I nodded.
“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you. I had a huge white-collar case a few years ago that involved a highly sophisticated computer hacking scheme. This group came from the Russian Business Network-ever hear of them?”
Bailey and I shook our heads.
“It started as an Internet provider that promised absolute security for any-and I mean any-business that paid their hosting fees: arms dealers, kiddie porn, didn’t matter, they’d never give up client information unless there was a court order. Since they shielded the location of the IP addresses-I could explain how-”
“No, please don’t bother-”
“They made it impossible to figure out what court had jurisdiction, which meant that their security really was impenetrable. The case I had involved a cybergang made up of former members of RBN. They were all Russians-most of the serious hackers are-and they hacked into Citicorp and stole millions-”
“How’d you break the case?” Bailey asked.
“Got lucky. I found and bit off the head of the hydra-a super-hacker named M. Parkova. They don’t come any smarter or more conscience-free. The feds decided they’d rather cut a deal and find out how those hackers did it than go for the max, so Parkova got a sweet deal-”
The sound of raised voices just outside his office made him stop and go to his door. He looked out and I heard another voice ask if he wanted to be interrupted. “Yeah, thanks, Scottie.” Graden stood aside. “Ms. Knight, Detective Keller…M. Parkova.”
And in walked the master hacker. She was five feet tall if she stood up straight, and effortlessly pretty, though the “dare me” glitter in the eyes behind those dark-framed glasses and the severely pulled-back hair made “pretty” seem too frivolous a word for her. I held out my hand and she gave it one firm, quick shake, then sat down, pushed her glasses up her nose with one finger, and said in a thick Russian accent, “Who’s going to pay me for this?”
“The DA’s office,” I said firmly, though I had no authorization. I’d just have to make it true. Hell, I’d pay her out of my own pocket if I had to. Assuming I could. I had no idea what evil-genius hackers were charging these days.
She gave me a short nod, the most important item now checked off. “I’m best in world, but your lieutenant says you have few days. No one else would try. So I make no promises. And you pay whether I’m successful or not. You understand?”
“Yes.”
She pointed to the laptop. “This is it, yes?”
I nodded and handed it to her.
Graden said, “You’re going to have to work here in the station. We can’t let this laptop out of our custody-”
“I do most work at night. Many times, I work all night, but-”
Her nose wrinkled as she looked around her with disdain, then she reluctantly said, “It’s not a problem.”
I guessed police stations weren’t her cuppa.
“And I’ll need you to document every step you take,” I said.
She sighed. “That will slow me down.”
“Dictate it into a micro recorder while you’re working,” Graden said.
Parkova made a face. “Fine. What I’m looking for?”
“All activity on the day of the kidnapping.” I gave her the date. The less she knew about the case, the less she could be accused of fabricating evidence. “I especially need to know about any activity between this laptop and Russell Antonovich’s laptop or phone.”
“Then I need this Russell’s machine.”
“Will his smart phone do?”
“It gets e-mail? Yes.”
Bailey said, “I’ll get it to you.” She’d taken it from Russell the first time we went to the house, and she’d held on to it.
“Do it tonight.” She turned back to Graden. “Take me to workroom.”
Graden went to the door and called to one of the officers to give our newly hired expert a room. The officer gestured for her to follow him, and M. Parkova marched out, laptop under her arm.
“Did she do any time?” Bailey asked.
Graden nodded. “Three years in Terminal Island.”
A federal prison in San Pedro. I’d just recruited the ex-con head of an international cybergang. Go team.
73
Graden asked me if I wanted to do dinner, but I was too keyed up to be decent company. I’d been so excited about a possible break in the case that I hadn’t stopped to think about the fact that hiring Parkova was the one thing I’d done so far that could get me thrown out of the DA’s office-and sully my name forever. It was an act of insurbordination of high magnitude to hire an ex-felon hacker without prior approval. If I lost the case, there was no doubt about it, I’d be fired on the spot. Vanderhorn not only wouldn’t hesitate, he’d relish the opportunity. But I was in it now, no going back. So I took my anxious self back to the hotel.
Too beat to deal with parking, I pulled up to the valet stand and tossed Rafi, the valet, my keys. The rare event brought a surprised smile to his face. The hotel elevator was packed, but I didn’t want to wait for another one, so I squeezed in and held my breath. Toni once told me that breathing the air in those close quarters was a surefire way to get sick. Ever since, I reflexively stop breathing every time there’re more than two people in an elevator. When I got off, I took a big gulp of air.
I headed down the hallway that led to my room, thinking about how I’d handle the Gelfer debacle in closing arguments. Just the thought of having to talk to the jury about it made my stomach churn.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice called out behind me. “Hey! Rachel!”
I turned to see the grinning face of a deeply tanned young man in his twenties wearing sunglasses on top of his head. A cameraman was standing off to his right. They quickly moved toward me, backing me into the wall, and in the next second, a blinding spotlight snapped on.
“I just wanted to ask you, how do you feel after today’s disaster? Are you ready to throw in the towel?” He thrust a microphone under my nose.
Without conscious thought, I slapped the microphone out of his hand, shoved him as hard as I could, and ran down the hall to my door.
“Hey, come on!” he called out. They followed me down the hall. “We just want your reaction! What’re you so afraid of?”
I scrambled into my room as quickly as possible, my heart beating so fast I couldn’t catch my breath. I threw the dead bolt, slid in the security chain, and grabbed the hotel phone. “Get someone up here, fast! There’s some lunatic in the hallway with a camera!”
Fortunately Gregor, head of security, was on duty. “Lock your door. I’ll have someone up there right away, Rachel. Shall I call the police? Or would you rather do it?”
Finally able to draw a full breath, I thought a moment. “I’ll take care of that end. Thanks, Gregor.”
After I hung up, I listened for a moment. I thought I could still hear voices out in the hallway, but I couldn’t tell if it was the same two jerks who’d accosted me. Two minutes later I heard Gregor’s booming voice. “Are you a guest in this hotel?” A murmured voice responded, then Gregor, in a tone with enough menace to scare off any conscious biped, said, “Then I suggest you both leave immediately. And don’t you ever let me find you on a guest floor again! Got it?”
More murmuring. Then Gregor shouted, “Move faster!” A moment later there was a knock at the door.
“Rachel? It’s me. They’re gone.”
I opened the door. Gregor’s solid rectangular frame filled the doorway. It was a reassuring sight. “Thank you so much. Those two just ambushed me.” Now, in hindsight, I realized there’d been no real danger, and I felt sheepish. “Sorry to sound the alarm like that. I guess I overreacted.”
“Please, you were more than justified. No apology necessary. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Gregor. Thank you again.”
“I’ll put extra security on your hallway from now on. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner-”