Kit slid the bill angrily to one side of his desk. Unless he could locate the access-code pirate, he’d be stuck for one helluva research bill. He switched computer screens, typing out a simple monitoring program to set off an alarm the next time Margo’s access code was entered into the system, then e-mailed messages to Brian Hendrickson and Mike Benson, alerting them to the fact that data piracy was occurring.
Then he called Bull Morgan.
”What’s up, Kit?”
”We’ve got a data pirate loose on the station. Someone’s used Margo’s access code to bill research to my account.”
”I’ll make a note of it. You’re sure it’s an account pirate?”
”Margo left a week before the first incident. Went up Primary to God alone knows where. Or when.”
Bull sympathized. “I’ll do some checking, put Mike Benson on it.”
”I’ve already e-mailed him about it and Brian Hendrickson, too. Thanks, Bull.”
He hung up and glared at everything in sight. Then sighed, resigned himself to a long day, and settled resolutely to work again. When the phone rang less than a quarter of an hour later, he cradled the receiver between shoulder and ear.
”Yeah, Kit here.”
”Kit, it’s Bull.”
He sat back in his chair, faintly surprised. “Damn, I knew you were efficient, but I didn’t expect you to catch the rat this fast.”
Bull chuckled. “We haven’t. But I did turn up something odd. I thought you’d want to know.”
”Yeah?”
”Margo passed through Primary, all right. Then she came back about a week later.”
He sat straight up. “What?”
”She came back, but hasn’t logged out again. Medical hasn’t out-processed her records, the ATF has no trace of her leaving a second time through Customs…”