Chapter 27

“When you’ve been an investigator for a while,” I said, choosing my words very carefully, “you learn how to obtain information clandestinely. I called a number that I’d been given, and the person at that number directed me somewhere else. That led me to yet another number, and eventually I got a call from a guy who claims to be an expert at hacking into computers and/or computer systems. I don’t know how he does it, and I don’t want to know. For that matter, I don’t even know who he is, because there are several degrees of separation between myself and him. What I do know is that he gained access to Mr. Ramirez’s home computer and told me about a few things, such as that particular payment.”

“How would we learn more,” Paul said, “assuming we decide to go that route?”

“I’ll give you the number of a cell phone. I’ve been told that it’s one of those throwaway phones and that it will be kept active for only a couple of weeks, so that’s your window of opportunity.”