The Madrona Heroes Register: Echoes of the Past (21 page)

“
I don’t think he used the
word ‘dissect’.”

“
It doesn’t matter. That’s
what scientists do. They dissect things!”

Penny tried to be conciliatory
offering gently, “He was talking about plants.”

Binny turned on Penny angrily, “I know
what he was talking about. Believe me, I know.”

Zach and Penny didn’t know what to say
to mollify Binny. She was clearly convinced.

Binny had made up her mind about
something. “We need to confront Huitre.”

“
What?” Zach and Penny
raised their voices in unison?

“
Huitre is the connection
between Luce Laboratories and Mom. He’s the one who gave her the
drug. We need to go talk to him.”

“
You think he’s just going
to tell us what he did?” Zach was skeptical.

“
I do.”

“
Why?”

“
We’re kids. Adults think
that they can get away with anything. Nobody believes kids. That
lady, Dr. Trace, didn’t believe us, but she believed the old man.
He’ll tell us what he did because he thinks nobody would believe us
anyway.”

“
I think you watch too
much TV.” Penny responded.

“
I don’t want to go back
into that house. We barely got away with it last time.” Zach looked
decidedly unexcited for another visit to Dr. Huitre’s, and Dr.
Huitre’s dog.

“
There’s no other choice.
We need to protect Cassie.”

Zach decided to try a different tack
with his sister. “OK, let’s say we go over there and he does admit
what he did. Even if he tells us, how would we prove that to Mom
and Dad?”

“
I’ll have your phone in
my pocket recording the conversation.” Their mom had bought Zach a
phone when he got old enough to start riding his bike all over the
neighborhood.

“
You really do watch too
much TV.” Penny interjected again.

“
I! Do! Not!” Now Binny
was yelling.

“
You’re being bossy. I’m
outta here.” Penny had hit her breaking point with Binny and
decided to pedal home on her own.

Zach watched Penny get smaller and
smaller as she rode on alone. “You’re scaring me a little, Binny,”
he said.

“
Good.
You should be scared. Something weird is going on here. And
if we don’t uncover it, something bad is going to happen to Cassie.
I don’t trust Dr. Huitre. I don’t trust that Dr. Trace at Luce
Laboratories. And I don’t trust Mom and Dad to pay attention long
enough to notice that your sister – our sister – is in
danger.”

Zach was fully chastened. And
determined. “OK. You’re right. I’ll help.”

§

It was just after lunch when Binny and
Zach arrived at home to quietly grab something to eat and then slip
out to confront Dr. Huitre. As with that morning, they wanted to
avoid having Cassie tag along. But this time they weren’t so
lucky.

“
There you are. I have to
go meet your mother for an appointment downtown and I need you guys
to watch your sister.” Jay ignored Zach and Binny’s protests as he
headed out the door, adding “And this time, please actually keep
track of where she is. I don’t want a repeat of yesterday. We’ll be
back in time to make dinner.” With that, Jay was out the door and
the Jordan children were on their own again.

“
What should we play?”
Cassie asked her older siblings the moment the door had
closed.

“
Now what?” Zach said in a
low voice to Binny.

Binny, her face set tightly, her eyes
focused intently on her little sister, responded to Zach, “She’s
going to have to come with.”

16

“
I thought the whole point
of this exercise was to keep her
out
of danger.” Zach kept his voice
quiet so Cassie, who was right behind them, wouldn’t hear. “And now
we’re taking her straight to the house of the guy who probably put
her in danger in the first place? This makes no sense.”

Binny kept walking determinedly
towards Dr. Huitre’s house with Zach and Cassie trailing behind
her. Zach looked at Binny for a while longer hoping that maybe his
expectant stare at the back of her head would prompt a response.
But after a bit he gave up, realizing that no answer was
forthcoming.

As for Binny, she felt a lot less
confident than she looked. She tried to focus on just a few
important facts to guide her. Her sister had the power to make
herself invisible. Their obstetrician had given their mother an
experimental drug before she got pregnant. If the lab, or anyone
else for that matter found out what Cassie could do, they would
take her away and do experiments on her. These things were
clear.

Binny’s parents’ total lack of
usefulness was another thing that was clear. Whatever it was that
was distracting them was clearly more important than this. But what
could be more important than their children being in
danger?

She didn’t know why she was so certain
they were in danger, but she was. She had a strong feeling. And
usually, when she had a strong feeling, she was right. And that
meant it was up to Binny – with or without help – to deal with the
situation.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Each of Binny’s
knocks on Dr. Huitre’s door punctuated her thoughts. She was doing
the RIGHT thing. The NECESSARY thing. For CASSIE. Binny fidgeted
with the phone in her pocket. Zach had helped her set it to record
before she started knocking. Zach and Cassie stood behind her. Zach
was nervous, but Cassie had a big smile, likely inspired by the
prospect of more junk food. For a moment Binny thought there would
be no answer at the door. But just as she was considering what to
do next, the door opened.

Dr. Huitre was on a phone call. Again.
He smiled broadly as he opened the door, winking at the kids, and
motioning towards the phone against his ear. “Yes. Of course I am
listening.” The man said into the phone, and then mouthed the words
“come in come in” to the kids as he shut the door behind
them.

Rembrandt snuffled up to Cassie as the
kids entered the house. Zach stood so far back from the dog his
back was almost up against the front door.

The man disappeared down the hallway
to his office, gesturing to the kids that he’d be done in a minute
or two and to make themselves at home while he wrapped
up.

“
Cassie, what are you
doing?” Binny reproached her little sister. Cassie had marched over
to the kitchen counter to retrieve the markers she’d been using the
previous day. Next to them were a few sheets of what looked like
scrap paper. She had helped herself and started drawing at the
table. “I’m coloring.” Cassie responded, ignoring her sister’s
annoyed tone.

Binny was about to put an end to that
when Zach intervened and told her it was no big deal. At least
Cassie was distracted. Zach had a good point.

Soon Dr. Huitre reappeared, his phone
call apparently concluded. “So sorry about that, children. Would
you like some cookies?”

Before Zach or Binny could respond,
Cassie piped up with an instant “Yes please.” Binny shook her
head.

“
We didn’t come here for
cookies.” Binny replied to Dr. Huitre.

“
Well, whatever the
reason, I am glad you did. You are always welcome to visit. My
front door is open to you children.” Rembrandt was over-excited at
having guests in the Huitre home. Dr. Huitre led Rembrandt out to
the backyard, closing the sliding door after the dog. Binny could
sense Zach’s relief.

Why was Dr. Huitre being so friendly?
And why was he referring to the front door specifically? Did he
know they had been the ones to break in? Binny steeled herself and
continued. “We want to know what you did to our mother.”

A ripple of uncertainty flashed across
the doctor’s face as he arranged the cookies and brought the plate
to the table where Cassie was coloring. “Did? To your mother? I did
not ‘do’ anything to her. I helped your parents have the three of
you. I assure you this is completely standard medical
practice.”

“
But you didn’t give my
mother the standard drugs. You gave her experimental ones.” Binny
replied acidly.

“
Ha. Yes.” Binny thought
Huitre’s frivolity was a touch forced. “Well, clinical trials of
new drugs are also standard. I assure you.”

“
But this one wasn’t. Was
it?” Binny’s question seemed to finally shake Dr. Huitre’s
confidence. He looked as if he didn’t know how to respond. Binny
continued. “You know that already. Don’t you?” Binny paused
gathering up her courage for her next statement. In a low voice she
continued, “Why are you so interested in my sister, Dr.
Huitre?”

Dr. Huitre had retreated to the
kitchen, pouring Cassie a glass of milk. But he couldn’t retreat
far enough to get away from Binny’s questions. At her final
statement, his shoulders slumped and he seemed to come to an
internal conclusion.

Huitre came into the living room and
sat down on the couch, motioning for Binny and Zach to sit down as
well. “Please, call me Henry,” he said as they all sat
down.

“
Why are you so interested
in my sister, Henry?” Binny repeated.

“
Binny, Zach,” Huitre
responded, looking earnestly at each of them as he said their
names. “It is true that I know what your sister can do.”

Binny’s mind went blank for a moment.
She did her best to try and hide her reaction, but she couldn’t
think straight. Of course she knew that Dr. Huitre must have known
about Cassie, probably for much longer than she did, but to hear
him come right out and say it was shocking. Zach, who hadn’t said a
word up until now, responded calmly, “We don’t know what you’re
talking about.”

Zach’s cool seemed to refocus Binny’s
mind on the task at hand – getting Dr. Huitre to incriminate
himself on tape. And it seemed like they were already halfway
there.

Dr. Huitre ignored Zach’s comment,
presumably knowing it was untrue, and continued: “Your sister is
not just special. What she can do is unparalleled.” Dr. Huitre was
talking quickly and excitedly now: “I saw her, the other day, she
was surrounded by beautiful swirls of light for a moment and then
she just disappeared. Invisible. I don’t really know. I don’t
believe in miracles, but I have no other words. Un ‘événement
surnaturel’.” Huitre was so excited he started speaking in his
native French. When he saw the puzzled looks on his audience’s
faces he quickly added, “Oh, so sorry. A supernatural
event.”

Binny and Zach looked at each other.
Not quite sure what to say. Not quite believing their ears. It was
strange to see the doctor’s unbridled excitement. But would he
reveal anything that they could use to protect Cassie?

Huitre calmed a little bit, hunching
closer to Binny and Zach as his comments took a more scientific
bent, “Your little sister may be a result of genetic drift. She MAY
represent the greatest evolutionary leap since chimpanzees and
humans! She may even be the first example of a new superhuman
race!”

Binny and Zach’s mouths were wide open
at this realization.

“
Do you have any
pretzels?”

§

The seven-year-old that according to
Huitre might be the first example of a new superhuman race wanted
pretzels. Huitre hastily jumped up to accommodate her. As soon as
his back was turned, Binny turned to Zach more distressed than
ever. Zach motioned to her to settle down. They still had a job to
do. When the pretzels had been dispensed, Huitre returned to his
position on the couch.

Zach addressed Huitre, “If what you’re
saying was true, I suppose you and your good friends at Luce
Laboratories would want to put her in a lab to see how she does
it?”

Dr. Huitre started laughing at that
accusation. “No no no. It is not like in the movies. Well yes. But
no.” Huitre noticed the distrustful looks on the faces of the two
siblings. “Sorry sorry. You are correct, that if people knew about
this, it would have a profound impact on the life of your sister.”
Binny sucked in her breath, her worst fears confirmed. “But we
cannot let that happen. Nobody can know what your sister can
do.”