“I’m sorry it came to this, Dr. Grady.” The head in the chair next to me didn’t respond. Its lifeless, deep-set eyes stared into oblivion from a countenance with a large nose and a furrowed white brow. Wrinkled skin clung to high cheekbones. Dr. Grady’s eighty-four years had been stressful, but he had smiled often. Blood seeped from the base of the severed neck and dribbled to the floor. It splattered on the hardwood boards and reflected light from the fireplace. Warm, flickering shadows played along the walls of the small den. Books and technical equipment rested on a desk...
