"Don’t look now, but he appears ready for dessert," Joe said dryly.
"Can’t you get me a negative?" The technician’s name was Billy Sung. He was under twenty-five and definitely not optimistic. "I’m not a miracle worker, you know."
"No negative," Eve said. "Your boss says you’re the best technician he has. I’m sure you won’t have a problem."
"Don’t give me a snow job. I’ll have a hell of a problem. This print has multiple errors. One would be easy to correct, but not all of them. You need one of those digital imaging companies in L.A. or a university think tank to enhance those pixels. Pixmore doesn’t have the equipment."
"No chance?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. I have a college professor who has a government research grant, and his equipment is way beyond state of the art. He usually lets me use it."
"You’re a student?"
"Yeah, I need a degree to get a job with one of those companies on the West Coast. I have to compete with all those whiz kids from UCLA and USC. Those companies are cutting edge. It’s incredible what they do with digital computer and software equipment." He looked back at the photograph. "But I do damn well considering what I work with."
"I’m sure you do," Eve said. "Who is this professor and where’s his lab?”
“Professor Dunkeil. Ralph Dunkeil. His lab’s about five minutes from here on Blue Mountain The Killing Game – Eve Duncan 02
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Drive."
"Could I have it by tomorrow?" He shook his head.
"Please, it’s very important to me."
He looked at her face for a couple of seconds and then slowly nodded. "If you can clear it with Grisby. He’s not going to like me putting everything on hold."
"Your boss has already okayed it," Charlie said. "He said that you’re ours for the next thirty-six hours."
"That sounds like slave labor." He grimaced. "Though Grisby’s pretty much of a slave driver himself. I had to threaten to quit last quarter to make him give me time off to take my finals."
"I’d be grateful if you’ll try to hurry it," Eve said. "You’ll call me?”
“I’ll call you, Eve," Charlie said. "I’ll go with Mr. Sung and help.”
“I don’t need your help." Sung gave Charlie a cool glance. "The government is too much into our business as it is. FBI, CIA, IRS. Now you come in here and try to pressure me."
"Hey, man, I’m only doing my job."
"Yeah, sure," Sung said as he sat down at the bench. "I’ve heard that before. It’s always followed by the crack of the whip."
"Perhaps I could go with you instead." Mark Grunard smiled at Sung. "Do you have any objections to a little publicity? It might help you get that job in California."
Sung looked interested.
"No way," Charlie said firmly. "I told you that you couldn’t stay, Grunard.”
“But our friend doesn’t like you as much as he does me."
Charlie jerked his thumb. "Out."
Grunard sighed. "Maybe I could come back after you’ve finished your work, Mr. Sung." He handed him a card. "Call me." He left the lab.
"The results are confidential, Mr. Sung," Charlie said.
“Yeah." Sung looked thoughtfully at the card before stuffing it in his pocket. "So were the atomic tests in Nevada that gave everybody cancer.”
“Please call me as soon as possible, Mr. Sung," Eve said. "It means a great deal to me."
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"I’ll let you know."
"What do you think? Can he do it?" Joe asked as he and Eve got into the car.
"Maybe. He seems sharp." She leaned back in the seat. "And I think he likes a challenge. Though Charlie may have a tough time. Sung evidently hates government bureaucrats."
"Maybe you should introduce him to Sarah. So what do we do now?”
“Go home. Wait."
"That won’t be easy."
"No." It seemed as if they’d done nothing but sit around and wait lately. "But at least Spiro gave us a chance to hurry the process along."
"He’s taking a big risk dealing with us. He’s impatient to have it over.”
“So am I, Joe." She closed her eyes and tried to relax. "So am I."
It was nearly three o’clock in the morning and the lights were still burning in the professor’s lab on Blue Mountain Drive.
Eve must be happy she’d found someone passionate enough to work on the photo, Dom thought. Passion could be dangerous.
But it could also be exciting. Every move Eve made was raising the stakes. He probably should have gotten rid of that photo years ago, but he had moved on and he had not thought it important enough. But what was happening in the lab was important.
Time changed everything. Technology, morals, good, evil. Who would have known how much his needs would change? His priorities were so different now or he would not be sitting outside the lab.
What was happening in there! Were they getting close?
He felt excitement tighten his muscles. Go ahead, Eve. Come closer. Try to find me…
"More coffee?" Charlie asked.
Billy Sung adjusted the computer. "Not right now.”
“You didn’t eat dinner. I could go out and pick up some fast food.”
“No." He was coming close. Screw those L.A. bozos with all their fancy equipment. He was as good as them any day of the week. Just a few more adjustments and he might—"
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"Are you getting it?"
"You bet I am." He rubbed his eyes and bent forward again over the picture. "I wasn’t sure I had a chance, but I’ll be able to—" He stiffened. "My God."
"You’ve got it?"
"Shut up. I have to check the shift." He brought the picture in closer. The shift was coming in clearer and then clearer still. There could be no mistake.
The phone rang on Eve’s nightstand.
"We’re on our way to see you." Charlie said. "What?"
"Sung wants to see you. He’s all excited."
She sat up in bed. "He did it?"
"Not yet. He says he’ll be done any minute. He was muttering about shifts and spectrums and he’s bringing you the photo. He won’t let me see it while he’s working on it, but I’ll take possession the minute it’s completely finished."
"Why the secrecy?"
"Search me," Charlie said sourly. "He evidently thinks I’m the right arm of Big Brother. He made a phone call and then he said he had to see you right away. He seems to think this is only between you and him, but this is FBI business and he can’t fool around with— Where the hell are you going?" He came back on the phone. "I’ve got to go. Sung must have finished. He just bolted for the front door. We should be there in thirty minutes." He hung up.
"Sung was able to do it?" Joe asked.
"That’s what Charlie said, but Sung wants to talk to me." She put down the receiver and swung her feet to the floor. "He’ll be here in thirty minutes with the photo. I’m going to get dressed."
Joe sat up in bed. "Why should he want to talk to you?”
“I told you, he doesn’t like the government.”
“Bad enough to wake you in the middle of the night?"
She headed for the bathroom. "I don’t care if Sung comes up here and crawls in bed with us as long as he brings me that photo."
"I’d have a few objections," Joe said. "By all means, let’s wait for him downstairs."
"Where is he?" Eve glanced at her watch again. "It’s been forty minutes."
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"Maybe they had to go back to the lab for something."
"Wouldn’t Charlie have called us?"
"Car trouble?"
"Stop being comforting. Do you have Charlie’s digital number?" Joe nodded and reached for his phone. "No answer." He hung up. "It’s time to go looking."
"I’ll go with you."
"Stay here. What if all that comforting bullshit is really true and they drive up right after I’ve left? If they come, give me a call and I’ll hotfoot it back."