Waist Deep

46

The narrow stairs creaked as I went down them.At the foot of the stairs, I saw that the basement was small.A tiny laundry area was off to my left.I poked my head in and swept my eyes across the room.Just a washer and dryer and another closet.

I moved to the other side of the small basement and found a finished room that had been turned into a simple office.A desk with a computer was pushed into the corner.A printer on a small table sat next to the computer desk and another box-shaped component sat underneath the table.The printer was off, but a red light glowed on the box beneath the table.The desk chair was a match for the upstairs dining table chairs.Behind that, on the opposite wall, was a bookshelf with a few mainstream paperback novels and some back issues of Videomaker magazine.

The desktop was empty except for a keyboard and mouse on a dark blue pad.I put my pistol back in its holster and slid open some of the desk drawers.There was nothing but generic computer related items and office supplies.In the bottom drawer, I saw a Hoyle Casino game advertising Texas Hold ‘em as a featured game and a thick box of software. The cover of the software box showed a video camera and an editing screen.

I slid the drawer shut.

Jackson’s computer was up and running.I could hear the fan, even though the screen was blank.I nudged the mouse.The newest version of Microsoft Windows popped up, along with a password request.

My eyebrows went up at that.Who puts a password on their computer when they live alone?

People who have things to hide, that’s who.And given his subscription to Videomaker magazine and the copy of video editing software in his desk drawer, I had an idea what it was he was trying to hide.

I thought about it for a minute and tried a few random passwords, knowing the odds were better that Ed McMahon would burst through the door with my check from Publisher’s Clearing House than me getting the right password.

Star, I typed.

Incorrect.Please check your password and try again.

I tried Jackson.

Incorrect. Please check your password and try again.

I typed a few more, including Miller’s Crossing and Videomaker, and got the same response.Finally I typed, Jackson is a pervert and hit Enter.

Incorrect. Please check your password and try again.

“Damn,” I muttered and wished I knew half of what Adam did about computers.

I settled for checking around the office some more, but found nothing.

I was halfway up the stairs when the telephone rang.I froze for a moment, then trotted up to the kitchen and listened to it ring.The stairclimbing caused a flare of pain in my knee.I massaged it and waited.After four rings, Jackson’s answering machine picked up.I couldn’t hear his message, but the large zero on the face of the machine turned into a rotating red line.Then the speaker kicked on.

“Are you there?” a woman’s voice asked.

I thought about snatching the receiver and talking to her.My hand actually began reaching for the handset, but I stopped and waited.

“Okay, I guess you’re out.Listen, I’ll be over a little later than we talked about, but I’m bringing a friend and she is excited to meet you.She’s never worked before, but she’ll do fine.Her name’s Linda and she’s totally okay with working one with me.We can do that instead of the solo scenes you wanted, if that’s okay.Anyway, I’ll see you later tonight and I’ll bring Linda.You’ll like her.Bye.”

I listened to the machine click off and I wondered if that had been Kris.I’d never heard her voice before, but somehow that hadn’t sounded like her.That was what I told myself, anyway.