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AN ARRESTING DISCOVERY So there he stood, William Frances; de oted h!s"and, #ather o# t$o %irls, &ase' and Coleen, and di ision s!(er isor o# his acco!ntin% !nit #or Goldmet In estments) A man $ho s(ent nine 'ears $or*in% his $a' !( to si+ #i%!res) A s!it and tie man $ho carried his l!nch in a "ro$n (a(er "a% e er' sin%le da') ,e dro e an eco-#riendl' car and %a e to the local Red Cross e er' chance he %ot) A man, $ho stood !( #or the little %!' a%ainst the (o$ers that "e, no$ stood loo*in% con#!sed as the cold steel o# the handc!##s closed aro!nd his $rists) Walter #elt e er'one in the o##ice loo*in% at him as t$o sec!rit' %!ards, the di ision mana%er Charles .a' and t$o detecti es "o+ed him in) One o# the detecti es (!t on a (air o# late+ %lo es and collected a (otted (lant o## Walter/s des*) ,e (laced it in a clear (lastic "a% and sealed it) 0,o$ co!ld 'o!, Walter12 Charles as*ed) 0Yo!/ e shamed this com(an' and 'o!r (osition here)2 0I ) ) ) I didn/t) ) ) I mean I didn/t *no$) ) ) Are the c!##s necessar'1 I/m not %oin% to r!n,2 Walter said mee*l') 0It/s #or "oth 'o!rs and o!r (rotection, sir,2 Detecti e 3inden 4esser said #rom "ehind Walter) 0Detecti e, (lease,2 Walter t!rned to #ace him, 0I didn/t *ne$ $hat it $as) Whoe er rat me o!t *no$s more than I do) Serio!sl', ho$ $o!ld the' *no$ $hat it $as !nless the' too* some o# it or !se it themsel es)2 0Yo!/re %oin% to stand there and tell me that 'o! didn/t *no$ $hat that $as on 'o!r des*12 Detecti e 4esser as*ed)

0I ha e ne er, ever, to!ched the st!##) I/ e ne er e en seen $hat it loo*s li*e $hen it hasn/t "een %ro!nd !( or $hate er (eo(le do $ith it,2 Walter said) 0This is %oin% to "e a (!"lic relations ni%htmare,2 Chares %r!m"led) 0I *ne$ 'o! sho!ld ha e ne er "een (romoted) I al$a's had m' s!s(icions a"o!t 'o!) I told that to h!man reso!rces $hen the' as*ed me a"o!t 'o! "!t no one e er listens to me aro!nd here)2 0Yo!/ e "een o!t to %et me e er since I started $or*in% here, Charles52 Walter "ar*ed) 0I/ e ne er done an'thin% to 'o! "!t #or $hate er reason 'o! ha e had this itch 'o! needed to scratch $hen it came to me)2 0Yo! don/t deser e that (osition,2 Charles said) 0A#raid the'/ll e ent!all' ma*e me your "oss, Charles12 0O*a' #ellas, eno!%h)2 Detecti e 4esser loo*ed at his (artner) 0Yo! ha e it %ood and sealed12 0Yeah,2 Detecti e Ror' 4o'nihan re(lied as he li#ted the "a% to sho$ 4esser) 0O*a', Walter, loo* at me,2 Detecti e 4esser said and Walter t!rned to him, 0Where did 'o! %et the (lant #rom12 0Where/d I %et it12 Walter as*ed, ner o!sl') 0Well, I62 0Walter5 Oh m' God, Walter, $hat/s %oin% on152 S!san Frances, Walter/s $i#e, $as screamin% as she h!rriedl' a((roached him) 0Oh %reat,2 Walter m!m"led as he $atched her r!n do$n the aisle as "est as she co!ld in her heels) She $ent to em"race him and sa$ the handc!##s) 0Wh' are 'o! in handc!##s1 Who did this to 'o!1 Who/s in char%e here12 S!san as*ed #ranticall') 04a/am, I/m detecti e62

0Wh' is m' h!s"and in handc!##s, detecti e1 Wh' are 'o! treatin% him li*e a th!% in the street1 ,m1 What is the meanin% o# this12 04a/am, its "est that 'o! ta*e a ste( "ac* and let !s handle this,2 Detecti e 4esser said) 04ister .a'12 S!san loo*ed at Charles) 0What e+actl' is %oin% on here12 0S!san, I/m sorr', "!t Walter $as ca!%ht $ith62 0Dadd'12 a little oice called o!t #rom "ehind S!san) E er'one aro!nd Walter %roaned as his si+ 'ear old da!%hter, &ase', (!shed her $a' (ast the (eo(le and ran !( to him) She $ra((ed her arms aro!nd his le% and h!%%ed him) Walter/s e'es $ere #i+ed on &ase' #or a moment then he slo$l' loo*ed at S!san and clenched his teeth) 0Yo! "ro!%ht her $ith 'o!12 he said) 0What $as I s!((osed to do $ith her12 S!san as*ed) 0I didn/t ha e time to call a sitter)2 S!san *nelt do$n to &ase') 0I tho!%ht I told 'o! to $ait "' rece(tionist 7att', s$eetie)2 &ase' ti%htened her %ri( as she loo*ed at S!san) 0S$eetie, let dadd' %o, o*a'12 Walter said) &ase' let %o and Walter *nelt do$n) Detecti e 4esser didn/t (rotest) ,e $atched as &ase' thre$ her arms aro!nd Walter/s nec* and held on #or dear li#e) Detecti e 4esser loo*ed o er and sa$ the other (eo(le in the o##ice #ro$nin% at him) 0Dadd', are 'o! o*a'12 &ase' as*ed) 0I/m #ine, s$eet (ea) The (olice $ant to tal* to me that/s all,2 Walter said in a reass!rin% oice) 0Wh'1 What ha((ened1 Wh' did the' (!t 'o! in handc!##s to tal* to 'o!12 she as*ed)

Walter loo*ed !( at Detecti e 4esser and #ro$ned) Detecti e 4esser, isi"l' to!ched "' &ase'/s concern #or Walter, *nelt do$n and (laced his hand on her sho!lder) 0,e',2 Detecti e 4esser said %entl', 0Were not %oin% to h!rt 'o!r dad) We 8!st need to as* him some 9!estions a"o!t somethin% he had on his des*)2 0What12 she as*ed) Detecti e 4esser loo*ed !( at Detecti e 4o'nihan $ho shr!%%ed his sho!lders) ,e $asn/t s!re i# he sho!ld "e honest or s(are &ase' the realities o# the %ro$n!( $orld) ,e searched #or the $ords to sa' to her) 0Well,2 he cleared his throat, 0'o!r dad had a #!nn' loo*in% (lant on his des* that, $ell, it/s not somethin% he sho!ld ha e) It/s a "ad (lant)2 &ase' stared at Detecti e 4esser #or a moment then loo*ed at Walter) ,e nodded in a%reement to her) &ase' then t!rned to Detecti e 4o'nihan and sa$ the (lant in the (lastic "a%) 0Yo! mean that one12 she as*ed, (ointin% to the "a%) 0Yes, that/s the one,2 Detecti e 4esser said) 0What/s $ron% $ith it12 &ase' as*ed) 0Well, it/s 8!st a "ad (lant) It co!ld ma*e (eo(le sic*,2 Detecti e 4esser said) &ase' loo*ed at him c!rio!sl') Then she $al*ed o er to Detecti e 4o'nihan and loo*ed in the "a%) 7lanted in the small (ot $ere se eral da##odils accented $ith some lon% stem %reen (lants $ith nine ri%%ed lea#s) She (ressed on the "a% to see the lea es "etter) 0It/s a "ad (lant12 &ase' t!rned to Detecti e 4esser) 0I didn/t *no$ da##odils $ere "ad)2

0Not the da##odils) The other ones,2 he said) 0The "i% %reen ones1 I didn/t *no$ the' $ere "ad) When I sho$ed them to m' teacher in the (ar*, he %ra""ed a $hole %ro!( o# them) ,e did sa' I sho!ldn/t ta*e them "!t he didn/t sa' $h') .!t I tho!%ht since he too* them then so co!ld I) I tho!%ht the' made the da##odils loo* nicer,2 &ase' said) Walter rolled his e'es as he stood !() There $as a collecti e %as( #rom e er'one) Detecti e 4esser %a e Walter a #ro$n then he a((roached &ase') 0Are 'o! tellin% me that you %a e those (lants to 'o!r dad12 0Ye(5 7ic*ed them m'sel#,2 &ase' said (ro!dl') 04' teacher has a $hole "!nch in a #ish tan* in the "ac* o# the classroom "!t he t!c*ed them "ehind some others in the terrari!m)2 &ase'/s mo!th dro((ed o(en) 04a'"e he does *no$ the'/re "ad and that/s $h' he/s hidin% them)2 She t!rned "ac* to the "a%) 0The' %ot "i%%er) Dad, 'o! m!st ha e %ood li%htin% in here)2 E er'one loo*ed !( at the #lorescent li%hts o er Walter/s des*) Some m!rm!rin% and %i%%lin% started to rise !( o!t o# the %ro!() Detecti e 4esser shoo* his head then t!rned to Walter and "e%an to remo e the c!##s) 0We/re %oin% to ha e to s(ea* $ith her teacher a"o!t those (lants and $here in the (ar* he #o!nd them) We/re also %oin% to ta*e the (lant $ith !s,2 he said) 0Yo!/re $elcome to ta*e it,2 Walter said) 0Sorr' a"o!t all this) Wo!ld 'o! come do$n to the station and %i e !s a statement1 Yo! and 'o!r da!%hter12

0S!re) No (ro"lem,2 Walter said) 0Yo! *no$ I $o!ld lo e to *no$ $ho it $as that re(orted me) This co!ld ha e "een handled more discreetl')2 0Wh' $o!ld someone tell on 'o!, dadd'12 &ase' as*ed) 0Well, s$eet (ea, remem"er $hat I told 'o! a"o!t 8ealo!s' and (eo(le $ho tattle on 'o!12 Walter said) &ase' nodded) 0I do) Yo! *no$ $hat1 4a'"e the (erson $ho told on 'o! is the same one $ho too* one o# the "ad (lants #rom the (ot)2 0What12 Walter and Detecti e 4esser said) 0I (lanted #o!r o# those (lants in the (ot, "!t there are onl' three in there no$) Someone too* one) 0Charles,2 Walter said, 0I thin* $e need to) ) ) )2 When Walter t!rned to loo* at Charles, he $as %one)

:Co('ri%ht ;<=> 4arc 3 A""ott