Virtual Destruction

CHAPTER 31

Back in the T Program offices, ready to start a new week, Craig had moved into Gary Lesserec’s little-used cubicle to keep his notes and write his reports.

Paige came to him, grinning broadly as she held the drooping paper of a fax. “Finally got it, Craig — first thing of the morning. It’s the list of all the people who used this CAIN booth in the days preceding and following Michaelson’s death.”

Craig sat up from jotting notes on a yellow legal pad. “About time,” he said. “We were supposed to have that last Friday.”

“I know,” Paige said with a sheepish expression, “but we’re lucky Jeannie came in today. She has one of the most sophisticated computer tracking systems on site… so naturally it didn’t work right and broke down. If we had to look through punch cards, I probably would have found it within an hour.”

He shook his head and took the fax from her. She pulled up a chair next to him in Lesserec’s cubicle, removed a felt tip pen, and made checkmarks beside some of the names.

“These are the PSOs who came in to do random inspections at odd hours,” she said.

Craig squinted down and picked up a different colored pen, ticking off the names of familiar T Program workers. Gary Lesserec had gone in and out many times. Michaelson himself had left in the mid-afternoon, presumably to go on his tour of the Plutonium Facility with José Aragon and then off to his meeting at the Director’s Office. He hadn’t returned here until after five when, according to the records, virtually everyone had checked out for the evening.

Gary Lesserec had been one of the last to leave before Michaelson returned. They had missed each other by only about five minutes.

“Nothing’s really obvious,” Craig said, scanning the list of names again.

Paige sat waiting for him, fidgeting in her chair. She remained quiet for no longer than two seconds. “Look at the next sheet. It’s the people who came in the following day. One name in particular is interesting I think.”

Craig looked it over, spotted the times of entry and exit — and immediately fixed upon one that didn’t belong. Diana Unteling at eleven forty-five PM. He recognized the name, but couldn’t place it. “Who’s this?” he said. “Another one of the PSOs?”

“No,” Paige said, drawing out the answer and trying to cover her smile. “It’s very interesting in fact.”

Then suddenly Craig remembered where he had seen her name. Diana Unteling had been Michaelson’s deputy on the on-site inspection team in the former Soviet Union years before. Michaelson had left her in charge when he had flown back to rescue the Laser Implosion Fusion Facility.

“I thought she was at DOE headquarters in Washington,” Craig said. “Was she back at Livermore on business?”

“According to Tansy’s schedules, Unteling and Michaelson had no meetings set up — and why was she out here so late at night? After you had ordered it sealed? The place was empty, but she stayed about an hour. What was she doing all that time?”

Craig made his mouth into a straight firm line, staring down at the fax paper. He suddenly sat bolt upright.

“Diana,” he said then he changed the tone of his voice. “‘Hal this is Diana, where the hell are you?’“

“Now you’re getting it!” Paige said. “You think Diana Unteling from DOE headquarters is the voice on the tape? This is bad news, or good news because it’s another whole line of reasoning we haven’t looked into yet.”

He stood up from the chair, leaving his clutter on Gary Lesserec’s desktop. “Let’s find out if Ms. Unteling is back in her DOE Headquarters or still out here. If I have to, I’ll travel to Washington DC tomorrow so I can talk to her face to face. I want to watch her expression before she has time to make up an excuse.”

“Do you think the FIB will fly you there?” Paige asked. “Won’t they just bring in one of their own agents in DC?”

Craig took a deep breath, remembering June Atwood threatening to pull him off the investigation. “It usually works that way — but right now my boss owes me a few big favors.”