into. They don’t exist in cyberspace.” If Hagen couldn’t crack them, they didn’t have a system, or at least one that was tapped into the outside world.
“Where are they located?”
“Over in South Minneapolis. Address puts them in a residential neighborhood.”
Alt thought quickly, and then said to Hansen and Hennessey, “Take the big van. You might need some tools. We have to know if that’s our package.”
Mac slept soundly, well after his normal waking time. He rolled over to find Sally standing at the end of the bed, dressed, with wet hair. “You making breakfast, big boy?”
Mac smiled, “After a shower.” A quick shower, some jeans and a black mock turtleneck, and Mac was downstairs firing up the coffee and mixing some quick eggs. The TV was on, and he had it on the Golf Channel of all things as Sally walked into the kitchen, her hair now dry and styled. She looked like a million bucks in blue jeans and a white turtleneck with her shoulder-length red hair. She walked over and gave him a warm kiss, and looked at what he was mixing. “Scrambled eggs, yummy. Did you find the cheese and ham?”
“All ready shredded and chopped,” he replied, pointing to the center island.
“Looks great.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table to watch TV. “What’s with the Golf Channel?”
“I like it. This is one of those segments where the pro teaches an amateur. I learn a few things watching these.”
“I understand, but we’re going skiing.”
“This isn’t Colorado. We don’t have a ski channel. Besides, you like golf. You might learn something.”
Sally watched as the golf professional showed video of the amateur’s golf swing at a driving range. Then they cut back to the studio where the pro, amateur, and host were standing on some fake grass with a net, ready to do some sort of live demonstration. The host asked the softball question about the value of video. The pro responded, “There isn’t anything you can’t improve through the use of video.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Sally said.
“What’s that?” Mac asked.
“Pro says there isn’t anything that can’t be improved by video.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“I mean video tells you everything,” Sally said. “Don’t you remember in law school, when they videoed us making oral arguments?”
“Vaguely.” Mac said as he poured the eggs into the pan, adding the ham and cheese.
“I sure do. I learned a ton about myself watching that. I keep some of those lessons with me today.”
“I know what you’re saying. I remember in college we watched tons of video of our games and of the opposing teams. Learned a ton about myself, picked up tendencies of the other side. So, yeah it helps,” he replied. “You know who else was a fanatic about video?”
“Who?”
“Claire Daniels.” Mac said as he moved the scrambled eggs around the pan.
Sally shot him a disapproving look. “Aren’t we done with that, yet?”
“I’m just saying. When we went through her place, she had DVD copies of all of her reporting, videos of herself working out and playing golf, just like this guy on TV. She was anal about it. I remember the sports guy at Channel 6, saying she was a total perfectionist, super hard on herself, vain in that respect. She critiqued every report she did. It’s why she was so good, I guess.”
“I imagine so,” Sally said. “We’re not going to talk about that case all weekend are we?”
“No. I promise.”
Flash Local Delivery was located in a residential neighborhood on Oakland Avenue in South Minneapolis. Quick research by Hagen found it had been incorporated six months earlier by an Everett Flash, hence the business name. A Yellow Page ad indicated same-day delivery, personal pickup, and confidential service with a personal touch. No kidding, it was being run out of the guy’s house. Hansen and Hennessey found Flash working in an office on the side of a detached garage. As they went in the door, Flash was on the phone, writing down some notes on a legal pad. A laptop was plugged into the wall, no phone line. No wonder Hagen couldn’t get in.
Flash hung up and asked, “What can I do for you gentlemen.”
“We want to see if you remember a package you picked up on October 26th and delivered to Channel 6,” Hansen said.
“Did you send it?”
“No, a friend of ours did.”
“Well, I’m sorry. I could help your friend,” Flash answered, “but I can’t tell you anything about it.”
“I’m sorry,” Hennessey replied, “but our friend was killed shortly after she sent the package. We’re trying to track some things down. It would really help if you could provide us with some information.”
“I protect the confidentiality of my clients,” Flash replied.
“Well,” a menacing look overtaking Hennessey’s six-foot, three-inch frame, “We would appreciate your cooperation on a voluntary basis. But I assure you, cooperation we will get.”
Flash gave Hennessey a look, and then one over to Hansen, equally big, who could give an intimidating look with the best of them. Flash was going to give them what they were looking for, whether he liked it or not. “So, you say your friend was killed?” Flash replied, having sized up the situation.
“That’s right,” Hennessey replied.
“Well, in that case, I guess they can’t complain can they?”
“No, they can’t,” Hansen replied, relaxed now, a pleasant grin replacing the menacing look.
Flash started through his records.
Mac and Sally jumped into the Explorer to start towards Lutsen. He turned onto Grand Avenue and drove east towards Snelling, where he would take a left and get to Interstate 35 to head up north. It was 10:00 a.m. and they would get to Lutsen by 5:00 p.m., with a few pit stops and lunch figured in. Sally was talking on Mac’s cell phone, checking in with work. She flipped it closed and handed it back, “Thanks.”
“What was that all about?”
“Oh, they have a new copier at work that does scanning now.”
“Scanning?”
“Yeah, it’s like a copier, except it scans the document into the system and saves it as a Word document. All part of an attempt to become a paperless office, which will be virtually impossible. However, it’ll allow me to put some documents on CDs to bring home and work on-”
“Wait a minute! Scanning? Could you scan the documents onto a disc, you know, a CD?”
“Sure.”
“The discs, now you would copy onto say a CD right?”
“Most likely.”
“And the CD, those disks also look a lot like a DVD right?”
“Yeah. Mac why are you suddenly so interested in this?”
“I wonder,” Mac mused, intrigued.
“Wonder what?”
“It’s probably nothing,” he mumbled, thinking.
“What?”
“Something you said just triggered something in my mind.”
“Which was what?”
“Something I saw when we were at PTA last week?”
“Which is?”
“They had a scanner like you were talking about in this copy room Pat and I were in.”
