Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62262 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 311(@200wpm)___ 249(@250wpm)___ 208(@300wpm)
Andy guessed, “You didn’t want him to get it right.”
Arden nodded and sat back down with a dish towel in his hands. “The potential ramifications were terrifying. Can you imagine what would happen if a supervillain got their hands on that formula? They could steal every superhero’s powers and leave them defenseless, while making themselves totally unstoppable.”
“That’s exactly what we’re afraid of.”
He leaned back and sighed. “I can’t believe Doc finally got there. He tried for years, but he kept going around in circles.”
Andy asked, “What was he planning to do with it once he got it?”
“I’m not sure. He was funded by SPAM at the time, but he swore he’d never give the formula to them or anyone else. He understood how dangerous it could be in the wrong hands, but he couldn’t help but work on it. That’s the nature of most scientists, that overwhelming need to know.”
“But it’s just a theory, right? The formula’s never been tested,” Andy said.
“I don’t know how much time passed between the breakthrough and Doc’s death. Maybe he had time to run some trials. Maybe not. But I’m convinced it would do exactly what he intended. He was a genius and a visionary. No one else could have come up with that formula.”
“Except for you.” Arden glanced at me before shifting his gaze to the tabletop. He didn’t acknowledge it, but he had to be scary smart to be able to come up with the final version of that formula.
Andy asked him, “What do you know about Mercanti’s son?”
That made Arden frown. “Edward Rosselin is the scariest person I’ve ever met. He tries to come across as a perfectly civilized businessman, but it’s just an act. Underneath that thin veneer is a soulless monster.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I overheard an argument between Rosselin and Dr. Mercanti once, and it was chilling. Rosselin wanted his father’s research for his own, personal gain. He doesn’t have powers, and he’s determined to change that. When his father wouldn’t hand it over, it was like Rosselin’s mask fell away. He made threats so horrible that I can’t repeat them.
“When I talked to him about that argument later on, Doc told me stories about Rosselin when he was younger, about his cruelty, his selfishness, and his hunger for power. He said his son’s empire had been built by stealing from and destroying his competitors. When people talk about skeletons in the closet, that’s probably very literal in Rosselin’s case.”
I asked, “Do you know what his company does?”
“Genetic research related to superpowers, the same thing his father was working on. I know that because Rosselin tried to recruit me when I first started interning with SPAM. He gave me a tour of his company’s research and development department and bragged about its accomplishments. He was furious when I turned him down.”
A shadow passed over Arden’s features as he continued, “Doc was afraid of his son, and so was I. When I heard the lab had burned down, my first thought was that Rosselin was behind it. I can’t prove that, but I feel it in my gut.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Maybe he found out his father had a breakthrough,” Arden said. “I could see him sending his thugs to steal everything and burn down the lab to hide the theft. I have no idea if he knew his father would be there, or if his death was an accident. But I wouldn’t put it past him to kill anyone who got in his way.”
Andy asked, “How would Rosselin find out about the breakthrough, though? From what we heard, Mercanti kept his work a secret.”
Arden shrugged. “He didn’t share much with his colleagues at SPAM, but there were one or two people in his life that Dr. Mercanti confided in. Rosselin could have paid one of them to get close to his father and report back. Not that Doc would have shared any details with his friends, but all Rosselin needed to know was that a breakthrough had occurred.” He took a sip of tea and glanced at us. “Why did you ask about Rosselin?”
“We think he’s the person who sent those men after us.”
Arden’s eyes went wide, and he jumped up and grabbed his phone off the kitchen counter. Apparently he reached someone’s voice mail when he tried to place a call, because he blurted, “I need you to text me as soon as you get this, Grady. We have to shore up the protections on the house, stat! This isn’t a drill. Call your whole coven. This might literally be a matter of life and death.”
Andy and I traded looks of concern, and when Arden ended the call, I asked, “What’s going on?”
“I called my cousin, because I need him to strengthen the barriers he set up around the property. Rosselin has all kinds of people on his payroll with a wide range of powers. If he tracks you here, he’ll probably try to take down the wards by force.” He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet, and when he sat back down, he poured a generous splash into his tea.