I didn"t want to miss.

GOTCHA. YOU RANG.

First of all, I want a better way to contact you, since I a.s.sume you won"t tell me who you are.

RIGHT! AND I"VE TAKEN CARE OF THAT. CALL 212-555-3908. WHEN YOU HEAR THE BEEP, ENTER YOUR NUMBER. I"LL CALL YOU AS SOON AS I CAN.

So you"re in New York?

MAYBE. MAYBE NOT.

Ah, call forwarding. I could get the address of the phone and trace you down.

I DON"T THINK YOU WOULD DO THAT.

And why not may I ask?

CAUSE WE HAVE A DEAL.

Right. You"re absolutely right.

NOW THAT I"M RIGHT, WHAT"S UP?

I met with the Spook.

YOU DID????????

The conference was great, but I need to know more. I"ve just been sniffing around the edges and I can"t smell what"s in the oven.

WHAT ABOUT THE SPOOK? TELL ME ABOUT IT.

I have picture of him for you. I scanned it.

VERY GOOD, CLAP, CLAP.

I"ll send you SPOOK.PIX. Let me know what you think.

OK. SEND AWAY.

Scott chose the file and issued the command to send it to Kirk.

While it was being sent they couldn"t speak, and Scott learned how long it really takes to transmit a digital picture at 2400 baud. He got absorbed in a magazine and almost missed the mes- sage on the computer.

THAT"S NOT THE SPOOK!!!!

Yes it is. I met him.

NO, IT"S NOT THE REAL SPOOK. I"VE MET HIM. HE"S PARTIALLY BALD AND HAS A LONG NOSE AND GLa.s.sES. THIS GUY"S A GQ MODEL

C"mon, you"ve got to be putting me on. I travel 3000 miles for an impostor?

I GUESS SO. THIS IS NOT THE SPOOK I KNOW.

Then who is it?

HOW THE h.e.l.l SHOULD I KNOW?

Just thought I"d ask . . .

WHAT"S GOING ON REPO?

Deep s.h.i.t, and I need your help.

GOT THE MAN LOOKING OVER YOUR DONKEY?

No, he"s not here, honest. I have an idea, and you"re gonna think it"s nuts, I know. But I have to ask you for a couple of favors.

WHAT MAY THEY BE?

The Freedom League. I need to know as much about it as I can, without anyone knowing that I want the information. Is that possible?

OF COURSE. THEY"RE BBS"ERS. I CAN GET IN EASY. WHY?

Well that brings up the second favor. dGraph. Do you own it?

SURE, EVERYONE DOES. LEGAL OR NOT.

Can"t you guys take apart a program to see what makes it tick?

REVERSE ENGINEERING, YEAH

Then I would like to ask if you would look at the dGraph program and see if it has a virus in it?

Chapter 24

Wednesday, January 13 New York City

No Privacy for Mere Citizens by Scott Mason.

I learned the other day, that I can find out just about anything I want to know about you, or her, or him, or anyone, for a few dollars, a few phone calls and some free time.

Starting with just an automobile license plate number, the De- partment of Motor Vehicles will be happy to supply me with a name and address that go with the plate. Or I can start with a name, or an address or just a phone number and use a backwards phone book. It"s all in the computer.

I can find more about you by getting a copy of the your auto registration and t.i.tle from the public records. Marriage licenses and divorces are public as well. You can find out the d.a.m.nedest things about people from their first or second or third marriage records. Including the financial settlements. Good way to determine how much money or lack thereof is floating around a healthy divorce.

Of course I can easily find all traffic offenses, their disposi- tion, and any follow up litigation or settlements. It"s all in the computer. As there are public records of all arrests, court cases, sentences and paroles. If you"ve ever been to trial, the transcripts are public.