Simple Genius

that fence, it’s insane. Even if we don’t get killed I’m not looking to spend the rest of my life in prison, and I’m not going to let you do it.”

“But if you do go I can’t let you go alone.”

“Maybe we don’t have to if Joan finds out where Monk went in Germany.”

“Which may not tie into any of this.”

“How about Viggie? Codes and blood?”

Michelle shook her head. “Nothing new. She was understandably subdued when we got back from the river. Her piano playing was very restrained which is unusual. Normally she says, ‘Michelle, I like you’, and then she plays like a banshee, screams ‘Codes and Blood’ and then runs up to her room. She didn’t do it this time. She just thanked me for saving her life and then sat and played very slowly and beautifully, like she was thanking me again with music. It was actually very touching. And…”

Michelle’s voice trailed off as she stared at Sean.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she said in a barely audible tone.

“Yes, and I’m also thinking how big an idiot I am for not seeing it before.”

They jumped in the truck.

He checked his watch. “What about your plane ride with Champ?”

“Postponed until tomorrow.”

“Good, maybe by then you’ll change your mind. Call Horatio and tell him to meet us at Alicia’s cottage.”

“Why?”

“He’s a piano player, that’s why.”

CHAPTER 66

AFTER WHAT HAPPENED on the river they kept Viggie out of school today,” Michelle said as Horatio and Sean followed her up the walk to Alicia’s cottage. “But I think she’ll only play for me.”

“Horatio brought his recorder,” Sean explained. “We’ll stay out of sight but we’ll still hear the song.”

“And then what?” Michelle asked.

“Then if it is code we can get some help decrypting it. I know at least one genius hanging around this place.”

Horatio placed his sound-activated recorder near the piano, but hidden behind some books. Afterward he and Sean snuck out to the screened-in front porch. Through an open window they could hear the music from here.

Michelle went upstairs, got Viggie and asked her to play the song for her again.

The girl dutifully did and then went back upstairs. Michelle retrieved the recorder and joined Horatio and Sean.

Sean said, “I’ve contacted Alicia at work. She’s coming over shortly. Horatio, in the meantime can you write down the notes to the song she was playing just by listening to it?”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Wait a minute, you didn’t recognize the song, did you? If you do we can just check around for the sheet music. She must have it here somewhere.”

“Sorry, that stuff was a little too mellow for me,” Horatio admitted. “I’m more into classic rock.”

By the time Alicia arrived home Horatio had the notes written out. Sean showed them to her.

“So you think these are somehow a code?” she asked.

“That’s right,” Sean said.

“The thing is with musical notes you have only a few possibilities to work with.”

Horatio nodded. “A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Of course you can break them down into sharps, flats, etc.”

“Is that enough for you to work with, Alicia?” Sean said anxiously.

“I won’t know until I know,” she said. “Any idea what the subject matter might be?”

Sean looked at Michelle but remained silent.

Alicia, who’d been watching him, snapped, “Damn it, if you don’t trust me enough to tell me what you’re looking for, go find somebody else to help you.”

“Okay, okay.” He drew a deep breath. “You might want to think about Camp Peary, German prisoners of war and secret flights.”

Alicia’s eyes widened. “Just for the record, I’m a linguist and mathematician, not a cryptanalyst.”

“But some of the world’s best code breakers were linguists and math types,” Sean pointed out.

“Well it would be nice to have some more context to work with. Monk Turing was a very smart man. I doubt it’s something simple.”

Sean cried out, “Turing! Codes and blood. That must be it.”

“What must be it?” Michelle asked, staring at him in amazement.

“Monk Turing was related to Alan Turing, his blood relation. He visited England recently and went over the geographic locations of Turing’s life. Alan Turing almost single-handedly broke one of the German Enigma codes. It must have something to do with that.”

Alicia looked through the pages. “Well, that does help. I have some books on Alan Turing and his work. When do you need to know something?”

“Any minute now would be great.”

CHAPTER 67

MICHELLE, NATURALLY ALWAYS DRAWN to the water, decided to go kayaking. It helped her think and she wanted to take another pass by Camp Peary’s river frontage. If they were going to try to break into the place at some point, a little extra reconnoitering couldn’t hurt. When she got down to the boathouse she saw her kayak on the pier.

How did that get here? she wondered.

After a half-hour on the water she’d scrutinized the camp from several different angles. The chain link fence wouldn’t be difficult to get past, but after that? For the first time she really thought about what would happen to them if they were caught. And what could they really expect to find amid thousands of acres of mostly undeveloped, forested land? Was that enough to give up her life for? And while it seemed that Sean was having second thoughts, what if he changed his mind and decided to go through with it? Would she stick by him or do the only logical thing and decline? And if he went by himself and was killed, when her presence might have made the difference? Could she live with herself?

These thoughts were interrupted when a boat’s horn sounded nearby. She looked around. The RIB was puttering up to her from behind. Ian Whitfield was at the helm dressed in camie pants and a white T-shirt that revealed his chiseled physique. He was wearing a Yankees ball cap and a friendly expression.

He expertly drew the boat alongside her kayak and then shifted the throttle to neutral, as she slipped her paddle over the RIB’s gunwale to hold her craft steady.

“Ian Whitfield,” he announced, throwing up a hand in greeting.

Michelle tried to hide her surprise.

“Much nicer day to be out than yesterday,” he said cheerfully.

“So you were out in the storm?”

“A little. I found that kayak you’re sitting in floating downriver. Anything happen?”

“A friend of mine took a dunk in the water. We finally got her out.”

“Good thing. The York’s current can be a little tricky, Miss, uh?”

“Michelle Maxwell. Just call me Michelle.” She glanced across the river.

“So how are things on the other side of the York?”

“Don’t recall saying I was from any side of the river.”

“Just things you hear. And I hear more than most. I used to be with the Secret Service. But I’m sure you