Free Ejecta by William C. Dietz Page A

Dr. Yano to submit tissue samples for further analysis Devlin returned to the house on Capitol Hill. Only this time her attitude was different. All hesitancy was gone as she stormed into what had been McCracken’s home determined to learn everything there was to know about the organism responsible for his death. Devlin had questions, dozens of them, and felt sure that the big house would surrender at least some of the answers.
    It was tempting to begin the investigation in McCracken’s study, where he could logically be expected to keep notes if any, but Devlin made a conscious decision to put that part of the search off long enough to give the top floors a quick once-over before night fell. It would be less spooky that way, and if things went well, she might find a better place to sleep. With that in mind Devlin lugged the blue duffle bag up the stairs and left it on the second landing.
    Having completed a quick reconnaissance Devlin learned that the extensive master suite occupied roughly the same area as the downstairs dining and living rooms combined. The whole thing had a retro look. As if Mac had left everything exactly as it was the day his wife died.
    The queen-sized bed was neatly mad and a pipe rested in the ash tray next to the plaid easy chair. Only the deliberate ticking of a clock on the mantle above the marble faced fireplace interrupted the otherwise perfect silence. An ornate dresser dominated the north wall. But a quick search of the drawers revealed nothing more than pajamas, underwear, and sweaters. A quick tour of the walk-in closet, the white and black tiled bath, and the sitting room beyond turned up nothing of interest either.
    Disappointed, but not especially surprised, Devlin left the master suite and crossed the landing. There were two bedrooms on the other side of the hall, both of about the same size, with a Jack and Jill bathroom between them. The one located on the street side of the house was practically empty. And, judging from the dust covered materials stacked along the west wall, had been slated for painting many years before. Another partially completed project.
    The second bedroom was in better shape—and clearly intended for guests. It was furnished with a full-sized bed, a dresser, and an old fashioned easy chair. Unlike the first bedroom this one opened up onto an enclosed sun porch, complete with a sweeping view of Lake Washington. Devlin liked that. So, after a quick check to make sure the bathroom was functional, she hauled her luggage inside.
    With that accomplished she followed a narrow set of stairs up onto a much smaller landing above. It was lit by a circular window that looked out onto the street. There were two long, narrow rooms. One to each side of the central stairwell. Both were defined by the steeply slanting roof and filled with all manner of cast-off furniture, boxes of old text books, and trunks layered with dust. The attic was going to require a lot of work some day.
    But that was for later,
after
the mystery surrounding Mac’s suicide was solved, and Devlin found time to deal with more mundane issues. Not having learned anything useful on the second or third floors the scientist went downstairs.
    It was getting dark by then. And was starting to rain. So rather than go out for dinner Devlin decided to eat in. Having rummaged through the kitchen cabinets she came up with a can of Bean and Bacon soup which she mixed with water and heated on the stove. That, combined with some margarine smeared rye crisp crackers, made for a better meal than many she had eaten while working in Costa Rica. In the meantime the cat was having dinner as well. “A cat named Dog,” Devlin said experimentally. “What do you think of that name?” But Dog, who was actually a cat, was too busy to look up.
    Having finished her soup Devlin put the empty bowl in the badly chipped sink and carried a mug of tea into McCracken’s study. Old fashioned wall sconces threw light down across green