The room was long and split-level; the area closest to the door looked like some sort of engineering lab, with low metal tables and shelves cluttered with computer equipment and electronics gear. Nick recognized a few of the items, from laptop computers—some opened up and in pieces, others in more respectable form—to what appeared to be a collection of antique ham radios that had been taken apart and put back together. But deeper into the room, the place got more confusing. The central area seemed like some sort of library; embraced on all sides by tall, corrugated shelves filled with books. The titles that screamed out at Nick all had something to do with math and physics; and not the sort of math or physics that he’d have had any chance of recognizing, let alone understanding. No algebra or geometry; this was all high calculus, quantum theory, strings and quarks. There were also shelves lined with books that looked much older than the rest—some with tattered, yellowed covers, some with no covers at all. They looked antique, even older than the ham radios.

Beyond the library, there was what appeared to be a small bedroom. A futon on the floor, a set of drawers, and then in the far corner, a sink in front of a pair of vanity mirrors. And beyond the mirrors—that’s where things got really strange.

Hailey was already stepping past the futon—where she gently deposited the eagle, still wrapped in its towel—as Nick heard the door shut and lock behind them. It was only when she stopped in front of the mirrors, checking her face and hair, that Nick finally found his voice.

“What is this place?”

Hailey laughed. Then she reached up and took off her blond hair, placing it gently on a mannequin head behind the sink.

Nick raised his eyebrows. In all the craziness, he hadn’t even realized that Hailey had been wearing a wig. Her real hair was wavy and brown, and ran down past her chin. She was working on her eyelashes, now, softening her look.

“I think it used to be a lab,” she said. “Something to do with early computing hardware. Big consoles, the kind that used to use punch cards. A lot of that kind of electrical stuff was here when I found the place. The newer stuff, I brought in over the years. Kind of a hobby. Well, multiple hobbies.”

“You live here?”