Peder exhaled. “Trouble seems to follow you, doesn’t it? What does the woman in your life think?”
“Trouble’s got me pegged, you’re right about that, but there’s not really a woman in my life like you mean. Not yet.”
Peder just looked at him. “Perhaps that is the problem.”
Rook almost opened his mouth to protest, but Peder’s words set him thinking about the two women in his life. Well, three if you counted Sara Fogg, the CDC scientist who had accompanied Chess Team as an honorary “pawn,” and the girlfriend of the team’s leader, King. But the two main ones were Fiona Lane, and his fellow team member Queen.
Fiona was the fourteen-year-old girl the team had saved, the last living speaker of an ancient language that the team had discovered contained great power. King was serving as her guardian, but the whole Chess Team regarded her as family, and though Rook wouldn’t have admitted it, he enjoyed his role as Uncle Stan.
As for Queen, well that particular woman in his life didn’t have any problem with the trouble that seemed to follow Rook around. Dealing with it was her job as well, and she managed it better than anyone. Rook suspected that trouble would follow him no matter who was in his life, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Rook became aware that he had paused the conversation. “I doubt it. Anyway, do you have any idea who would want to shoot out my tires? It can’t have been Fossen, I just left him and he wouldn’t have had time. Plus, whatever other agenda he has, I think he really wants me alive long enough to kill the creature. And I actually got some smiles from the folks in town today.”
“Smiles, huh? You are making progress. My answer is that I do not know who would shoot at you, but I am not surprised. Most people here do not like outsiders, even well-intentioned outsiders. Did anything happen today that might explain it?”
“Well, I did find something out where our hairy friend disappeared, but not a lot. First thing was this piece of metal. Fossen suggested that it looked like a cover for one of the older storage units in his lab for biological waste, and perhaps it was debris from when he’d done some modernization a few years back.”
Peder looked at the piece of steel. Rook could tell he recognized it and was struggling with how to respond. Rook didn’t give him time. “Before you decide whether to lie or say you can’t talk about it, let me show you what else I found. This I didn’t show to Fossen.”
He produced the medal from his pocket and handed it to Peder. The old man’s hands shook when he took it, and Rook didn’t think it was due to old age. “I don’t know what Ahnenerbe means. But I have a feeling that in addition to relating to these secrets you can’t talk about, both of these items are clues to where the creature is hiding. What do you say to that?”
Peder met his eyes. “I say that you are right on all counts. And that I can’t help you.”
“Do you know what Ahnenerbe means?”
“Yes I do. It is the name of a former German organization, formed during World War II. They primarily focused on the search for historical evidence and proof of German superiority.”
Rook nodded several times in succession. “Ah, I knew I’d heard it somewhere. Were they the ones who did human experimentation?”
“I believe so, though I do not think it was their primary focus.”
“So what is this medal doing in Norway?”
“Stanislav, many Norwegians fought in the war. I was too young by just a few years, but nearly every man of the correct age in Fenris Kystby fought against the Germans. Such a medal would have been a prized trophy of war.”
“Assuming you’re right, how did it wind up under this steel cover so far from town?”
“That I do not know.”
Rook regarded Peder. He could sense the man’s resolve to keep the town’s secrets weakening. Time to play my last card, at least my last one for now. If this doesn’t get him talking nothing will.
Rook said, “I ran into your friend Thorsen today.”
“How is he?”
“Very sad. He broke down in tears on the street and thanked me for trying to kill the creature. Then he embraced me. It was sort of awkward with half the town watching.”
Something about the story didn’t sit well with Peder. He tried to hide his confusion, saying, “I can see how that would have been awkward. The man is grieving and not in his right mind.”
“The thing is, he told me something in a surprisingly clear voice. He said, ‘Pay attention to the victims.’ Would you happen to have any idea what he meant? I got the impression he didn’t want anyone to know he said anything, hence the touchy feely charade.”
Peder put his hands on his head and didn’t say anything. Rook could tell he was suffering and he didn’t have to try hard to allow compassion to enter his voice. “Peder, I don’t want anyone else to die because of your secrets.”