Final Challenge (10 page)

 
Hanson and Marvin were in luck. At last the coroner had called them officially and formally to his office. He must have found something related to those blissful vaccines.

  They were not mistaken. He felt restless, nervous, while he was showing them one by one, a collection of photos with scars of vaccines. Knowing him, it should be the prelude to reveal them something important, and although it was proving tedious, they shouldn't allow their curiosity anticipated to the order he had established, so stoically endured his detailed explanations. He showed photos with scars all types of vaccines and their evolution over time. Something that normally would have seemed inconsequential but that took on an unusual interest at that time.

- As you can see, depending on the vaccine in question
,
the body's reaction and the resulting scar may look different - he pointed out once displayed all his vast collection of photos -

- If I interpret it right, does it mean that depend
ing on the shape of the scar could
be  deduced the type of vaccine? - Marvin asked -

  The coroner nodded uncertainly, finally shaking his head.

- No, not always, but sometimes. Let's say ... the more recent the vaccine, the
more probabilities we have. In
scars of vaccines of twenty years ago would have little or no chance of success.

- In any case there are several scars, many, it is unusual for someone to vaccinate against everything under the sun, right? ... - Intervened Hanson -

They saw the coroner smile for the first time in a while. Hanson undoubtedly knew how to dig into this guy.
He h
ad asked the question tha
t the coroner was waiting for in order
to continue with his further exposure. Because, knowing him, for sure he had mentally written a script that he hoped to develop step by step. He had to show off so they should make room for his role, and with a little skill, they would get better results by sure.

The coroner
cross
linked the fingers of his hands and answered to Hanson slowly, as reveling in his words.

- Indeed, it's the first thing that attracts attention. Secondly, that
they
are recent.

- Recent as? ... - Marvin asked this time -

The coroner hesitated a bit before finding the most
appropriate
answer.

- I dare say no more than five years.

- Including Sheridan's?

- Yeah
indeed, I am referring to all, agent Marvin.

- And ... tell me ... have you managed to identify any vaccine? .... - Hanson asked -

The coroner smiled. Hanson had been on target again.
Based in his appearance
both
dared to guess
that the answer would be affirmative before he responded.

- I have to admit that is one of those cases that all coll
eagues would love  ... - he rose
unhurriedly, with elaborate ritual, watching with
satisfaction the interest that
was aroused with only seeing agents faces. Then he continued - a real challenge. It has taken my time, yes, but I think it was worth it
,
gentlemen ...

He turned off the light, displayed a screen and launched a projector.  It reached the highlight that the three were waiting. He took a light pointer, flipping it several times as a magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat.
He presented
a slide showing a picture of a mosquito on the screen and its name, Aedes.

- This is the indirect blame for our troubles and of one of those scars - he said, pointing to the mosquito repeatedly with the pointer -

Hanson could not restrain his impatience this time.

- A mosquito? A damn mosquito? ... Are you sure?

- Absolutely, not the slightest doubt. But it is not any mosquito, this one transmits the dreaded yellow fever, which requires a specific vaccine.

Both the mosquito in question as yellow fever are endemic in large parts of our planet's tropical. And the vaccine, the most requested
one
by those traveling to the tropics. Hanson and Marvin not only were unaware of such details, but were expectantly at what this could mean for the progress of the case so Marvin made a thinking aloud.

- Or, put another way, our three friends were vaccinated against this parasite, Now ... the question is ... why?

- O
f course, nobody is vaccinated
in
a free way. Even more, nobody
is vaccinated against a mosquito does not exist.

- Doesn’t it? ...

The coroner changed of slide, in its place was placed another showing a world map on the screen.
Then
he
continued
with his l
ittle
show.

- In North America not, sirs. Here, no. But ...
–
he
pointed with his pointer to a map point in South America - here, yes. -  He turned to point the pointer to another part of the map, specifically a point of Africa - and here, too. -
He thought he had
recreated enough - to be less rhetorical, here - he marked with the pointer again several tropical areas - that is, it's in these vast tropical areas where the insect concer
ning us has its breeding ground
.

- You mean ... that damn mosquito does not live in any other corner of the planet? - He added Hanson -

- Luckily, no.
Anyway it would be better t
hat you don’t
think you are to
o fortunate. Only the Amazon basin has an area of
six million square kilometers.

- How is it possible? ... I mean ... how is
it possible that all three had
that protection? - Asked Marvin -

   Hanson, true to his sense of humor, made
his own particul
ar interpretation of the facts.

- Perhaps they decided to take a vacation at the same site.

- Or ... maybe they have been in the same place for a while - Marvin intervened -

  Coroner let them to finish their views before continuing his exposure.

-
There is another significant event. Remains of Chloroquine were found in the first two bodies.

- A drug? -Hanson asked -

- Yeah
, it protects against malaria, is applied before, during and after exposure. Or both men were about to leave or have returned from their trip before than a month ago.

- And Sheridan? Did not find traces of that drug in his body?

- No, none at all.

- Well, actually, Sheridan was here at least since a year ago, so he also could have been medicated once.

- Indeed, there is always that possibility.

Hanson and Marvin were puzzled, staring. Finally the latter decided to throwing a new question.

-  And could you say us something about the rest of the scars, of vaccines? ...

This time was Marvin who succeeded. He could corroborate it when he saw the Coroner's smile preceding his answer.

- I knew you would ask me that question. That's the most surprising of all!

- Surprising?

- I have identified several. Surely the
y have been vaccinated against
some rare diseases in our time: measles, chickenpox, smallpox, tuberculosis.

- Are you sure?

- Completely. So much that it
can be one of the key points. I've been thinking and just find a reason.

  The coroner had crossed widely his powers borders, but Marvin and Hanson thought that time was well worth it. Beyond his desire for prominence getting they felt ridiculous sometimes, there was no denying that his knowledge, coupled with an unusual ability to think over, meant a extr
emely valid reference. So much
that he was giving them a new approach to the case more complicated than ever had in their hands, the same that
the boss
had given them like routine
. It was more than justified the coroner enjoyed his moment of glory, it was well deserved, so they did not stop him when he was decided to present his findings.

- The reason is that they had decided to take all necessary measures not to cause any kind of infection among indigenous - he changed of slide again appearing on the screen an image of an Amazon tribe - And
that only makes sense nowadays
among the most isolated villages of civilization, those who rarely have contact with the outside world - he changed of slide again, showing a detailed map of the Amazon - Our answer, whatever, should be here in the heart of Amazonia.

  Hanson could not resist a joke to ease the tension of that moment.

- Excellent work, doctor, congratulations. I totally
agree with you. Oh, and thanks
for limiting our work area!

   Coroner smiled again and marked again with the pointer.

- Do not claim victory. We are referring to an area of
about two million square kilometers.

  Marvin got u
p, shook hands with the coroner
as way of congratulation.

- Your theory seems very successful, but there's only one way to check it - then went to Hanson - Come on, we have much work.

XVII

    
Ha
nson wanted to find out if any of the two deceased scientists had traveled to a tropical area in recent years.  He collected data from their companies and also from airports and airlines, for examining in detail the information he had on his desk and then reaching a grim conclusion: in principle, at least officially, none of them had traveled to any suspicious area. In fact, in theory,
it
had just recorded an output of the United States by Klein to attend a scientific conference that took place in Johannesburg.
And it had been over
two years.

Also went through his head that may have traveled under a false identity, or even that they had done on a private plane and evading controls. But this hypothesis seemed to him preposterous, especially when he found where they had spent their holiday the last two years, the only time interval during which it made sense that they'd
have gone
that far. In the case of Klein it had been
Miami, where he had a small but luxurious apartment. With respect to Olsen, he had been sharing a house on the outskirts of San Mateo, California. He was usually there with a friend who ended up confirming to Hanson that had maintained a relationship with the deceased for nearly three years, which had been broken six months ago. In the conversation he had with former Olsen boyfriend, Hanson concluded that he was not involved in any way and even was unaware of Olsen's work activity.

  Hanson began to think that, despite the consistent and brilliant deduction which the coroner had arrived, he had perhaps gone too far with the track of the vaccines. Yet it was apparent that the scars were left b
y the vaccine, its inoculation
made no sense to simply take a vacation south of the country. But the coroner's opinion deserved great respect for him. He had to admit that this guy was off the charts in his specialty, and even he had been able to become a great agent if he wasn't a gourmet who loved the pleasures of life and selected and relaxed environments.

It was the perfect time to propose
Marvin they approach the Gary
's talisman bar in order to seek an explanation that would fit some pieces of the puzzle. He not only agreed, but said he had read his mind and needed to rethink close to a few beers. Unknown reason, but both that seedy bar and the liquid element were part of the ritual that allowed their minds to explore new possibilities.

   While they were watching television more by routine that by interest, where the only news for a long time seemed to be the president's
resignation due to his illness
for Feaks , Hanson caught up with Marvin about the disappointing results of his latest research. Marvin said aloud what both were thinking.