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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
