Helpless . . .
But then some words came to her. The slogan of the entire 522 case: Knowledge is power.
Well, get some knowledge, damnit. Figure out something about him you can use for a weapon.
Think!
SSD security guard John Rollins . . . That name meant nothing to her. It had never come up during the investigation. What was his connection to SSD, to the crimes, to the data?
Sachs scanned the dark room around her, overwhelmed by the amount of junk she saw.
Noise . . .
Focus. One thing at a time.
And then she noticed something against the far wall that caught her attention. It was one of his collections: a huge stack of ski-resort lift tickets.
Vail, Copper Mountain, Breckinridge, Beaver Creek.
Could it be?
Okay, it was worth the gamble.
"Peter," she said confidently, "you and I have to talk."
At the name, he blinked and looked her way. For an instant his eyes flickered with uncertainty. It was almost like a slap in the face.
Yes, she was right. John Rollins was--what else?--an assumed identity. In reality he was Peter Gordon, the famous data scrounger who'd died . . . who'd pretended to die when SSD took over the company he worked for in Colorado some years ago.
"We were curious about the faked death. The DNA? How'd you manage that?"
He stopped typing, staring up at the painting. Finally he said, "Isn't it funny about data? How we believe them without question." He turned to her. "If it's in a computer, we know it has to be true. If it involves the DNA deity then it definitely has to be right. Ask no more. End of story."
Sachs said, "So you--Peter Gordon--go missing. The police find your bike and a decomposed body wearing your clothes. Not much left after the animals, right? And they take hair and saliva samples from your house. Yep, the DNA matches. No doubt in the world. You're dead. But it wasn't your hair or saliva in your bathroom, was it? The man you killed, you took some hair from him and left it in your bathroom. And brushed his teeth, right?"
"And a little blood on the Gillette. You police do love your blood, don't you?"
"Who was the man you killed?"
"Some kid from California. Hitchhiker on I-70."
Keep him uneasy--information's your only weapon. Use it! "We never knew why you did it, though, Peter. Was it to sabotage the SSD takeover of Rocky Mountain Data? Or was it more?"
"Sabotage?" he whispered in astonishment. "You just don't get it, do you? When Andrew Sterling and his folks from SSD came to Rocky Mountain and wanted to acquire it, I scrounged every bit of data I could find on him and the company. And what I saw was breathtaking! Andrew Sterling is God. He's the future of data, which means he's the future of society. He could find data that I couldn't even imagine existed, and use it like a gun, or like medicine, or like holy water. I needed to be part of what he was doing."
"But you couldn't be a data scrounger for SSD. Not for what you had planned, right? For your . . . other collecting? And the way you lived." She nodded at the filled rooms.
His face grew dark, his eyes wide. "I wanted to be part of SSD. Do you think I didn't? Oh, the places I could have gone! But that's not the card I was dealt." He fell silent, then he waved a hand around him, indicating his collections. "You think living this way is what I'd choose? Do you think I like it?" He voice came close to cracking. Breathing hard, he gave a faint smile. "No, my life has to be off the grid. That's the only way I can survive. Off. The. Grid."
"So you faked your death and stole an identity. Got yourself a new name and Social Security number, somebody who'd died."
The emotion was gone now. "A child, yeah. Jonathan Rollins, three, from Colorado Springs. It's easy to get a new identity. Survivalists do it every day. You can buy books on the subject. . . ." A faint smile. "Just remember to pay cash for them."
"And you got a job as a security guard. But wouldn't somebody from SSD recognize you?"
"I never met anybody at the company in person. That's the wonder of the data-mining business. You can collect data and never leave the privacy of your own Closet."
Then his voice faded. He seemed uneasy, considering what she'd told him. Were they in fact getting close to matching Rollins with Peter Gordon? Would someone else come to the town house to check things out further? He apparently decided he couldn't take the chance. Gordon snatched up the key to Pam's car. He'd want to hide it. The killer examined the fob. "Cheap. No RFIDs. But everybody's scanning the license plates now. Where'd you park?"
"You think I'd tell you?"
He shrugged and left.
Her strategy had worked, grabbing a bit of knowledge and using it as a weapon. Not much, of course, but at least she'd bought a little time.
Was it, however, enough to do what she planned: get to the handcuff key stuffed deep in her slacks pocket?
Chapter Forty-five "Listen to me. My partner's missing. And I need to look at some files."
Rhyme was speaking to Andrew Sterling via a high-definition video link.
The head of SSD was back in his austere office in the Gray Rock. He sat completely upright in what seemed to be a plain wooden chair, ironically mimicking Rhyme's stiff posture in his TDX. Sterling said in a soft voice, "Sam Brockton talked to you. Inspector Glenn too." Not a splinter of uneasiness in the voice. No emotion at all, in fact, though a pleasant smile rested on his face.
"I want to see my partner's dossier. The officer you met, Amelia Sachs. Her whole dossier."
"What do you mean, 'whole,' Captain Rhyme?"
The criminalist noted that Sterling had used his title, which wasn't common knowledge. "You know exactly what I mean."
"No, I don't."
"I want to see her 3E Compliance dossier."
Another hesitation. "Why? It's nothing. Some technical government filing information. Privacy Act disclosures."
But the man was lying. CBI agent Kathryn Dance had given him some insights into kinesics--body language--and the analysis of how people communicate. A hesitation before answering is often a sign of coming deception, since the subject is trying to formulate a credible, but false, answer. One speaks quickly when telling the truth; there's nothing to fabricate.
"Why don't you want me to see it, then?"
"There's just no reason to. . . . It wouldn't help you at all."
Lie.
Sterling's green eyes remained calm, though once they flicked sideways, and Rhyme realized he'd glanced at where Ron Pulaski would appear on his screen; the young officer was back in the lab, standing behind Rhyme.
"Then answer me a question."
"Yes?"
"I was just talking to an NYPD computer man. I had him estimate how big my cousin's SSD dossier was."
"Yes?"
"He said a thirty-page dossier of text would be about twenty-five K in size."
"I'm as concerned as you are about your partner's well-being but--"
"I doubt that very much. Now listen to me." A slightly raised eyebrow was Sterling's only response. "A typical dossier is twenty-five kilobytes of data. But your brochure says you have over five hundred petabytes of information. That's so much data most people can't even comprehend it."
Sterling wasn't responding.
"If a dossier averages twenty-five K, then the database for every human being on Earth would take up maybe a hundred and fifty billion K, to be generous. But innerCircle has more than five hundred trillion K. What's in the rest of innerCircle's hard drive space, Sterling?"
Another hesitation. "Well, lots of things . . . Graphics and photographs, they take up a huge amount of space. Administrative data, for instance."
Lie.
"And tell me why would somebody have a Compliance file in the first place? Who has to comply with what?"
"We make sure that everyone's file complies with the requirements of the law."
"Sterling, if that file isn't on its way to my computer in five minutes I'm going straight to the Tim
es with the story that you aided and abetted a criminal who used your information to rape and murder. The Compliance Division folks in Washington aren't going to save you from those headlines. And the story'll run above the fold. I guarantee that."
Now Sterling simply laughed, his face exuding confidence. "I don't think that will happen. Now, Captain, I'm going to say good-bye."
"Sterling--"
The screen went black.
Rhyme closed his eyes in frustration. The criminalist maneuvered his chair to the whiteboards containing the evidence charts and the list of suspects. He stared at Thom's and Sachs's lettering, some scrawled fast, some penned methodically.
But no answers presented themselves.
Where are you, Sachs?
He knew she lived on the edge, that he would never suggest she avoid the high-risk situations she seemed drawn to. But he was furious that she'd followed up on her damn lead without backup.
"Lincoln?" Ron Pulaski asked softly. Rhyme glanced up to see the young officer's eyes unusually cold as he stared at the crime-scene pictures of Myra Weinburg's body.
"What?"
He turned to the criminalist. "I have an idea."
*
The face, with the bandaged nose, was now filling the high-def screen.
"You do have access to innerCircle, don't you?" Ron Pulaski asked Mark Whitcomb in a cool voice. "You said you weren't cleared but you are."
The Compliance assistant sighed. But finally he said, "That's right." Holding eye contact with the webcam briefly, then looking away.
"Mark, we have a problem. We need you to help us."
Pulaski explained about Sachs's disappearance and Rhyme's suspicion that the Compliance file might help them figure out where she'd gone. "What's in the dossier?"
"A Compliance dossier?" Mark Whitcomb whispered. "It's absolutely forbidden to access one. If they find out, I could go to jail. And what Sterling's reaction will be . . . it'll be worse than jail."
Pulaski snapped, "You weren't honest with us and people died." Then he added more softly, "We're the good guys, Mark. Help us out. Don't let anybody else get hurt. Please."
He said nothing more, letting the silence roll up.
Good job, rookie, thought Rhyme, who was content to take the copilot's seat on this one.
Whitcomb grimaced. He looked around and up at the ceiling. Was he afraid of listening devices or surveillance cameras? Rhyme wondered. It seemed so, because both resignation and urgency filled his voice as he said, "Write this down. We won't have much time."
"Mel! Get over here. We're going into SSD's system, innerCircle."
"We are? Uh-oh, this doesn't sound good. First, Lon hijacks my shield, now this." The tech hurried to a station next to Rhyme. Whitcomb recited a Web site address, which Cooper typed in. On the screen appeared some messages indicating that they'd made contact with SSD's secure server. Whitcomb gave Cooper a temporary user name and, after a moment of hesitation, three long random-character passcodes.
"Download the decryption file in the box in the center of the screen and hit EXECUTE."
Cooper did and a moment later another screen appeared.
Welcome, NGHF235, please enter (1) the Subject's 16-digit SSD code; or (2) country and number of Subject's passport; or (3) Subject's name, current residence, Social Security number and one telephone number.
"Type in the information for the person you're interested in."
Rhyme dictated the details about Sachs. On the screen appeared: Confirm access to 3E Compliance Dossier? Yes No.
Cooper clicked on the former and a box appeared, asking for yet another passcode.
With another glance at the ceiling, Whitcomb asked, "You ready?"
As if something significant was about to happen. "Ready."
Whitcomb gave them another sixteen-digit passcode, which Cooper typed in. He hit ENTER.
As the text began filling the computer screen, the criminalist whispered an astonished, "Oh, my God."
And it took a lot to astonish Lincoln Rhyme.
R E S T R I C T E D
POSSESSION OF THIS DOSSIER BY ANY PERSON NOT HOLDING AN A-18 CLEARANCE OR HIGHER IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAW
Dossier 3E--Compliance
SSD Subject Number: 7303-4490-7831-3478
Name: Amelia H. Sachs
Pages: 478
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Click on topic to view
Note: Archived material may take up to five minutes to access PROFILE
* Name/Aliases/Nics/Nyms/A.K.A.s
* Social Security Number
* Present address
* Satellite view of present address
* Prior addresses
* Citizenship
* Race
* Ancestral history
* National origin
* Physical description/distinguishing characteristics * Biometric details
Photographs
Video
Fingerprints
Footprints
Retinal scan
Iris scan
Gait profile
Facial scan
Voice pattern
* Tissue samples
* Medical history
* Political party affiliations
* Professional organizations
* Fraternal organizations
* Religious affiliations
* Military
Service/discharge
DOD evaluation
National Guard evaluation
Weapons systems training
* Donations
Political
Religious
Medical
Philanthropic
Public Broadcasting System/National Public Radio Other
* Psychological/psychiatric history
* Myers-Briggs personality profile
* Sexual preference profile
* Hobbies/interests
* Clubs/fraternal organizations
INDIVIDUALS TETHERED TO SUBJECT
* Spouses
* Intimate relationships
* Offspring
* Parents
* Siblings
* Grandparents (paternal)
* Grandparents (maternal)
* Other blood relatives, living
* Other blood relatives, deceased
* Relatives related by marriage or tethering
* Neighbors
Present
Past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Co-workers, clients, etc.
Present
Past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Acquaintances
In person
Online
* Persons of Interest (PEOI)
FINANCIAL
* Employment--present
Category
Salary history
Days absent/reasons for absence Discharge/unemployment claims Citations/reprimands
Title 7 discrimination incidents OSHA incidents
Other actions
* Employment--past (archived, may be delay in accessing) Category
Salary history
Days absent/reasons for absence Discharge/unemployment claims Citations/reprimands
Title 7 discrimination incidents OSHA incidents
Other actions
* Income--present
IRS reported
Nonreported Foreign
* Income--past
IRS reported
Nonreported
Foreign
* Assets currently held
Real property
Vehicles and boats
Bank accounts/securities
Insurance policies
Other
* Assets, past twelve months, unusual disposition or acquisition of Real property
Vehicles and boats
Bank accounts/securities
Insurance policies
Other
* Assets, past five years, unusual disposition or acquisition of (archived, m
ay be delay in accessing) Real property
Vehicles and boats
Bank accounts/securities
Insurance policies
Other
* Credit report/rating
* Financial transactions, U.S.-based institutions Today
Past seven days
Past thirty days
Past year
Past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Financial transactions, foreign-based institutions Today
Past seven days
Past thirty days
Past year
Past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Financial transactions, Hawala and other cash transactions, U.S. and foreign Today
Past seven days
Past thirty days
Past year
Past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) COMMUNICATIONS
* Present phone numbers
Mobile
Landline
Satellite
* Prior phone numbers past twelve months
Mobile
Landline
Satellite
* Prior phone numbers past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) Mobile
Landline
Satellite
* Fax numbers
* Pager numbers
* Incoming/outgoing phone/pager calls--mobile/PDA Past thirty days
Past year (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Incoming/outgoing phone/pager/fax calls--landline Past thirty days
Past year (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Incoming/outgoing phone/pager/fax calls--satellite Past thirty days
Past year (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Wiretaps/intercepts
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Pen registers
Title 3
Other, warrants
Other, collateral
* Web-based telephone activities
* Internet service providers, present
* Internet service providers, past 12 months
* Internet service providers, past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) * Favorite place/bookmarked Web sites
* E-mail addresses
Present
Past
* E-mail activity, past year
TC/PIP history
Outgoing addresses Incoming addresses
Content (warrant may be required to view) * E-mail activity, past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) TC/PIP history
Outgoing addresses
Incoming addresses
Content (warrant may be required to view) * Web sites, present
Personal
Professional
* Web sites, past five years (archived, may be delay in accessing) Personal
Professional
* Blogs, lifelogs, Web sites (See appendices for text of Passages of Interest (POI)) * Social Web site memberships (mySpace, Facebook, OurWorld, others) (See appendices for text of Passages of Interest (POI)) * Avatars/other personas online