Syndrome

enough excitement, enough Sturm und Drang in your life.'

'You weren't dull, Stone, but sometimes you could be maddeningly smug.'

'That may be about to change. Now that I'm an unemployed freelancer. And I just ran into a blast from the past. Who knows what my life is about to be like?' He turned to leave. 'By the way, give my best to Jay. Hopefully, he'll be the last managing editor I'll ever have to suck up to.'

“Take care, Stone.' She was getting up. 'You can fight this, you know. They had me write up some kind of bullshit breach-of-contract brief, in case you wouldn't go quietly. But it's full of holes. I know, since I deliberately wrote it that way.'

'Hey, thanks anyway. It's not worth it. I'm not going to fight to keep a job I never liked all that much in the first place. Every time I wanted to do some serious journalism-like that piece about using the Internet to store everybody's medical records-Jay always found a reason not to run it. I've only got so much dignity to lose.'

He turned and strode out of the office, deciding to forego any more farewells. Besides, he had better things to do. Get somebody from the mailroom to carry the boxes-the shards of his erstwhile, so-called career-to the lobby, where he could get a cab. Take the files home, stash them, and then get going.

Chapter 24

Wednesday, April 8

4:40p.m.

'Hi,' he said, walking through the door of Ally's downtown studio, CitiSpace. Jennifer had the desk at the front and she served as a makeshift receptionist. She looked up as he continued, 'I don't have an appointment, but I'd love to see Ally Hampton. Any chance?'

'And you're. .?'

Just as he started to tell her, Ally emerged from her office/cubicle in the back and spotted him.

'Stone! What-'

'Bet you didn't think you'd see me again quite so soon.'

She felt her pulse jump. No, she hadn't. She'd told him she was going down to the office, but she'd certainly had no idea (or hope) he'd just show up a couple of hours later.

Since she got back to the office she'd been in a struggle with her conscience over what to do about Kristen. Was there any good to be served by bringing in the police? At the time it had seemed pointless and it still felt that way. The whole matter was awfully anecdotal.

Worse, she didn't really feel she should talk it over with Jennifer, which she would have loved to do. They supported each other in a lot of things, but this crazy story would just freak her out. Why do that?

The more troubling thing was, she’d started feeling tired and slightly dizzy. Now she was just hoping to stay focused long enough to last out the day. What, she wondered was happening to her? It wasn't like a chest- tightening spell of angina-which, thankfully, she hadn't had for a couple of days now. No, this just felt like something was sapping her energy. She couldn't help the suspicion that this queasy condition was somehow related to her encounter with Dr. Van de Vliet's testy blond colleague Debra. While she was supposedly taking that blood sample, was she also doing something else?

'Welcome to my home away from home. You're right, I didn't expect-'

'CitiSpace,' he interjected seeming to try out the word as he looked around She noticed that Jennifer and the others automatically assumed he was a new client of hers and were trying to look preoccupied. Jen, however, was giving him a furtive appraisal, running the numbers. He was a decent looker, actually kind of cute, and he seemed pleasant and outgoing. Not a bad start. That was what she would say the moment he was out of earshot.

'You like the name?'

'Not bad. Sort of a takeoff on Citibank?'

'My dad came up with it back before they copyrighted that name. Maybe they stole the idea from us.' She was feeling cheered by the sight of him. Yes, it was good to have him back for a while, maybe longer. 'But come on, let me introduce you around'

Which she did. Jennifer gave her a telepathic glance that said,This guy looks like he might be worth the effort. What's the deal?

Then they went to Ally's office, a high-walled cubicle in the back with a computer and a drafting table. She had a CAD program running.

'Sorry to just invite myself down like this,' he said, 'but I got off work early. Matter of fact, I just became a freelancer. My office now consists of three cardboard boxes in my walk-up apartment.'

'What do you mean? That phone page? Did-'

'Winston Bartlett owns the building where theSentinel's offices are. Seems he convinced the management that it would be in their interest if I were no longer employed there. I gather he thinks I know more than I actually do about what's going on out at the Dorian Institute, and I guess he thought getting me fired would slow me down. What it has done, however, is to give me even more incentive to surpass his most paranoid assumptions. Now I'm going to take him on full-time. I want to knoweverything.'

'Oh, Stone, I'm so sorry.' She wasn't buying his bravado. He didn't look like a guy who could last very long without a paycheck.

'I have to say he gave me fair warning. That meeting where he yelled at me. This little turn of the screw is not a total shock.'

'But that whole thing with Kristen. . I'll bet that's what sent him over the edge. I shouldn't have gotten you involved in that.'

'This had nothing to do with you, believe me.' He shrugged 'Besides, it gives me even more motivation to finish the book fast. And I'm also looking forward to spending some of my newfound quality time with you again, if you'll let me. In your favor, you've actually been inside the Dorian Institute, which is more than I can say.'

She wasn't a big believer in the magic of a second time around-that would have to await further evidence-but having Stone back in her life was definitely helping on the psychological support front.

'I'm thinking,' he went on, 'that maybe we should go back to Kristen's apartment and turn the place inside out. Do it right. We both let ourselves get distracted by the little matter of our other lives.'

'Stone, I'm not sure'-she lowered her voice and sat down at her desk-'but I may be having a reaction to something one of Van de Vliet's research assistants did to me out at the institute this morning. I don't know. I'm just feeling sort of weak and… funny. I'm thinking maybe I should call out there and talk to him.' She took a deep breath and seemed to be mounting her courage. 'Or if he needs to see me, could you possibly drive for me? I'm not sure I'm up to it'

'Hey, I'd love a chance to get inside that place.' Then his eyes grew uncertain. 'But are you sure you want to go back, after what seems to have happened to Kristen? You might consider waiting till we find her and-'

'Ally, are you all right?' Jennifer was walking in, carrying a manila folder. 'You look kind of queasy. Can I make you some tea or something?'

'Thanks but not now,' she said. 'I'm feeling weird, but maybe I should call out to the institute and see what Van de Vliet says.'

'Just don't agree to do anything until we talk,' Stone said.

'Don't worry,' she said reaching for the phone. The number for the Dorian Institute was now newly entered on her Palm Pilot and she called it. When the receptionist answered she gave her name and asked for Dr. Van de Vliet. 'I was there this morning and gave a blood sample to Dr. Debra Connolly. I don't know if there's any connection, but I'm really feeling strange right now.'

'What do you mean by 'strange'?' the woman asked. 'Can you describe how you feelexactly? He's in the lab downstairs.'

'That's just it I'm not sure I need to actually see him. I'd just like to talk to him.'

'He doesn't like to be disturbed. Unless it's something very important.'

'It's important enough for me to try to call him,' she declared feeling herself abruptly seething. 'I'm weak and