Blood Money (12 page)

“Certainly, John.”

“Susan, I really need your help.” John's face was the picture of sincerity. “Roland tells me you are one of the best software people that he has ever met. The thing is, we know for sure that it was the data input from Central Data Processing that introduced the bug into our systems. We know that for certain because one of our programmers was running a parallel test run that morning and has a snapshot of all activity during the run. The Mansfield Blood Bank donor data was definitely the carrier. The input from the other five blood banks was clean. We also know that for sure. So, what I'm asking you, as the designer of the software used to input that data, is to tell me how in the world that could possibly happen.” Normally, John would have not revealed so much information to someone he suspected of a criminal activity, but he was hoping that the knowledge of how much evidence they had might encourage her to come clean. That was the plan, anyway.

Susan tried not to show the alarm that was building up inside. Now she knew how they zeroed in on Mansfield so quickly. Another example of dumb luck that you can't plan for. She knew exactly what was going on in Portman's mind. The hacking had to have taken place either at Roland's Service Bureau or by someone who had a copy of the software, running a parallel run at the exact time. Since he seemed to feel that the Service Bureau was not involved, that meant that the finger was pointing directly at Cybernetic Solutions. In this case, it was “the fickle finger of fate.” She would have to be extremely careful not to implicate Roland or anyone else any further.

Susan remembered what Mark had suggested and decided to give Portman something else to consider. “Doesn't it seem like quite a coincidence to you that someone in your shop just happened to be running a parallel test at the time of the infraction? And then a third party halfway across the country just happened to do the same thing? And this is all happening on the same day, for the same processing run and at the same time. I mean, John, consider the odds of that happening. What you are suggesting sounds to me like the mother of all conspiracy theories. If I may offer a suggestion, I think you should go back to Denver and take a real hard look at your internal operations before you come around here with your implications of impropriety.” Susan had no problem directing Portman's attention back to the NRBA programmers, or to their operations department. If all went well, they would be looking for new jobs soon anyway. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

John answered immediately, “Or maybe the hacker didn't just happen to be running a parallel run. Maybe he or she was familiar enough with the operating schedule of the Service Bureau, as you are, and timed the run precisely to match it. That is what I believed happened.”

Keeping her cool, Susan replied, “John, you're implying that my company is involved in this somehow. That is a pretty serious accusation, and it is simply not the case. We here at Cybernetic Solutions are software oriented. We have no interest in the processing of data, except to code how it is handled. We have absolutely no reason to keep current on processing times when we are not working on a project for a client. We simply don't have the time for that, or any reason to do so. There is no way we could know your passwords, anyway. If it isn't your own IT Department, then it would have to be an individual blood bank who would also know your schedules and have access to your passwords.”

“Come now, Susan, we both know that if your software somehow rode in with the processing from Central, you wouldn't need to know the password. Don't take me for a fool. I may not be too knowledgeable on this computer stuff, but I know enough to tell when someone is trying to hoodwink me. And anyway, I wasn't implying anything. I'm just asking you, as a person close to the big picture, what, in your professional opinion, could have happened? After all, you're the software expert. You're the designer of the program. As for our internal operations, we are investigating those as well. We are looking at all the possibilities. That's all that you and I are doing here. Right?” Portman could see that this was getting him nowhere. It was obvious that she was toying with him, and he was getting pretty pissed off about it.

“I understand exactly what you're looking for, and I‘ve offered you a very plausible solution. Look at your internal operations and you are sure to find the culprit. I don't see what else I can do for you.”

At this point, the niceties were over for John. “Let me remind you, Ms. Harrigan, that we're dealing with a criminal act here. As you can see, we have already made good progress in determining what happened yesterday. We are very close to finding out who is responsible, and when we do, they will be prosecuted. So if you have any information at all about how our files were hacked, now is the time to tell me.” He sat back in his chair as if he expected a full confession. Deep down, of course, he knew that that was not going to happen. It wasn't going to be that easy for him.

“Mr. Portman,” Susan began. The kid gloves were off now; she was getting annoyed by his smug demeanor. “I don't know how you usually deal with people, but I can assure you that I don't appreciate your coming into my place of business and questioning our ethics and my integrity. There are a lot of nasty people out there who, for whatever reasons, get their kicks breaking into business and government computers. Some do it just for the mayhem they can cause. Some do it for profit, or sometimes just for the personal satisfaction of knowing they can do it. I can assure you that no one at Cybernetic Solutions falls into any of these categories. We are too busy running a business here. We have no time for recreational mischief. So, I suggest you leave my office now. If you wish to pursue this matter any further, it will have to be in the presence of my attorney. Good luck with your search, I truly hope you catch them. But you are barking up the wrong tree. Good Day, Mr. Portman!” She got up from her desk and gestured for him to leave.

He clapped his hands in mock applause. “That was a very nice speech, Ms. Harrigan. Bravo! I'm really impressed. You should take up acting, you would be very successful at it. Okay, I'll leave for now, but you can be sure that this matter is far from being closed. I know that you and your company are involved somehow. When I get the proof, I'll be back. Next time I'll have the police with me.” He got up and left her office. He ignored the “Have a nice day,” offered up by the receptionist and stormed out the front door.

John went back to his car. He was livid. There was no doubt in his mind that Susan Harrigan was the culprit. He called Mel on the special phone. “I just left that Harrigan bitch. If she wasn't so damned beautiful, I'd swear she was sporting a really big pair of brass cahones between her legs. She is involved in this, I can feel it. What did you find out?”

“I can't find a thing on Phoebes, except some minor run-ins with the police for civil disobedience.” He continued, reluctantly, “You're not going to like what I found on Susan Harrington. Her company looks legit. They have an exceptional reputation in the industry. They price right and deliver a quality product on time. As for her personally, she worked for the government in Washington, D. C. right after she finished graduate school. Then she partnered with a guy out in San Diego for a few years before going solo in Hudson. She supposed to be very bright, does a lot of consulting, some teaching and magazine editing. I hate to rain on your parade, John, but she looks squeaky clean to me. I think that you may be wrong about her.”

Mel knew John well enough that he could say that to him. They had some special projects going on with one of the members of the Governing Board that made them more that just boss and employee. The shady nature of their relationship made them more like partners in crime.

“I'm not wrong, damn it,” John shot back. “She's the one and I am going to nail that bitch to a cross. She'll be sorry she ever messed with me. Give me her phone numbers and her home address for now. Put everything else in a file for me and hold it until I get back. If Paul Matheson or anyone else asks about me, tell them you are having trouble reaching me. Blame it on a faulty cell phone. The fewer people that know what is going down, the better. And what about the local support matter?”

Mel gave him the information on Susan and the name of a company they used a few years back to track down a gang of youths that broke into their Cleveland Laboratory and stole thousands of dollars in equipment. The company was able to accomplish what the local police weren't able to. Portman recognized the name immediately. He smiled as he wrote down the name and phone number. He had worked with them personally at the time. These were definitely his kind of people. They would get the answers he was looking for, there was no doubt in his mind. Susan Harrigan was messing with the wrong people this time. She would rue the day she took John Portman on as an adversary.

“One more thing, Mel. Ask around and see if there have been any unusual queries or complaints anywhere in the Association during the last six months. There has to be some reason someone wanted that file. This was not just mischief. Somebody wanted this file real bad. It might be right under our noses and we just don't see it.”

“Sure, John. That's a good thought, I'll check on it. Is there anything else I can do?”

“Well, yes, there is. Run a check on Dr. Cartwright, too. See what he's up to these days. Somebody is masterminding this. It could be him looking for revenge. He didn't seem like the type to me, but who knows. I've seen stranger things than that over the years.”

“I will get right on it, John.”

“Thanks, Mel. I'll talk with you later. I've still got a lot to do out here. I want to wrap this up within the next few days. The longer it takes, the harder it will be to get people to talk.”

He was going to have to work fast. He knew exactly who to turn to for help.

CHAPTER 15

Susan was feeling uneasy after Portman's visit. Her world seemed to be unraveling. Her usual confident demeanor had been undermined by the revelation that Portman knew that she was responsible for the hacking of their files. He had no proof, but she read him as the kind of man who would act on suspicion alone. Sue left the office and drove to a nearby shopping center to call Dennis Peterson on a clear line. The phone rang twice before he answered.

“This is Susan. Did you get the file I sent this morning?”

“I sure did. Great work, Susan! I turned the information over to the ‘Operation-Stop Gap' team. They were very impressed. They're working with Justice to build a case as we speak. When the subpoenas are ready, they will only have to clear everything with the White House, but I expect that to be a slam dunk. In the interim, we are already setting up raiding parties in every city where they operate. This is going to be the biggest roundup we've had in the last seven years. Just be patient.”

“How long do you think it will take for them to get the subpoenas? If the NRBA suspects anything is up, or if there is a leak, they will destroy the evidence and we'll have no case. I have no way of authenticating those records once they sweep their files. They're already on a high state of alert, based on what I gleaned from Portman.”

“I know that, Susan. Unfortunately, the wheels of justice move slowly most times. They have to check everything out first. You know the drill. Every ‘i' must be dotted and every ‘t' crossed before they will move. One mistake and the whole case could be lost. After years of waiting patiently, they aren't going to blow it now by rushing into anything. That's just the way it is. Tell me, how are things holding up at your end? How did it go with Portman?”

“Well, things have gotten a bit complicated over here. Unfortunately, Portman knows that the hacking of the blood donor records came via Central Data Processing of Mansfield. He also knows that Cybernetic Solutions created and maintains their software. He is dead sure that I am involved. He flat out accused me of being responsible.”

“I don't like the sound of that, Susan. How could he possibly trace anything to Mansfield? You told me that you circumvented the customary data routes.”

“It was a real fluke. They were doing some testing on their system at the time we went in, and they were able to see which data bank records we used. Can you imagine what the odds are of that happening? They can't trace it to Mark's computer, though, I'm quite sure of that. Portman figures that I'm the logical suspect. Of course, he has no proof, just suspicions. He left in a real huff, full of threats about bringing in the police and all that good stuff. He seems to get real mean when he doesn't get his way.”

“I wonder what his next step will be. Did he give you any indication of where he's going with this?”

“Not directly. I tried to aim suspicion back at his own internal systems operation, but I don't think he was buying it. Right now he's convinced he knows where the hack originated. He's sure that I did it, but he doesn't know why. He seems to be more interested right now in proving that I am the culprit, because he feels that that is his link to finding out why it was done and who put me up to it. I can't even imagine the scenarios he is working on. So, unfortunately, I think he is going to be around for a while. I expect that sooner or later he'll be back here with a subpoena to examine our records. I can't really see a judge issuing one, but who knows. Actually, the court process would just give us more time. There is nothing here for him to find, anyway. The big problem is that he operates too much on his instincts, making him unpredictable. That's why I need Justice to move quickly. Once the NRBA records are confiscated, Portman will have a lot more to worry about than who hacked his precious file. I'll be happy when that time comes.”

“Should I get Justice to talk to anyone in the courts over there? Maybe we can delay any action on his part; tie him up somehow. We could even conjure up a reason to pick him up. That would take him out of the picture for a while”

“I'd rather you didn't. It might arouse more suspicions. Actually, I'd rather have him busy with lawyers and judges than conducting personal investigation into our activities. There have been too many innocent people involved in this thing already. I want this all to be over as much as you do, but for now, let's just let sleeping dogs lie.

“Okay, it's your call, but if you change your mind, call me. I don't like the idea of him threatening you personally. Should I send you some protection? It might be a wise course of action, given the circumstances. It would only be for a short time. I could have somebody there in thirty minutes.”

“Oh, I don‘t think so, Dennis. I'm not in any physical danger. John Portman doesn't strike me as a physical threat, as far as I can see. He's just a normal man. I could tell by the way he was eyeing me during our meeting that he can be easily distracted. Anyway, even if he does convince a judge to issue a subpoena for our development files, he won't find anything. I sense that John Portman is the type that enjoys being a bloodhound. Actually, truth be known, I admire his tenacity. He's done a great job getting this far. But, unfortunately for him, time is running out. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes when that empire comes falling down, especially being away from headquarters when it all happens.”

“Well, be very careful, Sue. If you change your mind about protection, or if you need anything at all, call me. I'm here for you.”

“I will, Dennis. Thank you! See what you can do about speeding up the ‘Wheels of Justice.' That would make me the happiest.” She hung up the phone, feeling a little better now. Running through the scenario with Dennis helped put her mind at ease.

She returned to the office intent on resuming her normal work schedule. The pile of correspondence on her desk was crying out for her attention. Her special assignment for Dennis Peterson had shifted her attention away from Cybernetic Solutions for too long. It was time to get back to the business at hand. She owed that much to her staff.

* * *

At six o'clock, Mark shut off his alarm and rolled over for another hour of sleep. The early morning call from Susan threw him off schedule, but at eight-thirty he was sitting in his favorite booth at Denny's waiting for his Extreme Grand Slam breakfast, all the time thinking about how Susan would scold him if she were there. She would be enjoying her single piece of lightly buttered toast and shaking her head back and forth as he downed the sausages and bacon. The waitress left a carafe of fresh coffee on his table. As he enjoyed his third cup of coffee, his mind drifted back to Susan. She sounded so ambiguous on the phone earlier. That wasn't the Susan he knew. He was looking forward to her call that night. Maybe he could convince her to meet him on the weekend. He could motor up to Hudson and they could spend some time together.
Maybe even go on over to Cleveland to see the Rock & Roll hall of fame; that would be neat
. They both could use some time off to celebrate their success. Mark finished breakfast, ordered more coffee to take out and headed to his office, well fortified for the challenges of the day.