Even the Wicked

by Lawrence Block

Page 26

 

  "Id say one at the most. I dont think he would have used his real name. "

  "I dont blame him. "

  "But he may have kept the initials. "

  "Well, lets see. " She tapped away at the keys, periodically rolling her eyes while she waited for the machine to respond. "Every computers faster than the last one," she said, "and theyre never fast enough. You get so you want it instantaneous. More than that, you want it to give you data before you can even think to ask for it. "

  "Same with people. "

  "Huh? Oh, right. " She giggled. "At least computers keep improving. Do you see what Im doing? Im starting with USAir, and Im asking if theres a Wishniak on Flight 1103 on the fifth, and theres not, and now Ill ask about Flight 179 the same day… No. Okay, the other dates the sixth, right? So well try 1103… Nothing, and now well try 179. Is that the right number, 179? It is, so well try it. Nope. "

  "I dont think he would have used his real name. "

  "I know, but I wanted to rule it out because with the name I could access the records. With just the initials I cant. "

  "Oh. "

  "Let me try Midwest Express," she said. She did, and United as well, and wound up shaking her head.

  "Theres another name you could try," I said. "He had a brother who anglicized the family name, and Arnolds borrowed the name in the past. "

  I told her the name and she repeated it and frowned. "Spell it?" I spelled it and she hit keys. "Its a familiar name to me," she mused. "Where did I hear it recently?"

  "No idea," I said. "Of course theres the ballplayer, Dave Winfield. "

  She shook her head. "Since the strike," she said, "I dont pay any attention. Flight 1103, on the fifth. No luck there. Flight 179, also on the fifth…"

  Nothing on any of the flights in question.

  "Theres still a good chance he used the initials," I said. "But you cant access it that way. Suppose you just pull up the passenger manifests for each of those flights. Can you do that?"

  "I cant. "

  "Who can?"

  "Some computer genius, probably. Or somebody at the airline whos got the access codes. " She frowned. "This is important, huh?"

  "Kind of. "

  She picked up a phone, flipped through a Rolodex, dialed a number. She said, "Hi, this is Phyllis at JMC. Whos this? Judy? Judy, Ive got this very good customer of mine who happens to be a detective. Hes on this case that involves a noncustodial parent… Right, you hear about stuff like this all the time. I know, its amazing. They dont pay child support and then they come and kidnap the kids. "

  She explained what I needed to know. "He wasnt on any of those flights under his own name," she said, "but the detective thinks he may have kept the initials. No, I understand its confidential, Judy. You would have to have a court order. Right. " She made a face, then forced a smile. "Look, could you do this much? Without telling me the name, could you see if theres a male passenger on one of those flights with the initials AW? Yes, Philadelphia to Omaha. "

  She covered the mouthpiece. "Shes not supposed to do this," she said, "but shell bend a little. My guess, shes divorced and not on the best of terms with her ex. " She uncovered the mouthpiece. "Hi, Judy. Rats. None at all, huh?"

  "He probably paid cash," I said.

  She was quick. "Judy," she said, "he probably made up a name, so he probably paid cash. If you could… uh-huh. Uh-huh. Right, I understand. "

  She covered the mouthpiece again. "She cant do it. "

  "Cant or wont?"

  "Wont. Its against the rules, shed get in trouble, blah blah blah. "

  TJ said, "Could you do it? If you had the access codes?"

  "But I dont. "

  "But she does. "

  She considered, shrugged, and uncovered the mouthpiece. "Judy," she said, "last thing I want is for you to get in trouble. For curiosity, though, tell me something. Is that information there to be pulled up? Like whether a ticket was purchased cash or charge? I mean, suppose a customer comes in and pays me cash, and… Uh-huh. I see. So anybody could access it. I mean, I could get it myself if I had the access codes, is that right?" She grabbed up a pen, jotted down a phrase. "Judy," she said, "youre a doll. Thanks. " She broke the connection, grinned fiercely, and held up a clenched fist in triumph. "Yes!"

  * * *

  We still had a ways to go. What she managed to produce, after a lot of head-scratching and keytapping, was a printout of passenger manifests for flights on the three airlines in question from Philadelphia to Omaha and as many return flights two days later. An asterisk next to a name indicated a non-credit card sale.

  "Cash or check," she explained. "Theres no distinction in the data bank. Also, these are just the cash and check sales made by the airline. Sales through travel agents are just listed that way, with no indication as to how payment was made. Thats not what she told me, but if theres a way to separate it out, I cant figure it out. "

  "Thats all right. "

  "It is? Because do you see the names coded with a C? These are all customers who bought their ticket through another airline, probably because their trip originated with another flight segment on the issuing carrier. For all I know they paid for their ticket with Green Stamps. "

  "I think the manifests are all I need. "

  "You do?"

  "If the same name turns up going and coming back, thats more significant than how he paid for the ticket. "

  "I didnt even think of that. Lets check. "

  I gathered up the sheets of paper. "Ive taken up enough of your time," I said. "The hard parts done. And, speaking of your time, I want to pay for it. "

  "Oh, come on," she said. "You dont have to do that. "

  I tucked the money into her hand. "The client can afford it," I said.

  "Well…" She closed her fingers around the bills. "Actually, that was fun. Not as much fun as booking you and your wife on a South Seas cruise, though. Be sure and call me when youre ready to go someplace wonderful. "

  "I will. "

  "Or even Omaha," she said.

  * * *

  "The client can afford it, " TJ said. "Thought we didnt have a client. "

  "We dont. "

  " Social engineering. What you did is you used a computer. Only thing, it was somebody elses computer. And somebody elses fingers on the keys. "

  "I suppose thats one way to put it. "

  "Lets see the lists," he said. "See how many repeats we got. "

  * * *

  "Mr. A. Johnson," I said. "Flew Midwest Express from Philadelphia to Omaha on the fifth, changing planes in Milwaukee. He flew back to Philadelphia on the morning of the seventh. Paid by cash or check. My guess is cash. "

  "You think its him. "

  "I do. "

  "Whole lot of folks named Johnson. Right up there with Smith and Jones. "

  "Thafs true. "

  " Cordin to Phyllis, you got to show ID to get on a plane. "

  "Theyve tightened up all their security measures. "

  "Case you a terrorist," he said, "they want to make sure its really you. They probably do the same when you buy the ticket, if you payin cash. Ask for ID. "

  I nodded. "Same with a check, but then they always want proof of identity for a check. Of course, its not that hard to get ID. "

  "Store right on the Deuce, print up all kinds of shit. Student ID, Sheriff cards. Wouldnt make much of an impression on a cop, but you gonna look too hard at it if youre behind the counter at the airlines?"

  "Especially if the customers a prosperous-looking middle-aged white man in a Brooks Brothers suit. "

  "The right front gets you through," he agreed.

  "And the ID may have been legitimate," I said. "Maybe he had a client named Johnson, maybe he hung on to a drivers license for some poor bastard who wouldnt need it while he was locked up in Green Haven. "

  He scratched his head. "We got a name of a dude flew to Omaha one day and back a couple days later. We got anything more than that?"


  "Not yet," I said.

  * * *

  "Im glad you brought him in," Joe Durkin said. "This is the very mope weve been looking high and low for. Ill ask him a few questions soon as I remember where I put my rubber hose. "

  "Bet I know where its at," TJ said. "You want, I help you look for it. "

  Durkin grinned and gave him a poke in the arm. "What are you doing with my friend here?" he demanded. "Why arent you out on the street selling crack and mugging people?"

  "My day off. "

  "And here I thought you guys were dedicated. Seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year, soothing the emotional pain of the public. Turns out you coast just like everybody else. "

  "Hell yes," TJ said. "I didnt want to do nothin but work all the time, I be joinin the po-leese. "

  "Say that again for me, will you? Po-leese. "

  "Po-leese. "

  "Jesus, I love it when you talk dirty. Matt, I dont know what gives me the idea, but somehow I think youre here for a reason. "

  We were in the squad room at Midtown North, on West Fifty-fourth Street. I took a chair and explained what I wanted while TJ went over to the board and thumbed through a sheaf of Wanted flyers.

  "When you find one with your picture on it," Joe advised him, "bring it over and Ill get you to autograph it for me. Matt, let me see if Ive got this straight. You want me to call the Omaha police and ask them to check hotel records for some zip named Johnson. "

  "Id appreciate it," I said.

  "Youd appreciate it. In a tangible way, do you suppose?"

  "Tangible. Yes, I suppose I-"

  "I like that word," he said. "Tangible. It means you can touch it. You reach out and its there. Which gives rise to a question. Why dont you reach out and touch someone?"

  "Pardon me?"

  "You know the hotel, right? The Hilton?"

  "Thats the place to start. Im not positive thats where he stayed, but-"

  "But youd start there. Why didnt you? Use their eight hundred number and the calls free. Cant beat that for a bargain. "

  "I called," I said. "I didnt get anywhere. "

  "You identify yourself as a police officer?"

  "Thats illegal. " He gave me a look. "I may have given that impression," I admitted. "It didnt do me any good. "

  "Since when did you become incapable of calling a hotel and conning a little information out of a desk clerk?" He looked at the slip of paper in front of him. "Omaha," he said. "What the hell ever happened in Omaha?" He looked at me. "Jesus Christ," he said.

  "Not Him personally," TJ put in, "but this dude who said he was real tight with Him. "

  "The abortion guy. What was his name?"