Lew seemed to perk up at the mention of Melanie's name, but then lapsed into Neverland again. His barely touched eggs were congealing on his plate.
"But the grays have got something else up their sleeves," Zaleski said. "They're inserting tiny probes into the brains of abductees for"
Carmack threw down his fork with a clatter. "Hog-wash!"
"No, Tony," Zaleski said with forced patience. "It's fucking true. You just won't see it. You think they're these goody-goody Munchkin allies. Sorry, bro, they're not. They've been controlling MJ-12 since 1984 and the rate of abductions has skyrocketed. And they've started implanting probes to monitor and program abductees after they're released."
"They're not, dammit. They're on our side!"
Zaleski put a finger up his nose and leaned toward Carmack. "Probes, Tony." He wiggled the finger. "Right up the nose and into the fucking brain."
"That's it," Carmack said, rising. He pulled ten bucks from a pocket and tossed it onto the table. "I'm outta here." He pointed to Jack. "And you'll leave too, if you're smart."
He turned and stomped toward the exit.
Zaleski called after him: "You just don't want to believe about the probes because your honker's so big you've probably got a couple dozen up there already!"
Carmack never looked back.
Zaleski grinned. Not a nice sighthis already thin upper lip disappeared completely. "I love that fucker."
"I can tell," Jack said.
"No, really. We're good friends, it's just that he strays too far from mainstream ufology."
Now there, Jack thought, is an oxymoron to conjure with.
"But in all seriousness," Zaleski said, tapping his forehead, "you oughta think about getting a skull X ray to see if you've got a fucking alien probe in the ol' noggin."
"You really think so?" Jack said, putting on a concerned expression.
Which should I check for first? he wondered. The 666 chip or the alien brain probe?
"Definitely. The aliens have been using the probes to program abductees about some momentous event that will occur in the next few years."
"Like what?"
"Don't know. They've got a secret plan. That's another reason I'm anxious to hear Melanie's Grand Unification Theory. Maybe she'll shed some light on what the grays are up to." He stretched. "In the meantime, I gotta go take a dump. Don't wander off. We ain't finished yet."
He slid out and headed for the men's room.
"Classy guy," Jack said.
Lew didn't answer. His gaze was focused on a toddler who'd wandered over from a neighboring table. Jack watched Lew as he crossed his eyes and made goofy faces; the little girl loved it, grinniag and squealing with delight. They went on and on, Lew never seeming to tire of performing for her.
Finally the mother came over and pulled her away. "Let the man eat in peace," she said.
"No bother," Lew said softly. "No bother at all."
Jack saw a look a desperate longing in his eyes as the child was reinstalled in her highchair.
"You really should have kids, Lew. You're good with them."
Lew shook his head. "Mel never wanted any. She had her reasons ... good ones, I suppose."
"Like what?"
"She was terrified they'd be deformed. Still, I wished we'd tried."
Deformed? Jack thought. Was he referring to his short leg? Was that a birth defect?
He was debating whether to press for details when he spotted Evelyn heading their way. The program chairwoman was dressed in yellow today and still a dead ringer for Little Lotta.
"I'm looking for Olive?" she said. "Have either of you seen her?"
Jack and Lew shook their heads.
"I saw her at the reception last night," Lew said.
Evelyn nodded. "So did I? But she didn't show up for her panel? The one she was supposed to moderate this morning? And she's not in her room?"
Lew frowned. "That's not like her."
Jack checked his pocket program: a panel about angels. From his one encounter with Olive he didn't see how she'd miss something like that ... unless something was big-time wrong.
"Well, if you see her?" Evelyn said. "Tell her to get in touch with me right away?"
As she moved off, Zaleski reappeared, and Evelyn stopped him.
"Here comes Mr. Personality again," Jack said. "What's he do for a livingeuthanize stray dogs and cats?"
Lew said. "He used to work for one of the Baby Bells, but now he runs a hardware store with his brother ... and I understand he's got a contract from a major publisher to write a UFO book."
The waitress brought the check. Lew grabbed it. As he signed it and charged it to his room, Jack watched Zaleski.
The guy was crass, abrasive, dogmatic, obviously frustrated, and seemed to have a short fuse. He'd implied that he expected vindication from Melanie's Grand Unification Theory, but what if he'd learned the theory would counter his "mainstream ufology?" Something like that could threaten not only his reputation and standing in the UFO community, but his book contract as well. He seemed hot-headed and unstable enough to do something rash.
Finally Zaleski finished with Evelyn and returned to the booth.
"Yes sir," he said, slapping his belly as he slid behind the table. "Nothing like a healthy shit to get the day off to a good start." He craned his neck and looked around the restaurant. "You've heard about the missing Olive?"
"Evelyn just told us," Lew said. He rose from the seat. "I think I'll wander around and see if I can find her. See you later," he said to Jack, then walked off.
"Come on outside," Zaleski said. "I need a smoke."
Jack debated the offer. He had a bad feeling about Olive. Had she joined Melanie on the missing persons list? But it was too early yet to call her missing.
He checked his watchstill too early to head over to Gia's too. He hungered to be alone with her, and the clock was limping toward eleven.
"All right," Jack said. "As long as you sit downwind."
3
Outside they found a concrete planter to the left of the front entrance and settled on its rim. Even in the mid-morning sun, the air still held a chill. Some of the hotel workers lounged around them, taking a tobacco break.
"Here we are," Zaleski said, gesturing to his fellow smokers as he lit up. "The latest persecuted minority."
Jack made the same gesture toward the clouds of smoke wafting through the air, and at the confetti of filtered butts on the surrounding pavement and in the dirt around the flowers in the planter.
"Gosh-a-rootie, I can't imagine why."
Zaleski smiled thinly and sucked greedily on his Camel.
"You think Olive might be with Melanie?" Jack said, watching him carefully.
Zaleski made a sour face. "I doubt it. Melanie couldn't stand that nut."
"Really? That's not the impression I got."
"Yeah?" he said, eyes narrowing. "When did you get this impression?"
Jack had no idea what Zaleski knew, so he figured the best course would be to play this straight.
"Olive stopped by my room yesterday and"
"Did she make you hold her silver cross?" Zaleski said with a smirk.
Jack nodded. "And she asked me the same thing you did: What else did Melanie say when she contacted me? She gave the impression they were close friends."
"Melanie's not into religion, and if you ain't got religion, you can't be close friends with Olive. I mean, she's got no fucking sense of humor, and a real set of hot buttons. I get such a boost out of pissing her off. You should see her face when I say something like, 'Jesus paid for our sins, so let's get our money's worth.' Goes so purple she looks like Goofy Grape. Or when I tell her the pillars of cloud and fire that led the Israelites through the desert weren't from God, that they were UFO-generated insteadwhich they very likely wereshe almost goes postal on me." He laughed. "But what can you expect from someone who blames Satan for everything that goes wrong in the world?"