“At first evaluation, video was only a double. No home run.”

“Why only a two-bagger?” Lou asked, already comfortable with the analyst’s colorful patois.

“I know time of day because of position of sun and shadows,” Slugger said. “Video taken close to one o’clock in afternoon.”

Important stuff. By knowing the time of day they could contact the shipping company and examine the ship’s logs to determine where the vessel was located at that particular hour. Then, using maps, they might possibly be able to pinpoint Burke’s location.

“But there still problem. You went two for three with data, but you still missing key piece.”

“What piece of data do we need?” Vaill asked.

“What day is it?” Slugger replied. “I know hour, approximately one P.M., but I don’t know day. True position of sun depends on location and month. Also, ship has many logs. Need the day or close to it to make equation work.”

Lou’s enthusiasm lessened.

“Lou Welcome!” Slugger cried. “You look like you strike out with bases loaded. No worry. We come back like Cleveland beating Seattle down twelve runs in seventh inning. Okay?”

Lou, whose father, Dennis, could still give the Slugger at least a run for his money, immediately picked up on the reference to one of the greatest comebacks in Major League Baseball history. In 2001, the Indians were losing to the Mariners 14–2 and came back to win the game 15–14 in eleven innings.

“Sorry, Slugger, but I threw my last strike with the ship. Not sure how I can be John Rocker here.”

Slugger beamed. “Rocker! Yeah, good! Crazy man but damn good pitcher. John Rocker won game. Lot of luck there! But Rocker was no forester, and he was no intelligence analyst, either.”

Vaill now. “What do you mean ‘forester’?”

“Foliage in background,” Slugger said. “It is what forest people call peak. Best autumn colors. I check with forestry expert and he confirm.”

“But that won’t tell us where it was peak,” Lou said.

“We know based on sun and trees this East Coast,” Slugger replied. “But I call forestry expert and give him screen grab. Nothing revealing. He sees mix of deciduous trees and firs—blue spruce, white pine, maple, cedar, and balsam, which tell him Downeast Maine, maybe Washington County, which include city of Calais, first place in United States to see sunrise. You know that, Lou Welcome?”

“No. No, I didn’t. This is amazing work, Slugger.”

“Like Teddy Ballgame Williams, last man to hit four hundred for season. Four-oh-six for Red Sox in 1941. But it get better, Lou Welcome. Peak foliage in Downeast Maine depend on previous summer weather, but because climate warmer around coast, and no killing frost, peak for Washington County anywhere from fourteen October to twenty-five.”

“Which means you can check with Exceed Maritime and see where the EM Sustinet was on those dates,” Vaill said.