Genius Squad Read Online Free PDF Page B

DNA substrate. But the NSA was determined to replicate the original design, because DNA wiring would mean an end to many of the heat problems associated with high-speed processing. ‘This is breakthrough technology,’ Cadel was assured. ‘We want to know where it came from and how it can be imitated.’
    So Cadel had tried to help. Though his understanding of the technology was incomplete, he had answered all the questions put to him.
    For that reason, perhaps, the NSA had kept asking them.
    ‘Here’s another list of queries from the NSA,’ Mr Greeniaus said, removing a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and placing it on Cadel’s desk. ‘If you could write down some answers, Cadel, I’ll convey them to the interested parties.’
    ‘All right,’ Cadel agreed. He didn’t mind answering questions about computers.
    ‘Now . . .’ The detective seated himself on the bed again, carefully positioning his cassette recorder so that it was pointed directly at Cadel. ‘I want you to cast your mind back to your appointments with Prosper English – or Thaddeus Roth, as he called himself. Because originally he was supposed to be your therapist, is that right?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And you would go to his office, and have counselling sessions.’
    ‘Except that they weren’t really counselling sessions,’ Cadel admitted. ‘Sometimes we’d talk about how to lie, or how not to get caught sabotaging systems. But mostly we would make broadcasts to Dr Darkkon.’
    ‘Who was in a Californian prison at that time.’
    ‘Yes.’ Cadel nodded. ‘They had a special transmitter.’
    ‘And you would talk about your future – perhaps about some of the projects you were involved in?’
    ‘Cadel’s already covered this,’ Fiona interrupted sharply. ‘He’s told you what he did, and it was all with that man’s encouragement. If you’re going to touch on it again, I’ll have to call a lawyer!’
    ‘As a matter of fact, I’m more interested in Prosper’s other clients,’ said Mr Greeniaus. Cadel met his searching gaze with a look of surprise. Greeniaus continued. ‘Any kids you might have seen coming or going, when you were at the office. He was supposed to specialise in troubled children, wasn’t he?’
    ‘I – I think so.’ This was a new area of inquiry for Cadel. He had never given it much thought. ‘I did see other kids, once or twice,’ he confessed. ‘But I thought – well, wasn’t it all a front? I mean, he wasn’t actually working as a psychologist, was he?’
    ‘That we don’t know yet.’
    ‘I guess I assumed that those other kids were just . . . well, some of his people.’ Cadel shifted uncomfortably. ‘He had a lot of people working for him.’
    ‘Can you describe them to me, Cadel? The kids you saw?’
    Cadel tried. He cast his mind back to the dark old terrace house where Prosper had received him; to Wilfreda, the strange receptionist with black teeth; to the morose-looking teenagers who had sometimes passed Cadel in the hallway, or on the stairs. He didn’t like thinking about the old days in Prosper’s office.
    Just the memory of Prosper’s sardonic, penetrating stare gave him a chill.
    ‘There was a girl called Bella,’ he recalled. ‘I saw her twice. She was quite tall and – you know – big. With greasy brown hair. She was wearing a school uniform.’
    ‘What did it look like?’
    ‘Maroon blazer. A kind of checked, pleated skirt . . .’
    Cadel continued haltingly, racking his brain for relevant details. When he couldn’t think of anything else to say, the detective moved to his next area of inquiry.
    ‘With regard to the Axis Institute, which you attended for several months last year,’ he said, ‘you’ve told us that Prosper English called himself the Chancellor of this institution, is that right?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And you’ve given us full details of the teaching staff who conducted courses in forgery, embezzlement, computer hacking, assassination, and so forth.