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What was it about basement laboratories that made them always turn out so creepy feeling. The call Tom Barnett had placed to Dr. Donaldson's residence found only his wife at home. The way Mrs. Donaldson explained it, eight, nine, ten o'clock at night was far too early to find her husband at home. Lately the research seemed to have taken over Dr. Donaldson's life entirely. It was a phase, she explained hopefully. Mrs. Donaldson gave Tom the phone number for the research lab, but warned him that it would do no good. Her husband routinely unplugged the line in order to avoid interruptions.
The laboratory had the usual collection of beakers, bottles, and tubes connecting them. Trays of numbered, gray tissue slices filled a refrigerated case on one wall that looked like it belonged in a supermarket. Nancy suddenly felt weak as she noticed what must have been the tissue slice donor on the other side of the room. The cadaver was intact below the neck, but the skull had been removed to afford easy access to the brain. As Nancy's disgust reached its peak she spun around to avoid the horrible sight and saw Dr. Donaldson for the first time. He stood over a microscope making notes of his observations. Nancy elbowed Tom in the side to get his attention. It worked. The sound of Tom's groan was enough to get the professor's attention. The frail, mild-mannered, researcher looked up with apparently no surprise at the presence of his visitors.
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| Donaldson: |
Can I help you?
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| Tom: |
Uh, yeah. At least I think you can. Are you Dr. Donaldson?
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| Donaldson: |
And who might you be?
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| Tom: |
My name is Tom Barnett. This is Nancy McGill.
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| Donaldson: |
McGill? You must be Molly's sister. Your facial bone structure is remarkably similar, even for sisters.
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| Nancy: |
Uh, thank you Dr. Donaldson. I guess that's a compliment.
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| Donaldson: |
No, just a fact. When you've peeled back as many...
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| Tom: |
Right you are. Yes sir, I can see what you're talking about now. In any case, doc, we'd like to talk to you about your research if we could.
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| Donaldson: |
Kind of late for a medical career isn't it Mr. Barnett?
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| Tom: |
Oh no, I'm not cut out for that, no pun intended. My interest is related to a story we're working on. I'm with the San Francisco Chronicle.
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| Donaldson: |
What story would that be?
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| Nancy: |
It's a story about one of my sister's friends, Heidi Moore. She's a student here too. Did you hear about her accident?
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| Donaldson: |
No, can't say as I have. But then, I don't read the newspapers. They seem so... intellectually insulting.
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| Tom: |
Yeah doc. You know, not everybody's a freaking brain surgeon.
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| Donaldson: |
I believe I've "struck a nerve," as you might say, Mr. Barnett. But please, take no offense. That's just my way of introducing you to my research. What I do is look for the things that cause reactions in specific parts of the brain. That crack about newspapers is more like a sledgehammer than the fine surgical needle used in my work, but you get the idea.
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| Nancy: |
That's pretty good, Dr. Donaldson. I don't see many people get to him like that.
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| Tom: |
So you really haven't heard about this kid's accident, huh?
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| Donaldson: |
No, I'm not teaching this quarter so I don't get much of the campus news. I spend about eighteen hours a day here in the lab. The time goes before I know what's happened to it. I have to make as much progress as possible while I have the break from my teaching responsibilities.
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| Nancy: |
Yes, your wife told us you're really pushing hard lately.
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| Donaldson: |
I've had to pick up some additional responsibilities lately. The university has cut back on research assistant funds. I'm down to only one student assistant now. Thank god Jeremy is as productive as he is.
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| Tom: |
Would that be Jeremy Jones?
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| Donaldson: |
Yes, why? Do you know Jeremy?
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| Nancy: |
He's dating my sister. We met him earlier today.
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| Donaldson: |
Oh yes, of course, I remember he mentioned Molly once. I'm afraid I don't pay much attention to Jeremy's ramblings sometimes.
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| Tom: |
I think I'm going to pay some attention to him whether he likes it or not. Thanks for the help, doc and do us a favor, okay. Don't mention our little visit to Jeremy when you see him. He could be in some kind of trouble, but we'd like to make sure before talking to him. Got it?
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| Donaldson: |
If you say so, Mr. Barnett.
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Tom and Nancy had gotten what they came for plus one big bonus. The professor wasn't the type to hurt a flea, but now they knew that Jeremy had access to the professor's research. The facts were starting to support their gut feelings about him. Both Tom and Nancy knew what they had and what they didn't have. That Jeremy was involved in Heidi's accident was almost certain. But exactly what happened and why was still a mystery.
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