Zig Zag Read Free Page B

a
ring of keys and a stack of mail.
    "Oh.
Sorry. I didn't realize you were in here. I just thought... since you
never come straight back after class ... OK if I come in? I was just
going to leave you your mail."
    Elisa
murmured something. Pedro smiled, walked in, and dropped the stack of
envelopes on her desk. Then he left, though not without first
glancing down at the paper and at Elisa's face. She didn't care.
Actually, his sudden interruption had helped her shake off the
feeling of absolute terror that had overcome her.
    She
suddenly realized exactly what she had to do.
    She
folded up the paper, stuck it in her bag, flicked through the mail
(internal memos and correspondence from other universities, nothing
she had to deal with immediately), and walked out.
    Above
all, she had to save her life.

02

    VICTOR Lopera's
office was right across from hers. Victor, who had just arrived, was
taking moderate pleasure in photocopying the rebus from the morning
paper. He was a huge fan of rebuses, riddles, word games, and
puzzles, and had whole albums full of things he'd taken from the
Internet, newspapers, and magazines. As the sheet of paper slid into
its tray, he heard the knock on his door. "Yep?"
    The
change in his mild expression when he saw Elisa was barely even
perceptible. His dark, bushy eyebrows raised slightly, and beneath
his glasses and smooth-shaven cheeks the corners of his mouth
lengthened just slightly, in what might (on Victor's understated
scale of conduct) be interpreted as a smile.
    Elisa
was used to his character. She was very fond of Victor, despite his
shyness. He was one of the people she most trusted. But right then,
there was only one way he could help her.
    "How's
the puzzle looking today?" She smiled, tucking her hair back. It
was a routine question. Victor liked the fact that she showed an
interest in his hobby and often told her about the most interesting
rebuses. There weren't many people he could talk to about that sort
of thing.
    "Pretty
easy." He showed her the photocopy, which bore the caption
"Where to look for encouragement," and showed a picture of
a pointed instrument that resembled an ice pick, suspended above what
looked like a large flounder, or some kind of flat fish. "All
over the place. Get it? Awl over
the plaice?"
    "Not
bad," said Elisa, laughing. Try
to look nonchalant. She
wanted to scream, to run away, but she knew she had to keep her cool.
No one was going to help her, at least not yet. She was alone. "Hey,
Victor, would you tell Teresa I'm not going to be able to make it to
the quantum seminar this afternoon? She's not in her office and I
really need to take off."
    "Sure."
Another almost imperceptible eyebrow movement. "Anything wrong?"
    "I
have a headache, and I think I may have a fever, too. Might be the
flu."
    "Oh,
dear."
    "Yeah,
I know."
    That
"oh, dear" was as close as Victor would come to showing his
affection, and Elisa knew it. They looked at each other for a second,
and then Victor said, "No problem. I'll tell her."
    She
thanked him. As she was walking out, she heard a faint "Feel
better."
    Victor
stood, photocopy in hand, staring after her, for quite some time.
Beneath his large, old-fashioned wire-rimmed glasses, his face showed
only a slightly disconcerted look. But deep down, he was worried.

    THERE'S no
one to help you.
    She
headed to her car in the university lot. The sky was almost white on
that cold, March morning, and she shivered. She knew that she didn't
have the flu, but she thought that given the circumstances, one
little white lie was more than forgivable.
    Every
few seconds, she turned to glance around her. No
one. You're alone. And you haven't even gotten the call. Right?
    She
took her cell phone out of her purse to check her messages. Nothing.
And no new e-mails on her computer watch. Alone.
    Thousands
of questions raced through her mind, an incessant stream of concerns
and possibilities. She realized how nervous she was when she fumbled
and almost dropped