Free Getting Back by William Dietrich

now, all of them farting vaporware and DNA that doesn't work. I wish they'd go back to vanity names you can remember. Like Chrysler. Or Kellogg. What was wrong with that? Mine is Fitzroy Investigations. Simple. Honest. None of this net-web-splice-tel crap, you know?"
    "Right." Daniel spelled it. "Now, this Raven says she's going on a trip with a company whose name you'll like. Simple. Honest. Outback Adventure."
    "Outdoor Adventure? This is, what, swing sets? Pickle ball?"
    "Outback, not outdoor. Adventure travel."
    "Oh yeah, right. Bugs and dirt. Jesus, people are stupid. That's another five hundred."
    "Why can't I ever get a discount, Fitzroy?"
    "Because I have to eat." He clicked off.
    Daniel paced, straightening up. He was as neat at home as he was untidy at the office. The company shrink would have a field day with that one. After an hour there was a chime and the detective was back on his screen.
    "I don't see the transfer in my account yet."
    "I wanted to make sure you could get the stuff. That was a thousand?"
    "Fifteen hundred, Einstein."
    "Whatever." He clicked some commands. "It should be there."
    He saw Fitzroy glance away, then back. "Nobody wants to pay their fucking bills."
    "What you got?"
    "The only thing in our favor is the unusual first name. There's just a few of them so I could eliminate by age, location, occupation, no possible interest in outdoor adventure- that kind of thing."
    "And?"
    "And this is some broad you're stalking, if I got the right one. Fancy name, fancy address. She even looks good on her ident-screen. This the one?"
    Raven even took a good license picture. "That's her. The last name?"
    "DeCarlo. Lah-de-dah-dah. De-Carrrr-lo. My, my. I don't think you can afford this one, newbie."
    "She's actually a cheap date."
    "Cost you fifteen hundred this night, Romeo. Listen, I got her number. And her address. You want that?"
    "Of course."
    Fitzroy blanked out and the screen flickered with the information. Daniel printed it out and destroyed the file and transmission record. He was in enough hot water for privacy violations already. Paper you could burn, eat, shred. Bytes were forever.
    The detective came into view again. "And the adventure company?" Daniel asked him.
    "That one's odd. No open-door web address, no ad, no listed number. Pretty tough to buy from."
    "So I get a refund?"
    "You gotta be kidding. I found 'em- through an industrial link to export firms. They've got a keyworded web entry, encryption, a bunch of other bullshit."
    "Export firm? What does that mean?"
    "A kink in your romance?"
    "You can't kink what you don't have. But maybe this woman is being conned; she thinks it's a vacation outfit. You sure you got the right company?"
    Fitzroy laughed. "If you got the right name. Maybe they put airholes in their shipping containers!"
    "Can I get in?"
    The detective shook his head. "The site is invitation only. You need the password, the encrypted entry code, and it's all proprietary. Maybe this broad knows it." His grin was a leer. "For fifteen hundred bucks, she'd better know something."

CHAPTER SIX
    "You found me."
    There was no surprise in Raven's voice, no delight, no disapproval. It was rather a flat statement over the vidphone, her face on the monitor displaying a cool perusal of his own. It was as if she'd expected to hear from him again.
    "I need to see you."
    "Are you sure that's wise?"
    "We need to talk."
    "Why?"
    He could accuse her of getting him into trouble at Microcore, but suspected she'd simply hang up. "It's about this company you said you might go with. Outback Adventure. There's something funny about it."
    Her look was wary. "What do you mean?"
    "It's not even a regular company, I think."
    "You've talked to them?"
    "No. But I asked about it and it's not listed in any regular- "
    "There's a reason for that."
    "What reason?"
    "You have to ask them."
    "I can't even figure out how to reach them."
    "You need a code."
    He was puzzled. "But that doesn't make sense for a