“Hey, those causes were good ones. But we all grow up.”
Tow does it work?”
‘Two ways. First, low-level orbit satellites are downlinked to
metropolitan police tracking stations. The birds have preprogrammed
sweep sectors. They spot trouble and they send an almost instantaneous
signal to the tracking station, giving precise incident information.
It’s real time for the cops. The IN.
second method involves placing military-style surveillance equipment,
sensors and tracking devices on top of telephone poles, or underground
with surface sensors on the outside of buildings. Their exact locations
will be classified, of course, but they’ll be deployed in the worst
crime areas. If something starts to go down, they’ll call in the
cavalry.”
Jack shook his head. “I can think of a few civil rights that might be
trampled.”
“Tell me about it. But it’s effective.”
“Until the bad guys move.”
“Kinda hard to outrun a satellite, Jack.”
Jack shook his head and turned back to his file.
“Hey, how’re the wedding plans coming?”
Jack looked up. “I don’t know, I try to keep out of the way. 91 Tarr
laughed. “Shit, Julie and I had a total of twenty bucks to get married
on, including the honeymoon. We got a justice of the peace for ten
dollars, bought a case of Michelob with the rest, and rode the Harley
down to Miami and slept on the beach. Had a helluva good time.”
Jack smiled, shook his head. “I think the Baldwins have something a
little more formal in mind. Although your way sounds like a lot more fun
to me.”
Taff looked at him quizzically, remembering something.
“Hey, whatever happened to that gal you were dating when you were
defending the criminal elements of this fair city?
Kate, right?”
Jack looked down at his desk. “We decided to go our separate ways,” he
said quietly.
“Huh, I always thought you two made a nice-looking couple.”
Jack looked across at him, licked his lips and then closed his eyes for
a moment before answering. “Well, sometimes looks can be deceiving.”
Taff studied his face. “You sure?”
“I’m sure.”
AFMR LUNCH AM FINISHING UP SOME OVERDUE WORK@ JACK
returned half of his phone messages and decided to leave the rest until
the following day. Looking out the window, he turned his thoughts fully
to Luther Whitney. What he could be involved in Jack could only ess. The
most puzzling as gu pect was that Luther was a loner in private life and
with his work. Back when he was with the PD, Jack had checked on some of
Luther’s priors. He worked alone. Even on the cases where he hadn’t been
arrested but had been questioned, there was never an issue of ‘ more
than one person involved. Then who could these other people be? A fence
Luther had somehow ripped off? But Luther had been in the business much
too long to do something like that. It wasn’t worth it. His victim
perhaps? Maybe they couldn’t prove Luther had committed the crime but
nevertheless held a vendetta against him. But who held that sort of
grudge for getting burglarized? Jack could understand if someone had
been hurt or killed, but Luther was not capable of that.
He sat down at his small conference table and thought back for a moment
to the night before with Kate. It had been the most painful experience
of his life, even more so than when Kate had left him. But he had said
what needed to be said.
He rubbed his eyes. At this moment in his life the Whitneys weren’t
especially welcome. But he had promised Luther. Why hadhe done that? He
loosened his tie. At some point he would have to draw the line, or cut
the cord, if only for his own mental well-peing. Now he was hoping that
his promised favor would never come due. .
He went down and got a soda from the kitchen, sat back down at his desk
and finished up the bills for last month. The firm was invoicing Baldwin
Enterprises roughly three hundred thou a month and the work was
accelerating. While Jack had been gone, Jennifer had sent over two new
matters that would occupy a regiment of associates for about six months.