He signaled for a check and to speed matters up, reluctantly eschewed a credit card for most of the cash in his wallet. He headed for the door with McCall and Vaill behind him like highway tailgaters. The agents waited until they were outside to put on dark sunglasses. Lou took a moment to appraise them, and was unable to keep his mouth in check.

“Now you guys look like real FBI agents,” he said, gesturing at their blue suits and shades.

There was no response. Bad sign.

“So, where are we walking to?” he asked, still more curious than frightened.

“We parked just down the road,” McCall said, nodding.

“You didn’t use customer parking?”

Lou wondered if they had steered clear of the lot to avoid any kind of public scene with him in case he went ballistic. He glanced at his watch. Any chance to make a meeting had just about passed.

“We needed the exercise,” Vaill said.

The three started in the direction McCall had indicated. The sidewalk was wide enough for Lou to be kept sandwiched between the men. His apprehension was beginning to mushroom. Even though he had no intention of running from two almost-certainly armed FBI agents, they apparently were taking no chances.

“So what’s this about?” Lou asked again, this time with a mix of anxiety and impatience.

Although he could not see their eyes behind their shades, he got the impression neither of them could care less if he were upset.

“It’s about you making inquiries into a very dangerous germ,” Vaill said finally, his gaze straight ahead.

Lou stopped walking.

“How’d you know about that?” he asked.

“We’re with FBI,” McCall said, presenting Lou a mocking grin. “It’s our job to know these things.”

A brief stare-down ensued and Lou realized he was more at ease moving than he was standing still. He started to walk and again the agents kept pace.

“Is it a crime to ask about a bacteria?” Lou questioned, ticking through the people to whom he had even mentioned the Doomsday Germ—check-in calls to Puchalsky, hospital chief Win Carter, and surgeon Leonard Standish, as well as some nurses in the iso unit, and two people he knew in ID at Eisenhower Memorial. Then, of course, there were Samuel Scupman and Vicki Banks. “It’s savaging my friend’s leg. If it can’t be stopped they’re going to have to amputate. And his doctors will keep amputating parts of his body until the infection is either contained or my friend is dead. So that’s why I was asking around.”