LLOYD FLIPPED ON HIS COMPUTER. He thought maybe marking a few student assignments would help him get a jump on next week’s teaching load. An email notification popped up on the computer screen. He wouldn’t normally pay any attention to it, but for the heading: Account activity detected.
He ignored the first assignment and clicked on the link. His Cayman Island bank had received an official request for account details from a bank in China that he had never heard of. Someone was snooping in his private account. The timing was suspicious. His heart rate increased. His forehead began to sweat.
He punched a memorized number, never to be stored, into his cellphone. He didn’t wait for the customary hello.
“They’ve found it.”
“What are you talking about?” Garth said. “Remember this is an open line. Someone could be listening.”
“Don’t patronize me. Someone is poking around in my bank account. The one I don’t want them poking around in.”
“How would they even know about it?”
“No idea. But they do. What is Larch doing about it? We don’t need Ritter anymore. Tell him to back off.”
“Don’t worry. I’m on it.”