For Better or Worse

by Al Lamanda

  “For crying out loud, Bekker,” Campbell said.

  We climbed and leveled off, and Wally finally opened his eyes. “Where are we?” he said.

  “In the clouds, Wally. We’re in the clouds,” Campbell said. She unbuckled, stood, and went to the galley.

  I unbuckled and joined Campbell. She was making a pot of coffee.

  “It’s not Regan who is afraid of flying, it’s that idiot genius,” she said.

  “Imagine him on a 757,” I said.

  “He takes the train home,” Campbell said.

  I returned to my seat. Wally was still holding Regan’s hand. Campbell stuck her head out from the galley.

  “I’m making coffee, would anyone care for a snack?” she said.

  “Do you have any lettuce?” Wally said.

  “Lettuce?” Campbell said.

  Wally settled for a toasted bagel with cream cheese and coffee.

  The flight was smooth, and Regan convinced Wally to watch a movie on the large screen television. They settled on a romantic comedy that had Wally sniffling and weeping, but at least he wasn’t in a full blown panic attack.

  Then the landing gear dropped, and Wally broke out in a sweat and gasped loudly.

  “Here we go, here we go!” he proclaimed.

  Campbell glared at me. “And we shall never go again,” she said.

  * * *

  Wally and Regan sat in chairs in front of the bonfire in the trashcan while I grilled burgers and dogs.

  “How difficult is it to do what Reed did in hacking into banks and business accounts and siphoning off money?” I said to Wally.

  Wally was in the process of polishing his glasses on his shirt. He perched them back onto his nose and looked at me. “Close to impossible unless you’re a genius,” he said.

  “Reed is,” I said. “So how did he do it?”

  “First, you’d need to hack into a system, which is almost impossible to do without being detected by a program designed to detect hackers,” Wally said.

  “What if you’re the guy designing the systems for the banks and businesses?” I said.

  “If I was the guy designing the systems to protect them, I would build in a back door access that only I could access undetected,” Wally said. “I would use that back door to siphon off money into my account. See, interest rates and profits are usually rounded off because it’s too much of a pain in the ass to deal with fractions of pennies. I would use my back door to gather up all these fractional pennies and no one would ever miss them.”

  “How would he spend this money?” I said. “Wouldn’t it show up somewhere? Wouldn’t the IRS pick up on it and investigate?”

  “Not if you broke it up into many different accounts in many different banks,” Wally said. “Accounts in foreign countries where numbers are used instead of names, out of reach of the IRS.”

  “The FBI recovered millions of dollars after they arrested him, but he could still have millions more squirreled away,” I said.

  “Which only he could access,” Wally said.

  “Through the programs only he knows about?” I said.

  “Correct,” Wally said.

  “As part of his sentencing, he is never allowed to own a computer again,” I said.

  “Is he forbidden from using a computer at a library or having a girlfriend who owns one?” Wally said.

  “No,” I said.

  “Then he’s still in business,” Wally said.

  I flipped the burgers a final time and said, “Grab a plate.”

  “Do you have any…?” Wally said.

  “Lettuce,” Regan said. “I’ll get it.”

  A few minutes later, as we ate burgers and dogs, we continued the conversation.

  “So, Wally, say it was you,” I said. “How would you…?”

  “Say it was me what?” Wally said.

  “Say you were Reed. How would you go about setting up Walt like he did?” I said.

  “It wouldn’t really be that difficult,” Wally said. “I’d hack into the Depart of Motor Vehicles and steal all of his information. It isn’t too hard to find somebody who makes fake licenses for illegals or felons and have one made up. The same guy could probably make you a passport. Then you fly to wherever and open an account at the bank in Captain Grimes’s name.”

  “That’s about how I see it,” I said. “And you’re going to help me catch him.”

  “Captain Grimes?” Wally said.

  Regan rolled her eyes. “I think he means the bad guy, Wally,” she said.

  Wally nodded. “Any more lettuce?” he said.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  After dropping Regan off at home, I drove Wally to Reed’s mother’s house. He had a laptop computer and told me to park directly across the street.

  “The reason you see so many people sitting in their cars at libraries is because they’re using the library’s Wi-Fi. It’s the same thing with coffee shops, hotels, and even a lot of gyms,” Wally said. “So, if he has Wi-Fi, I should be able to tap into it.”

  After a few failed attempts, Wally shook his head no.

  “I doubt he would use Wi-Fi where anybody could access it,” Wally said.

  “He wouldn’t risk getting caught with a computer in the house, but I thought we’d check anyway,” I said.

  I drove to Riker’s house and parked across the street. The house was dark, the 750i wasn’t in the driveway, nor was the Jeep.

  Wally checked his laptop and shook his head again.

  I was about to start the engine when Wally said, “Wait. Look at that telephone pole. See the cable wires leading to the house? Two wires. One for electricity, the other is a cable wire. See?”

  “I see them,” I said.

  “There’s no phone line,” Wally said. “Since they don’t have Wi-Fi, the phone comes from the cable company. A bundle package. Phone, television, and Internet in one bundle package.”

  “So she might have a computer?” I said.

  “It’s hard to bundle a package without one,” Wally said.

  “What about a cell phone?” I said.

  “Works off a tower,” Wally said. “You don’t need cable, Internet or Wi-Fi to have a cell phone.”

  “And she can send and receive emails from her phone?” I said.

  “Text messages, most likely,” Wally said.

  “Could you hack her phone and computer?” I said.

  “If I had a powerful enough computer, an IPO or a recent email address, I could do it,” Wally said.

  “I can get the computer you’d need, but the other two, no,” I said.

  “The FBI can tap a line in a matter of seconds,” Wally said.

  “Even the FBI needs a warrant, and they aren’t likely to be on our side,” I said.

  “In the movies, a guy climbs the pole and taps the phone lines,” Wally said.

  “That’s in the movies,” I said. “And in the movies, the bad guys always miss and the good guy never gets hit.”

  I opened my door and Wally said, “How come your light didn’t come on?”

  “I disabled it for night work,” I said. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

  I crossed the street and followed the lines from the telephone pole around to the rear of the house. Several of the basement windows were painted black.

  I returned to the car just as the 750i pulled into the driveway.

  “Is that them?” Wally whispered.

  “Yes,” I said. “Now be quiet and still for a moment.”

  Reed and Riker exited the 750i and entered the house. Lights on the first floor came on, and then a light on the second floor in the front window came on.

  “Sit tight for a second,” I said.

  I opened the car door and quietly got out, crossed the street, and c
hecked the basement windows. The windows that weren’t painted black were lit up.

  I returned to the car.

  “He’s in the basement, probably on the computer,” I said.

  I started the engine and drove back to the trailer.

  * * *

  Wally sipped ginger ale from a can and watched the fire in the trashcan glow.

  “I’ll need something custom made,” he said. “Is there a private dealer in town that makes computers from scratch?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll find out,” I said.

  “I could use a snack,” Wally said. “I think better when I eat.”

  We went inside where I toasted some bagels.

  As we munched buttered bagels, Wally looked at the computer I bought in town.

  “Standard,” Wally said. “Nothing a real hacker would use. Not enough drive or memory.”

  “We’ll see about getting you what you need,” I said.

  Wally bit into a bagel. “Were you scared tonight? I was,” he said.

  “No, Wally, I wasn’t scared,” I said. “And neither should you be.”

  Wally nodded. “We need to find a dealer who can make a computer that suits our needs,” he said.

  “I’m sure we’ll find one,” I said.

  “Wait,” Wally said. He turned to the computer and started searching and then said, “There.”

  I looked at the screen. Custom-made PC’s and computer repair. Jake’s Computer World.

  “Do you know where this is?” Wally said.

  I looked at the address. “I know exactly where it is,” I said.

  “I’m going to bed,” Wally said.

  “Good idea,” I agreed.

  * * *

  “I want the most powerful hard drive you have in the store,” Wally told Jake.

  Jake looked at Wally. “That’s a nine thousand dollar drive,” he said.

  “And your biggest flat monitor, top of the line speakers, and best keyboard,” Wally said.

  “Don’t be insulted, friend, but you’re talking about twelve thousand dollars worth of equipment here,” Jake said.

  I was about to interrupt when Wally opened his wallet and tossed his corporate gold card on the counter.

  Jake looked at it.

  “It’s good,” Wally said. “Check it if you like.”

  “Well, let’s get started,” Jake said.

  While Wally and Jake played around with computer equipment, I went outside and called Carly.

  “How’s it going?” I said.

  “We’re working on subpoenas and suppressions,” Carly said. “Where are you?”

  “Outside a strip mall with Wally,” I said.

  “What the hell are you doing there?” Carly said.

  “Shopping,” I said. “I’ll tell you about it later. From here, I’m going to see Walt.”

  “Tell him to stay calm,” Carly said. “We’ll be by to see him tomorrow.”

  I hung up and called Jane.

  “I see you survived traveling with Wally,” she said.

  “He’s better, actually,” I said.

  “Better than what?” Jane said.

  “Better than before,” I said. “So listen, he’s staying with me for a few days, so…”

  “At the trailer?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, come over to my house.”

  “And leave him alone?”

  “He’s forty years old, for God’s sake,” Jane said.

  “He can barely tie the laces on his sneakers,” I said. “But, I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Call me later,” Jane said.

  I hung up and returned to the store where Wally and Jake were testing some kind of super computer at the counter.

  “This is the one,” Wally said. “Pack it up, Jake, we’ll take it.”

  * * *

  While Wally assembled the new super brain on the kitchen table, I changed and got in a workout on the heavy and speed bags and push-up bars.

  By the time I was done, Wally was putting his new toy through its paces.

  “Give me an hour to program what I’ll need,” he said.

  I went for a run and when I returned, Wally was on one of the social media sites.

  “What’s her full name, the girlfriend?” Wally said.

  “Rosamund Rose Riker,” I said.

  “Unusual name,” Wally said. “Well, let’s see what we see.”

  While Wally was seeing, I grabbed a shower. By the time I reemerged fully dressed, he was lost in thought.

  He was so engrossed in what he was doing, he didn’t notice as I made a pot of coffee and took a mug to the table.

  “Wally?” I said.

  He reached for my mug and took a sip. I got up and filled another mug and then sat down again.

  “Wally, what are you doing?” I said.

  “Oh, see, I’m looking at her profile page,” Wally said as he took another sip from the mug.

  I scooted around and looked at the giant monitor. The profile page on the social network site was for Rosamund Rose Riker.

  “People are so stupid when it comes to their personal information,” Wally said. “She listed her email address under contact information.”

  “Can you use that?” I said.

  “It’s like the combination to a safe, if you know how,” Wally said. “I once spent three weeks hacking into the computer systems of a Vegas casino just to gain the odds on March Madness, and they had a firewall you wouldn’t believe.”

  “Does she have a firewall?” I said.

  “Everybody does,” Wally said. “And most are useless against a pro hacker. The United States Government has the best programs available, and they still get hacked all the time.”

  “But they know they’re being hacked and shut it down,” I said.

  “And they just get hacked again,” Wally said. “It’s the time between when they get hacked and shut it down where all the damage is done. It’s like a game to these people. Some hackers do it just for the fun of doing it.”

  “All that aside, can you hack into her computer and see if Reed is using it?” I said.

  Wally looked at the monitor and nodded. “Is there any coffee?” he said.

  “Besides the mug at your fingertips?” I said.

  “I’d love some,” Wally said as he tapped some keys.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  While Wally toiled over the computer, I took a drive to visit Walt.

  He was in the backyard playing ring toss with Regan.

  “Give us a few minutes, honey,” I told Regan.

  “I’ll make you some coffee,” Regan said and went inside.

  “How are things in Wally World?” Walt said.

  “He’s actually calmed down quite a bit since last year,” I said.

  We took chairs at the patio table.

  “And you needed him because…?” Walt asked.

  “He’s going to help me get to the bottom of all this,” I said.

  “We are talking about the same Wally Sample?” Walt said.

  “He’s a crackpot for sure, but he’s also a genius,” I said.

  “Do I even want to know what you’re up to?” Walt said.

  “No, but that’s not why I’m here,” I said. “I’m just checking up on my oldest friend is all.”

  “Am I on suicide watch now?” Walt said.

  “I just want to know what you’re thinking, Walt,” I said.

  Regan appeared with two mugs of coffee.

  “Thank you, honey,” Walt said.

  “Dad, Aunt Liz and I are going grocery shopping,” Regan said. “Is there anything special you’d like, Uncle Walt?”

  “Ice cream. A quart of chocolate ice cream,” Wal
t said.

  “That’s it?” Regan said.

  “Liz knows everything else.”

  Regan nodded and went back inside.

  Walt sipped from his mug and then looked at me. “I’m not going to off myself, Jack, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said. “I’ve resigned myself to the fact I’m going to do some time. How much, how little, doesn’t really matter. I’ll lose my pension and that leaves Liz without an income. Our daughters aren’t really established enough to be of much help. I told her to sell the house and get a small place, or move in with one of our daughters. The house is worth three-fifty, maybe four hundred thousand in today’s market.”

  “That won’t happen,” I said. “You have my word on it. That will not happen.”

  “Why, what are you going to do?” Walt said.

  “Finish my coffee, and then go back and see what Wally is up to,” I said.

  Walt sighed. “I really don’t want you for a cellmate, Jack,” he said.

  “Relax. Watch a movie with Oz or something,” I said. “I’ll stop by tomorrow with Carly and Kagan.”

  I left Walt at the patio table and went in to see Oz. He walked out with me to the car.

  “Anything I should know about?” Oz said.

  “How is it going with the real estate developer?” I said.

  “We got thirty days left before he kicks us out,” Oz said. “I got an appointment to look at design plans next week. You coming?”

  “Let me know where and when,” I said.

  Oz gave me his look. “Whatever you’re up to, give me fair warning,” he said. “I have Regan, the cat, and the damn dog to think about.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said. “Carly and Kagan are stopping by. I’ll grill up some lunch.”

  * * *

  Wally, dressed in a robe, was in the lounge chair when I arrived at the trailer. He had taped two sheets of aluminum foil to cardboard he had cut from the box the computer was packed in, and was using them to tan his face.

  I grabbed the chair next to him.

  “I used her email to track her IPO address. I was going to…” Wally said.

  “IPO?” I said.

  “Every computer has an address built in,” Wally said. “It’s how the FBI can track a pervert to a computer. Like with that congressman who was emailing pictures of his privates to underage girls. Some people are just sick, I guess. A grown man sending perverted pictures to a fifteen-year-old girl. That reminds me of a gambler I knew back in Vegas who…”