Despite Cathrine’s terribly unconvincing performance as a wife, the couple had no problem selling their story to the bank clerks. After they got through routine necessities and niceties, they were alone with Professor Daulton’s safety deposit box. Dirk inserted the key and heard a satisfying click as the box opened up. Dirk had never been in the professor’s office, but he could only guess it was a chaotic pile of papers and books, because even the small space of the box was a disorganized mess. On top of the pile was a journal. Dirk peaked into it, and it was very obvious the journal was written in cipher. Dirk quickly handed the journal to Catherine.
Catherine also quickly realized the journal was not readable, and she sarcastically asked, “What am I suppose to do with this?”
“You are smart, I am sure you can figure it out.”
Catherine rolled her eyes, as Dirk began to look for anything interesting. There was a file folder with what looked like research of some kind, Dirk ignored that as well and continued looking; finally finding something interesting. He was looking at a grainy picture of Eddie with a rather distinguished looking gentleman. Dirk showed the picture to Catherine, “Do you know who this man?”
Before she spoke, Dirk knew the answer by the shock on her face. “That is William Newhouse. This does not make any sense. Why would he be doing anything with that gangster?”
“I have no idea. I do not know the first thing about him. Why don’t you tell me?”
Catherine paused as it was clear her mind was turning to generate an answer. “William is a wealthy philanthropist. I think he makes most of his money now from the stock market. He is one of the biggest supporter of the arts in this town. I can not fathom what business he could possibly have to do with criminals!”
Dirk let out a pessimistic chuckle, “My guess he thought he could make money with the criminals. I am a betting man, and I bet what ever is happening in this picture is what got your professor killed.”
Catherine continued to go on about how ludicrous that idea was, but Dirk had stopped listening and went back to the contents of the box. There was small vile with the remains an ant in it. Dirk looked closer at the the ant, and his mouth hung open. Throughout the adventures his business had taken him on, Dirk had seen a lot of strange things. This was a new one for him. Dirk interrupted, the rambling of his client, “Catherine . . . you are the botany expert here, please tell me what I am looking at.”
Dirk handed the vile to Catherine and she examined it intently. There was more than just an ant in the vile, or rather there was more in the ant than just the ant. Growing out of the ant is what looked like some sort of plant. Coming out of the ant’s hand was a stem with a small ball that was pregnant with spores attached to it. “This,” Catherine began with some authority, “is an example of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. It was discovered in the amazon, a few years ago, Professor Daulton had spent the past two years researching it.”
Dirk, looking more than a little mortified, asked’ what did that Ophio-whatever do to the bug.?”
Cathernine became more excitable as she continued, “It is a parasitic fungus that preys on insects. Once an insect is infected, the fungus somehow takes over and controls it’s body. The fungus drives the insect to a position so that when it dies, the spores fall on the rest of the colony. On his last trip to the amazon, Professor Daulton observed a single infected ant, lead to the destruction of an entire colony.”
Dirk looked at the ant, and then looked back at the picture of Eddie the Rottweiler and William Newhouse. Dirk did not understand how all the pieces fit, but he was sure this was all connected and the connection is what got George Daulton killed.
Dirk took one more look at the box, up against the side he saw what looked like tickets. He looked at them to discover they were indeed tickets to the grand opening of an exhibit at the Art Institute. Dirk noticed the tickets were dated for this evening. On a hunch Dirk asked, “Catherine, will William Newhouse be at this event.?”
Catherine looked at the tickets that Dirk was holding and replied with a matter of fact tone, “Of course, he is the main patron of it.”
“Well” Dirk said with a sly smile on his face, “It looks like we have a date tonight.”
