Transparency: Bio-Tech Cavern Secrets Untold Read Free

Vegas, huh?”
    Halliday kept a stoic face. “So?”
    “So, if you don’t lighten up, in eight minutes I’ll march over to the control room and tell that stuffed shirt Blankenship that you are unacceptable as my partner.”
    # # #
    When the forest divulged no more secrets, Halliday lowered the binoculars. He made his way back to the clearing. Why in hell would Lamar Festus go to all the trouble to create this sham?
    Gladstone returned, shaking his head, like a tight end had dropped an “in the chest” pass.
    “That crazy old geezer vanished.”
    “Did you notice anything unusual out there?”
    “No, why?”
    “Festus said he saw a green mass up on the ridge. Said it appeared semi-translucent. Maybe the old man had gotten too much sun.”
    Gladstone jumped on it. “There’s a disease spreading among these old codgers. I heard a psychologist on one of those morning talk shows call it ‘absence of reality.’ My wife told me that some of her patients at Santa Reina Convalescent Home were going looney. They believe everything’s either a government conspiracy or involve aliens among us.”
    “You talk as if it’s a mental ward, not for convalescents.”
    “Speaking of green masses, one old fart from Redwood Bluff tried to convince me that he had seen translucent green creatures roaming the night. Maybe Festus is from Redwood Bluff or better yet, he escaped from Santa Reina Convalescent Home.”
    Although humor had a place in a policeman’s life Gladstone’s over the top banter rubbed Halliday the wrong way. The science of investigation required seeking out truths amid lies, misdirection, ignorance, and one’s own misconceptions. The young man hadn’t yet demonstrated the patience required for such a tedious job.
    Halliday replied, “Maybe you need to dig a little deeper into your ‘absence of reality’ theory.”
    Gladstone dug into his pocket and produced a pack of gum. “You want a stick, boss?”
    “No thanks.”
    Gladstone popped the gum in his mouth. “Chewing,” he said, “It’s a great substitute for smoking.”
    Halliday waited for Gladstone to comment on Festus.
    “That’s right, you don’t smoke do you Halliday?” Gladstone looked him over. “You don’t have any vices do you?”
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “I never see you go out on dates or anything. Do you like women?”
    Most of the personnel in the department had been against Gladstone’s appointment, claiming that the young man was a “politician,” a term Halliday abhorred. Behind closed doors, Halliday, against his better judgment, had argued in favor of Detective Leo Bergman’s request to give the kid a chance. He smirked. In the end, their opinions amounted to a hill of beans.
    The kid was the Sheriff’s nephew.
    Gladstone waited.
    “Listen to me, Gladstone.” He stared deep into the lad’s eyes. “What I do during my off time is none of your business. Understood?”
    Gladstone held up both hands. “Hey, boss, I hear you. I didn’t realize it was such a sensitive issue.”
    Halliday debated whether Gladstone needed a good ass kicking or a mentor with a thousand times more patience than he possessed.
    “What were you looking for besides the vagrant, up there under that big Sequoia, boss? The Green Lantern?”
    Halliday grunted. No way would he mention a body. “Festus thought he saw a vehicle up at the top of the ridge. Go check COPLINK. See if you can locate a record on him. Last name, F-E-S-T-U-S. First Name, L-A-M-A-R.”
    Gladstone rambled off toward the patrol vehicle that Halliday had signed out. He stopped half way and said, “Will we need the video camera?”
    “What for? Festus is gone. No crime was committed. I have the old man’s prints on a Blackberry if we need to I.D. him back at the station.”
    Due to a violent police brutality incident at Los Angeles PD, departments across the state had suffered. Videotaping crime scenes threatened to seal detectives into a box labeled “If you can see