Steve came up between the front bucket seats. He, Curt, and Yuri stared at the front of the building and watched the people exit. “Looks like the employees are getting off work.”

In the back of the van the troops reopened the argument about who was going to hold the Kalashnikovs. Curt had to yell at them to shut up.

“How are we going to know if he’s not already left?” Steve asked. “We could be here for hours for nothing.”

“He better not have gone,” Curt said, glancing harshly at Yuri. “Let’s try to give him a call. Give me that direct number he put on his card.”

While Steve got the card from his pocket, Curt pulled out his cellular phone. As Steve read out the number, Curt punched it into his keypad. Then he lifted the phone to his ear.

It gave Jack a great sense of satisfaction to sign out yet another case. Marveling that he’d never been quite so caught up in his work since the day he’d been hired, he put the folder on top of the tottering completed pile. As he pulled his hand away, his phone rang.

“Jack Stapleton here,” he said in his normal fashion. Instead of a voice, Jack heard a rushing noise, as if he was listening to a distant waterfall. Then there was the unmistakable honk of an automobile horn.

“Hello, hello!” Jack said into the mouthpiece all the more loudly.

Jack was treated to a click followed by a dial tone. He tossed the handset back into its cradle with a shrug.

“What happened?” Chet asked without looking up from his work.

“Who the hell knows?” Jack said. “I could hear traffic in the background but whoever called never said a word.”

“Must have been an old girlfriend checking up on you,” Chet said.

“Oh, yeah, right!” Jack said with as much sarcasm as he could manage. He looked at his diminutive stack of uncompleted files and debated whether to continue his marathon.

Then Chet’s phone rang.

“She must have had the wrong number,” Jack said with a laugh.

Chet picked up his phone. He sat up straighter when he heard who it was. “Yes, I’m still here, Dr. Simsarian,” he said loud enough to be sure Jack could hear.

Jack turned around to look at his officemate, who’d also turned to face him. Their eyes met. Chet was wide-eyed with disbelief. “Really!” he said. “I’m amazed, too.”

“Amazed about what?” Jack demanded.

Chet held up his hand toward Jack while continuing to talk into the phone: “Thanks for calling back, Dr. Simsarian. It’s fascinating, and we’ll be interested to hear the follow-up. I’ll be sure to tell Dr. Stapleton about the results and convey your gratitude.”

Chet hung up his phone.

“Don’t tell me the rats were positive for botulinum toxin!” Jack said.