Page 118 of Evil Bones
“The contents might help with a positive ID,” Hawkins said.
“True,” I agreed.
“Do you think the data will still be readable?” Nguyen sounded dubious.
“Even if it is, access will be password protected,” Hawkins predicted with his usual glum pessimism.
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Though I suspected Joe was right. “Only one way to find out.”
“Disinfect thoroughly.” Nguyen’s directive was coated with cringe at the thought that one of her terminals might be polluted.
While I cleaned the device with an alcohol swab, Nguyen logged into the MCME system. When she’d made a successful connection, I inserted the business end of the drive into the terminal’s USB port.
An icon appeared on the screen. A key, with the labelUSB DISKbeneath it.
I double-clicked on the key.
A new screen appeared. On it was a single blue folder.
The hairs on my neck rose to full upright.
The folder was labeled with one word:Evil.
My gaze met Nguyen’s.
Eyes giving away nothing, she offered another of her go-ahead nods.
I opened the folder.
All my synapses fired straight to anxiety mode.
Superimposed on a background that looked like a scene from the underground horror movieCreep, two letters crawled slowly from left to right:PE.
I watched the cryptic message inch sideways, unable to look away.
Reaching the right edge of the screen, the letters disappeared, and the monitor went black.
I sat back, a million questions elbowing for recognition, some relevant, some ridiculously immaterial.
Who shot the video?
Why?
When?
What did it mean?
Was it a prank? A warning? A threat?
If a threat, directed toward whom?
Me? Nguyen?
Toward Brown?
Why?
Was Brown alive when the device was introduced into his anus? Had he placed it there himself? Or was he already dead and the insertion performed postmortem? If so, by whom?
