The Clockwork Game : A Time Travel Detective Mystery by Nathan Van Coops

Author:Nathan Van Coops [Van Coops, Nathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950669158
Publisher: Skylighter Press
Published: 2022-05-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

“This device is encrypted with protection that I cannot bypass,” Waldo said. “Without connection to my full database, I don’t have access to the tools I need.”

I swore.

So far, all my purloining of evidence from Amadeus wasn’t working.

Waldo’s full capabilities were hosted in the onboard computer system of my car these days, and since the Boss was still parked in the garage at the Rose ’n Bridge, it was doing me no good.

“Perhaps you can simply ask Mr. Amadeus what’s on the drive,” Waldo suggested.

“I don’t have high hopes of that conversation going well,” I muttered.

The fact that Amadeus had a secret drive meant that whatever it was mattered. It was something he wasn’t comfortable hosting on his phone or personal data cloud. His cloud wouldn’t have been accessible on Attu anyway, but a separate drive also offered a modicum of protection when it came to plausible deniability. Waldo had at least been able to determine that the encryption wasn’t biology-based. No retina or facial recognition software. Nothing to tie it to him personally. Most of the criminals I knew avoided bio-sensing security as a rule. Roman was nothing if not hip with the times.

I started tidying up the mess Osborne had made of my room while I tried to think of another tactic.

Waldo piped up again while I was putting away my clothes. “There is one person on this island who has the anti-encryption tools we need. And she brought her computer with her.”

I paused my folding. He was right. Zigzag was the best hacker I knew. She could likely crack Roman’s encryption like a walnut. But I still wasn’t sure how I felt about asking.

“Zigzag’s been acting real strange this trip. I don’t know what her deal is, but it’s like she’s been avoiding me.”

“She sought you out last night for the purposes of conversation.”

“And ran off right away without telling me why.”

“She may have been socially embarrassed at discovering another woman in your bed. Perhaps she presumed you and Miss Parker had engaged in a bit of interior decorating.”

I squeezed my temples. “Go ahead and scratch that one from the euphemisms list, Waldo.”

“She thought you were checking her oil with your dipstick.”

“Yes. I get the reference. But I don’t think that’s what was bothering Zigzag. Something else is going on.”

“Are you going to break into her accommodations next?”

“Time will tell.” I picked up the book Osborne had found on my dresser.

It didn’t surprise me that Winston might have a key to my room. He did run the lodge. But why this book? I flipped it back open to the note, reread it, then scanned the pages he had inserted it between. It wasn’t about Attu. It was discussing the Nazis. More specifically a horde of artwork and stolen treasures that Adolf Hitler had acquired in Eastern Europe. Supposedly it had never been found. The page Winston had noted specifically mentioned a rumor that the trove of artifacts was last spotted near Warsaw.

Well, shit. Winston might be onto something.

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