DD had brought up the kitchen room table and chair and placed them right up against the built-in wardrobe. On top of the table he had another two computers and a printer. Sean thought he had no place to hang his clothes, but then he probably hadn’t brought any.
‘So, what have you got for us?’ asked Lomax impatiently.
DD turned a laptop around to show Sean and Lomax. ‘I’ve managed to break into Ben’s laptop. It was a tough job because the hard drive had taken such a knock. I got as far as opening some of the files.’ DD showed Lomax some printouts. They contained various lists of work items and to-do lists. Lomax scanned down the pages quickly but could find nothing of interest.
‘Only some of the files?’ Lomax’s disappointment was obvious.
‘Yeah — well the most interesting ones will be those Ben accessed at work. But in order to get into them I need a user id and a password and an authentication device.’
'What sort of authentication device?' Lomax asked.
'About the size of a USB memory stick' replied DD. It would probably have a small window showing a row of numbers which change every 30 seconds or so.'
Lomax scowled. ‘You mean to tell me that you can’t access his work files without this gadget?’
DD shook his head. ‘Unless you have a couple of years to spare, the answer is no. This gadget is synchronised to the computer systems at Ben’s work. You have to type in the number that shows up in the little window. If it matches the number at work you are let into the next stage. That’s when you need to type in your password. The number on the device changes at set intervals to a different number and so does the one at Ben’s work.’
‘Suppose you made a note of the numbers that changed — you might be able to type in the correct number without having the device’ said Lomax.
DD shook his head again. ‘The numbers don’t ever repeat. And you have only three chances to type in the correct matching number during that 30 second window before it changes. It’s impossible without the authentication device.’
‘What would happen if you were unsuccessful the third time?’ asked Sean.
‘The computer system at work would lock you out for a long period of time — and set off the equivalent of an alarm bell. So you could only try a couple of times a day. In any case there would be a file of all your unsuccessful attempts to log in — and they would be bound to pick up on that.’
‘Does it have to be the one Ben owned or could we get a replacement?’ Lomax asked DD.
‘You can get a replacement from the company that makes them — but that’s very difficult. They will only give them out to an authorised representative. Strictly speaking it doesn’t have to be the one Ben owned though.’ DD thought it through. ‘But it would have to be the same type and it would have to have been previously matched to the computer systems where Ben worked.’
‘Would everyone at the company need one if they wanted to work from home?’ Sean asked.
‘Yes, if you were able to borrow someone else’s, I could use that to access the network. Once I’m on the network I’m pretty sure I could get to Ben’s area.’
‘Can you get a USB token that to all intents looks exactly like the one Ben had?’ queried Sean.
‘Yep, if you knew what it looked like’ replied DD. ‘In fact I brought some with me. Hang on a sec.’ DD moved the table back to open the door of the wardrobe, pulled out a tattered rucksack and fished out a plastic lunch box. He tipped out the contents onto the bed. There were different types of connectors, plugs, some tiny cables and a variety of USB sticks and plastic cards. Sean sorted through them and picked one that looked like the one he had seen Natasha using in her apartment. He placed it in DD’s hand.
‘That’s the one.’
Natasha jerked into wakefulness. One quick look established that the outside light was on. In itself this was not surprising — she had known the light to come on several times during the night, mostly in response to a prowling cat or a stray gust of wind. Struggling to pull on her jeans, Natasha hopped over to her bedroom window and looked out. There was no sign of anyone.
The apartment faced a courtyard which was surrounded on three sides by other apartments. It was in a quiet area so any unusual noise would alert the neighbours; some of them were very nosey. The apartment had an external door light which came on when anyone approached. An alarm sat high up the wall in the eaves.
Cautiously she made her way to the front hallway. The external light was still on. Just before it timed out she saw a movement through the opaque glass door. She stood absolutely still while a shiver ran up her back. She heard a soft metallic noise as something was inserted in the lock.
Passing back through the hallway she stumbled over the bike, hurting her shin in the process. The thought crossed her mind that the bike could be useful in making a quick escape.
She carried it through the hallway to the stairs at the back, opening the rear door with one hand while holding the bike with the other. She looked carefully up and down the alley. Nothing stirred.
She ran alongside the bike and quickly mounted the machine. That’s when the bike reminded her of the squeak that she had been meaning to fix. Looking over her shoulder she could see no signs of pursuit. She turned into the street from the alleyway, intending to make for Stan’s house a couple of miles on the outskirts of town. She knew the route well in the car. Natasha slowed down as she came to the next junction, pulled into the shadows and waited. She looked both ways.
A dark coloured car emerged from a street several blocks away. It crept forward slowly and Natasha pulled back, flattening herself against a doorway. The car turned towards her on the main road and her heart went into her mouth. Had she been spotted?
The car continued to move slowly towards her. She froze in the darkness. It pulled abreast but thankfully carried on down the main road.
Natasha took several big gulps of breath to try and steady her racing heart. Building up her courage she pushed the bicycle round the corner, remembering to lift the back wheel to stop the squeak. She peered back down the main road. The car had stopped just ten feet away! She quickly pulled the bike into a doorway but even as she did she could hear the car doors open and people spill out.
Without hesitation she turned the bike around and ran with it back the way she had come. There were no shouts from behind but she could hear the sound of leather shoes hitting the pavement just behind her. Without pausing in her stride she put one foot on the pedal, swung her other leg across the bike and started peddling like mad. A burst of adrenalin helped to increase the distance between herself and her pursuers.
She eventually realised that though she was peddling furiously the bike was hardly moving. In a panic she thought the chain had broken; then she realised that she was still in the lowest gear. She flipped the lever several times to take it up through the gears and the bike gained speed, putting even more distance between her and the men behind. The sounds of pursuit gradually died and she felt a huge wave of relief. Her breath was sawing in and out of her throat, her legs ached with the unusual amount of exercise, and her heart hammered at high speed. She slowed and stopped the bike, intending to look around to check that they had really gone.
That’s when she heard the squeal of tyres as the car first reversed, then careered around the corner, engine revving.
There was no time to look back. Natasha cried aloud with fear and frustration and began to pedal again. At the next corner she turned left and then right further on. Although her body was screaming for a rest she managed to control the panic and think about an escape plan. She had seen a sign for a small shopping mall set back off the main road and she started heading in that direction. By now she could no longer hear the car. She had probably lost them with the twist and turns she had taken. But this time she was determined not to underestimate them. At last a sign for the mall appeared and Natasha steered the bike towards it. Thankfully the area was flat and she was able to pick up some speed.