I was back in my hotel room an hour later, my laptop set to the sonar array's Web link. Using my touchpad, I could zoom in on each section of the Loch, obtaining real-time data on any biologics passing by the pinging buoys.

Before I could begin, however, I was interrupted by a knock on my door. Not another reporter …

I peeked through the peephole, then opened the door for a stocky waiter with short, dirty blond hair and matching beard. "You must have the wrong room, bud. I didn't order room service."

"Compliments of your father, sir." He handed me a card.

Dearest Zachary:

Tomorrow's a big day for both of us.

Keep up your strength, my faith's in you.

—Your loving father.

Now what was Angus up to?

"Set it by the desk, please."

He pushed the cart of food inside, then noticed the laptop screen. "Hey, is this some sort o' sonar array? We're studyin' these things in university. My professor, he writes for the Fish an' Fisheries journal, the one put out by Edinburgh, St. Andrews, an' Leeds."

"I've read it. They do nice work."

"Yeah, they're pretty intense. I helped compile information used in one o' their special issues, it wis about how fish are smarter than scientists once thought. Ye know, steeped in social intelligence, cooperatin' wi' each other when it comes tae spottin' predators an' catchin' food. Stuff like that."

"So you're a marine biologist posing as a waiter?"

"Jist an undergrad tryin' tae pay my way through university." He extended his hand. "Ed Homa. It's a real pleasure tae meet ye, Dr. Wallace."

I shook his hand. "I was just about to take a peek in on Loch Ness. Want to watch?"

"Aye, that'd be amazin'."

I sat down at the desk and clicked on the northern third of the Loch, focusing my search from Lochend south to Urquhart Bay.

"So, Doc, where do ye think Nessie might be hidin'?"

"I'm not searching for Nessie. It's schools of fish I'm after, beginning with the salmon population. As I'm sure you know, they prefer the surface waters."

"Aye, sure."

Finding nothing, I clicked to another section of grid, then continued, one after the next, unable to find any fish.

"Uh, so where are they?"

I ignored him and moved on, focusing my search south toward Invermoristion.

Still nothing.

I shut the laptop fifteen minutes later, having failed to locate a single school of salmon. "Bizarre."

"Whit's bizarre?"

"They're not out there… or maybe they never arrived."

"Whit never arrived? Ye mean the salmon?"

"Yes. It's as if they're avoiding Loch Ness."

"Whit about the other species?"

"I can't be sure about the deepwater species. The array still has blind spots along the bottom. Still I—"

The phone's ring cut me off "Wallace. Oh, sorry, David, guess I forgot about you. Uh, yeah, hold on."

I turned to the waiter. "Sorry, do you mind?"

"Oh, sure. Hey, Doc, thanks."