Spyder Web

44

Grin and Kilkenny were attending to their regular duties, the ones that they had occasionally neglected while tinkering with the Spyder, when Harbke and Ullrich arrived with two uniformed officers from the Ann Arbor Police Department.

‘Afternoon, ladies,’ Grin offered warmly.

‘William Grinelli and Nolan Kilkenny, I have warrants for your arrest,’ Ullrich announced in a clear, official voice. ‘You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can, and will, be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?’

‘Yes,’ Kilkenny replied. ‘What I don’t understand is why. What are we being charged with?’

‘In light of some new evidence, you are both being charged with twenty-four counts of computer and telephone fraud,’ Ullrich replied.

The police officers handcuffed an angry Kilkenny and a bewildered Grin and led them to a waiting squad car. The FBI held a press conference in Detroit to announce the arrests as the result of an ongoing investigation. The FBI estimated the damage caused by Grinelli and Kilkenny in the millions of dollars. News of their arrests shocked the research and academic community around the country, and denunciations followed quickly on news broadcasts and in the papers.