Chapter 21

Toledo, Ohio, was situated on the western end of Lake Erie, possessing a border with the state of Michigan. The city was founded in 1833, on the west bank of the Maumee River. Since those early days, Toledo grew quickly as a result of the Miami and Erie Canal and its position on the railway line between New York and Chicago.

After renting a car at the Toledo Express Airport, Harry and Dixie drove to Dr. and Mrs. Harbaum’s home, located on the city’s east side in the upscale neighborhood of Northwood. The traffic was heavy on the Interstate but thinned somewhat after they crossed the Maumee River and turned north. Northwood was a housing addition set among tall, stately trees and the homes were on large well-manicured lots. Upon arriving in Toledo, Harry had phoned Dr. Harbaum and told him of their desire to discuss his daughter and the dentist was more than accommodating. He would leave his practice early and await their arrival with his wife.

Dixie gave directions while Harry drove and when they pulled up the house Harry’s mouth dropped open. A serpentine drive led the way to the two-story brick and stone home and was bordered by a well-trimmed hedge. Towering oaks provided shade, and the entire massive home was edged with flowering shrubs Harry could not identify. A sunroom with large windows was at one end of the home. Harry parked the car, and he and Dixie walked to the front door.

Before he could ring the doorbell, the door opened, and a tall, gray-haired man greeted them in his fifties. He wore a gray cardigan sweater and a smile. “Dr. Olson?” he said. “Please come in. And Mrs--Dr. Olson. Gosh,” he stammered, “I’ve never met a husband and wife doctor team before.”

Harbaum ushered Harry and Dixie into a large library just beyond the marbled entry where a woman rose from a leather sofa.

“This is my wife, Harriet,” Harbaum said.

“And please,” Harry said, “call me Harry and my wife is Dixie.”

“Very nice to meet you both,” Mrs. Harbaum said. “May I offer you some refreshment? Coffee, soda, something a little harder, perhaps?”

“Diet soda would be nice,” Dixie said.

Harbaum crossed the room and opened a large cabinet revealing a bar complete with sink, icemaker, and glassware.

“I was just about to fix myself a drink, Harry. Name your poison.”

“Scotch is fine. With a little water, please,” he said.

While Harbaum mixed the drinks, his wife poured Dixie’s soda into a crystal old-fashioned glass and handed it to her. When everyone was seated and sipping their drinks, Harbaum spoke.

“So, Harry, this visit concerns our daughter, Millie. Correct? I pray she is not in any trouble.”

Harry noticed that, at the word trouble, Mrs. Harbaum winced. The library was an oak -paneled room lined with books. In a far corner stood an antique desk with a laptop sitting on it. The walls were decorated with numerous paintings, Harry assumed were original works, and a few photographs of what he assumed were of the Harbaum family.

“I’m afraid, sir, she is. I wanted to chat with you before the authorities came calling.” He took a sip of his scotch and waited for his words to sink in before continuing. The Harbaums sat silent, attentive. “As you know, I am Millie’s advisor and major professor, which means I am responsible for her work at Cal Pacific. At least, I was.”

“Was?” Harbaum interrupted.

“Yes. I’ll get to that shortly. John, may I call you John? Fine. John and Harriet, your daughter created an organism when she was working at the Primate Research Facility in Nevada.”

“Yes, we know,” Mrs. Harbaum said. “She wrote us of her work there. My husband and I are both very proud of her.”

“And rightly so,” Harry continued. “However, this organism Millie created...well, nothing like it has ever been done before. Objections to it have arisen purely because of ethical and moral reasons. Millie, unbeknownst to me or anyone at the facility, created a chimera. It is an organism that contains both animal and human DNA. The animal DNA came from the Yeti that had been housed at the facility who escaped and were killed. The human DNA came from Millie herself.”

Harry paused. Harbaum’s face had turned dour, the lines in his face much deeper.

“From our daughter?” he said.

Harry nodded. “She implanted the embryo into one of our chimps, and earlier this year the chimera was born. We didn’t know what it was until Millie confessed a few months ago and admitted to what she had done. Her experiment crossed all present moral and ethical boundaries in doing scientific research, and it was our president’s and my decision to destroy the chimera.”

The Harbaums sat, as if stunned by the news. Mrs. Harbaum was rigid, her hands folded in her lap.

“I believe Millie panicked upon learning this, for she disappeared and has taken the chimera with her.”

“So that is what she was doing at our cabin in Arizona,” Mrs. Harbaum said. “Hiding out?”

“Yes,” Harry said. He took a gulp of his scotch and set the glass on the table next to him. “Dixie and I were with the FBI when they raided your cabin and discovered she was not there. She was gone. To where, no one knows.”

“That is why we have come to you,” Dixie said, speaking for the first time. “We want to find her before the authorities do. If we can, maybe we can spare her a lot of unpleasantness.”

“I see,” Harbaum said, nodding.

“If you have any idea where she could have gone or have heard from her, I would appreciate the information,” Harry continued. “I care for Millie and feel responsible for her.”

Mrs. Harbaum stood and refreshed Dixie’s drink. She looked as if she had aged ten years in the past half hour. Her eyes had dark circles around them, and Harry noticed they were glistening. Tears, he thought.

“You said you were responsible for her work, Dr. Olson,” she said.

“Yes,” Harry said.

“If you were responsible,” Mrs. Harbaum said, “why is it that you knew nothing of her work?” Her tone sounded to take a defensive one.

“I suppose I should have, ma’am,” Harry said. “But I am not one to micromanage my staff and Millie was a full-fledged faculty member. I trusted her. Simply put, she betrayed that trust.”

“I see,” Mrs. Harbaum said and sat back in her chair.

“As a result of this travesty, I am no longer employed by the university. My position there was terminated a few days ago. My wife quit her position as well.”

“On account of Millie’s actions?” Harbaum said. “This chimera thing?”

“Partly. But it’s a long story, one that need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say, Dixie and I want to find her. The sooner, the better.”

Harbaum rose and refreshed his drink.

“Neither my wife nor I have heard from Millie,” he said, “since she called asking if she could stay at the cabin. I believe you are sincere, Harry, and wish to help our daughter. If we knew anything, we would tell you. Please believe me.”

“I do, John, I do. Now, Dixie and I must return to San Francisco, as we have to clear our belongings from the university. I will give you our cell phone numbers, and I want you to call either of us if you hear from Millie. And I’ll be checking in with you from time to time as well. When the FBI talk to you just tell them the truth.”

“Should I mention your visit today?”

“Of course. Everyone wants Millie found safe and unharmed.”

After leaving the Harbaums, Harry and Dixie took the redeye flight to Phoenix then drove back home to San Mateo.

Arriving at dawn, they both collapsed into bed, and soon Dixie was asleep. But Harry was troubled. If he could find Millie and Roku, maybe he could save his job and salvage his career.

***

Dr. Miles Radner pushed through the airlock and strolled into the Animal Care Unit. It was early in the morning, and only a few technicians were at work cleaning the numerous cages and other housing facilities. He found Millie’s small office at the end of the hall and clicked on her computer. After entering his administrator’s password, he navigated to the facility’s web page and entered Millie’s password. A list of files appeared on the screen. Radner found the one entitled, Project Tika and attempted to open it. However, it was encrypted, and the file would not open. He scanned her other files, and all seemed in order, dedicated to her work on the Yeti genome.

Frustrated with his inability to get into the Project Tika file, Radner wandered through the unit in search of Gerald Siscom. The veterinarian might have an idea about how to get into and read the file.

He found the man sitting behind a mound of papers in his small, cluttered office. Siscom smiled when he looked up and noticed Radner in the doorway.

“Come in, Miles,” he said. “I just made some coffee. Care for some?”

“Not right now, Gerald,” Radner said, still standing in the doorway. “I have been trying to gain access to Millie’s computer files on her chimera project, but it seems to be encrypted. I hoped you might be of help.”

“I do have the encryption password here, somewhere. Let me find it.” Siscom began rummaging through a desk drawer. “Millie wanted her notes kept a secret, even from me, but she trusted me with the password. I never looked into her computer.”

“Well, the FBI is dropping by later, and I want to cover all bases before I meet with them. Since she has disappeared, I don’t see the harm. Besides, her work and her computer are the property of Cal Pacific.” Radner entered the office and took a seat opposite the veterinarian.

“I understand,” Siscom said. He retrieved a small notebook and thumbed through it. “Ah, here it is.”

Radner led the way back to Millie’s computer whereupon Siscom entered the password, and Project Tika sprang onto the screen.

As he read through Millie’s private notes, Radner felt like a voyeur, but now that the authorities wanted her, it was necessary. When Special Agent Hank Jacoby arrived, he needed to have as much information as possible.

“Any of this make sense to you, Gerald?” Radner said.

Siscom looked over his shoulder while he thumbed through the file. “Most of it looks like background information. Plus a lot of her scientific musing.”

Radner continued perusing the file until he came upon a section different from the previous one.

“Look here, Gerald. Now she has information on how to inject DNA into a cell, how to freeze and keep embryos, articles on in vitro fertilization.”

“She’s getting more serious now,” Siscom said. “She’s beginning to formulate an idea.”

“Yeah, she’s starting to develop the specifics.”

“Look at the date on those files, Miles. Two years ago. Wow.”

Looking closer, Radner saw that Siscom was right. The files, he noticed, were dated almost two years previous, which meant Millie was thinking of this experiment soon after her arrival at the facility.

“Good grief,” he said, his voice showing a surprised tone. “So, all during the time of the Yeti research and subsequent escape and annihilation she was plotting her chimera project. It’s hard to believe.”

Siscom took a chair next to Radner, not uttering a word.

“Did you know any of this, Gerald? You worked with her on the fertilization of the chimp. How did she assemble all this specialized equipment in order to accomplish the DNA insertion?”

“Most of this equipment is all part of a general genetics lab, Miles. So the stuff was already here, like the reverse phase microscope, the injectors, micropipettes, and the like. And I thought she was using IVF to form a Yeti embryo. At least that was what she led me to believe. Until I saw an ultrasound of Tika’s fetus late in the pregnancy.”

“Go on.”

“When I saw that ultrasound, I knew I wasn’t looking at a normal Yeti pregnancy, so I confronted Millie about it. She admitted that she had used her own DNA in the implanted Yeti egg. She begged me to remain silent about it until after Roku’s delivery. After the chimera’s birth, Harry, you, and Dr. Pauling became aware of what she had done.”

Radner fell back in his chair. He felt betrayed. How could he have been so naive? How could he have allowed this to happen? Why hadn’t he more closely supervised the new scientist?

“We should have destroyed it straight away,” Radner said. “By not doing so, we allowed this unfortunate situation to escalate. We now find ourselves involved in a nationwide search for a criminal and a beastly creature mankind is ill prepared to confront or contemplate.”