In the Name of Peace

Once Hal was safely ensconced back in the United States, Dave decided it was time to find out exactly what was going on. There was one and only one way to do it: he had to visit someone at the source.

Hal didn't seem to know anyone who knew his father. No family friends, no idea of exactly where his father had worked. His father had always worked long hours, and he'd had little contact with his son. The only person Hal really seemed to know was the wicked step-mother.

So that's whose door he was standing outside of now. She'd been remarkably easy to find: a quick look in the London phone book gave Dave an address. He had to admit it was nice to not have to search the entire city.

The house was rather nicer than he'd thought it would be. In the heart of London, this place must be worth a veritable fortune. He knocked on the door and smiled at the pretty girl who answered. "I'm looking for Julie Emmerich?"

"I'm she. And you are...?" Dave paused for a moment to look at her. She had long black hair, pulled back out of her blue eyes. Her eyes looked sharp in her delicate face. She looked a bit like Emma, only a little more age and a little less softness.

"Davis. Jeffrey Davis. I'm trying to get some information about the late Mr. Arthur Emmerich. There's a possibility that he might have inherited some money before he died."

"Oh? Why don't you come in, Mr. Davis? I'll make some tea."

Dave smiled. "Well, it's not tea time, but I suppose we can make an exception." The two of them entered and she led him to a rather spacious kitchen, where she put a kettle on an electric burner.

"So what is it you need to know about him?"

"Well, we'll start with some of the basics." Dave pulled out a few pieces of paper to jot down notes. "What year did you meet him, Mrs. Emmerich, and where were you both at the time?"

"Ah, well... it's a bit strange. A bit improper, really, but... well, we truly did fall in love. He was lying on my couch, you see." Dave's eyes narrowed in confusion. "No, no, I don't mean it like that. I was a psychiatrist. He came in to see me. It was 1992, just after the Gulf War."

"Then your husband was a soldier?"

"Oh... no, of course not. My husband was a scientist. It's just that it was an important time in everyone's life. I was living in America then."

"I see. So what was your husband doing before that time?"

Julie paused and thought for a moment. "He was never very specific. He did a lot of traveling. I think it was some sort of missionary work."

"A religious man?"

"No..." Julie smiled. "He was working with various groups to make a better world."

Dave jotted a few things down and acted like he was correlating some data while Julie put the cup of tea on the table. "Do you take lemon?"

"Yes, thank you." He squeezed the lemon into his tea and took a sip. "Did you ever meet his former wife?"

"His... Oh, no, he wasn't married before me."

Dave's head snapped up at that, so he covered it by looking back down and rifling through his 'notes.' "Is this not the same Arthur Emmerich who had a son named Hal?"

"Yes, he had a son. But he wasn't married. Hal was adopted."

Adopted? The pictures showed a man who looked identical to Hal. The disembodied voice on the computer had sounded exactly like Hal's voice. "Ah, that makes sense. We didn't have a mother on file."

Julie nodded. "Are there any more questions?"

"A few more. I understand your husband drowned. Why was that?"

She paused and smiled sadly. "Someone he cared for died, and he felt that it was his fault. Apparently, he couldn't live without this person."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Another strange remark. Dave put it into his memory as being out of place, then decided to pursue other avenues. "Do you have a picture of him?"

"You need that for this?"

"Well, unless you have old hair you've kept around... it's a substantial sum, and we want to be absolutely sure of the line of inheritance."

An excited and greedy glint swam into her eyes at his words. "What kind of sum are we talking about?" she asked a little too casually.

Dave shrugged. "I think it's something around twenty million pounds."

Her breathing turned shallow while a big, plastic smile fell onto her face. "I might have something. Just wait here for a moment."

Dave nodded with a small smile that disappeared as the woman left the room. To his mind, the woman was a small, shallow little girl. The way she spoke of Hal and his father, it was clear that she didn't think much of either one. And a psychiatrist marrying her patient? Wasn't that a terrible breach of ethics? And then, for that same psychiatrist, who would have known in detail how to exploit a young, lonely boy and who would have known the kind of damage she could do to him...

She came down the stairs in a clamor and arrived in the kitchen obviously trying to appear less than excited. "I found a picture and an old lock of hair I was keeping. I hope it will help you."

Dave smiled and glanced at the picture. Snake glued the smile in place and put the photo safely away in his pocket, suddenly even more angry with the woman. "I'm sure it will, Mrs. Emmerich."

She led him to the door and waved goodbye with a pleased look on her face before shutting the door.

Snake growled. Who knew how much she knew and was covering up? She'd lied and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

The photograph was of the same man he'd seen before. This photograph was of an aged version of Hal.