The Case of the Mad Scientist

Chapter 14: Practice Makes Perfect

“Here are the addresses of all kore ya mama Pharmaceutics properties. Fortunately they have only one main manufacturing plant. The headquarters are not far off. Their research labs are in the same building as the headquarters offices.”

“Koriyama,” Stella said, correcting the pronunciation.

Blaze looked proud of herself as she placed the list of addresses on a coffee table.

“I have been told,” she went on, “that it is more likely Sorren would be using the research facilities. So I think that is where we should check first.”

Sounded good to me, so I didn’t say anything.

“Stella is still putting the finishing touches on her show, so I guess it’s up to you and me, Sled.”

“Sure, babe.”

I might have been a little more certain if my head didn’t feel like a whole platoon of soldiers were marching around inside it. That sack-key stuff is stronger than it looks. Still, a Private Dick’s gotta do what a Private Dick’s gotta do. I pushed my porkpie hat back an inch and told her, “When do we go?”

“Now. It will take us about two hours to travel to kor aye amma.”

“Koriyama,” said Stella, again.

look around, and later tonight, after the offices have closed down, we’ll go

happy at

Tara left, leaving Blaze and I

to Corry Amma,” Blaze said. I liked the way she frowned when she tried to pronounce Japanese words.

didn’t know Blaze well enough to suggest that. Too bad. She did have a nice body and a face that made men’s heads turn every time she walked by. Well, maybe the body did it more, but she

overnight bag,” she said, “we’ll stay in a

in the lobby, and went back to my

a quickie

and make sure she was loaded for bear. Fifteen minutes later I was in the lobby,

should be in high school instead of driving people around. I felt like asking if she really had a driver’s license. She bowed to us and invited us into

first thing that surprised me was that there were signs on the freeway much like in California:

the north were the Adatara Mountains (which didn’t look all that big to me, having seen the Sierra Nevada

they don’t make their buildings very tall in Japan. Maybe that had something to do

feel right at home, being from

big one. We circled it a couple times before making off to the Comfort Hotel.

On the way up, Blaze took my arm and whispered, “We’re married.” Then she explained that the CIA was short of budget and wanted agents to share rooms. Which was fine with me. I could hardly