Free Night Talk by George Noory Page B

misdemeanors? Was that something hackers bragged about to each other over a beer? Something like, “Hey, guys, wanna know what the CIA is up to this week?”
    Another possible twist to Ethan’s strange accusation occurred to Greg as he neared the apartment building.
    What if Ethan wasn’t the one who hacked into his account and transferred the money? What if someone else had led Ethan into believing that he was doing something for Greg? And then someone had hacked into Greg’s account and transferred the money to Ethan so Ethan would buy the story. Then Ethan killed himself when he found out the feds were after him.
    That theory made as little sense to Greg as the other notion that Ethan thought he killed him and got money from his account.
    The “what if’s” were still swirling around his head as he entered his apartment building and stopped at the reception desk, where Jose was manning the day shift.
    â€œA woman left a note for you a few minutes ago,” Jose said.
    â€œDid she give her name?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œWhat did she look like?” Greg asked as he took the note.
    â€œI was on the phone and didn’t get a good look. She just dropped the note and left. Not too old, too young.”
    Greg stared at the message. Get out—they’re coming
    He kept his features blank. “About thirty? Wearing a coat with a hood?”
    â€œYeah, that’s her. Not bad-looking, now that I think of it. And a guy came by to see you earlier.”
    â€œWho?”
    â€œDidn’t leave his name. Said he was a friend and asked to be let in to your apartment to wait. I told him no way and asked him if he wanted to leave a message and he took off like a bat out of hell.”
    â€œWhat did he look like?”
    â€œTall, bald; it was that guy with the Jamaican accent that’s on your show sometimes. I’ve seen him on TV. The writer who says aliens abducted and raped him. Know who I mean?”
    He was describing Rohan. “I know who you mean.”
    â€œHe was kind of frazzled, jumpy. I started to ask if he was that writer guy but he shot out of here too fast.”
    â€œHow long ago?”
    â€œTwo hours.”
    Greg tried Rohan again when he got to his apartment and got the “no longer in service” recording.
    What put Rohan into such a panic? What was his relationship to Ethan? Hacking? Rohan had been in a battle with the university for years over his claimed abduction. Had he hired Ethan to hack in?
    None of the scenarios between Rohan and Ethan explained how money from his account got to the hacker and why Greg was being accused of having paid for the theft of government secrets.
    He heard a knock on his door and peered through the peephole at Mond’s face. Greg opened the door and was pushed back by Mond as agents poured in behind him.
    Mond shoved papers at him. “Search warrant. Secure him.”
    Two agents grabbed him and started cuffing him.
    â€œWhat are you doing? Are you arresting me?”
    â€œSecuring you for your own safety and that of the officers.” Mond nodded at the agents and they pulled Greg out into the hallway.
    A neighbor poked her head out of her apartment, saw Greg cuffed and stared wide-eyed. Jose would be watching on the security monitors. And telling every tenant who came in about it.
    Intimidation? Embarrassment? Mond had him cuffed not for control but as a power play because he could.
    They hauled out his possessions with a single hand truck. His computer, disks and every piece of paper he had.
    Mond had him uncuffed after the hand truck left. He flashed Greg’s passport in his face.
    â€œDon’t bother trying to leave the country.”
    â€œThat passport was at my beach house. You went there first.” They must have searched it before they even sat down in his office to talk.
    â€œThe beach house is also in the papers you just got. Call me if you want to help yourself out by