Meyer, the computer expert, had been sitting in the corner listening to the discussion. He turned to his computer and entered the modem program, then brought up the menu. He dialled the phone number, 555-7478, and listened to it ring as he watched his computer screen. The screen went black for a moment, then the word CONNECT flashed on and another menu appeared across the top of the screen.
'There's your answer,' he said. 'He was calling a modem line. Vulpes was talking to a computer.'
'With what?' Parver asked.
'Yeah. Where'd he get a computer?' St Claire asked.
'I don't know, but that's what the call was all about, that's the hum on the line,' said Meyer. 'If he stayed on for ninety seconds and he's a computer expert, he knew exactly what he was doing.'
'Maybe we ought to roust him and ask him,' said Flaherty.
'On what grounds?' Vail said. 'He's a free man. If he does have a computer, it's understandable. It's his business. But if he's using it to trigger the copycat, then we got him.'
He dialled Morris.
'Yes, sir?'
'This is Martin, Bobby. What's Vulpes up to right now?'
'He's watchin' a video.
'You're sure he's there?'
'We can hear him laughing. Few minutes ago he was singing 'As Time Goes By' with Jimmy Durante.'
'Is the back door covered?'
'Sure.'
'You stay on top of this guy, Bobby. He makes any phone calls or does anything out of the ordinary, call the office immediately.'
'Absolutely.'
Vail hung up. 'He's in his room watching a video, they can hear him on the room tap.'
He paced his office for a few moments. 'All right, here's what we're going to do,' he said. 'Harve and Ben, come with me. We'll check out the billing department at the hospital. Shana and Dermott, stay here in the office and monitor the phones. And call Naomi right now just to make sure she's protected. Anything happens? Any calls from Morris or anybody else, call me on the portable. Abel, I want you to take Jane home and stay with her, and I mean in the house with her until I get back. I don't trust anyone else but you to protect her. And I want the house guard to patrol the entire perimeter. Any questions? Good. Let's get on with it.'
The emergency ward at City Hospital looked like a battle zone. Three ambulances were parked at the entrance, one with its red light still blinking. Once inside, Vail, Meyer, and St Claire were greeted with a rush of noise and motion. An aide raced by pushing a young woman on a gurney. Her face was covered by an oxygen mask and IVs were protruding from both arms. Her eyes were half open and her head wobbled back and forth with the movement of the stretcher. A young doctor was racing along beside it, shouting orders to a nurse who held open the door to the OR preparation station.
'I got a compound fracture of the lower leg, possible head injuries, I need a CAT scan before we go to OR.'
'We're ready for her,' the nurse yelled back.
Another doctor dashed from the receiving room, his gown streaked with blood, and headed up the hall.
'Excuse me,' Vail said, but the MD waved him off.
'Not now,' he said, and ran off towards the operating room.
Vail looked through the door of Receiving and saw a nurse pull a sheet over a body. Two feet away, a team of doctors and nurses worked frantically to prepare another victim for treatment. A nurse burst out of the room carrying a clipboard.
'Excuse me,' Vail said. 'We're trying to find the night superintendent.'
'Down the hall, lift to the first floor, third door on your left, Mrs Wilonski,' she said without looking at them or slowing down.
'Thanks,' Vail said.
They found the night superintendent's station and a nurse paged Eve Wilonski, the super on duty, then raced off, advising them to stay put.
'If you don't, she'll never find you,' she said.
