Page 12 of The Labyrinth
“If I was a large lizard woman, where would I hide in a big city?”Marion mused as she started Googling “Komodo dragons,” reading aloud.“Holy crap, these reptiles can grow up to ten feet?They’re from Indonesia and thrive in a wet forest and savanna grassland.Let’s look that up.Oh, here we go.‘The Sinaga Cultural Center has a tropical rainforest located inside.Ten stories high and constructed of glass and steel, an oversized tropical greenhouse holds lush plant life shrubs and water pools.’”
She clicked for a few more details.The first name that came up on the board of directors was Shiel Sinaga.She also learned that “Sinaga” meant “dragon.”Go figure.
“Thank you for the lead, Deacon,” she whispered.“It was nice meeting you.”
Chapter Seven
The next morning, armedwith a large coffee, she stood in front of the Sinaga Cultural Center and stared up at the building.Standing a little over ten stories, the sleek black windows set amidst bold lines gave it a modern industrial feel.Taking a sip from her cup, she headed up the symmetrical staircase to the top landing.Entering the lobby, her mouth dropped open as she craned her neck to take in the giant rainforest thriving behind glass walls.Steam condensation gathered on the inside of the greenhouse and rested on the plants.The beautiful, lush vegetation consisted of giant trees, dwarf shrubs, magnolias, and garden terraces stretching all ten stories.It was breathtaking.
“Hello.”
Marion turned and saw an older woman, about five foot even, with salt-and-pepper hair.Kindness radiated from her dark eyes.
“Hi,” Marion replied, and pointed at the glass enclosure.“This is amazing.”
The woman smiled.“Isn’t it?It was designed and funded by the Sinaga family.”
“Oh, right.I think I remembered reading that.”She flashed her biggest smile.“I was wondering if I could talk to Shiel Sinaga for a moment.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Unfortunately, no.I was hoping she had a few minutes to spare.”
Wariness entered the woman’s eyes.“May I ask for what?”
“Oh, yes.”She tried to open her notebook, but the coffee got in the way.She held it out.“Do you mind holding this?”Without giving the woman time to say no, Marion thrust the cup at her.From her notebook, Marion pulled out Peter’s picture.“I’m searching for this man and was told he’s a friend of Ms.Sinaga.Maybe you’ve seen him?”
The woman glanced at the photo, hesitantly shaking her head.“I, uh, can’t say that I have.”
“I see.Perhaps I can show this to Ms.Sinaga.”She kept her voice light, without guile, to make her request sound innocent.“It should only take a minute or two.”
The woman held out the coffee, forcing her to take it back.She slipped Peter’s picture back into her notebook, and then took the mug.For a moment, they stared at one another, but Marion felt the woman’s patience slipping away.
Making a desperate guess, she glanced at the rainforest on the other side of the glass.“This is the kind of environment Komodo dragons thrive in, correct?Fierce fighters, from what I’ve learned.”
The woman blinked, then her eyes narrowed as she searched her face.Marion made sure she kept it vague enough with a hint that she knew a lot more than most humans.
