head,” she said.
The break in conversation lasted several moments before he said, “Me, too. I’ll buy you some new glass.”
“Sure. I needed to do some shopping in Venice anyway.”
The phone rang, and Tamberi clicked on the speakerphone. “Yeah, Sil?”
“He just walked in.”
Cato clicked a button and the wall of screens blinked on.
They both studied Merrick’s expression, which gave away nothing.
“Cool as a fucking cucumber,” Cato said, but Tamberi pressed a button to amplify the pulse wave sensors. They listened to the rhythm of the beating hearts. Both were thumping about eighty times per minute.
“You were right,” Tamberi said. “He’s got a thing for her.”
“You think?” Cato asked.
“Absolutely. Merrick’s resting heart rate is thirty-five. Remember that time John Grange jumped across the table to kill Dad with the ice pick, and Merrick grabbed Grange and slammed him to the ground? Thirty seconds after it was over, Merrick’s heart rate was only fifty-seven.”
Onscreen, Merrick said to the girl, “Hey. You lost?”
“Smooth. I told you he wouldn’t slip. He knows the office is wired. Even if he’s shocked, he’s not gonna show it,” Cato said.
The girl turned so that she could look directly at Merrick. “No, Mr. Merrick. I’ve been waiting here for you.”
“Look at her face. That surgeon did a
good
job,” Cato said.
“Yeah, pretty good. But he realizes now,” Tamberi said, and they both listened as the span between the beats of Merrick’s heart grew longer and longer. “Sixty-two. Fifty. Forty. And thirty-five,” Tamberi said. “So Alissa North revs his engine more than fighting or killing.”
“I told you! He doesn’t do anything without a reason. He’s gotta be bangin’ her.”
“Well, if he was, it’s over now. He’ll have to make do with a replacement.”
Cato held up a hand as the girl tipped her head to the side and exposed the smooth skin over her carotid artery. “No matter how good she tastes, it won’t be the same. Muse blood is like ventala springwater. I haven’t had a single pang of thirst since I drank from that bitch.”
“Yeah,” Tamberi said. “Me either.”
Merrick took in everything about her in a few seconds. The neck wasn’t as long. The eyes were darker blue. The nose was perfect, but the entire face was a little wider. The tiny dimple in the left cheek when she smiled was missing, and the teeth were different—smaller. The haircut and color was spot-on, but how hard was that to fake?
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Merrick asked.
She widened her eyes and smiled. “It’s Alissa.”
“Sure it is. So, Alissa, whose discovery do you think had the bigger impact on public health, Snow’s or Fleming’s?”
“I— Well, they both made important contributions.”
“Sure. How about this century? Do you expect the most important developments to be electronic or ecological?”
The girl didn’t answer even though Merrick had fed her the exact questions that Alissa North had answered and discussed on multiple occasions. There were hundreds of available sound bites from interviews she’d given over the years. Anyone who’d done any kind of prep work for the role of Alissa North should’ve been able to parrot back Alissa’s answers.
The voice was wrong as well. Too high. The skin waswrong. It didn’t smell as fresh and the tint wasn’t as pale and creamy as the real thing.
A copy, but not a very good one.
She moved close to him and pressed her palms against his chest. “You don’t actually care about those things, do you? I bet we could find some more interesting topics to talk about. Or not. Talking is overrated.”
He dipped his head so that his mouth was near her ear. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m here on business. Why don’t you run along and let Victor know that I’m leaving in five minutes whether I’ve heard what he has to say or not.”
The girl threw
The break in conversation lasted several moments before he said, “Me, too. I’ll buy you some new glass.”
“Sure. I needed to do some shopping in Venice anyway.”
The phone rang, and Tamberi clicked on the speakerphone. “Yeah, Sil?”
“He just walked in.”
Cato clicked a button and the wall of screens blinked on.
They both studied Merrick’s expression, which gave away nothing.
“Cool as a fucking cucumber,” Cato said, but Tamberi pressed a button to amplify the pulse wave sensors. They listened to the rhythm of the beating hearts. Both were thumping about eighty times per minute.
“You were right,” Tamberi said. “He’s got a thing for her.”
“You think?” Cato asked.
“Absolutely. Merrick’s resting heart rate is thirty-five. Remember that time John Grange jumped across the table to kill Dad with the ice pick, and Merrick grabbed Grange and slammed him to the ground? Thirty seconds after it was over, Merrick’s heart rate was only fifty-seven.”
Onscreen, Merrick said to the girl, “Hey. You lost?”
“Smooth. I told you he wouldn’t slip. He knows the office is wired. Even if he’s shocked, he’s not gonna show it,” Cato said.
The girl turned so that she could look directly at Merrick. “No, Mr. Merrick. I’ve been waiting here for you.”
“Look at her face. That surgeon did a
good
job,” Cato said.
“Yeah, pretty good. But he realizes now,” Tamberi said, and they both listened as the span between the beats of Merrick’s heart grew longer and longer. “Sixty-two. Fifty. Forty. And thirty-five,” Tamberi said. “So Alissa North revs his engine more than fighting or killing.”
“I told you! He doesn’t do anything without a reason. He’s gotta be bangin’ her.”
“Well, if he was, it’s over now. He’ll have to make do with a replacement.”
Cato held up a hand as the girl tipped her head to the side and exposed the smooth skin over her carotid artery. “No matter how good she tastes, it won’t be the same. Muse blood is like ventala springwater. I haven’t had a single pang of thirst since I drank from that bitch.”
“Yeah,” Tamberi said. “Me either.”
Merrick took in everything about her in a few seconds. The neck wasn’t as long. The eyes were darker blue. The nose was perfect, but the entire face was a little wider. The tiny dimple in the left cheek when she smiled was missing, and the teeth were different—smaller. The haircut and color was spot-on, but how hard was that to fake?
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Merrick asked.
She widened her eyes and smiled. “It’s Alissa.”
“Sure it is. So, Alissa, whose discovery do you think had the bigger impact on public health, Snow’s or Fleming’s?”
“I— Well, they both made important contributions.”
“Sure. How about this century? Do you expect the most important developments to be electronic or ecological?”
The girl didn’t answer even though Merrick had fed her the exact questions that Alissa North had answered and discussed on multiple occasions. There were hundreds of available sound bites from interviews she’d given over the years. Anyone who’d done any kind of prep work for the role of Alissa North should’ve been able to parrot back Alissa’s answers.
The voice was wrong as well. Too high. The skin waswrong. It didn’t smell as fresh and the tint wasn’t as pale and creamy as the real thing.
A copy, but not a very good one.
She moved close to him and pressed her palms against his chest. “You don’t actually care about those things, do you? I bet we could find some more interesting topics to talk about. Or not. Talking is overrated.”
He dipped his head so that his mouth was near her ear. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m here on business. Why don’t you run along and let Victor know that I’m leaving in five minutes whether I’ve heard what he has to say or not.”
The girl threw
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