“Haley wanted to talk,” Sarah said, “and I did too. Although I have to admit that I’m feeling a little guilty because I didn’t mention this talk to Ben. He and I are having dinner tonight after I, quote, `finish some chores at home.’ He had a lot of work to do this weekend, he said, so the Sunday afternoon thing was out. ”

She had Sam’s interest. He looked to Haley for an explanation.

“We’re worried about Ben,” Haley said.

“How so?”

“Well,” she said, “as you yourself so deftly put it, he’s ‘magnificently pre-occupied.’ I’d put it this way: He is not acting himself. He’s keeping things secret. Actually he’s keeping everything secret. From me, from Sarah. We want to know if he’s told you anything he didn’t tell us.”

Sarah nodded in agreement.

“Ben doesn’t talk much about his work,” said Sam, “what do you think is going on?”

“I think he’s got more on his mind than his work. Or leaving Sanker. Garth Frick is really bad news, Sam. I’m afraid Frick’s gonna do something to Ben like he did to me. And I bet Ben’s worried about it too.”

“You might be right,” Sam told Haley. “I know you didn’t want me to check Frick out, but I suspect Frick has some sort of criminal background. Or at least the capability.” In truth, Sam knew more than he was letting on. “You know the rumors – that Ben’s discovered some sort of longevity secret. Frick would have his eye on that, no doubt about it.”

“You heard that?”

“Only vaguely,” Sam said. “From everything you do know, do you believe Ben discovered some kind of magic bullet to slow aging? I mean, for significant lengths of time?” He directed the question to Haley but wondered if Sarah might give a hint.

Sherry had their coffees ready, but no one moved to get them.

“Let me put it this way,” Haley said in a lower voice. “If you conquered cancer in North America--I mean completely conquered it--you would only increase average life expectancy about 3.5 years. Heart disease is better but still only about seven years. Isn’t it shocking that by eliminating these two big killers, cancer and heart disease we’re only talking a little over a decade of extra life? The real miracle, if someone could pull it off, would be ‘youth retention.’”

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