Part 26 (1/2)
She did. ”It seems that your telephone number was found at the office of the security advisory firm that sent her the guards that vanished with her.”
O'Heidi took a moment to absorb the words. Then he shook his head. ”Oh, I am sad to hear that. About the guards disappearing. I hope they weren't hurt.” His reply didn't sound like anything more than an attempt to dodge the obvious.
”I was wondering how your phone number came to be there?”
Mr. Tristram shrugged. At least his shoulders moved. His face stayed in a vacant grin. ”I have no idea. Lots of people attend my parties. Many tell their friends about them. Some come. Others don't. Birds of each feather seek their own.”
”Who provides your security?” Kris asked.
He giggled. ”I really don't know. I leave that to the house 'puter. It lets the contract to bidding every few years and takes the lowest bidder. 'Puter's do it so much better than people. With 'puters, there's no risk of someone hanging their hand out for a kickback, don't you know.”
”Could your computer tell us who's providing the service these days?” Jack asked.
”Oh no, that's never done. You must be new to Eden. That privacy is never violated. Strictly a business matter.”
”It's really important. I want to find my grandmother very much,” Kris pointed out. She considered coming around the desk and towering over O'Heidi, but gave it up. If this fellow was going to lead them anywhere, it would not be intentionally.
O'Heidi steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. ”I am very sorry, but I certainly can't violate Eden's laws, now can I? Besides, I doubt if it would really help. These things usually work themselves out. Have you been asked for ransom?”
”We've had no call from the criminals,” Kris bit out.
”Well, you should stay close to your phone,” the man said, glancing at his, a rather antique-looking affair. ”If you miss that first call, you may not get another,” he said helpfully.
”I'm sure we'll get the call when it comes in,” Kris said.
”Well, sorry I can't be of more help. Why don't you come to my party next Friday? I'm sure this will all be settled by then. Bring your grandmother. Or was it great-grandmother?”
”The latter,” Kris said and turned to go.
”That did us a lot of good,” Jack muttered under his breath as they retraced their way out of the house.
”As you were, Marine,” Kris snapped, under her breath as much as she could.
Back in the Marine rig, Kris's first words were ”Debug us.”
Then she sat silent for the next half minute as listening bugs sparkled in death.
”We are clean,” Nelly finally announced.
”That was a major infestation,” Jack noted.
”That house is a plague,” Nelly added. ”I was getting all kinds of reports. Every word you said, Kris, was being re-broadcasted as fast as you said it.”
”Different bugs?”
”No. In there, and in this transport, almost all of the bugs were of three basic models. I also picked up some hunter bugs as well. All the bugs are playing the same tune, Kris.”
”And he has security to see that only he is doing the bugging,” Jack concluded.
”Not as good a security as he thinks,” Nelly reported. ”Our tap bug is on his phone line.” If a computer could grin in pride, Nelly would be grinning from ear to ear.
If she had ears.
”And he's making a call,” she said.
”He ought to, after Jack let him know how good he did,” Kris said, elbowing her security chief.
”If I hadn't done it, you would have. And it sounded better coming from me.”
”Everyone believes a man in uniform,” Captain DeVar added with a grin.
”I've got the number,” Nelly crowed.
A second later, the celebration was over. ”Oh, pooh, he's using a scrambler system.”
”Crack it,” Kris ordered.
”I can't,” Nelly said, with an almost audible sigh in her voice. ”The scrambler key changes every couple of words.”
”What's the number?” Bronc asked.
Nelly pa.s.sed it to him.
”Is it in the database?” Kris asked.
Bronc looked stricken. ”I've never heard of a nine-oh-nine exchange.”
”Neither have I,” Cara added.
”Another brick wall,” Jack sighed.
”Well, I can tell you a few things,” Nelly said, jumping in like a ray of suns.h.i.+ne. ”Maybe not what they are saying, but I can tell you that O'Heidi said something, then got cut off, and then he said something back, in a rather contrite voice.”
”Oh ho,” Captain DeVar said. ”Someone didn't like being called, I bet. I'd love to hear what's going on here.”
”I suspect O'Heidi really wishes he wasn't,” Kris said.
And wasn't far from right.
Interlude 3
”You never call me,” Grant von Schrader snapped at O'Heidi's interruption.