After going back to re-read the strange code on the sign at the New Tomorrow Industries site, I went to get a slushie at the Question Mart and ran into a young FBI agent in the cold drink aisle.

He was talking to someone on his phone and pacing back and forth saying, “Yes, mother. Yes, mother. I understand. Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll talk to you soon.”

He looked over at me and frowned. “I’m sorry. That was my mom. I’m sure that was awkward to listen to.”

I said, “No, I used to fight with my mom all the time.”

“She’s always worried about me. Mostly because of this job. The other agents can be a little cruel. They call me the Soprano. I only joined the FBI because of my father. He worked for the State Department. I wanted to major in musical theater but he convinced me to study criminology. Even after finishing Quantico, I still don’t know if I belong with the Bureau.”

“Do you still like musical theater?”

“I love it. I still do it on the side. In Columbus, I was in a production of The King and I, last Fall.”

“Nobody cares about things like that around here. The only shows we have are the high school and grade school plays.”

Both of us stared at each other and then he said, “My name is Agent Oberman. I have a feeling you know a lot about this town, don’t you? Maybe you can help me?”

Then we sat on the curb in front of the Question Mart and I began to tell him everything.