The next day Kelly went for a walk with Matt. He appeared to have a lot on his mind—big surprise. The temptation to warn him away from Amy was overwhelming, but Matt had to sink or swim on the strength of his own basic integrity. Kelly had to admit his plan to murder David was clever. Assuming Gilbert did not see them, it would be difficult to prove that David had been a victim of foul play. Yet the scheme was almost too simple for someone as subtle as Matt. Once again, in her mind, she compared him to the Acid Man. She wondered what he thought about as they walked.

She wondered about Professor Gene Banks.

She had not gone to see him after interviewing the father. The tale of the tragedy of their lives had deepened the spell the Acid Man had cast over her own life. She could not be free of certain images: the boy looking at his comatose mother lying at the bottom of the stairs, the night Maggie died—the long needle sliding into her heart. Kelly felt sure Dr. Fred Banks had left something out about how Mrs. Banks left this world. Gene would have been there, she was sure of it, close at hand.

She had not met with Gene Banks, but she had driven to his place and parked across the street. In the same manner she had accused Julie, she tried to glimpse him through the window. She felt sure he knew she was there. But she saw nothing, only shadows, flickering lights, ghost images of the TV perhaps, or else the shifting auras of the spirits that haunted their mutual dreams. What was that quote from the Bible about the sins of the father? Flying home, she had thought that a person who could start a pharmaceutical company would have to have a knowledge of chemistry.

The Acid Man called on her cell when she returned from her walk with Matt.

“How did you get this number?” she demanded.

“Does it matter?”

“Yes.”

“It’s listed. The FBI has a list.”

A curious comment. Did he have an ally in the FBI?

“What do you want?” she asked.

“How are Matt and Amy?”

“They couldn’t be happier.”

“Matt will not be happy long. He knows.”

“You’ve never even met him.”

“Does it matter?” he repeated. “We have a bargain. Independence Day is a week away. I’d like to celebrate my freedom then. Close all the files so to speak. I’m sure you understand why.”

He said a lot with few words. He wanted her to kill him on the same day his mother had died. He knew she had been snooping on him. She forced herself to focus. He was clever but perhaps she could get him to reveal a few secrets.

“Do you really want to die?” she asked.