Monster In the Mirror, page 8
Mrs. Palfrey nodded. “I just need both of your IDs.”
Izzy dug hers out of her purse and handed it over. Moments later, Mrs. Palfrey pushed both IDs back through the half-moon space under the plexiglass along with two visitor badges on lanyards.
Izzy took her ID and put one of the lanyards on.
Mrs. Palfrey pointed down the hall. “Straight ahead, then first left toward the gym.”
“Thanks,” Henry said.
The gym was packed with kids, some parents, and a handful of teachers. The students all stood in front of or next to their projects while the parents and teachers milled around or stood in small groups, chatting. Henry checked in at the judges’ table, was handed a clipboard, then came back to Izzy’s side.
“All right.” He pulled a pen out of his pocket. “I’m ready to judge.”
A man Izzy recognized walked up to them. Deacon Evermore. He gave them a nod of greeting, his gaze settling on her. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect to be here,” she said. “But I’m going to work as Henry’s assistant, so here I am. Assisting.”
“That’s great,” Deacon said. He shifted to look at Henry. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure.” Henry glanced at Izzy. “Give me a minute?”
“Take all the time you need. I’m going to walk around and look at the exhibits.”
“I’ll find you.”
She headed toward the first table and a display that showed how to make a solar oven. Nice idea, Izzy thought, but how would a thing like that ever work in a town like this?
Henry took a few steps toward a more private spot with Deacon. “What’s up?”
Deacon’s brow creased, and he looked less than pleased. “I know I told you this morning that there hadn’t been any incidents, but apparently I spoke too soon.”
Henry’s heart sank. Edgar had struck again. “What happened?”
Deacon frowned. “Tucker Hawthorne called me an hour before I left to come here. His shed just about burned down last night. Appears to have been deliberately set on fire.”
Henry went still, his sick feeling turning into cold dread. “Set on fire? Edgar hates fire.”
“I know,” Deacon said. “But if it wasn’t him …”
Henry’s mind filled in the answer. Izzy’s brother was a serial arsonist, but there was no way Izzy would have done that. She wanted nothing to do with her brother’s ways.
Deacon went on. “I stopped by to have a look on my way in, and there’s a clear sign of where the fire started. Thankfully, it rained on that side of town last night at about 4 a.m. Must have been enough to kill the flames, because the fire didn’t spread, just took the shed down to its foundation.”
Henry looked out into the crowd, trying to find Izzy. “Edgar has never set a fire before.”
“Not saying it was Edgar. Just not sure it wasn’t, either.”
Henry gave Deacon his full attention again. “Right. I wouldn’t put it past him. I’m sorry. I’d be happy to pay Tucker whatever it costs to make things right.”
“There’s no proof Edgar was involved yet. I still have some investigating to do. I just wanted to talk to you about it. You didn’t have any burns on you when you came to? Any smell of smoke on your clothes?”
“No, nothing. Burns I would have remembered. Just the usual aches and pains.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know if my investigation yields anything else.”
“Thanks. But the offer to replace the shed still stands.”
“Appreciate it,” Deacon said. He hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans, his gaze moving to the crowd. “I didn’t think you were speaking to your new neighbor. Now she’s working for you?”
“Her visit to the Thibodeauxs convinced her I was telling the truth.” Henry found Izzy. She was talking to a girl with an exhibit about how shampoo affected the pH of hair. He was so pleased they’d patched things up. “I’m really glad. I like her a lot.”
“And she knows who you are, so that’s something.”
“She knows. And she’s okay with it.”
Deacon made a little noise that sounded like he was unconvinced.
Henry looked at him. “She is. She’s seen me as Edgar, too. Saw me on the stairs last night.”
Deacon’s brows went up. “Yeah? All right then.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you, uh, discuss why she’s here?”
Henry shook his head. He wasn’t about to divulge Izzy’s secret, even to the man he considered a friend. “You know everyone’s curse is their own business.”
Deacon held his hands up. “I know, I know. You can’t blame me for being curious.”
“No, I understand.” He smiled, even though he didn’t really feel like it. Just like he didn’t want to think that Izzy’d had anything to do with the fire just because of who her brother was. That was exactly the kind of assumption she was trying to escape. “I should make my rounds. I am supposed to be a judge.”
“Right, sorry. Go do your thing.”
Henry went straight to Izzy’s side. “See anything interesting?”
“They’re all interesting. The kids in this town seem genuinely curious about the world around them.”
“Maybe because they know how much more of it exists than most people.”
“Maybe.”
He turned into her line of sight a little more to be sure he had her full attention. “Listen, about last night. I know you saw Edgar on the stairs. Was he carrying anything?”
She thought a moment. “No. Pretty sure I would have remembered that.”
“Did you go out at all last night?”
“You mean did I confront Edgar?”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you go out for any other reason?”
“With a tiger walking around? No. Trust me. I stayed inside. It took me most of the night to get unpacked, and after that, I was pretty tired.”
“I’m sure.” He’d seen her place. Everything was put away, and the boxes that had held her things were now broken down and stacked by the door. She couldn’t have done all of that and been out roaming around town, randomly setting a shed on fire.
She crossed her arms. “What’s with all the questions?”
He shrugged, unwilling to worry her. “Nothing. Just curious.” He quickly changed the subject. “You want to help me judge?”
“I don’t think I’m qualified for that.”
“Maybe not as a scientist, but you certainly qualify as a general observer. Do you have a favorite so far?”
“There were one or two I definitely liked and a few that didn’t seem all that feasible to me, but I’ve only seen this row. Shouldn’t we look at them all first?”
“We should. Let’s make our way around then.”
As they walked, Henry stopped at each booth, making sure to ask two or three questions of each student while reading over their material. He made notes on each, leaving the student with either praise or encouragement. He knew how important it was to nurture young minds, especially those interested in science.
They saw some of the standard things. Plant-growth experiments, potato clocks, and, much to Izzy’s enjoyment, a baking-soda volcano. Apparently, that sort of mess was okay with her because it wasn’t her responsibility.
There were some more unusual standouts, including the collection of bacteria from common household objects, an experiment about how sterile contact solution really was, and a comparison of laser strengths and effective power by color.
Then there were the projects that were strictly Shadowvale material. One was an early onset warning system, designed to alert the wearer that their body chemistry had changed and their curse was about to manifest. Henry had a real appreciation for that one, and he knew the student’s mother, Susan Cortez, had a curse that caused her to go catatonic for hours on end. He’d treated her at the hospital once after her curse had caused her to drive her car into a ditch.
Another project consisted of personal airbags that could be worn and would deploy if the internal gyroscope registered a 180-degree shift. He didn’t know what curse had brought that about, but he wondered if such a suit might not have other applications as well.
Overall, he was impressed. He took several long minutes to write up his notes and make his selections for first, second, and third places in the five categories: chemistry, biology, earth science, electronics, and physics.
He turned his clipboard and selections in to Mr. Wainwright, head of the science department, who thanked him for his time, then Henry returned to Izzy, who was chatting again with the young woman whose project had involved the pH of hair and how shampoo affected it.
“So you really think I should switch brands?”
The young woman nodded. “For sure. And try that apple cider vinegar rinse. It really works.”
“I will,” Izzy said. “Thanks.” She looked at Henry. “Ready to go?”
“Yep. All done.” He was so happy she’d come with him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone anywhere that he hadn’t been alone, outside of the dinner he’d shared with Izzy at the Five Bells. This was a remarkable day for him. Even if the event had only been the high school science fair. He didn’t want the day to end, which it wouldn’t if they went from here to his lab.
But he wanted to be out with her a little longer. “I know we just had pizza a little while ago, but what would you say to an ice cream?”
She smiled. “I’d say that sounds pretty good.”
He smiled back. “I know just the place. The Creamatorium.”
Her smile disappeared. “That doesn’t sound like an ice cream place.”
He laughed. “It is, trust me. And a really good one. They just have a slightly morbid theme, but they make all of their ice cream, and it’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Okay, I’m in.”
It was hard not to smile as he drove. He knew they weren’t really on a date, but it kind of felt that way to him. It was nice to think about. When he parked again, they got out and walked toward the shop’s entrance.
Izzy cast a dubious look at the sign above the building. “It really is called the Creamatorium.”
Henry nodded, chuckling at the shop’s graphic of a banana split served in a coffin-shaped dish. “Like I said, kind of morbid, but I promise, the ice cream is really good. They make it all themselves.”
“I’m not about to turn down good ice cream,” she said with a grin.
They went in and stood side by side, studying the menu board. Today’s special flavors were Crazed Pear Crumble and Savage Pumpkin Spice.
“Caramel Cayenne Casualty, Murderous Mulberry Swirl, Marshmallow Mint Madness, Devil’s Food Fudge Frenzy, Paranoid Pistachio …” She laughed as she read off the names of the flavors. “They take their theme pretty seriously.”
“They do,” he agreed. “I think I’m going for the Rabid Rocky Road.”
Still smiling, she nodded. “That sounds good. But I’m going to live dangerously and try the Crazed Pear Crumble. I’ve never had pear ice cream, and the additions of caramel and shortbread pieces already have my mouth watering.”
“Cone or cup?” he asked.
“Cup.”
“You want to find us a seat outside and I’ll get the ice cream?”
“Okay. Thanks.” She headed out.
He got in line to order, the normality of what he was doing filling him with a curious happiness. He glanced behind him. Izzy had picked a bench right in front of the shop. His heart did a weird little beat at the thought of sitting out there with her.
There was no way she’d set that fire. He just knew it. Which was why he was going to do everything he could to prove there was nothing wrong with her.
Nothing at all.
Izzy smiled at Henry as he brought the ice cream out to her. He handed her a cup nearly overflowing with ice cream. A rolled wafer cookie and a sturdy plastic spoon stuck out from both of their dishes. “Did you get sundaes?”
He sat beside her. “Just a medium scoop in a cup.”
She hefted the serving he’d given her. “This is a medium?”
He nodded. “I know. It’s pretty big for a medium.”
She glanced at his. Chunks of fat white marshmallows and pieces of caramelized walnut spotted the dark chocolate ice cream. It looked good.
“Change your mind about your flavor?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. But yours does look like a good choice.”
“Yours doesn’t look too bad, either.”
She picked up her spoon. “I’ll tell you in a second.” She dug into the creamy, caramel-ribboned ice cream speckled with pieces of shortbread cookie and diced pear. As soon as it was in her mouth, she knew she’d made the right decision. “This is amazing. It tastes just like pear cobbler with vanilla ice cream on top.”
She held her dish out toward him. “Try it.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “Go ahead.”
He stuck his spoon in and took a taste. It was really good. He nodded. “I can see why you like it.”
“But you don’t.”
“No, I do but …” He laughed softly. “I’m a big fan of chocolate. If it’s an option, I will always choose it.”
“You?” She was surprised, mostly because he didn’t look like he ever ate ice cream, let alone chocolate. “You’re so fit. I never would have guessed.”
He shrugged. “I have a pretty high metabolism. Turning into Edgar, and being Edgar, creates a huge calorie deficit.”
“I guess there’s a bright side to everything.”
He stared at her a moment. “You know, I’ve never thought about it that way. Thanks.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.” Too bad there weren’t any bright sides to who her twin was. They ate for a little bit without saying anything. The ice cream deserved their full attention. After a while, she asked another question. “When do the science fair winners get chosen? Today?”
“They’re officially announced tomorrow morning, and then the top three in each category will go on to regionals. Which means they have about a week to tweak their projects and get them in tiptop shape.”
“Will you judge that, too?”
He shook his head, his expression growing dark. “No. I don’t do anything that requires me to leave Shadowvale. Too risky. For everyone around me.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. Staying here, I mean. I really don’t mind it. I have plenty of work to keep me busy.”
“I guess we should get back to that, hmm? I still need to see your lab and work up a plan of attack. And maybe talk about if there are any tests you might be able to run on me …”
“Right.” He finished the last of his ice cream. “I’d like to get an MRI done on you. Get a look at your brain. See if there’s anything unusual going on. That will tell us a lot.”
She sat up a little straighter. “How soon can we do that?”
“Soon. My family’s foundation paid for the neuroscience department at the hospital, so getting you in won’t be a problem.”
“That’s great.” She made a face. “Except how much is that going to cost? I know I said I wanted to hire you to figure out what was wrong with me, but the truth is I don’t have much money right now. And no insurance.”
“Izzy, that’s not something you need to worry about. I said I would help you, and I will. The foundation will take care of it.”
“I don’t need charity. I can pay. I just need to work.”
“It’s not charity. Any work I do that aids me in better understanding the brain benefits me. And with your family history, you might really unlock some things in my research. I don’t mean to make it sound like you’re a guinea pig, but there are distinct differences in the brains of those who are as troubled as your brother. Finding out what your brain looks like will be truly interesting.”
She thought about that. It was interesting to her but also a little frightening. Having the tests done would just confirm what she already knew. That she was as damaged as Ian was, only somehow more in control. So far. Then a new question came into her head. “Have you ever scanned Edgar’s brain?”
“No. My own, yes. Many times. I wish I could scan his, though. It would be a game changer. It’s just not something that’s ever been doable. For one thing, he’s not exactly the kind of person you can just ask to participate in such a thing. For another, I’ve never had anyone who could help me with something like that.”
She took a long look at him. “Maybe I could?”
He shook his head. “No. I appreciate that you want to help, but what you’re suggesting is far too dangerous.”
“I wasn’t going to walk up to him and ask. I was thinking more along the lines of sedating him in some way.”
Henry stared out at the parking lot, frowning. “Tranquilizing Edgar takes a lot. Deacon tried it once. Took three darts, each strong enough to take down a grizzly.”
“So? That just means it can be done. And Deacon could help me. If he’s willing.”
Henry looked at her again. “You really want to do this?”
She nodded. “You just said it would be a game changer. Would Deacon help?”
Henry gave a little nod. “I’m sure he would. It would take more than him, though. Lifting Edgar onto a bed in order to run the tests—” He suddenly sighed. “What am I thinking? It won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t be there to administer the tests.”
“There has to be another doctor who can do it.” Then she understood. Everyone in town might know who he was, but that didn’t mean they’d seen Henry in his other form. And clearly, Henry didn’t want them to, either. She imagined the very idea was humiliating enough without him actually going through it. “Could you teach Deacon and me?”
“I don’t know.” He got up and tossed his empty cup into the trash. “We should go.”
She nodded and got to her feet, tossing her cup, too. The conversation was over. She let it be, putting a smile on her face that she didn’t really feel. But she’d pushed too much. She needed to give him space. “I can’t wait to get your lab organized. I promise I’ll work fast and efficiently.”
Izzy dug hers out of her purse and handed it over. Moments later, Mrs. Palfrey pushed both IDs back through the half-moon space under the plexiglass along with two visitor badges on lanyards.
Izzy took her ID and put one of the lanyards on.
Mrs. Palfrey pointed down the hall. “Straight ahead, then first left toward the gym.”
“Thanks,” Henry said.
The gym was packed with kids, some parents, and a handful of teachers. The students all stood in front of or next to their projects while the parents and teachers milled around or stood in small groups, chatting. Henry checked in at the judges’ table, was handed a clipboard, then came back to Izzy’s side.
“All right.” He pulled a pen out of his pocket. “I’m ready to judge.”
A man Izzy recognized walked up to them. Deacon Evermore. He gave them a nod of greeting, his gaze settling on her. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I didn’t expect to be here,” she said. “But I’m going to work as Henry’s assistant, so here I am. Assisting.”
“That’s great,” Deacon said. He shifted to look at Henry. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Sure.” Henry glanced at Izzy. “Give me a minute?”
“Take all the time you need. I’m going to walk around and look at the exhibits.”
“I’ll find you.”
She headed toward the first table and a display that showed how to make a solar oven. Nice idea, Izzy thought, but how would a thing like that ever work in a town like this?
Henry took a few steps toward a more private spot with Deacon. “What’s up?”
Deacon’s brow creased, and he looked less than pleased. “I know I told you this morning that there hadn’t been any incidents, but apparently I spoke too soon.”
Henry’s heart sank. Edgar had struck again. “What happened?”
Deacon frowned. “Tucker Hawthorne called me an hour before I left to come here. His shed just about burned down last night. Appears to have been deliberately set on fire.”
Henry went still, his sick feeling turning into cold dread. “Set on fire? Edgar hates fire.”
“I know,” Deacon said. “But if it wasn’t him …”
Henry’s mind filled in the answer. Izzy’s brother was a serial arsonist, but there was no way Izzy would have done that. She wanted nothing to do with her brother’s ways.
Deacon went on. “I stopped by to have a look on my way in, and there’s a clear sign of where the fire started. Thankfully, it rained on that side of town last night at about 4 a.m. Must have been enough to kill the flames, because the fire didn’t spread, just took the shed down to its foundation.”
Henry looked out into the crowd, trying to find Izzy. “Edgar has never set a fire before.”
“Not saying it was Edgar. Just not sure it wasn’t, either.”
Henry gave Deacon his full attention again. “Right. I wouldn’t put it past him. I’m sorry. I’d be happy to pay Tucker whatever it costs to make things right.”
“There’s no proof Edgar was involved yet. I still have some investigating to do. I just wanted to talk to you about it. You didn’t have any burns on you when you came to? Any smell of smoke on your clothes?”
“No, nothing. Burns I would have remembered. Just the usual aches and pains.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know if my investigation yields anything else.”
“Thanks. But the offer to replace the shed still stands.”
“Appreciate it,” Deacon said. He hooked his thumbs into the front pockets of his jeans, his gaze moving to the crowd. “I didn’t think you were speaking to your new neighbor. Now she’s working for you?”
“Her visit to the Thibodeauxs convinced her I was telling the truth.” Henry found Izzy. She was talking to a girl with an exhibit about how shampoo affected the pH of hair. He was so pleased they’d patched things up. “I’m really glad. I like her a lot.”
“And she knows who you are, so that’s something.”
“She knows. And she’s okay with it.”
Deacon made a little noise that sounded like he was unconvinced.
Henry looked at him. “She is. She’s seen me as Edgar, too. Saw me on the stairs last night.”
Deacon’s brows went up. “Yeah? All right then.” His eyes narrowed. “Did you, uh, discuss why she’s here?”
Henry shook his head. He wasn’t about to divulge Izzy’s secret, even to the man he considered a friend. “You know everyone’s curse is their own business.”
Deacon held his hands up. “I know, I know. You can’t blame me for being curious.”
“No, I understand.” He smiled, even though he didn’t really feel like it. Just like he didn’t want to think that Izzy’d had anything to do with the fire just because of who her brother was. That was exactly the kind of assumption she was trying to escape. “I should make my rounds. I am supposed to be a judge.”
“Right, sorry. Go do your thing.”
Henry went straight to Izzy’s side. “See anything interesting?”
“They’re all interesting. The kids in this town seem genuinely curious about the world around them.”
“Maybe because they know how much more of it exists than most people.”
“Maybe.”
He turned into her line of sight a little more to be sure he had her full attention. “Listen, about last night. I know you saw Edgar on the stairs. Was he carrying anything?”
She thought a moment. “No. Pretty sure I would have remembered that.”
“Did you go out at all last night?”
“You mean did I confront Edgar?”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you go out for any other reason?”
“With a tiger walking around? No. Trust me. I stayed inside. It took me most of the night to get unpacked, and after that, I was pretty tired.”
“I’m sure.” He’d seen her place. Everything was put away, and the boxes that had held her things were now broken down and stacked by the door. She couldn’t have done all of that and been out roaming around town, randomly setting a shed on fire.
She crossed her arms. “What’s with all the questions?”
He shrugged, unwilling to worry her. “Nothing. Just curious.” He quickly changed the subject. “You want to help me judge?”
“I don’t think I’m qualified for that.”
“Maybe not as a scientist, but you certainly qualify as a general observer. Do you have a favorite so far?”
“There were one or two I definitely liked and a few that didn’t seem all that feasible to me, but I’ve only seen this row. Shouldn’t we look at them all first?”
“We should. Let’s make our way around then.”
As they walked, Henry stopped at each booth, making sure to ask two or three questions of each student while reading over their material. He made notes on each, leaving the student with either praise or encouragement. He knew how important it was to nurture young minds, especially those interested in science.
They saw some of the standard things. Plant-growth experiments, potato clocks, and, much to Izzy’s enjoyment, a baking-soda volcano. Apparently, that sort of mess was okay with her because it wasn’t her responsibility.
There were some more unusual standouts, including the collection of bacteria from common household objects, an experiment about how sterile contact solution really was, and a comparison of laser strengths and effective power by color.
Then there were the projects that were strictly Shadowvale material. One was an early onset warning system, designed to alert the wearer that their body chemistry had changed and their curse was about to manifest. Henry had a real appreciation for that one, and he knew the student’s mother, Susan Cortez, had a curse that caused her to go catatonic for hours on end. He’d treated her at the hospital once after her curse had caused her to drive her car into a ditch.
Another project consisted of personal airbags that could be worn and would deploy if the internal gyroscope registered a 180-degree shift. He didn’t know what curse had brought that about, but he wondered if such a suit might not have other applications as well.
Overall, he was impressed. He took several long minutes to write up his notes and make his selections for first, second, and third places in the five categories: chemistry, biology, earth science, electronics, and physics.
He turned his clipboard and selections in to Mr. Wainwright, head of the science department, who thanked him for his time, then Henry returned to Izzy, who was chatting again with the young woman whose project had involved the pH of hair and how shampoo affected it.
“So you really think I should switch brands?”
The young woman nodded. “For sure. And try that apple cider vinegar rinse. It really works.”
“I will,” Izzy said. “Thanks.” She looked at Henry. “Ready to go?”
“Yep. All done.” He was so happy she’d come with him. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone anywhere that he hadn’t been alone, outside of the dinner he’d shared with Izzy at the Five Bells. This was a remarkable day for him. Even if the event had only been the high school science fair. He didn’t want the day to end, which it wouldn’t if they went from here to his lab.
But he wanted to be out with her a little longer. “I know we just had pizza a little while ago, but what would you say to an ice cream?”
She smiled. “I’d say that sounds pretty good.”
He smiled back. “I know just the place. The Creamatorium.”
Her smile disappeared. “That doesn’t sound like an ice cream place.”
He laughed. “It is, trust me. And a really good one. They just have a slightly morbid theme, but they make all of their ice cream, and it’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”
“Okay, I’m in.”
It was hard not to smile as he drove. He knew they weren’t really on a date, but it kind of felt that way to him. It was nice to think about. When he parked again, they got out and walked toward the shop’s entrance.
Izzy cast a dubious look at the sign above the building. “It really is called the Creamatorium.”
Henry nodded, chuckling at the shop’s graphic of a banana split served in a coffin-shaped dish. “Like I said, kind of morbid, but I promise, the ice cream is really good. They make it all themselves.”
“I’m not about to turn down good ice cream,” she said with a grin.
They went in and stood side by side, studying the menu board. Today’s special flavors were Crazed Pear Crumble and Savage Pumpkin Spice.
“Caramel Cayenne Casualty, Murderous Mulberry Swirl, Marshmallow Mint Madness, Devil’s Food Fudge Frenzy, Paranoid Pistachio …” She laughed as she read off the names of the flavors. “They take their theme pretty seriously.”
“They do,” he agreed. “I think I’m going for the Rabid Rocky Road.”
Still smiling, she nodded. “That sounds good. But I’m going to live dangerously and try the Crazed Pear Crumble. I’ve never had pear ice cream, and the additions of caramel and shortbread pieces already have my mouth watering.”
“Cone or cup?” he asked.
“Cup.”
“You want to find us a seat outside and I’ll get the ice cream?”
“Okay. Thanks.” She headed out.
He got in line to order, the normality of what he was doing filling him with a curious happiness. He glanced behind him. Izzy had picked a bench right in front of the shop. His heart did a weird little beat at the thought of sitting out there with her.
There was no way she’d set that fire. He just knew it. Which was why he was going to do everything he could to prove there was nothing wrong with her.
Nothing at all.
Izzy smiled at Henry as he brought the ice cream out to her. He handed her a cup nearly overflowing with ice cream. A rolled wafer cookie and a sturdy plastic spoon stuck out from both of their dishes. “Did you get sundaes?”
He sat beside her. “Just a medium scoop in a cup.”
She hefted the serving he’d given her. “This is a medium?”
He nodded. “I know. It’s pretty big for a medium.”
She glanced at his. Chunks of fat white marshmallows and pieces of caramelized walnut spotted the dark chocolate ice cream. It looked good.
“Change your mind about your flavor?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. But yours does look like a good choice.”
“Yours doesn’t look too bad, either.”
She picked up her spoon. “I’ll tell you in a second.” She dug into the creamy, caramel-ribboned ice cream speckled with pieces of shortbread cookie and diced pear. As soon as it was in her mouth, she knew she’d made the right decision. “This is amazing. It tastes just like pear cobbler with vanilla ice cream on top.”
She held her dish out toward him. “Try it.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “Go ahead.”
He stuck his spoon in and took a taste. It was really good. He nodded. “I can see why you like it.”
“But you don’t.”
“No, I do but …” He laughed softly. “I’m a big fan of chocolate. If it’s an option, I will always choose it.”
“You?” She was surprised, mostly because he didn’t look like he ever ate ice cream, let alone chocolate. “You’re so fit. I never would have guessed.”
He shrugged. “I have a pretty high metabolism. Turning into Edgar, and being Edgar, creates a huge calorie deficit.”
“I guess there’s a bright side to everything.”
He stared at her a moment. “You know, I’ve never thought about it that way. Thanks.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.” Too bad there weren’t any bright sides to who her twin was. They ate for a little bit without saying anything. The ice cream deserved their full attention. After a while, she asked another question. “When do the science fair winners get chosen? Today?”
“They’re officially announced tomorrow morning, and then the top three in each category will go on to regionals. Which means they have about a week to tweak their projects and get them in tiptop shape.”
“Will you judge that, too?”
He shook his head, his expression growing dark. “No. I don’t do anything that requires me to leave Shadowvale. Too risky. For everyone around me.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. Staying here, I mean. I really don’t mind it. I have plenty of work to keep me busy.”
“I guess we should get back to that, hmm? I still need to see your lab and work up a plan of attack. And maybe talk about if there are any tests you might be able to run on me …”
“Right.” He finished the last of his ice cream. “I’d like to get an MRI done on you. Get a look at your brain. See if there’s anything unusual going on. That will tell us a lot.”
She sat up a little straighter. “How soon can we do that?”
“Soon. My family’s foundation paid for the neuroscience department at the hospital, so getting you in won’t be a problem.”
“That’s great.” She made a face. “Except how much is that going to cost? I know I said I wanted to hire you to figure out what was wrong with me, but the truth is I don’t have much money right now. And no insurance.”
“Izzy, that’s not something you need to worry about. I said I would help you, and I will. The foundation will take care of it.”
“I don’t need charity. I can pay. I just need to work.”
“It’s not charity. Any work I do that aids me in better understanding the brain benefits me. And with your family history, you might really unlock some things in my research. I don’t mean to make it sound like you’re a guinea pig, but there are distinct differences in the brains of those who are as troubled as your brother. Finding out what your brain looks like will be truly interesting.”
She thought about that. It was interesting to her but also a little frightening. Having the tests done would just confirm what she already knew. That she was as damaged as Ian was, only somehow more in control. So far. Then a new question came into her head. “Have you ever scanned Edgar’s brain?”
“No. My own, yes. Many times. I wish I could scan his, though. It would be a game changer. It’s just not something that’s ever been doable. For one thing, he’s not exactly the kind of person you can just ask to participate in such a thing. For another, I’ve never had anyone who could help me with something like that.”
She took a long look at him. “Maybe I could?”
He shook his head. “No. I appreciate that you want to help, but what you’re suggesting is far too dangerous.”
“I wasn’t going to walk up to him and ask. I was thinking more along the lines of sedating him in some way.”
Henry stared out at the parking lot, frowning. “Tranquilizing Edgar takes a lot. Deacon tried it once. Took three darts, each strong enough to take down a grizzly.”
“So? That just means it can be done. And Deacon could help me. If he’s willing.”
Henry looked at her again. “You really want to do this?”
She nodded. “You just said it would be a game changer. Would Deacon help?”
Henry gave a little nod. “I’m sure he would. It would take more than him, though. Lifting Edgar onto a bed in order to run the tests—” He suddenly sighed. “What am I thinking? It won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t be there to administer the tests.”
“There has to be another doctor who can do it.” Then she understood. Everyone in town might know who he was, but that didn’t mean they’d seen Henry in his other form. And clearly, Henry didn’t want them to, either. She imagined the very idea was humiliating enough without him actually going through it. “Could you teach Deacon and me?”
“I don’t know.” He got up and tossed his empty cup into the trash. “We should go.”
She nodded and got to her feet, tossing her cup, too. The conversation was over. She let it be, putting a smile on her face that she didn’t really feel. But she’d pushed too much. She needed to give him space. “I can’t wait to get your lab organized. I promise I’ll work fast and efficiently.”
