Lara hurried back to the lockers, heading to the left side where the trainers kept their things. Adrianna’s locker was open, with a pile of suits neatly folded and ready for use on the upper shelf. Lara grabbed one and shut the door, and the locker next to Adrianna’s popped open. Evidently the lock on it hadn’t caught.
She started to close it, then paused.
There was a small tube of paint lying on the floor of the locker.
Red paint.
Like the color poured all over the dismembered doll she’d found on her desk.
For a moment she froze. Then she felt her anger kick in, and she looked quickly through the locker, trying to determine whose it was.
None of the lockers had nameplates, and the contents—a newspaper, a water bottle, a towel—didn’t tell her anything. She bent down and carefully picked up the tube of paint, using her shirt to hold it so she wouldn’t disturb any prints.
Then she went ahead and changed, leaving the paint wrapped in her clothes in Adrianna’s locker. She closed the door and wished she had a lock, but she figured it would be safe for the next thirty minutes or so. She would tell Meg about it right away, and get it to her as soon as she could. Since she suspected the perpetrator had thought the paint would never be found, she thought it was highly likely that they might find fingerprints on it.
She had a smile on her face when she headed out the door.
And she felt a steely determination that no one was going to mess with Sea Life.
*
“I’ve now had the opportunity to compare the brains and tox screens of each of our dead men, so I’ll speak as plainly as I can,” Kinny told Brett and Diego. “Certain chemicals that the body makes—dopamine, for one—can be given in doses to patients suffering from various diseases of the brain and nervous system. There are a number of dopamine systems in the brain, managing neural and muscle control. It’s logical to think other chemicals—including man-made chemicals—could have different effects, effects that could be harnessed in some way.” He paused, shaking his head. “I believe that someone was directly injecting certain chemicals into the brains of the dead men to destroy their mental capacity, their ability to reason, and leave them open to nothing but his direct commands. I haven’t been able to figure out the exact compounds that were used, because they were slightly different in each case. What, exactly, the experimenter has been trying to do, I’m not sure. But while the victims meant no more to him than cockroaches do to you and me, I don’t think that creating a zombie army is what he was trying for. I think the murders were simply part of the experiment.”
“So your theory is that someone was experimenting with mind-control drugs for a reason we don’t understand. He used some kind of poison to create the perfect simulation of death, then injected the ‘dead men’ with other chemicals to destroy their ability to think and to control their behavior, keeping them alive long enough to kill someone else? Someone close to them,” Brett asked.
“Yes, as far as it goes. It’s the end game that eludes me. But here’s the thing. There are traces of chemicals that improve motor skills and mental well-being in the mix, as well,” Kinny said. “Given the degradation of the remains, I can’t be positive, but it does seem that puffer fish poison was used to simulate death so the actual experiment could begin, but I don’t think it was key to the experiment itself. All I know is that we have a budding Dr. Frankenstein on our hands.”
“So we’re looking for someone with medical know-how?” Diego asked.
“Indeed we are. Possibly a biochemist,” Kinny said.
“And here I thought everything led to Barillo,” Diego said.
“Maybe it still does. The man has a medical degree, and one of his sons is in med school,” Brett said.
“I forgot about that. And he’s probably got doctors in his employ.”
“Not to mention his mansion might as well be a castle. I think we’re going to take a trip to see Dr. Barillo right now,” Brett told Diego. “Thanks for the help, Phil.”
Diego waved to Kinny on the way out. “First zombies and now Frankenstein,” he said. “What will we discover next? The chupacabra?”
*
Lara saw Meg watching from the platform while she was in the water with Cocoa and one of the vets who was waiting for his dorsal tow.
The young naval officer was minus his left arm; despite that, he could probably swim better than she could. But she knew Cocoa, and Adrianna was trusting her to help both dolphin and vet enjoy their experience, and Lara liked to think that even if she wasn’t actually a trainer, she did have a special bond with the dolphin.
Cocoa certainly made her look good, going above and beyond and giving the officer a great swim around the entire lagoon. When she had safely returned him to the platform area, she made a stunning leap right over Lara’s head, delighting the entire crowd.
When Lara emerged from the water, she was on a high. It had been an unbelievable experience.