tubs stained by mineral deposits. I turned one faucet, cold, then the other, hot – a rare commodity! If this ended up being my last day ever, I was going to make it a good one, and if it wasn’t…well, a hot bath certainly wouldn’t hurt. When the water was high, I removed my clothes, lowered myself into the tub and pushed a button that started the jets. The tension drained away as I enjoyed the first hot bath of my life.
My eyelids fluttered open when I heard a knock on the door. It opened, and Richard poked his head inside. I made no move to cover myself but just looked at him, then leaned my head back, closed my eyes and sighed.
About an hour later, I exited the bathroom. I felt refreshed and confident. I’d blown my cover, and I was still alive, at least for the moment. Richard and Eberhardt were in the living room. They stared at me for a minute.
Then Richard stood and asked, “Are you ready?”
“That tub is one piece of old techno I could get used to! You did say this will work better if I’m relaxed,” I reminded him.
Richard ignored my comments and simply pointed to a chair. I sat, and he began to connect me to the machine.
“I’ll ask you questions. This part,” he pointed, “will record my questions and your answers. The electrodes,” he indicated some wires, “will send signals to these needles which will make marks on this paper. Truthful answers will leave different marks than false ones, so I’ll begin by asking you some questions we both know the answers to. Are you ready to begin?”
“Are you sure this thing is reliable?”
Again, he ignored my comment, and the interrogation began. “Where did we first meet?”
“At the Café de Rivoli, downtown. We had dinner together.”
“Who hired you?”
“Elaine Ramsey.”
“What is my name?”
“Your birth name is Richard Burke III. You also go by Oren Johnson, but you prefer Guy Bensen, at least with people you trust.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a Freelancer.” I saw no need to lie about this, not now.
Richard paused and shook his head.
“Does Elaine Ramsey know about my ties to the Resistance?”
“I don’t think so, but maybe.”
“Is Madeline Jones your real name?”
Finally, something new. “No, I’m Keira Maddock.”
-Guy-
The Lie Detect
The next morning, I awoke early as usual and prepared for the day. Finally, Eberhardt called, “Rick! The girl is awake.”
When I entered the bedroom, I noticed that Madeline’s eyes went directly to the open safe. Just as I’d expected! Then she looked at Eberhardt and seemed to realize something.
It was troubling that she knew me as Guy Bensen, especially since she was working for Elaine Ramsey.
Most people who used my code name worked with me or needed my help. Madeline fell into neither category, and I feared that she knew too much. I needed to know exactly how much. It was time to use the lie detect.
“I don’t really trust old techno,” she said.
“Don’t worry, my lie detect works every time.”
“What do you mean?”
With a straight face, I said, “Eberhardt will break one of your fingers every time I suspect you’re lying.”
Eberhardt played along. He put away the gun, flexed his fingers and smiled at me. I smiled back.
“So…are you ready to begin?” I asked Madeline.
“Sure,” she said.
Was she a masochist, or was she was calling my bluff? I looked at her more closely then, and for the first time, I noticed a scar on her right forearm, an old knife wound perhaps. The sleeve covering her left shoulder had slipped down, and I could see another scar, an old burn in the shape of a circle. There was also a thin line of white scar tissue above her left eyebrow.
I reached into the bottom dresser drawer and pulled out an old fashioned lie detect, then turned to her.
“Is there anything you need before we begin? This will be more reliable if you’re relaxed.”
“Mouthwash or toothpaste.”
She probably needed the bathroom for more than that after the amount of liquid she’d consumed the night before. I nodded in the direction of the bathroom.
Eberhardt looked at me and raised his eyebrows when we heard running water.
“Really?” he asked.
I shrugged. “As long as she doesn’t leave before we have time to question her. I’ll make sure she’s not trying to sneak out the window.”
I rapped twice on the door, then opened it. Madeline was clearly enjoying a hot bath, and she made no move to cover herself. It took