I hurried over to Alice’s desk. “What’s up?”
“While all of you lazy asses were doing nothing, I listened in on an interesting phone call from the warehouse place you guys wired. Seems a guy named Lance Cromarty wants to visit with their boss. Something about them becoming part of the team when they move back in the neighborhood.”
My forehead crinkled. I’d heard that name. But where? “Anyone recognize that name?”
A chorus of negatives had me shaking my head while I wandered back to my cubicle. I turned back for a second. “Good job, Alice. I know the name means something—just not sure what, yet.” I sat, still chewing over the name. Did I want to ask the cops? I shook my head. Not yet, didn’t want them getting in the way if it was something we wanted to handle.
I straightened at a thought. Yes, Phil might know. I quickly typed up an email to him: “Lance Cromarty; why’s name familiar? ($500)”
Twenty impatient minutes later I had the answer: “Works for Franks (#2 man).”
I stood and surveyed the office. Yeah, looked like everyone was here. “Hey everyone, it’s almost lunchtime. Let’s take a break. I’m buying lunch at the diner.”
There was a slow stampede towards the exit, led by Nate. “Hurry up, guys, before he changes his mind.”
Once outside, we commenced a slow stroll towards the diner two blocks away. “Okay, what’s up?” Marty asked. “Y’never invite all of us to lunch, without a special occasion to celebrate.”
“You’re right. We just got our first good lead on Willie, and I wasn’t too sure about who might be listening.” I turned towards Wilbur. “Do we have an airtight system in our place, far as anyone listening in?”
His reply was prompt. “No. If you want to ensure no one can eavesdrop, you have to do more than just check the phone and computer systems.”
“Can we do that?”
“Yep. Cost about ten thousand, but it can be done. In fact, I could get it put in this afternoon, if you want.”
“Do it. During lunch, let’s plan on what we’re going to do with the new information we just had dropped in our laps.”
“You still buying?” Alice asked, a suspicious look on her face.
“Nope. It’s Marty’s turn, if memory serves me right.”
* * *
Once again my chin sunk towards my chest, jerking up as I pulled my brain out of its sleeping bag. Ate too much at lunch again. Have to watch it, or I’d gain back the five pounds I’d lost over the past two months. I’d been studying the picture of Lance Cromarty that Wilbur had gotten off the national database, along with Willie’s. This had been the first priority for us once back from lunch. Needed to identify who our enemy was.
“Okay, I’ve got a roster drawn up,” Alice announced loudly. “Want me to let you see it before sending it to everyone, Francis?”
I walked to her desk. “No need to holler. I was awake.”
“Just barely,” she said with a smirk. “Tony and Nate, then you and Marty. What hours you want the shifts to work?”
I thought a second. “Hm. How about four to eight, and eight to midnight. That should cover it until I can get back inside and plant more bugs. To include cameras, this time.”
“When you going back?”
“I should have enough information by tomorrow, hopefully.” I looked towards Wilbur’s desk. “I’ll check with our computer wizard to see what he’s come up with concerning floor plans for the place.”
“I’ll get it to you soon as I finish the last couple of tweaks I’m doing to our new security system,” he said, not taking his eyes from his monitor. “Just a couple more minutes, okay?”
I wandered back to my cubicle, wishing this whole mess was over so we could start putting in walls. Really missed having my own office, without everyone able to listen in all the time. I smiled and shook my head. Hell, everyone else felt the same way.
Another half-hour passed. Our computers died and came back on, the same time all the lights flickered. “Okay, everyone,” sang out Wilbur. “We now have true security for this place. Francis, your floor plans’ll be in your hopper momentarily.”
I strode to his desk, curiosity nibbling at my heels. “True security? You mean that program you got was that good?”
He looked up and stretched, back popping. “Naw, it had several gaps in it. But I’ve been working on a couple similar ones, and just plugged in stuff I’d come up with to bolster it. Now, I’d call it better than what the feds have in their so-called secure rooms.”
Tony had wandered over while Wilbur was explaining. “Jeez, man, if it’s that good why don’t you market it?”
Wilbur shrugged. “Mainly ‘cause what I’ve created is a composite from three top of the line security programs. Stole from each of ‘em to customize what would work best for our situation and physical layout.”
Tony looked at me, a gleam in his eye. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Money,” I said. “Lots of money. Once we work out the legal aspects so there aren’t any legal issues with the system, we could contract out to a bunch of companies. Maybe even some government contracts…”
By this time, Wilbur’s nervousness was verging on panic. “Hold it, guys. Like I said, this program is mainly a consolidation of several security programs…”
“How much of what you used isn’t covered by their patents? Or do they even have a patent, if their stuff is made up of commonly used material?”
Wilbur relaxed back in his chair, looking thoughtful. “Yeah, didn’t think of it like that. Let me do some digging, and I’ll let you know.”
I walked to my cubicle, shaking my head. Jeez, wonder how many other ideas had gone through his head that had the potential for big bucks like this one? Charlie, may he rest in peace, had been brilliant. This guy was a couple steps above that. I shivered, trying to imagine
