Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Simona peruses the notices hanging on the bulletin board as we wait outside Dr. Samson Winston’s office.
We’re on time, but the man’s last meeting must be running over. Enthusiastic voices carry through the door.
I lean against the wall and fight the nerves in my stomach. I have so many mixed emotions about this meeting. This man’s thoughts about the stone could make my worst fears for Isla Rosa grow even more.
As if this moment weren’t bad enough, my brain is also consumed with worry about Wolf talking to my father.
Taking deep breaths, I lean my head back against the tattered wall. The university office building is old. Brown and green decor date it to a time well before my birth. Surprising for one of the United States’ most advanced departments on space science.
When the frosted glass door opens, a frazzled looking female student spills into the hallway with an apology. “Sorry to hold up your meeting. I had to get help on this situation in the lab.”
“No worry. It’s fine, I’m not in a hurry.”
Dr. Winston, or the man I think is Dr. Winston, appears in the doorway. The photo on the website for his department was a few years younger, but he has the same halo of curly dark hair around his head.
He shakes my hand with vigor. “I’m Kate Brooks, thanks for seeing me.”
“Of course, come in.” He motions me to the chair in front of his messy desk.
“I have a coworker with me, would it be okay if she joins us?”
“The more, the merrier.” He pops up a folding chair.
Simona sits on it and scoots it up to the desk as I take the other chair.
“I’m hoping you can help me identify a gemstone.”
“Gemstones aren’t my specialty.”
“But space rocks are.”
He grins. “Why yes, they are.” The man slips on a pair of thick glasses as I hold out my hand. The green ring is on my marriage ring finger.
“Hmmm, most unusual.” He lifts my hand. “May I hold it?”
I slip the ring off and drop it into his palm. He lifts a magnifying glass from his desk and turns the ring around a few times.
He draws in a big breath. “Where did this come from?”
“I’d prefer not to say.”
“You’re smart.”
He turns the ring over and over. Suddenly, his eyes go wide. “My god. It’s warm. Not just from your skin. But really warm.”
“It generates heat.”
He clutches his heart with his other hand. “My lord…amazing. A stone that’s capable of producing heat is unheard of.” His brows knit together as he turns the ring over again. “It has to be radioactive.”
“Nope. Already tested.”
When his eyes rise to mine again, they are full of excitement. “This came from a meteor.”
“That’s what I suspected.”
He jumps up from his desk. “Follow me, please. We should go to the lab. I can take a closer look at it with better magnifying equipment.”
Simona’s already standing. “Lead the way, Doctor. Let’s get a look at this magic ring.”
When the man reaches his door, he says, “Don’t talk to any students in the lab before I can kick them out.”
“Roger that.” Simona replies as she loops her arm in mine. “You did good, champ. I think you’re gonna get those answers you’re looking for.”
My brow creases, “I hope so. But honestly, I’m a little scared of what this might mean.”
After an hour of Dr. Winston inspecting the ring with a dozen pieces of equipment, he finally comes up for air.
“Well… I’m hard to surprise. I mean, I deal with space stuff where the imagination can get pretty crazy.
But let me say, this surprised me.” He ruffles his mop of black hair.
“It’s not from Earth. It’s from a meteor.
And it’s incredible. The world would go crazy over this. ”
I wish I shared his excitement. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“Is there more of it?”
“One more piece, at least, that’s been discovered.”
He leans in. “You know where this was found.”
“Not exactly. But I have an idea.”
He glances around suspiciously. “You need to know how crazy things could get over this. It’s not that I want to keep something like this from the world.
But I’ve seen what happens when the wrong people find something that’s exceedingly rare.
And when you add on top of that the heat generating capacity, I worry something like this could cause environmental decimation or war. ”
With every word he says, my heart rate increases. I have to get that other piece of space rock back. “You won’t say anything will you?”
He shakes his head. “You’ve got my word. Just one favor. Promise me I’ll get to study this thing if you do decide to go public.”
“I promise. And thank you for being discreet. I’m trying to make sure nothing bad happens to people I care about.”
Simona’s wearing a dangerous expression. She leans in, and in a low whisper, says, “You’re the only person who knows what this is, so if this leaks… then I’ll be coming for a visit. And don’t mistake my girly looks for an aversion to blood.”
The man blanches whiter than the tile walls in the lab.
He fumbles for a response. “Right. Okay, so, I guess I’ll be getting back to my office now.
I’ve got a research study on Mars dust to write up.
Super interesting. But I won’t bother you with the details.
I’ll just show you ladies the way to the door. ”
I’m in a state of shock as Simona drives us toward the shopping district. Meteor. I thought it might be, but this makes me so nervous. Not Simona though, she’s singing, rocking out to the song on the Mini’s radio. When the song ends, she says, “What next?”
“Get that other stone back. But I have no idea how.”
While we were at the lab, I got a text. “Marshall and Scotch are going to visit the guy who owns the van that was used in your purse snatching.”
I’m speechless for a few seconds. “You guys don’t screw around.”
She laughs as she whips into a parking spot in front of a boutique shoe store. “I love this team. And I love shoes. Come on. We need to get some new ass kicking boots, my treat, because I have a feeling we’re about to kick some and take names.”
I sure hope she’s right because the professor just confirmed my worst suspicion. Isla Rosa’s hiding a dangerous secret.