The Blue Nowhere-SA by Jeffery Deaver Page B
Authors: Jeffery Deaver
Tags: Fiction, General, thriller, Suspense, adventure, Action & Adventure, California, Crime & mystery, Technological, Serial Murders, Crime thriller, Computer Hackers, Murder victims, Privacy; Encroachment by computer systems, Crime investigations
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San Jose." Turning to Bishop, the captain said, "Frank, I've okayed that request of yours - for the MARINKILL
case. There's a report that the perps were spotted an hour ago outside a convenience store ten miles south of Walnut Creek. It looks like they're headed this way." He glanced at Miller. "Steve, you'll take over what Andy was doing - the computer side of the case. Working with Susan."
"Of course, Captain. You bet."
The captain turned to Patricia Nolan. "You're the one the commander called us about, right? The security consultant from that computer outfit? Horizon On-Line?"
She nodded.
"They asked if you'd stay on board too."
"They?"
"The powers-that-be in Sacramento."
"Oh. Sure, I'd be happy to."
Gillette didn't merit a direct address. The captain said to Miller, "The troopers here'll take the prisoner back to San Jose."
"Look," Gillette protested, "don't send me back."
"What?"
"You need me. I have to--"
The captain dismissed him with a wave and turned to Susan Wilkins, gesturing at the white-board and talking to her about the case.
"Captain," Gillette called, "you can't send me back."
"We need his help," Nolan said emphatically.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
But the captain glanced at the two large troopers who'd accompanied him here. They cuffed Gillette, positioned themselves on either side - as if he himself were the murderer - and started out of the office.
"No," Gillette protested. "You don't know how dangerous this man is!" Another look from the captain was all it took. The troopers escorted him quickly toward the exit. Gillette started to ask Bishop to intervene but the detective was elsewhere mentally, apparently already on his MARINKILL assignment. He stared vacantly at the floor.
"All right," Gillette heard Detective Susan Wilkins say to Miller, Sanchez and Mott. "I'm sorry for what's happened to your boss but I've been through this before and I'm sure you've been through it before and the best way to show that you cared for him is to apprehend this perpetrator and that's what we're going to do. Now, I think we're all on the same page in terms of our approach. I'm up to speed on the file and the crime scene report and I've got a proactive plan in mind. The preliminary report is that Detective Anderson - as well as this Fowler individual - were stabbed. Cause of death was trauma to the heart. They--"
"Wait!" Gillette shouted just as he was about to be led out the door. Wilkins paused. Bernstein gestured to the cops to get him out. But Gillette said quickly, "What about Lara Gibson? Was she stabbed in the chest too?"
"What's your point?" Bernstein asked.
"Was she?" Gillette asked emphatically. "And the victims in the other killings - in Portland and in Virginia?"
No one said anything for a moment. Finally Bob Shelton glanced at the report on the Lara Gibson killing.
"Cause of death was a stab wound to--"
"The heart, right?" Gillette asked.
Shelton glanced at his partner then to Bernstein. He nodded. Tony Mott reminded, "We don't know about Virginia and Oregon - he erased the files."
"It'll be the same," Gillette said. "I guarantee it." Shelton asked, "How'd you know that?"
"Because I know his motive now."
"Which is?" Bernstein asked.
"Access."
"What does that mean?" Shelton muttered belligerently.
Patricia Nolan said, "That's what all hackers're after. Access to information, to secrets, to data."
"When you hack," Gillette said, "access is God." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"What's that got to do with the stabbings?"
"The killer's a MUDhead."
"Sure," Tony Mott said. "I know MUDs." Miller did too, it seemed. He was nodding. Gillette said, "Another acronym. It stands for multiuser domain or dimension. It's a bunch of specialized chat rooms - places on the Internet where people log on for role-playing games. Adventure games, knights' quests, science fiction, war. The people who play
case. There's a report that the perps were spotted an hour ago outside a convenience store ten miles south of Walnut Creek. It looks like they're headed this way." He glanced at Miller. "Steve, you'll take over what Andy was doing - the computer side of the case. Working with Susan."
"Of course, Captain. You bet."
The captain turned to Patricia Nolan. "You're the one the commander called us about, right? The security consultant from that computer outfit? Horizon On-Line?"
She nodded.
"They asked if you'd stay on board too."
"They?"
"The powers-that-be in Sacramento."
"Oh. Sure, I'd be happy to."
Gillette didn't merit a direct address. The captain said to Miller, "The troopers here'll take the prisoner back to San Jose."
"Look," Gillette protested, "don't send me back."
"What?"
"You need me. I have to--"
The captain dismissed him with a wave and turned to Susan Wilkins, gesturing at the white-board and talking to her about the case.
"Captain," Gillette called, "you can't send me back."
"We need his help," Nolan said emphatically.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
But the captain glanced at the two large troopers who'd accompanied him here. They cuffed Gillette, positioned themselves on either side - as if he himself were the murderer - and started out of the office.
"No," Gillette protested. "You don't know how dangerous this man is!" Another look from the captain was all it took. The troopers escorted him quickly toward the exit. Gillette started to ask Bishop to intervene but the detective was elsewhere mentally, apparently already on his MARINKILL assignment. He stared vacantly at the floor.
"All right," Gillette heard Detective Susan Wilkins say to Miller, Sanchez and Mott. "I'm sorry for what's happened to your boss but I've been through this before and I'm sure you've been through it before and the best way to show that you cared for him is to apprehend this perpetrator and that's what we're going to do. Now, I think we're all on the same page in terms of our approach. I'm up to speed on the file and the crime scene report and I've got a proactive plan in mind. The preliminary report is that Detective Anderson - as well as this Fowler individual - were stabbed. Cause of death was trauma to the heart. They--"
"Wait!" Gillette shouted just as he was about to be led out the door. Wilkins paused. Bernstein gestured to the cops to get him out. But Gillette said quickly, "What about Lara Gibson? Was she stabbed in the chest too?"
"What's your point?" Bernstein asked.
"Was she?" Gillette asked emphatically. "And the victims in the other killings - in Portland and in Virginia?"
No one said anything for a moment. Finally Bob Shelton glanced at the report on the Lara Gibson killing.
"Cause of death was a stab wound to--"
"The heart, right?" Gillette asked.
Shelton glanced at his partner then to Bernstein. He nodded. Tony Mott reminded, "We don't know about Virginia and Oregon - he erased the files."
"It'll be the same," Gillette said. "I guarantee it." Shelton asked, "How'd you know that?"
"Because I know his motive now."
"Which is?" Bernstein asked.
"Access."
"What does that mean?" Shelton muttered belligerently.
Patricia Nolan said, "That's what all hackers're after. Access to information, to secrets, to data."
"When you hack," Gillette said, "access is God." Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
"What's that got to do with the stabbings?"
"The killer's a MUDhead."
"Sure," Tony Mott said. "I know MUDs." Miller did too, it seemed. He was nodding. Gillette said, "Another acronym. It stands for multiuser domain or dimension. It's a bunch of specialized chat rooms - places on the Internet where people log on for role-playing games. Adventure games, knights' quests, science fiction, war. The people who play
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