Free Three Weeks Last Spring by Victoria Howard

be first in line to say I told you so. Get back to me with t he details as soon as you can."
     
    Walker slammed down the phone. Frustrated, he stared out of the window. Normally he found the view relaxing, but today it did little to calm his rage. He swore heartily under his breath. Not only was his professional life fast going from sugar to shit, but he couldn't get the image of his sexy tenant out of his mind either. Totally disgusted with the direction his thoughts were headed , he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chai r and ma rched of the office.
     
    He walked quickly , and glanced over his shoulder every now and again to make sure he wasn't being followed, as he headed downtown towards Pioneer Square. He entered the first Internet Café he could find with a vacant booth, and logged into his web-based e-mail address. He was disappointed to find nothing new. His fist hit the desk—hard. People just didn't disappear without trace, especially not leading computer scientists, unless of course they were up to no good. He had to find Ridge, and soon. If his plans for searching the seabed came up empty, then finding out who was hacking into his company 's computers was his last hope.
     
    He ordered another strong black coffee, and searched the web once more. With his back and neck muscles aching, he finally came across an interview in a little known computer journal with a John Ridge. It had to be the same person; it couldn't just be a coincidence. The article was a few years old, but tucked away at the bottom of the page was an e-mail address. Praying that once again the gods were on his side, he quickly typed a note, briefly explaining his situation and asking if Dr . Ridge could help. His final request before hitting the send key was to ask for an immediate response.
     
    Stretching to relieve the ache in his tired muscles, Walker knew there was nothing more he could do, other than sit back and wait for either McCabe or Ridge to contact him. Ironically, waiting wasn't one of his better traits. He was used to being in control of his own destiny, and for the last few weeks he’d been anything but. He downed his coffee, deleted all traces of his activities on the PC, and left.
     
    Back in his office, he set about clearing the pile of paperwork on his desk. Around ten his private line rang. Few people knew the number and even fewer knew he was in town. He snatched the handset off the cradle, and was relieved to hear Joe's voice at the other end of the line.
     
    "I might have guessed you'd still be at y our desk at this ungodly hour."
     
    "Paperwork, Joe, paperwork. It gets us all in the end. I hope you' v e got good news."
     
    "I need you to send me everything you have so far—lab reports, newspaper articles, witness statements, maps—whatever you've got. And, Walker, it had better be convincing."
     
    "I didn't ask you to go out on a limb for me . "
     
    "A limb? A mere limb? I've done more than go out on a limb for you , I'm dangling off a leaf at the end of the branch, and I don't want to crash and burn, and find myself collecting my pension fifteen years early just beca use we didn't cover our backs."
     
    "I hear you, Joe. I'll have everything couriered over to you in the morning. Do you have any idea of timescale?" Walker’s voice was as cold as the water in Puget Sound .
     
    "If your evidence is as good as you say, then within forty-eight hours. I understand the Coastguard has a suitably equipped vessel on standby for emergencies, and are prepared to let us have it for a couple of days. The other bit of good news is that my opposite number is already pulling the results of the survey carried out last year for comparison."
     
    "I suppose that's something. Should I go along for the ride?"
     
    " L et the boys in blue handle this. They'll get back to me as soon as the analysis has been made."
     
    "Okay. But I don't think I’ll sleep easy until I see the results."
     
    "That makes two of us. I'll give you