“We’ve got Elise’s cell,” Victor said. “But we have to assume they’ll find her laptop and her office computer, maybe a tablet.”

“Which tell them what?” Thackrey asked.

“That’s just it. We don’t know.”

Thackrey poured another glass of zinfandel. Holding the glass to the light, he slowly swirled the wine. “I think it’s time we invoke the spirit of the late Dr. Wheeler. Remember the computer science history I taught you boys?”

“Wheeler?” Victor sat up. “The Princeton physicist? John Archibald Wheeler?”

“You two were always such good pupils. Wheeler was the guy who talked about how all matter is based on information. What was that famous thing he said?”

“It from bit.”

“That’s right! It from bit. Give that boy highest marks. The bit is the fundamental particle, the irreducible kernel. Every particle derives its meaning from bits, binary choices, the answers to yes-or-no questions. At the root of all things is a one or a zero. We just need to turn off the bits, change them from a yes to a no, from a one to a zero.”

Thackrey went back to the kitchen countertop and turned the laptop toward him. He scrolled through the screen and silently read. After a few minutes, he pointed to the screen. “This guy here. Martin Coyle. Associate’s degree in computer science. He’ll be the information guy. Get into his database. Attach a keystroke logger. See what they know and where they’re going.”

“You really think we can erase evidence?” Russell asked.

“Not all, but enough. Elise was a very busy girl. In a day or two, these cops are going to have so much useless crap on their hands, they’ll get tired.”

“Tired?”

“Yeah, tired. But not us.” Thackrey winked. “We’ll be up here in Empyrean Towers. As wide awake as the white-crowned sparrow.”

Chapter Six

(i)

(TUESDAY, 1:33 P.M.)

Mahler turned to Eden in the corridor outside the interview room. “Look—his lawyer’s Jordan Everest. He represented Partridge two years ago. Guy specializes in criminal defense and being an asshole. He’s trying to make a name for himself, get noticed by a firm down in the city. Don’t say anything you don’t want on the news tonight.”

He waited for a sign of agreement, but Eden pushed her glasses tight and watched him silently. He realized he couldn’t read her. Did she not understand? Or was she so far ahead of him that she was waiting for something better?

“But what about Partridge?” she asked. “He’s really the one, right? What do you want me to do? If you don’t want me to say anything, I won’t.”