“I think that’s an excellent choice, Michelle.”

After they finished their discussion Michelle followed Horatio out. As they stood in the doorway Barry walked by, but didn’t look at them.

Michelle said, “What do you know about that guy?”

“Not much. Why?”

“Just curious.”

“Now why don’t I believe that?”

“You doubting my word, Horatio?”

“I was thinking of a more technical phrase, like liar, liar, pants on fire.”

BEALE PENINSULA IS A WEDGE of land that juts out into the York River on the Gloucester County side midway between Clay Bank and Wicomico in Virginia’s picturesque Tidewater. Like much of Virginia, Beale had been settled early in colonial times. It was filled with the first glories of the new country that over a century later would become the United States. Less than ten miles to the south, at Yorktown in 1781, British General Cornwallis had turned both his sword and thousands of humbled redcoats over to George Washington’s ragtag Continental Army. This effectively ended the American War for Independence on a distinctly high note for the victorious yanks, who, up until that point, had rarely seen a battle they could not somehow manage to lose in the end.

From the cleared fields of those early days had risen magnificent brick and clapboard plantations that depended on legions of slaves to run them properly. Less than a hundred years later, depleted soil and the Civil War ended these sleepy days of southern aristocracy forever.

A second wave of prosperity hit when the newly minted wealth of the Industrial Age found its way to this tranquil spot on the York, enticed by its clean water, good fishing, temperate climate and pastoral setting. It was also deemed a restorative place for those with consumption, due to its low elevation and water breezes and abundance of longleaf yellow pine that was thought to be good for tubercular lungs. And once one or two of these exalted families began putting down expensive roots, others had quickly followed.

For this reason, at its peak, six private railway lines stretched down from the north and three more from the west terminating at this doughy fist of Virginia red clay with its steady river breezes.

Now, years later, a few of these palaces had been turned into bed-andbreakfasts or small hotels. The majority though, like the southern plantations before them, had fallen into ruins, which at least provided adventure-filled places for the children to roam during the long, humid days of a Tidewater summer.

Directly across the river on the York County side the United States government’s imprint was heavy with Camp Peary, next to a naval supply center and a weapons station. Together this triumvirate took up the entire waterfront from Yorktown to on past Lightfoot, Virginia. It was said that the folks at Camp Peary, an ultra-secretive training center for CIA agents and nicknamed the “Farm,” had technology that could discern a person’s eye color from across the wide river in the dead of night. And it was also accepted as fact by the locals that every person who had ever come within a four-mile radius of the place had been spied on from outer space. No one had proven that this was so, but it was very much true that no visitor ever left the area without hearing that story at least three times.

Beale had endured the ups and downs of the economy and the whims of the rich, while its more moderately well-off citizens went about their ordinary lives in ways that occurred throughout much of the country. That was so except for one recent development in the area.

And that was a place called Babbage Town.

Sean King’s small plane landed smoothly on the asphalt of the lone runway and came to a stop, its twin props winding down. A slate blue Hummer pulled up to the aircraft and a young, lanky black man in a private security uniform got out and helped Sean with his bags.

As the Hummer rolled along, Sean sat back and thought about his visit with Michelle before he’d headed to Babbage Town. He’d called Horatio to make sure it was okay to see her before he left. And, in turn, the psychologist had asked to see Michelle’s personal things at the apartment Sean had leased for them both. Horatio had also wanted to see Michelle’s truck.

“Just wear a mask and gloves,” Sean had warned him, “and make sure your tetanus shot is up to date.”

When Sean had seen Michelle in the visitor’s room his spirits had been lifted by her healthy appearance. She even gave him a hug, listened to what he was saying and answered directly the questions he put to her.

“How long will you be gone to this Babbage Town place?” she’d asked after he’d told her about his new assignment.

“I’m not sure. I’m taking a private plane down that Joan arranged.”

“And how is your paranoid schizophrenic slut of an ex-friend Joan?”

He took the comment as a sign of her returning spirit and said, “Well, she won’t be coming with me. There’s a guy down there named Len Rivest who’s head of security for Babbage Town. He was with the FBI, knows Joan and recommended her firm. He’ll be my main contact there.”

“You said a man was murdered?”

“We don’t know for sure. His name was Monk Turing. He worked at Babbage Town.”

“What exactly is Babbage Town?”

“It’s only been described to me as a secret think tank working on some important stuff.”

“Who runs the place?”

“According to the file a guy named Champ Pollion.”

“Monk? Champ?”

“I know; it’s weird right from the get-go. But there’ll be a nice payday if I can find out what happened to the guy.”

“Is that how you can afford this place? I know my insurance doesn’t cover it.”

“All you need to do is get better. Let me worry about the rest of it.”

“I am getting better. I feel good.” Her voice sank lower. “And there’s something weird going on here.”

“Weird? What do you mean?”

“Sounds in the night. People moving around in places they shouldn’t be.”

Sean took a deep breath and said in a mildly scolding tone, “Will you promise me you won’t get mixed up in it, whatever it is? I won’t be around to help if you do.”

“You’re flying into the middle of nowhere to investigate a murder without me backing you up. I should be the one putting the screws to you.”

“I promise I’ll be careful.”

“As soon as I’m out of here I’ll come down and help you.”

“I hear you and Horatio have really hit it off.”

“I can’t stand the son of a bitch.”

“Good, then you are getting along.”

A few minutes later he’d started to leave when she clutched his arm. “If things start getting really wild, call me. I can be down to help in a flash.”

“I’ll watch my backside.”

“I don’t think you can watch your front and back at the same time.”

He pointed a finger at her. “The most important thing is for you to get yourself right. Then we can start being our perfect opposites-attract all-star detective team again.”

“I’m looking forward to that.”

“Me too.”

Now he was heading to Babbage Town, alone, and regretting more than ever that Michelle wasn’t with him. Yet his partner had a long road to travel back to good health and his mind was constantly preoccupied with the possibility that she might not succeed.

As they drove along beside the York River a scattering of birds rose into the air at the same time a half-dozen deer flew across the road. The driver barely tapped his brakes. The flank of the last whitetail deer came within a couple inches of meeting the fender of the pumped-up SUV. All Sean could envision were antlers coming through the windshield and impaling him on the deep, rich Hummer leather.

“Get that a lot this time of year,” the driver said in a bored tone.

“What’s that, instant death?” Sean snapped.