The Venus Fix

Eighty-Nine

It took Perez and Jordain an hour to look through the lists of people who had requested items from the library or checked out books during the three days in question.

They weren’t just looking for Alan’s name. They were looking for Kira Rushkoff’s, too. And they were also looking for any name that appeared on all three days.

“Here’s one,” Perez said, pointing. “Familiar, too, but I don’t know why.”

Perez watched his partner’s face running the name through his computer-like brain, searching for the connection. Jordain never let him down. He wasn’t as good as some detectives were with hunches, but he more than made up for it with his uncanny ability to absorb everything connected to everyone involved with a case. He only had to see a name once and he never forgot it.

“Something to do with Alan Leightman’s wife, Kira Rushkoff. Wait, let me think.” Jordain frowned.

Perez waited.

Thirty seconds later, Jordain remembered. “Got it. A civil court case. Last year. In all the papers. Big-time computer hacking of an online porn company. Damn it, Perez. It was Global. All the women who worked for the company got e-mail telling them their boss was exploiting them and that they needed to revolt. Rushkoff defended the slime who owned-” He stopped talking.

The expression on his face was at once elated and chagrined. “Fuck,” he growled.

“What?”

“We need to find Ms. Stella Dobson right now.”

“Why?”

Jordain was rushing to the car, not even bothering to button his coat. With the windchill it was ten degrees below zero; he didn’t even notice.