Spyder sat in the dark at a large round table, surrounded by an array of glowing computer screens. He accessed a display to his left and cycled through a series of cameras they’d set up in the apartment. Then he picked up a cell phone and punched in a number.
“I’m watching him sleep,” Spyder said.
“Alone?”
“Unless you count the dog.”
“So you got everything installed?”
“We’ve got every room covered. His landline and every keystroke on his laptop as long as he’s in the apartment.”
“How about his office?”
“No-go. The building’s got some quirky things going on with its wireless reception, and he just installed a fairly sophisticated alarm system.”
“Can you beat it?”
“Of course, but it might take some time.”
A pause. “Let’s just focus on the apartment for now.”
“Fine.”
“Why are you calling?”
“He spent a lot of time online tonight.”
“Looking at what?”
“I’m sending it to you now. There’s a lot, so it’s gonna take a while to get through.”
“You take notes like I told you?”
Spyder stared at the pad of paper by his elbow. “Filled up half a notebook.”
“Give me the highlights.”
“He pulled up stuff on Perry like you thought. Then he started digging around in the state database for donations to Perry’s campaign and corporate records.” Spyder edged the notebook a little closer. “Spent some time with a company called Hi-Top Construction. Another called Beacon Limited.”
“Stop.”
Spyder waited. He hated this cloak-and-dagger bullshit, but the pay was too good to pass up.
“Did he make any calls?”
“Nothing,” Spyder said.
“You sure?”
“Hundred percent. We don’t have coverage on his cell phone, but I would have heard the call.”
Another pause. “Take a look out the window.”
Spyder was sitting in the front room of a third-floor apartment. The room had three windows that looked out at Kelly’s building across the street. Spyder had the windows covered. Now he reached out and tweaked one of the blinds.
“Can you see his place?”
“You know I can.”
“We’re gonna have someone follow this guy in the morning. I want you to coordinate with them.”
“It’ll be early. I’m guessing this prick doesn’t like to sleep very much.”
“We’re not paying you to lie around in bed. Call me when he’s up.”
Spyder snapped his phone shut and considered a half-dozen ways he could cut his boss’s throat. Unfortunately, the man didn’t have a name or a face, so Spyder would have to content himself with the ten K wired into his account every other week. He turned up the audio levels in the apartment so the sounds would wake him when Kelly got up. Then Spyder zipped himself into his sleeping bag. He thought about the rifle in the closet. Another ten thousand. Per body, no less. Spyder smiled and closed his eyes. At the end of the day, it was all about the money…and pretty easy money at that. Spyder couldn’t have been more wrong.