The Mind Man

Chapter thirty two

"Dennis, please listen to me - this is big." 

"No, I don't want anything more on the subject. I only sent in your story at a weak moment and it didn't sit very well with the readers. There were a lot of complaints that we have lost the plot and I got kicked up the bum by my boss pretty severely, I can tell you. Really Taylor, telepathy, guys knocking off businessmen with their minds...what's next - aliens? Our readers don't want sci-fi they want reliable, accurate and discerning reporting of global events. I was mad to let your article go through in the first place. Anyway forget it; there will be no more. Besides, I have other things lined up for you." 

"But can't you see? Just after the article was published I get a call from this Professor Doyle who explained to me the reasons why it could be possible and if so terrible things will happen, and then just after speaking to him I get home to find my apartment has been trashed and my flatmate hurt. Can't you see it's more than a coincidence?" 

"Yeah, I'm sorry about your apartment...how is Helen?" 

"She has some cuts and bruises. Her teeth could be a problem...she lost a couple. We've moved into my parents' house." 

"What did the police say?" 

"I haven't spoken with the police." 

"Are you mad? You have to get them involved." 

"No, not until I know what's going on." 

"Laura, nothing's going on. You were just broken into that's all - an unlucky coincidence. Probably kids looking for money to buy drugs or iPhones or something. But you have to report it to the police...how are you going to claim insurance?" 

Laura knew she was pushing her editor to the limit. He only called her by her first name when he was angry, which was extremely rare. 

"I don't know but I want to wait. Anyway nothing was stolen. The place needs a good tidy up that's all." 

"I'm worried about you Laura. I don't know what happened in Australia but you've lost it. Your article from LA was good though. We got a pat on the back for that. Oh and your travel postcards were a hit. That's what this paper needs from you Laura...not this other rubbish. Now can we get back to the real issues?" 

"Just hear me out on what I have discovered so far, please. You may change your mind." 

"I doubt it. I'm busy now...what about lunch? I don't have any commitments today." 

"Great...you won't be disappointed." 

"I'll only be disappointed if you don't pay."

They walked around into Kensington Court Place to reach The Builders Arms. 'The Arms' was a quaint little corner pub popular with office workers in the neighborhood, offering good ale and hearty English fare. Beer-battered haddock and chips were on the menu as was the traditional toad in the hole. They pushed their way through the huddles of loosened shirt collars and ties and ordered their meals over the bar against a din of chatter and rowdy laughter. Laura found a small table in a rear corner just large enough for their plates and a drink each. They sat talking about office trivialities until their meals arrived. Dennis wasted no time attacking his bangers and mash all the while with an attentive ear to Laura's update. Her bowl of thick vegetable stew was left untouched as she revealed her discoveries in California, her encounter with Sergeant Ted Farrell and the secrets of the small rural town in Australia. Without any acknowledgement from Dennis she described her meetings with Mrs. Kendall and the nervous figure of Caren Hampton. She detailed the results of her research on telepathy and then as Dennis neared the end of his meal she summarized her conversations with Dr. Zimmerman and Professor Doyle. 

"...and then I get home to find my place has been trashed by someone. Can't you see what's going on here? It's more than a coincidence. Dennis, I need the resources to go and interview Adam. It will be a global exclusive. It will give me what I want and will be a massive boost for the paper." 

Dennis wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a long draught from his pint of Doom Bar. An unexpected smile crept across his face considering the seriousness of the subject. "Let me tell you something. There was this guy, right, who saw an ad in a magazine offering to teach a course in telepathy by correspondence." 

Laura sat back on her chair and scowled once she suspected her editor was telling a joke. 

"No...no, Taylor this is a good one...you'll like it." He placed the napkin on the table beside his plate and continued unfazed. "Anyway, the guy filled in the application and sent it off with the money. He waited and waited and nothing turned up in the mail so he called the number in the ad and spoke to a woman explaining to her that he had sent in the application form and the course fee several weeks ago now and he still hadn't received anything." Dennis chuckled a little to himself before continuing. "And she said...wait for it...we know, you are failing the course...ha, ha ha..." He flung his head back with laughter and his face reddened. "Good one...eh? Ah it cracks me up every time." He slowly composed himself as the color left his face while Laura studied him unimpressed. "Awe, come on Taylor, where's your sense of humor?" 

"It's not funny Dennis and neither is the joke. Can't you take this a little more seriously? People are being killed, odd things are happening...please." 

"But be honest, you have no proof do you?" 

"Well...no, I suppose I don't." 

Her boss chewed a little more while collecting his thoughts. "Okay, okay, and let's say for example you were to interview this Adam fellow and he was killing people with his mind, do you think he is going to confess to it? I don't think so. No Taylor you've had an exciting trip and met some, let's say, interesting people by the sounds of things but let's leave it at that. There are some nutters out there, you should know that. Cars and planes crash all the time and sometimes there are no explanations. People make mistakes when driving and pilots can unfortunately make mistakes when flying - it's a fact of life...accept it. Thanks for lunch; you haven't touched yours, by the way. I've got to get back to the office." 

"But Dennis..." 

Dennis stood and drained the contents of his glass before placing it back on the table. "No buts. I promised you I would listen to your story and I did, but it's wide open. We cannot publish any of it and our readers won't buy it and I cannot allocate any resources to it. It has the ingredients of a good science fiction novel, that's about all. Let it go Laura...I'm sorry." He looked down at the table. "Your soup is getting cold." And with that he turned and walked for the door.