The Mind Man

Chapter twenty six

Dr. Zimmerman returned home to change his clothes and dry off before returning to the Institute. He wanted to be comfortable and fully prepared for the meeting with his friend later that evening. He opened his laptop and called up The Global Tribute's website. He almost feared what he would find. He typed Adam Henderson into the webpage's search bar and Laura's article appeared on the screen before him.

He was stunned by what he read.

After parking his car opposite Boston's Institute of Contemporary Arts building in Northern Avenue Zimmerman checked his watch. It was right on eight o'clock, the time they had agreed to meet. His friend was a stickler for punctuality so would already be there. The rain had eased, and he needed the short walk to the Water Cafe to clear his head in the cold wind blowing in off the dark harbor. The smell of the sea soothed his nerves and he breathed deeply at the salty air as he walked across the wet sidewalk. He knew it could be an extraordinary meeting with his old colleague. The occasional drops of water hitting his face reminded him that the rain had not completely gone away.

When he reached the eatery he was not at all surprised to find his colleague and life-long friend sitting alone inside at a corner table near the rear of the cafe. The stunning harbor views which they had witnessed many times before were of no interest to the two men. A once in a lifetime opportunity had just dropped into their lap. They could admire the view anytime. The two men acknowledged each other's presence with barely a nod and once seated beside his friend Alfred passed a copy of the article across the table for his friend to examine. Walter reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a set of reading glasses. He read the article long and carefully.

Alfred observed his friend from across the table. The years had not been kind to his colleague who was at least ten years his senior. His white hair and small goatee beard continually reminded Alfred of an ageing Colonel Sanders, particularly when he wore his old square rimmed glasses. He was still a large man but his collapsed chest did not support his shirt anymore and his bulbous belly protruded almost to the table edge. A long belt wrapped around his lower torso was the only thing preventing his abundant trousers from falling to the ground. They had met back in the eighties when Alfred was completing post graduate studies in psychology at Duke University in North Carolina. Walter was a Professor doing research at the time and they immediately forged a close relationship once they discovered their common interest in telepathy and extra sensory perception. Walter introduced him to the American Society for Psychical Research where he immediately became a member, embracing the companionship of fellow like-minded intellectuals with joyous enthusiasm. Over the years they became close friends. They worked together at various research centers across the country, devising experiments on the subject and collaborating to write up the results of their work. They both shared the disappointment of their work being belittled by the wide stream scientific community but they persisted, nevertheless, not letting the dream of proving conclusively that telepathy was a valid scientific discipline slip from their minds. But the years had drifted by and the humiliation continued. Walter finally retired and Alfred sensed that maybe the dream was beginning to fade in his mind. Although as he watched him read, he was sure there was a sparkle in his eyes which he had not seen for a long time.

When the waitress came by they both ordered coffee and Walter added a warm turkey sandwich on focaccia to the order.

Walter continued reading until the food came and then he rested the paper on the table and returned the glasses to his pocket.

"Well?" Alfred prompted a response.

His friend took a long sip of coffee and coughed a deep throaty cough to clear the phlegm in his throat, before replying in a breathless voice which seemed determined to fail him. "I'm glad I have lived long enough to witness this Alfred. It now appears we have a practicing example of our research. This could turn parapsychological research on its head. Who knows what breakthroughs we can achieve in the study of extrasensory perception and psychokinesis? And we will be at the forefront of the research. We will be leaders - pioneers."

Walter clenched his fist and shook it towards Alfred. "Do you know what this means? Imagine connecting this man to an electroencephalograph, or exposing him to the Ganzfeld Experiment, or to Zener cards - the results could be staggering and with a credible scientific base. No more statistical analysis or interpretation - just raw precise scientific data. Now we can devise research methodology ourselves and obtain ground breaking results to grant us the Nobel Prize which we have for so long sought. We now have an opportunity to complete the research begun by the likes of Myers and Rhine without contempt from the scientific community. We will honor and pay tribute to the visionary individuals who founded the SPR so long ago."

He suddenly became emotional and choked-up, unable to expel his words. It was the first time Alfred had seen his friend in such a state. Walter looked down. He removed a handkerchief from his trouser pocket and dabbed at both eyes. Once he had replaced the handkerchief he took a deep breath and continued. "Ah, Alfred, this is joy like no other."

"We should inform the Society? They will be fascinated," Alfred suggested.

"No...oh no...not just yet, besides we have nothing concrete to tell them as yet." Walter picked up the document again. "We have to find this fellow, and quickly before others do."

"It seems he's a rich man. He's not likely to be too interested in coming with us to be experimented on."

Walter looked across the table at his friend without expression. Alfred recognized the look. Walter's personality was strong and he had always displayed remarkable determination to get his own way and the things which he desired. The failure to achieve their goals within parapsychological research was a constant thorn in Walter's side. Now that the twilight years of his life were upon him Alfred secretly feared that his good friend and loyal colleague would become desperate with this new offering. He shifted his weight on the chair nervously.

"You don't...no...you're not thinking...kidnapping him?"

"If that's what it takes. Alfred, this man could be priceless. There has been so much skepticism about our work but now we may be able to finally prove to the world that our work is credible and genuine - that telepathy is a real phenomenon. We have to find him before this girl you have been speaking to gets to him first and writes any more. She has to be silenced otherwise the whole world will know and she will get all the credit. Also, this guy could disappear if he knows the spotlight is upon him."

"But kidnap, Walter. I mean...well...it's not what we do."

"Don't you want a Nobel Prize, Alfred? Don't you want the recognition that you deserve, let alone the financial rewards? This is it...this is what we have worked so hard for."

"Yes of course I want a Nobel Prize, but I don't want to be the first Nobel laureate that goes to jail."

"We won't go to jail. If your journalist friend is right about this man murdering innocent lives do you think he will go running to the cops? Its research man, nothing can stand in the way of research. He can go back to whatever he does once we are finished with him." Walter returned to his sandwich and continued eating until his plate was empty.

"What's our next move?" Alfred asked the question apprehensively. He didn't like the way the meeting was headed.

Walter pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with a napkin paying particular attention to the ends of his gray moustache.

"We could follow this girl and let her lead us to him." Alfred continued before Walter could answer. "She says she is seeking an interview with him so she must know how to find him."

"No," Walter finally spoke. "It's too risky; she will recognize you and that could prove critical when we are close to him. In her report she mentions this policeman over in Sacramento. It sounds like he was the one originally alerted to our man. He will definitely be continuing to investigate him and he will definitely be going to him at some stage. I'm sure he and 'missy' are updating each other regularly. We will go for him and he can lead us to this guy. I have a hunch he will go to our man first. Then we will get rid of the cop and take our subject."

"What you mean...at gun point?"

"If necessary, yes. We need to hire a good private detective. But first we have to go and visit an old friend."

"You don't mean..."

"He's at the end of his life so really it's not going to matter...is it?"