Alcista went to meet his maker. When Steadman’s techs checked the site, they found a crater — and the remains of a Semtec bomb. Sort of a trial run, you might say. Working out the bugs. And the bomb had definite problems. There were large fragments that hadn’t been vaporized. The lab boys think they can get fingerprints—”
Dorpff broke off, giving Matt a look of what could only be interpreted as pity. “I know you admire Captain Winters, Matt. You and the other Net Force Explorers have shown a hundred-percent loyalty to the man. You’re all outraged that this should be happening to your friend and mentor.”
The agent’s face looked even younger as he leaned across Captain Winters’s desk, his expression pained and earnest. “I didn’t know the man — we only had a brief meeting while he brought me up to speed on the Net Force Explorers. But I could see he thought the world of you kids.”
Dorpff took a deep breath, then let it out as a sigh. “There’s a definite case against Captain Winters. Maybe it would be best for both sides if you at least considered the possibility that he might be guilty of the things he’s being accused of.”
“Can you believe it?” Matt stormed. His figure went in and out of Leif Anderson’s sight as Matt strode back and forth in front of his holo pickup. “That jug-eared idiot was trying to break it to me gently that Captain Winters was guilty! Based on a case that’s completely — completely—” He broke off, searching for a word.
“Circumstantial?” Leif suggested.
“‘Lame’ is closer to an honest description,” Matt replied in exasperation. “I mean, the captain is supposed to be a top Net Force agent, right? He was apparently a legendary field man — one of the best. But he seems to have packed his brains in deep storage while he was planning this crime he’s accused of.”
“You’d think the captain would know about this Motive, Opportunity, and Means stuff,” Leif agreed. “Dorpff isn’t bright enough to invent it on his own, so they must teach it at the Academy.”
“So, knowing how Net Force will investigate, of course the first thing the captain would do is build a bomb in his garage, where traces are sure to be found,” Matt said angrily. “And then he’d test it the next town over, because of course he’d forget about any Net searches for suspicious connections. Finally he’d openly leave the office to attach the new, improved bomb to Alcista’s car — and not bother to give himself a respectable alibi.”
“When you put it that way, it does sound pretty ridiculous,” Leif said. “But remember the look on the captain’s face. Could
“I think any Net Force agent could. I certainly think the captain could. At the very least, he’d have to realize his appearance on that show painted a big ‘Motive’ sign on his forehead.”
“So your theory boils down to this. If Winters killed this guy, he’d have done a smarter job of it,” Leif finally said.
“Exactly,” Matt replied. When he realized what he’d said, he began rubbing his forehead. “But if I have to start convincing you…”
“No, I see your point,” Leif interrupted. “And I agree with it.”
“You’re about the only one.” Matt didn’t meet his friend’s eyes. “I couldn’t convince Agent Dork. And I got bad news from the Squirt. Mark says it feels as if someone died over at his house. His parents are both awfully upset, and they won’t talk about Captain Winters’s situation with him.”
Leif nodded. “I’m sure Jay Gridley is getting enough of those sorts of discussions on the job,” he said. “Winters has always seemed to me to be very well-liked by his fellow agents. I have noticed lately that Gridley’s statements to the press have become progressively more careful.”
“More cagey, you mean,” Matt spat the words. “Megan really called it this time. She said that as soon as the captain’s picture got spread all over the news, the case would become political. It must be getting really bad if Jay Gridley is picking his words.”
He was silent for a moment, then looked at Leif. “Looks as if this will take a lot more than statements of support. Winters is in big trouble.”
“Now I get it,” Leif said. “Things are getting out of hand, so you call in your pal the scamologist to see if he can’t come up with something — what? Clever? Devious? Certainly something that Captain Winters would never approve of — if he heard about it.”
“Leif, we’ve got to do something,” Matt said in a small voice. “This whole trail of evidence…I’m convinced someone is trying to frame the captain.”
“You may be right. I’ll see what I can do,” Leif replied gruffly. “Call you soon.”
The holographic link broke, and Leif sent a twisted grin in the direction of the pickup. He didn’t want to tell Matt, in case things didn’t work out.
But he already had something in the works.
The smoky room vibrated in time to the bass beat of the band’s pounding rock rhythm.
Leif took a deep breath — and coughed. The place was called Club Retro, and it was one of the hottest spots in New York City right now. He wasn’t sure why. Virtual reality had created a world where, just by plumping down on a computer-link couch, you could become anybody and go anywhere. So, of course, everybody who was anybody was going to this dingy basement in real life. It was cool. It was different.
Actually, in Leif’s opinion, it was hot and kind of choking. The pile-driver thump of the bass hit Leif like a physical attack.
Spotlights located on the ceilings flashed on and off, and some sort of lasers flickered over the crowd. It looked just like a holo of an old 1990s club. Of course, that was what Club Retro was built to look like. The unpredictable lighting flashed down on a swirling crowd of dancers, turning their flesh a sort of icy blue.
It wasn’t going to be easy to find the person he was looking for here.
But Leif was lucky. He found Alexis de Courcy at the foot of the improbable silver staircase that led to the dance floor. Alexis was Leif’s height. But he had a couple of years on Leif, not to mention dark, carefully styled hair and deeply tanned, perfect features. Alexis often talked about the great days of “Eurotrash” and “the Jet Set” and he always wore the most extreme fashions, drove the hottest cars…and pursued the wildest adventures. When he saw Leif, Alexis took a sip from a glass that seemed to be smoking, and grinned.
“
“As long as my father doesn’t cut the credit cards,” Leif replied, “you’ve got it.”
“You’ll pay in more ways than that,” Alexis said. “I found a perfect connection for you. But she’s — what’s the old phrase? Ah, yes. ‘High maintenance.’”
“As long as she’s an intern at HoloNews,” Leif said.
“Oh, the young woman is all that and more,” Alexis said. “You’re in for an interesting time.”
“You didn’t lay it on too thick?” Leif asked, suddenly nervous as he followed Alexis through the club.
“Actually, I told a surprising amount of the truth,” Alexis replied. “Your father is rich, and he is Swedish. Just a few small details are off. She thinks you’re Swedish, too, in the big city for a hot time. She thinks your name is Leif Magnuson — I thought that was rather clever. More or less true, as well. And, of course, she thinks you’re somewhat older than you actually are. The young lady wouldn’t be caught dead with ‘some high-school guy.’”
The flat accent Alexis adopted made Leif suspect his friend was actually mimicking tonight’s target.
Alexis nodded. “There she is.”
The girl was short and curvy, dressed in the present fashion uniform for the trendy young woman; something called the preppy bad-girl look. A low cut, oversized sweater nearly hid the tiny pleated skirt she wore. The girl’s wild mane of red curls grew even wilder as she whipped her head around as she danced.
When the music stopped, Alexis beckoned her over. “Bodie, this is the friend I was talking about. Leif Magnuson, Bodie Fuhrman.”
Leif took her very warm hand. “A pleasure,” he said, putting on his European manners and a slight Swedish accent. “Did I hear correctly? Bodie?”
“Short for Boadicea, the ancient queen who almost threw the Romans out of Britain.” Bodie Fuhrman had obviously made this explanation many times before. “Mom decided to name all her daughters after great women in history. On the luck scale, I sort of fall between my big sister Nefertiti and the kid of my family, Marie Curie Fuhrman.”
“Charming,” Leif assured her.
“Yeah, Bodie the Body, that’s me.” The girl wiggled in time to the next tune. The implication was clear. She wasn’t exactly the shyest of young women.
“I am afraid my family is much more conservative,” Leif said. “I have been allowed to take a year away from
