Prey for Us Page 7

  “May I ask why you collect doors and keys?”

  “Leverage intrigues me.”

  Morana frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  “A tiny key can be used to open an enormous door with little effort.”

  “Does that apply to how you lifted the block?”

  Thane crossed his arms. His expression tightened.

  “I’m sorry. Forgive me for prying,” Morana said. “I hope you take it as a compliment that I’m completely fascinated by your work.”

  Thane didn’t answer. He returned to the work block. “Clay said I could trust you.”

  “Of course, you can. I can tell you Clay isn’t lying about that,” Morana said with a small laugh. She raised her right hand. “I swear I won’t say a word, but if you don’t mind my asking, what do you think would happen if word got out about what you can do?”

  Thane shrugged and folded his hands on the block. “That should be impossible, right?”

  “Of course, but I just wondered—”

  “Why consider it if it’s not something that should happen!” Thane cut her off.

  “I’m sorry.” Morana raised her hands. “I won’t ask again.”

  The tension drained from Thane’s face. He spread his hands on the block and leaned on it. “Let’s get on with the experiment you wanted to re-create,” he said, walking to a cabinet. He removed a tray loaded with copper wire, bolts, magnets, a large battery, and several tools and brought it back to the block. He removed a U-shaped piece of metal and began coiling a copper wire around its base. “Please sit here,” he said, dragging a chair to a place beside the block.

  Morana sat.

  Thane rested his hand on the edge of the tray and said, “Today we will recreate a perpetual motion holder.”

  Morana bit her lip to avoid smiling at the awkward formality of Thane’s introduction.

  For the next twenty minutes, he recreated the Leedskalnin experiment, explaining every piece of hardware and every step.

  Morana committed little of what Thane said to memory, occasionally nodding and conveying as much interest as possible. Thane became completely absorbed in the topic, smiling when he described Master Leedskalnin’s successes with related experiments. He eventually announced that the demonstration was complete and held up the result of metal and wires that remained fused even after a connected battery was removed. “We have created what is essentially a permanent magnet,” he announced. “You can examine it.”

  Morana clapped and leaned in for a closer look. “If you can’t answer this next question, just tell me to back off. But without giving away your secret, is this experiment in any way related to the method you use to lift this table?”

  “You found my description of the physics involved a bit challenging to understand, remember?”

  “Yes, but now I’ve studied a little, and you’ve given me this wonderful tutorial.”

  “This wasn’t a tutorial. It was a demonstration,” Thane said, his voice tense. “I wasn’t teaching, I was demonstrating.”

  “I’m sorry—please forgive me,” Morana said.

  Thane carried the tray back to the cabinet, his lips pursed. As he tried to slide the tray onto the cabinet shelf, he bumped the corner, and the tray fell, spilling all its contents on the floor.

  “Oh, no!” Morana said, running to him. She knelt to help.

  Thane said, “No, I can fix it.”

  When Morana reached for a magnet, Thane snapped, “No, don’t touch it. I don’t need you…”

  Morana pulled her hand away and stood. She backed away while watching Thane carefully pick up and position each item, creating neat rows on the tray. When he finished, he carefully slid it into the cabinet.

  When he came back to her, he said, “We’re finished.” He sat in the chair and rocked, staring at the entry door.

  “So… are you asking me to leave?” Morana asked.

  Thane stopped rocking. “The demonstration is finished.” He ran his thumbnail along a groove in the block, keeping his eyes on the door.

  Morana said, “Thane, there’s something important we need to discuss.”

  “Maybe this isn’t a good time,” he said.

  “I’m sorry I asked about the block again. I didn’t mean to upset you. But I need to review some information with you about your accident situation.” She opened her bag and pulled a piece of paper from it. She placed it on the block in front of him.

  Thane briefly glanced at it and went back to digging the groove.

  Morana pushed it closer to him. “I think you should see this. I don’t want to panic you, but it looks like this Everett Paige has used judgment liens in several cases before yours.”

  Thane stopped and said, “What does that mean?”

  “A judgment lien can be created if someone wins a lawsuit against you. If you are unable to pay, the judgment is recorded against your property.”

  “That can’t happen!” Thane said, standing.

  “I’m afraid that if we can’t settle this issue with Everett, it will happen.”

  Thane grabbed his hair. “How can I settle?”

  “$10,000 solves your problem.”

  “I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “Then he’ll seek a judgment to squeeze it out of your property.”

  “That can’t happen,” Thane said. “Please don’t let that happen.”

  “I might be able to prevent that if I can convince Everett to change his mind.”

  “You mean—contact him directly? Are you a lawyer?”

  “No, but I can be persuasive.”

  Thane cringed. “Maybe we should wait for Clay. He knows how to negotiate. He’s in sales, and he also told me to wait for him before I talk to you.”

  “He did?” Morana’s jaw clenched.

  “Yes, and he also said you might not keep my work a secret.”

  “Really…” She paused to take a deep breath. “Thane, the truth is that Clay and I could both help you, but I’m better equipped to help in this particular situation than he is. I would never violate your privacy. Don’t forget how adamant Clay was when he told you I was an ideal person to help you with the situation.”

  “Still, maybe we should wait. Clay said he’d be back in town soon.”

  Morana cleared her throat. “So, when did he tell you these things—that I might not keep your secret?”

  “He called me right before you got here. He said he has a new plan that will make this problem go away.”

  “Listen, Thane, Clay and I worked together. It may seem that he and I are at odds, but we aren’t.”

  “Then why did he tell me to call him when you leave? It feels like you two are competing.”

  “Thane, let’s take the stress off you. Why don’t we forget that Clay and I are working together for the time being? Suppose you could only choose one of us. You can wait for him to come back into town, but we don’t know how long he’ll be gone. I’m already here, ready to help and timing is critical to getting this problem resolved for you.”

  Thane resumed rocking in the chair, studying his thumbnail. “Why are you so willing to help me?”

  “Because I like you… and you have impressed me with your amazing demonstrations. I wouldn’t want anything to prevent you from continuing your work and from what I can see, it wouldn’t take much time to fix this for you.” She tapped her finger on the paperwork, “I think this Everett person is trying to scam you, and I hate that sort of injustice more than anything.”

  “And what do you expect in return?”

  “What else would I want?”

  “I’m not disclosing how I raise the blocks,” he said.

  “I haven’t asked you to disclose it.”

  “I saw your reactions when you saw what I did. You don’t even know me. Why else would you want to help me?”

  Morana smiled. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me see what I can do to help you with this pr
oblem. If I haven’t completely resolved it before Clay returns, I’ll bow out, and he can take over.”

  “I suppose that would be fine,” Thane said.

  “I do have just one more question about your case—hold on, it’s in here, somewhere…” Morana dug into her bag again, rummaging through it with one hand while tilting the opening in the light to see inside. “I can’t believe I might have forgotten…” She began pulling out all the bag’s contents. A hairbrush, wallet, spare T-shirt, lipstick, and an eight-inch piece of hanger wire bent into the shape of a helix.

  “What’s that?” Thane asked, pointing to the wire.

  Morana picked it up. “Oh, this is for a different experiment of Master Leedskalnin’s I was going to ask you about. I forgot the name of it.”

  “Was it called the unipole helix experiment?”

  “Yes, that’s it,” she said, still digging. “I must have forgotten that paperwork.” She began stuffing the items back into her purse.

  Thane said, “May I hold that?”

  She handed the wire helix to him.

  He held it up to the light. “You need two of these. This one is too small and feels like an alloy.”

  “Oh,” Morana said.

  “You know, I have supplies for this experiment, too,” he said, handing it back to her. “I’ve done it a thousand times…”

  “I’m sure you have.”

  “Maybe I could show you that one, too.”

  Morana checked her watch. She knew that doing the experiment now would eliminate an ideal reason to come back another day. “I’d love for you to show me, but I have some other obligations tonight and tomorrow night. Is there any chance I could visit the following evening?”

  Thane twisted his mouth and drummed his fingers on the block a few times. “What time?”

  “Will seven o’clock work again?”

  “Sure.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll bring us dinner… What do you like to eat?”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to. What is your favorite restaurant?”

  “Sometimes I get Chinese food from Dragon’s Nest.”

  “Do you have it delivered?”

  “No!”

  “Of course not,” Morana said. “Shall we eat there?”

  “No, I only order takeout. They know my order.”

  “Great.”

  As Thane escorted her to the door, Morana said, “I bet few people know how much you and Master Leedskalnin have in common.”

  Thane blushed.

  When they passed by the chair near the entryway, she glanced down at the clutch she had tucked there. Its aim seemed perfect. Accidentally forgetting her clutch might not only prove productive but also provided a reason for an extra visit to stop by if Thane discovered it. If not, she would be the first to view how Thane performed a marvel of physics.

  Thane opened the door and said, “Good-bye.”

  Gus strolled in, rubbing against Thane’s leg before slinking into the shadows along the wall.

  Morana stepped outside.

  “I knew you were in there!” A woman’s voice echoed from the side of the garage.

  Morana moved to look around the corner of the garage.

  Thane followed her.

  They saw a woman with her chin raised over the back fence that separated their backyards.

  “I knew you’d come out soon because you have company,” she said.

  Thane mumbled, “Meet Mrs. Perkins.”

  “I’m sick and tired of telling you to stop the strange noises you are creating at night. If you don’t stop, I’ll report it.”

  “What noises?” Thane said.

  The woman raised her finger. “You know what noises. The hissing from your garage constantly wakes me. Our community’s official time for quiet enjoyment is from 10 o’clock PM to 6 o’clock AM. You are violating it.”

  “I apologize.”

  “And a couple of nights ago there was another explosion, too.”

  “There are no explosions,” Thane said.

  “Oh? I have proof. The last one was so strong that my Bradford Exchange Commemorative Hummingbird Plate fell and shattered into hundreds of pieces. You’re lucky I didn’t call the police.”

  “Hold on a minute,” Morana said, moving closer to the woman. “The man apologized and told you there was no explosion.”

  “Who are you?” Mrs. Perkins snapped.

  Morana glanced at Thane. “I’m a friend. Don’t you think involving the police is a bit extreme? After all, here we are, resolving the situation in a neighborly way.”

  “His ruckus keeps me awake. You know all the neighbors are talking about you,” Mrs. Perkins said, glaring at Thane.

  “Aren’t you a piece of work?” Morana said.

  “Say whatever you want, but he’d better heed my warning.”

  “You’ve made your point.”

  “You’ve been warned,” Mrs. Perkins said, dropping from view.

  Morana and Thane went back to the front of the garage. “Friendly neighbor,” she said.

  “She doesn’t like me,” Thane replied.

  “Does she complain often?”

  “More so recently. She always has a new complaint. She used to harass me about an overgrown tree that she claimed was encroaching on her property. When I trimmed it, she began complaining about the occasional sounds that come from my garage.”

  “What do you think she’s hearing?”

  “The explosion she said she heard was during your visit when I intentionally dropped my work block during the demonstration. I’ve only done that a few times. She mistakes the vibration for an explosion.”

  “I see.” Morana checked her watch. “I better get going.” She began to walk down the driveway toward the street, then stopped. “Oh, can I use your restroom before I go?”

  “Uh,” Thane looked at the house. “I suppose.”

  “Unless you have a restroom in your garage…”

  “No, it’s fine.” Thane led her to the house’s back door. He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked both a deadbolt and the knob lock. “Wait a minute.”

  “Sure,” Morana said, showing her urgency by dancing in place.

  Thane opened the door and squeezed through, closing it promptly behind him. Morana tried to see inside, but a curtain blocked the view. A light flicked on.

  After about a minute the door opened. “C’mon in,” Thane said.

  Morana entered a bare kitchen that had no table, no chairs, only a microwave, stove, and refrigerator. An opened bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon and a crumpled paper bag sat on a center island.

  Thane led her to the hallway where Morana smelled food—something fried.

  Thane said, “Second door on the right.” He pointed, but then when Morana walked down the hallway, he followed her, stopping outside the bathroom door.

  Morana said, “Are you going to supervise?”

  “No,” Thane said, blushing. He went back to the kitchen.

  When Morana finished, she held the bathroom knob tightly to keep the door quiet and stepped into the hallway. She quietly moved to the bedroom doorway. A queen-size bed with disheveled linen lay crookedly on the floor. Beside it, two empty shot glasses sat beside an open bag of tortilla chips. A used condom lay beside the pillow. A spool of paper towels had unrolled across the floor from the base of the bed.

  She continued along the hallway to the other bedroom that had a pile of clothes pushed into the corner, and a stack of framed pictures leaning against the wall on the floor. She turned on the light and leaned into the room.

  “Why are you looking in there?” Thane startled her from the end of the hallway.

  “I just wanted to see your adorable home.”

  “You should go.” He stepped back and motioned toward the kitchen. Morana went to him and at the hallway intersection, made a right turn toward the front door.

  “
No, this way,” Thane said, pointing toward the back.

  “I’m parked on the street in front,” Morana said.

  “I know. This way will be better.” He escorted her to the back door and followed her outside.

  Morana stopped and said, “Thank you, for everything you showed me, tonight, Thane. I look forward to our next visit in a couple of days.”

  “You’re welcome,” Thane said, looking around the backyard.

  “Thane is everything alright? You seem nervous.”

  “I have a lot to do. I just need to get to work.”

  “Okay.” Morana walked to the driveway.

  Thane followed and watched her pass through the pergola and out to the street.

  Morana waved over her shoulder to him. She had walked far enough to move out of Thane’s view, and she stopped. After waiting a few moments, she crept back toward Thane’s driveway using a tree near the edge for cover. He was gone. She hurried across his front yard to the corner of the house. She leaned close to the large front window’s edge and listened. The draperies had a sliver of an opening on either side that allowed her to see a limited portion of the living room. The light was on, and fast food containers littered the coffee table.

  After waiting a few minutes, she saw Thane enter the living room with a dishrag draped over his shoulder. He carried a black trash bag and a broom. He hurried around the coffee table, grabbing and stuffing the fast food containers into the trash bag as quickly as possible. He stumbled over the edge of the couch, as he hurried to get around to the other side. He brushed crumbs from the sofa and coffee table onto the floor before he swept them up. He then pulled the towel from his shoulder and polished the coffee table. When he finished, he stood back and examined it from several angles before he brushed crumbs from the sofa onto the floor. With this task completed, he walked to the hallway, then the living room light went off. The master bedroom light came on, but the window coverings were flush, preventing Morana from seeing inside. Morana watched, realizing that Thane had more than one secret.

  Chapter 8

  MORANA DROVE BACK to Clay’s apartment and pulled to the side of the road three blocks away. She dialed Clay.