When Joshua broached the subject with Danny Thorne of using his home computer, Danny was wary. ‘It’s not to go porn-surfing, is it?’
‘No, no. Nothing like that.’ Out of his three closest friends at Elbrooke High, he’d chosen Danny because he was the only one to have his own, non-parentally controlled internet access. He’d worked before at Danny’s house on school projects, so no eyebrows would be raised by him going over there for an hour or two after school. But from the concern on Danny’s face, he was suddenly reminded that Danny was probably also his most cautious, conservative friend. ‘It’s to send some e-mails to my father.’
‘Oh.’ From Danny’s heavy exhalation, it was unclear whether that was actually worse than porn-surfing. ‘Why can’t you send the e-mails from home? You were sending some before — I remember you telling me?’
‘My mom would still let me like a shot. But Frank’s stepped in — put his foot down.’ He could see the clouds of doubt forming rapidly in Danny’s eyes. ‘Please, Danny… you’ve got to help me out here. If there was any other way, you know I wouldn’t be asking.’
‘Okay… okay. Let me think on it a bit, I’ll let you know tomorrow.’
By the next day, Joshua had spent another frantic half hour keyword searching without success before Frank got home, so was even more desperate. But Danny’s doubts and concerns seemed to have increased.
‘I’m worried about my parents finding out, and from there you know it’s only a heartbeat before yours find out, too.’
‘How will they find out?’
‘Get real. You know they speak sometimes on the phone, and they’ll get talking even more if you’re round my place once or twice a week. Reminding you what time dinner’s ready… or Josh has forgot this or that. And I know my dad checks my e-mails now and then. He’d kill me if he found out I was trading e-mails in and out of Libreville when I shouldn’t.’
They were in the corridor just after a lesson, and as their voices raised, they’d started to get the attention of some of the other students filing out.
‘Come on, Danny. I’m real stuck here… can’t you at least…’
But Danny was already sidling away as Joshua reached one hand out imploringly, and then they were both distracted by one of the onlookers, Ellis Calpar, who’d stopped to pay more attention to their conversation.
‘That’s the problem wit’ those oreole’s,’ Ellis called out, moving a step closer. ‘When it comes t’ the crunch — the white, tight-assed, be ever-so-careful anal side always wins t’rough.’
Danny was mixed race, and as his friend headed away along the corridor, Joshua fired him a tight grimace that made it clear he wasn’t keen on the barb either. But then you expected no less from Ellis Calpar.
‘Libreville? That’s where your ol’ man is, isn’t it? Not much time lef’ now, from what I see on the news. So what’s the beef with you and Danny? I thought yo’ two were always like that.’ Ellis interlocked two fingers.
At first, Joshua wasn’t going to say anything. But Ellis’s tone was weighted with understanding more than teasing, and he recalled one time when one of Ellis’s crew had started to give him a tough time and Ellis had stepped in. ‘Go easy on him, man. His ol’ man’s at Libreville. For murder!’ The crew member had jolted back a pace as if hit with an electric shock. To Ellis and his buddies, having a father in prison for murder was a mark of respect rather than one of ridicule.
As Joshua explained, Ellis’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He put a welcoming arm over Joshua’s shoulder.
‘Look no further — you have just foun’ your Libreville e-mail sender. Not me personally — I don’t have a computer. But one o’ my crew, Friggy, does. That’s our main message centre.’
Joshua felt immediately uncomfortable. He’d never got involved with Ellis before, let alone with something as personal as this.
‘It’s okay, Ellis… you don’t have to trouble yourself none. I’m sure I can find another way round this.’
‘No sweat t’all, man… would be a real pleasure passin’ e-mails in and out of Libreville to your ol’ man.’ Ellis smiled slyly. ‘And the fact that your mom and new dad are against it and yo’ not meant t’do it, makes it all the mo’ fun.’ Ellis gave Joshua’s shoulder one last pat as he broke away and went ahead of him along the corridor. ‘I’ll talk to Friggy and let you know the timin’. Later, man.’
But as Joshua watched Ellis get swallowed up among the other students filling the corridor, he couldn’t resist a sense of foreboding. He might have solved his e-mail problem, but how was he going to explain away to his mom and Frank spending time after school with Ellis Calpar and his crew? For sure they’d fear he was getting primed for future auto-theft or crack dealing.
16
Before contacting Rodriguez, Jac wanted to check again with Alaysha that she was still okay with taking part in the Durrant e-mail ruse, in case it had just been the heat of the moment or the wine talking the night before. It wasn’t the sort of call he could make from the office — so he phoned just before he left for work.
She was still on for it — he’d never truly doubted — and for the first time he got some insight into her rationale. Though she brought a tingle to his cheek when she talked about the night before, and he could still feel a warm pang inside at the thought of her as he signed off and called Rodriguez.
‘We’re on for those e-mails,’ Jac said as Rodriguez came on the line.
‘The lap-dancer you mentioned the other day?’
‘The same.’
‘What did you have to do to her to get her to agree?’ Rodriguez jibed.
‘Well, you know — it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.’ A handful of conversations with Rodriguez, and already Jac was sounding like one of his cell-block buddies.
Rodriguez chuckled, but it died quickly. He shook off a faint shiver as he thought about his close escape that morning. The shouting and alarm ringing had come as Tally was only a step away, already raising the razor. He’d have no doubt had time to slit his throat, but getting away cleanly was starting to look like a problem. Tally brandished the razor in warning — ‘Your guardian angel again, by the looks of it. But he ain’t gonna be around much longer’ — then quickly palmed the razor and slipped away as the guard approached. Rodriguez decided against saying anything to McElroy. There probably wasn’t much McElroy could do, and he had enough on his plate trying to save Larry without worrying about two of them.
‘The only thing is — I gotta get back on communication-room duty to receive it,’ Rodriguez said. ‘Also to send out those last few sample e-mails from JD. Haveling mighta half-believed our account, but most of our privileges are still cut.’
‘You didn’t mention this before.’
‘No need. Before it didn’t look likely we were gonna be able to get any e-mails to Larry, now it does.’
Jac sighed. ‘Okay. I’ll phone Haveling, see what I can do.’
‘Do you know someone who might be good for that?’
‘I do, as it happens. And just down the road from me right here in Morgan City.’ Bob Stratton scrolled down his Excel address list. ‘Yeah, here it is. Dan Souchelle.’
The thought had suddenly struck Jac while shifting some files from his desk first thing that morning, recalling that in one of them, a shoplifting case, the police had requested image enhancement on the key security camera pictures. Jac wrote down the number, thanked Stratton, and dialled it straight after he’d hung up.
Souchelle confirmed that he could do the job and promised a forty-eight hour turnaround.
‘Any chance of quicker?’
‘Sorry. We’re backed up like crazy right now, having trouble even keeping to that at times. But I’ll make sure this one doesn’t run over.’
Jac said he’d get the video tape over to him straightaway. Then seconds after he’d put the phone down from Fedex to arrange the messenger, it rang again; less than half an hour at his desk and already his fifth calclass="underline" Lieutenant Pyrford.