other student a two-day holiday in winter with an electronic attack on the building’s computerized heating system. One of his mates congratulated him a little too loudly for freezing everyone out of school. A teacher overheard and, from then on, everyone became aware of his special skills.
Now, at the age of seventeen, he was Crime Central’s best computer nerd. And Troy had asked him to gate-crash the administration of the suicide website.
He came into the room, sneezed, flung his hair over one shoulder and adjusted the glasses on hisnose. ‘I hacked into better-protected sites when I was ten,’ he said.
‘So,’ Troy replied, trying to control his rising expectation, ‘you’ve found out all about Charon Angel.’
‘Pretty much,’ he replied. ‘Her name is Sharon Angie.’
‘It’s a she?’
‘I haven’t seen a photo but Sharon sounds female to me. The site admin doesn’t have a lot on her, but she’s living in Switzerland. Way up a mountain in a village called Wengen. I’ve got her email address, not a house address. Or cottage, or whatever they have in Wengen.’
‘Anything else? How old is she? Has she been to this country?’
‘I trawled around. According to Passport Control, she’s never been here. She’s twenty-seven and she shops a lot online. I don’t suppose they’ve got supermarkets at the top of Swiss mountains. Again, no home address, but judging by what she’s been buying, she likes books on psychology and martial arts, music from Iceland, wine and car maintenance.’ Terabyte had a long and cute face. When his hair flopped forward, he gave the impression of a spaniel.
Troy’s shoulders dropped and his enthusiasmfaded. Terabyte had just blown his theory that Charon Angel was hunting body parts. She hadn’t even been in the country. What had happened to Troy’s usually reliable instinct?
‘I’m guessing I’ve disappointed you,’ said Terabyte.
Troy nodded. ‘That’s me done for today. I’ve got a shepherd’s pie waiting at home. With bucketfuls of brown sauce.’
Terabyte looked at Lexi with a grin on his face. ‘Us outers wouldn’t know if shepherds taste nice with or without sauce.’
SCENE 14
Monday 7th April, Early afternoon
Lexi gazed at her life-logger and groaned. ‘That’s another avenue blocked off. Only a couple of people have had hand transplants and they both check out. Done in genuine hospitals with genuine hands donated by genuine accident victims.’
With a wide grin, Troy said, ‘Nothing underhand going on there, then.’
Lexi groaned again.
Troy apologised for the joke. ‘I’m not surprised you didn’t turn anything up. It fits. If Dmitri got involved with some sort of medical black market, thetransplant wouldn’t be officially registered.’ He shrugged. ‘Let’s face it. Right now we’re a bit stumped with Dmitri and L4G#1. Let’s not make them brick walls for banging our heads against. Let’s tackle the major woman with the wrong heart, L4G#2.’ Troy was still pained to refer to two of the bodies by codes rather than names, but he had no choice until he discovered their identities. ‘I’ve been thinking about it overnight.’
‘Oh?’ Lexi took a careful bite out of a block of soft, decomposing cheese. It was casu marzu, crawling with live insect larvae. If jolted, the maggots would launch themselves about fifteen centimetres away and she’d lose their juicy flavour.
‘As far as we know, no one’s reported her missing. So, maybe she lived on her own. Why don’t we put out a call to shops and anyone who delivers things to people’s houses? Is anyone supplying things to what appears to be an empty house? Is stuff piling up at the door?’
‘Sounds reasonable.’ Fiddling with her life-logger, Lexi said, ‘I’ll do it.’
‘What about your spy cameras outside the transplant clinic?’
‘I looked at the footage last night and this morning – between meditations. Nothing iffy. No unmarkedvans pulling up to the
Now, at the age of seventeen, he was Crime Central’s best computer nerd. And Troy had asked him to gate-crash the administration of the suicide website.
He came into the room, sneezed, flung his hair over one shoulder and adjusted the glasses on hisnose. ‘I hacked into better-protected sites when I was ten,’ he said.
‘So,’ Troy replied, trying to control his rising expectation, ‘you’ve found out all about Charon Angel.’
‘Pretty much,’ he replied. ‘Her name is Sharon Angie.’
‘It’s a she?’
‘I haven’t seen a photo but Sharon sounds female to me. The site admin doesn’t have a lot on her, but she’s living in Switzerland. Way up a mountain in a village called Wengen. I’ve got her email address, not a house address. Or cottage, or whatever they have in Wengen.’
‘Anything else? How old is she? Has she been to this country?’
‘I trawled around. According to Passport Control, she’s never been here. She’s twenty-seven and she shops a lot online. I don’t suppose they’ve got supermarkets at the top of Swiss mountains. Again, no home address, but judging by what she’s been buying, she likes books on psychology and martial arts, music from Iceland, wine and car maintenance.’ Terabyte had a long and cute face. When his hair flopped forward, he gave the impression of a spaniel.
Troy’s shoulders dropped and his enthusiasmfaded. Terabyte had just blown his theory that Charon Angel was hunting body parts. She hadn’t even been in the country. What had happened to Troy’s usually reliable instinct?
‘I’m guessing I’ve disappointed you,’ said Terabyte.
Troy nodded. ‘That’s me done for today. I’ve got a shepherd’s pie waiting at home. With bucketfuls of brown sauce.’
Terabyte looked at Lexi with a grin on his face. ‘Us outers wouldn’t know if shepherds taste nice with or without sauce.’
SCENE 14
Monday 7th April, Early afternoon
Lexi gazed at her life-logger and groaned. ‘That’s another avenue blocked off. Only a couple of people have had hand transplants and they both check out. Done in genuine hospitals with genuine hands donated by genuine accident victims.’
With a wide grin, Troy said, ‘Nothing underhand going on there, then.’
Lexi groaned again.
Troy apologised for the joke. ‘I’m not surprised you didn’t turn anything up. It fits. If Dmitri got involved with some sort of medical black market, thetransplant wouldn’t be officially registered.’ He shrugged. ‘Let’s face it. Right now we’re a bit stumped with Dmitri and L4G#1. Let’s not make them brick walls for banging our heads against. Let’s tackle the major woman with the wrong heart, L4G#2.’ Troy was still pained to refer to two of the bodies by codes rather than names, but he had no choice until he discovered their identities. ‘I’ve been thinking about it overnight.’
‘Oh?’ Lexi took a careful bite out of a block of soft, decomposing cheese. It was casu marzu, crawling with live insect larvae. If jolted, the maggots would launch themselves about fifteen centimetres away and she’d lose their juicy flavour.
‘As far as we know, no one’s reported her missing. So, maybe she lived on her own. Why don’t we put out a call to shops and anyone who delivers things to people’s houses? Is anyone supplying things to what appears to be an empty house? Is stuff piling up at the door?’
‘Sounds reasonable.’ Fiddling with her life-logger, Lexi said, ‘I’ll do it.’
‘What about your spy cameras outside the transplant clinic?’
‘I looked at the footage last night and this morning – between meditations. Nothing iffy. No unmarkedvans pulling up to the
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