was thinking...I want to check something, though -- stick with me, okay?" he asked, turning back to Maier. "Mr. Maier, was anything else damaged, or does it look to you as if the thief was searching through things, looking for something useful?" "What do you mean?" "Well, do you have any idea how the thief knew what they were looking for? You don't think that Dr. Biggs would have told someone on the outside about his work, do you?" "Well, no, of course he wouldn't have -- don't be ridiculous..." Maier said, his voice becoming a little stronger as he protested. "But there was no sign of damage to other products, was there. No sign that the thief had to search around to find something he could make money from..." "Well, I'm not an expert on that -- that's the kind of things the police are supposed to figure out, aren't you?" Maier said, looking from one of them to the other. "If you come with me, you can see the lab where the attack happened..." "Yeah, I think we should..." Hume said, glancing at Farve. His partner nodded, and the two of them followed Maier into the lab, immediately glancing around to assess the condition of the other workstations and equipment. Hume noticed that nothing else appeared to have been disturbed, not even the most expensive medical equipment, until they came to Dr. Biggs' workstation. Even there, the usual signs of a thief searching for something valuable were missing, the spilled vials and scattered papers obviously the signs of the struggle between the thief and Dr. Biggs. The stool was knocked over, away from the workstation, and there was a dark stain on the floor that Hume recognized as blood. He glanced at Maier to see what the man was doing, saw him staring at the bloodstain with horror, his fists clenched at his sides. Then Farve walked closer, peering down at the edge of the counter, and said, "David, look at this..." "Whatcha got?" he asked, turning back to his partner. He found Farve studying a smudge on the edge of the counter, his expression one of intent interest. "I believe it is Dr. Biggs' blood, David..." "Mr. Maier," Hume said, turning back to look at the man, who now looked as if he might scream and run away if startled, "Did the forensics team take a scan of this smudge?" "I -- ah-- I'm not sure," Maier said hesitantly, "I don't know if they saw it..." "Looks like there might be a fingerprint in it -- Farve, you want to contact Olan and find out if she's got a scan of this?" "Of course, David," Farve said, stepping away and pulling out his handheld pc. While he contacted Olan, Hume continued looking around for evidence, giving up at about the same time as Farve finished his call. "David," he began, looking over at Maier briefly before continuing, "she does have a scan of it, and there is a partial print that she matched. It does not belong to Dr. Biggs." As soon as the words were out of Farve's mouth, Maier turned and ran for it, knocking Hume aside. Hume grunted and caught himself on the edge of the counter, but his aching body wouldn't let him move quickly enough to grab the man immediately. Farve noticed Hume's delay, but knowing that they could not allow a criminal to escape, he again filed the observation away for later review and lurched after Maier. He caught the fleeing man easily, his longer legs covering more ground in each stride, and held him immobile until Hume caught up with them. Once Hume was there to keep an eye on his captive, Farve took a moment to cuff the man's hands behind his back. As he did so, he heard Hume ask, "So, how much did Rekall pay you for the drug? Is it enough to make up for the time you're going to be spending locked up for attempted murder?" "I never meant to hurt him," Maier said desperately, "You've got to believe me -- I didn't even think he was going to be here -- and he was, and I got scared, and I hit him...I-- I wasn't expecting all of that blood..." "You fractured his freakin' skull," Hume growled, "Now answer my question. How much did Rekall pay you?" "I...I'm not sure it was Rekall -- I was contacted by someone who said his employer had a great interest in the compound, and--" "Okay, okay," Hume said suddenly, cutting him off. Farve looked up at him questioningly, and he continued, "We'll discuss this back at CPB headquarters, okay? I think the Assessors' Office might have some interest in this, too..." Farve nodded, and they escorted Maier from the VariDyn lab without any further delay. Once they were back in their car, Hume said, "Maier, did you or Dr. Biggs *ever*, and I mean *ever* mention this drug to anyone who wasn't an employee of your lab?" "Well, of course, it was mentioned in the reports we have to send to headquarters, but everything we do is in those..." "Do you think someone at VariDyn is a spy for Rekall, David?" Farve asked softly. "Either that, or those lab rooms are bugged. Maier, are you willing to go on record regarding this deal? If you cooperate, it might make things better for you. Dr. Biggs is still alive, as far as I know, so you're not looking at murder..." The man nodded, nervously, and the rest of the trip was made in uncomfortable silence. Once they arrived, they quickly briefed Ehrenthal on what had transpired, not entirely surprised when Calley arrived before they could call him. Hume glowered at the shorter man, a fact that did not escape Farve, although at the moment he attributed it to the apparent rivalry that existed between his current partner and his previous employers. They spent a few moments catching Calley up on the events of the investigation, and then followed as he entered Maier's interrogation room. Hume was always amazed to see how Calley worked when he was dealing with perps -- when they were nervous, the way Maier was, he suddenly became so quiet and softspoken. The threats were still there, but they were hidden behind a veneer of civilized calm. The man was frightening to watch... "Mr. Maier," Calley began softly, "I understand that you were approached by someone who offered you quite a lot of money for the compound Dr. Biggs was working on. When you tried to steal it, you met up with Dr. Biggs, and ended up having to fight him for the compound, am I correct?" When Maier nodded nervously, Calley continued, "You do realize that should Dr. Biggs die from his injuries, charges against you will change from theft and assault to murder?" "Yes, Sir, but I never intended for him to be hurt like that -- I just wanted to steal the drug..." Calley smiled slightly and said, "He startled you and you panicked, obviously...You realize, don't you, that you really only have one option: help us get the buyer." "But..." Maier protested weakly. "You still have the compound and the research notes, don't you?" Calley asked, seeing the fear in Maier's eyes. "You'll contact your buyer exactly the way you were told to, and we'll be ready to move in when he makes the payment." "But..." "Yes?" Calley asked expectantly. Maier swallowed nervously, uncomfortable as the focus of Calley's attention, "What if he's just a middle-man?" "Let us deal with that when the time comes," Calley answered, looking momentarily up at Hume. "Detective Hume will go over the details of the meet with you, and we'll see how things go." Maier was about to say something when the door opened and Ehrenthal leaned in. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, looking around the room at Calley and his detectives, "Farve, could I see you for a few minutes?" Farve glanced aside at Hume, who nodded to let him know it was okay, then said, "Of course, Lieutenant." He walked out of the room, following Ehrenthal back to his office. Ehrenthal closed the door and lowered the blinds, then turned to him and said, "From what I can see, things are going pretty smoothly, so I'd like you to look into something else for me. I'm a little suspicious about Hume's encounter with Collector last night..." Farve nodded and said, "Yes. From my observations, David is in some pain and seems to be hiding something about his experience..." "Yeah, I got the same impression," Ehrenthal answered, trying to keep the exasperation from his voice. "I want you to find out where Collector is staying, and pay him a visit. Try to find out exactly what happened -- just be careful, considering what Hume said he's after." "Of course, Lieutenant," Farve answered, "although I should warn you that David made me promise I would stay away from him." "That's all right," Ehrenthal said, although Farve caught the momentary look of unease in his eyes, "If it causes any kind of friction, I'll make sure he knows *I* sent you there." "Lieutenant, perhaps you should speak with Lieutenant Calley about this -- he may have some insights as to what might have transpired. He seems to know Mr. Collector well." "I think I'd prefer to leave him out of this for now -- we'll conduct our investigation, and if I decide he should be involved, we'll bring him into it. Let him deal with the drug theft for now -- for all we know, it could end up leading back to Collector, anyway." "I understand," Farve said. "I'll track down his address and see what I can learn." Ehrenthal watched as he walked calmly out to his desk and sat down, then began typing so rapidly that his fingers were a blur. A few minutes later, Farve nodded slightly to himself, then stood and walked out of the office. --==**==-- to be continued in part 3 Total Recall 2070 is (c) 1999 Alliance Television, TEAM Communications, PolyGram Television, and the Showtime cable network. Sinister Eccentricities is (c) 1999 Penemuel.