The Blue Zone

CHAPTER TWENTY

The incident in the park stayed with Kate a couple of days. It made her feel embarrassed, even a little angry. She never mentioned it to Greg.

But two days later it was the bolt to their apartment door that started to get her scared.

She was rushing home after work with her arms full of groceries. She heard the phone ringing and Fergus barking inside. Greg was at the hospital. Kate jammed her key into the lock and twisted, balancing the groceries on her knee.

The door wouldn’t open. The dead bolt was shut.

Kate felt a flash of alarm ripple through her.

The dead bolt was never shut.

They never locked it.

It was one of those heavy steel contraptions, like they used on warehouse doors. It was always such a headache to open. And it kept getting stuck. The trial was long over. The place was alarmed. The lease and the phone were both in Greg’s name.

Kate fumbled for the dead-bolt key, warily pushing open the door.

Something wasn’t right…

Kate knew it as soon as she stepped in.

“Greg…?” she called. But she knew that Greg wasn’t there. Fergus wagged his way up to her. Kate scanned around. Everything seemed in place. The apartment had high ceilings and tall, arched windows looking east over Avenue C. The mess was still there-magazines, pillows, a water bottle, the TV remote on the couch-just as she’d left it this morning.

It was weird, and a little creepy. She knew it didn’t make sense. She petted Fergus. Everything seemed the same.

She just couldn’t put away the feeling that someone had been inside.

Then, the very next day, she and Tina were having coffee in the research unit’s cafeteria.

They’d been working together for a year now, and they had pretty much become best friends. Sisters. In fact, since Tina had dyed her hair lighter, people thought they were even starting to look a little alike.

Tina was telling Kate about this new project Packer had given her. “Injecting this isotrophic solution into the nucleic material. It basically disperses the surface fluid and…”

Suddenly Kate felt her attention drawn to something across the room.

This guy, at the far end of the cafeteria, at a table by himself. He had short, wiry hair, sideburns, a dark mustache. Hispanic features. Kate had the sensation she’d seen him somewhere before. She just couldn’t place where… Every once in a while now, she noticed his gaze through the crowd glancing toward her.

She tried to stay with Tina, but she kept glancing up at the guy, who once or twice met her eyes. It made her uneasy. But she had to admit she’d been feeling uneasy a lot lately…since that female witness was killed on Sixth Avenue.

When she looked back again, the guy was gone.

“Earth to Kate. Hello…” Tina snapped her fingers. “I know this is boring. But are you still with me?”

“Sorry,” Kate said. “Isotrophic solution…” She looked around.

Then she saw the man again.

This time he had gotten up. He was threading his way through the tables. Toward her. He had on a dark raincoat, which fell open, as if he was going for something. Kate felt a stab of alarm.

“Kate.” Tina waved a hand in front of her face. “What’s going on?”

This is crazy, she told herself. But her heart wasn’t listening. It was bouncing off her ribs. It’s a crowded place. Nothing can happen here. He was coming right up to her.

She felt the blood drain from her face. “Tina…”

It was a pager he was going for. The Latino man came directly up to her, stopped in front of her table. She almost jumped out of her chair.

“You work for Packer, don’t you?”

“What?”

“It’s Kate, isn’t it?” The Latino guy broke into a smile. “I was up in your office about a month ago. I work for Thermagen. You remember? I sell you the Dioxitribe.”

“Yeah.” Kate smiled, relieved. “It’s Kate…”

This was getting out of hand.

Later Kate was in the cramped computer room they called the library, copying over the results notes onto a CD. There was a knock. She turned around and saw Tina at the door. Looking puzzled and a bit concerned.

“You want to tell me what was going on back there?”

“You mean downstairs?” Kate shrugged guiltily.

“No. Italy. Junior year. Yes, of course downstairs. What’s going on, Kate? Some random guy comes up to you and you pretty much lose it-right in the cafeteria. You’ve been a little off all week. Lymphoblastic-the other day you filed it under cyclosporic. Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure.” Kate wheeled her chair away from the computer. She took a breath. “I’m feeling a little weird. I don’t know, like I’m imagining things. You know, related to my dad.”

“Your dad?” Tina pushed herself up onto the counter. She didn’t have to have that explained to her. “Why now?”

“I don’t know. Something triggered it the other day.” She told Tina about the guy in the park with Fergus. “Maybe it’s just the trial being over and the fact that he’s out now. It’s like I’m imagining things, Teen. I feel a little like I’m going nuts…”

“You’re not nuts, Kate. You lost your family. Anyone would understand that. So what does the good doctor have to say?”

“Greg? He says I’m just jumpy. And maybe he’s right. I mean, the other day I pretty well had myself convinced someone had toyed with our locks and broken into our apartment. Even Fergus was staring at me a little strangely.”

“I’ve heard they’re doing good work in acute schizophrenic paranoia at the medical center. Maybe Packer can get you a discount,” said Tina, holding back a smile.

“Thanks.” Kate scrunched her face in mock appreciation. “Maybe I’m just missing my family, Tina. It’s been over a year now.”

“I know what it is,” Tina said.

Kate looked at her friend. “What?”

“Labrafuckingphobia,” Tina said.

“Huh?”

“Labrafuckingphobia. Basically, you’re spending too much of your time in this goddamn place.”

“Right.” Kate laughed. “Thank God we caught it early. Symptoms?”

“Look in the mirror, honey. But fortunately I know the cure. You gotta get the hell out of here, Kate. Go home. Have a nice, romantic night with your honey. I’ll finish up tonight.”

“I’m sure you’re right.” Kate sighed, wheeling her chair back over to her workstation. “But I just have a little more work to do tonight.”

“I mean it.” Tina grabbed her arm. “Remember, I trump you. I’m a year closer to my Ph.D. Just get yourself home, Kate. You’re not crazy. You’re missing your family. Who wouldn’t be? Everyone knows what you’ve been through.”

Kate smiled. Maybe Tina was right. Maybe that was all she needed. Clear her head, curl up in bed with some Chinese food and some stupid Adam Sandler movie on pay-per-view. Do something romantic. Greg had even mentioned that he had the night off tonight.

“It wouldn’t exactly be torture to get out of here for a night.”

“Damn right. So do it, girl, before I renege. I’ll close up the place.”

Kate stood up and gave her friend a hug. “You’re a doll. Thanks.”

“I know. And, Kate…”

Kate turned at the door. “Yeah?”

Tina winked. “Try your best not to have a meltdown if the wrong guy sits next to you on the bus home.”