The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser Page A

e y w a nt i t se c u r e a nd p r ote c ted. T h eon l yp l ac e y ou c a n g o is h e r e , y ourp a r e nt’s hous e .Th e y g i v e e a c h of u s some w h e rel i keth i s. Th e y ’ llle a v e y ou a lone h e r e . ”
    “ W i l l I b ec omeas p y ?Th a t’s wh a t H e n r yis, i sn’t h e ? ”
    “ J ust onedif fe r e n c e , Pa m , this i s r ea l , d ea d l yre a l .”
    “ W h e n doIs t a rt ? ” P a m s tood up. “ I ’d liketo sp e n d somet i m ewith m ym o the r .”
    “ H a nk a ndIwill f l y b ac kto L os Alamos to m o r r o w.”Ho w a rd stood. “ H e ’ l l comeb ac k in onew ee k tog e t y ou. Pa m, f r om now o n , wh e r e v e r y ou a r eth e y ’ll beso m e onen e a r b y . You won ’ t seethem. Th e yw o n ’ t bo t h e r y ou. Th e ywo n ’t e v e n knowwho y oure a l l y a r e . H a nk will g ive y ouaw a tch like th i s on e .”Ho w a rd show e d P a m h i s w r istw a tc h . “ B u tforala d y . You ca n pick y ourown s t y l elat e r.You ’ llbe a ble to s i g n a l f orh e lp but y ouwon ’ t n e e d to.”
    “ This l ike some k ind of s ec r e ts p y w a tch ? ” P a m g r a bb e d Ho w a rd ’ s a rm a ndlooked a t t he w a tch. I t l ook e d l i kea t y pic a l an a l o g w a tch.
    “ You ’ r ethe one s a id y ou c ould putawholel i b ra r yin t h e r e . ”H o w a rd smi l e d. “ I t’s the in t e r fa c ethat ’ s tric k y . Y ou’ r e g oi n gto help me w i t h that. You ca ntell y o u r mother y ou ca n c ome b ac k to vis i t ev e r yf e w w ee ks.”
    “ I t ’s a l m ost d i nn e r tim e . W ould y ou a nd H a nkl i k eto s ta yfordinne r ? W a i t , shouldI c a ll himH a nk ? ”
    “ His c lose f r i e nds ca llh i m H a nk. I ’m su r e h e ’ll e x p ec t y outo.”
    “ M yMom r ea l l yl i k e s to cook. I twillmakeboth m yp a r e nts f e e l m o r e a t e a s e . W e ca n e x plain a bout how i m port a nt m ywo r kwillbe a ndthat i t sb e st kept se c r e t.”
    P a m s t ood up f rom the s w in g , a bs o rbing e v e r y th i ng a t o n ce . “ I ’ll m a kel o ts of mon e y a nd ca n c ome to visit a llthe ti m e . T a kethem on v aca t i ons.I c a n tell t h e m t h a t , r i g ht ?”
    “ W e ’d loveto s t a y f ord i nn e r.Ith i nk i t ’s awond e r f ul w a yto t a lk wi t h y o u r p a r e nts about a llth i s. J ust be ca r e ful w h a t y ou s a y . Don ’ t be v e r ysp e c ific a nd d o n ’t m e nt i on the th e si s .Ith i nk itwould bewise f orme t o take a n y c op i e s y ou h a ve with m e .”
    “ I ’m su r e y o u ’ r er i g ht a b out t h a t. I ’ll f i g u r eout h o wI ca n s n ea k them to y o u. As fa r a s lett i ngsom e th i ngsl i p, if y o u th i nk I ’m s a y i n gthew r o n gth i ngjust g i vemeaquick thou g h t . I ’ ll pick it up.
    I ’ m sure y ou w i l l , Ho w ar d thou g ht.
    “ I ’m g oi n gto surp r ise y ou , D r . W oolu m . “ M a y b e y o u ’ llbe m ypro t é g é .”
    Ho wa rd l a u g h e d. “ M a y b e ,”hesaid. H ekn e w it w a s ve r yposs i ble.
    “ Come on. L e t ’ s tell m yd a d I ’m g oi n gto get himan e w tr uc k . ”
    P a m r a n offto w a rd the h ouse.Ho wa rd stoodwo n d e ringh o w mu c h she h a d le a rn e d duringthe c onv e r s a t i on. He a mb l e d to t hehouse, g r a te f ul she w a s r ec ruit e d to h i s s i d e . He wond e r e d if t h eothersi d e s a lso had p e ople like t h is.

     
    A wee k la t e r He n r yr e t u r n e d tothe fa rmhousein a nother re nted ca r.Helo a d e d the n e w lug g a ge P a m’s p a r e nts had bou g ht h e r a sa g oing a w a y g if t , while Pam h u g g e d h e r par e n t s a nd s a id g ood b y e . Hilda K ol l e r c r i e dthe e nt i ret i me.H e n r yop e n e d the c a r d o o r . P a m Kol l e r c l i mbed ins i d e , P a t t y L a w r e n c es a t down.

 
    Chapter Four
    Berkeley
    March, the year of the crash
     
    H e n r y L o sur v e y e d the o cc up a nts of ther e stau r a n t while wa lk