23
In Closet 21
Kim requested an immediate meeting with Bolino. Brad was seated at his desk dealing with mundane day-to-day business of running the station. Kim dropped heavily into the chair facing him across the desk.
She was edgy about how to begin with Brad. The desk between them felt like a fortress with Kim as an enemy at the gates.
The effect melted away when Brad sneezed into a tissue and wiped his watery eyes. He went from being an emperor in his fortress to just an administrator with a cold. Kim cleared her throat, became the professional law enforcement officer she knew she was, and began. “Director Bolino, we have come across evidence of a nature that implicates you in the second sabotage incident. I must advise you that anything you say can and will be used against you in court of law. “
Bolino looked stunned. He bolted upright in his chair, looked Kim in the eye, and demanded, “What evidence? What are you talking about?”
“We have evidence that your security card was used to access the workstation where the worm was introduced to the guidance system. We have computer forensics that indisputably proves this. I need to ask you some questions. Will you cooperate?”
“My God, woman, yes. Ask me anything. I’ve done nothing wrong.” Bolino sat back and awaited the first question, still with a tissue to his eyes.
“First thing is do you have your security card with you? Can I see it, please? And, please, only hold it by the edges. There may be prints we can lift,” Kim demanded.
Brad fumbled in his tunic jacket breast pocket and pulled out the card. Holding it by the edges with his thumb and forefinger, he stared at it a moment and laid it on the desk between himself and Kim. She carefully picked it up and placed it in a plastic sandwich bag to protect it.
She now looked at it through the plastic and asked, “Has this card been in your possession the whole time?”
Why, yes. At least I think so. The only time it’s not on my person is when I’m sleeping. I leave it on the coffee table in my cubicle when I’m at home.”
Each station executive staff member had a living space about the size and layout of a hotel suite. The living area was separated from the sleeping area by a wall and doorway.
“At the time of the guidance system worm incident, where were you?”
Brad thought for a moment. “Why, home sleeping. The Doctor had given me a cold medication that knocked me out for a few hours. The damned stuff hasn’t helped my cold much.”
Kim asked another dozen questions and told Brad that he would remain a suspect until she either proved his guilt or innocence.
As she got to the door, she turned and said, “Brad, I have one more question. I know this is very personal but I need to know. Have you had sexual relations with anyone on the station the last few months? I promise I will be discrete with the information.”
Brad looked somewhat embarrassed. “Yes. But I am not giving her name to you. There are some things that are...”
Kim cut him off. “Brad, you can either tell me and help me, or I will find out other ways. And you know I will find out. So what’s it going to be? Be the southern gentleman and protect the lady’s good name while hindering the investigation, or aid my investigation and come clean. Now!”
Brad appeared even more embarrassed. “Kim, you know my wife is due to arrive here next month. If she found out, my marriage would be over. I don’t want that. Please understand.”
“Brad, I don’t want to hurt any innocent party, and certainly not your wife. Your infidelity is between you two, but I need to know who would know your personal habits and know the card would be laying on the
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