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The Alexandria City Police Department cruiser parked behind the Navigator and blocked it in. A lone officer stepped out of the vehicle and approached the driver’s door.
“Are you good?” Noah whispered into the handset.
Angie toggled the PTT button once. Affirmative.
He pulled back the curtain just enough to see what was happening. Dickinson must have wedged the radio between the seat and console. The toggle was continually broadcasting.
“Good afternoon, Officer. How can I help you?”
“We’ve had reports of suspicious vehicles parked out front of this residence. Can I see your driver’s license and proof of registration, please?”
“I’m legally parked. Are you accusing me of a crime?” Noah could hear the incredulous tone in her voice. He knew right away where this conversation was headed. He had pulled many people over, and it usually started the same way.
“I’m just following up on complaints. Driver’s license and registration, please.” The officer appeared to be young, mid-twenties, and was built like a football player—all shoulders and chest. Noah’s view was obstructed, but he could see the cop step backward toward the hood and rested a hand on his holstered Taser.
Angie chuckled. “Unless you are accusing me of a crime, I am not required to show identification. I have no doubt you’ve learned the fourth amendment in your training.”
“I have complaints of suspicious activity on this street, and I’m asking you to show identification.” Noah could see the officer’s face turn red with embarrassment from forty feet away.
“What’s your name and badge number?” There was an edge to Dickinson’s voice he hadn’t heard before.
The officer remained silent. He was trapped with trying to have his original order followed. “Last chance. Produce your identification.”
Noah was ready to step outside.
“Listen here, Constable Clarke. First, you have yet to identify yourself as a police officer. Secondly, I can be suspicious all I want. That’s not a crime. You are being suspicious by being unreasonable and demanding documentation outside of your legislation to do so. You do not have any reasonable or can articulate suspicion of any criminal involvement. Feel free to call your supervisor as confirmation, or you will be at risk of litigation, as well as your department.”
“I could place you under arrest.” Clarke stepped forward and pointed the finger at Angie.
“Sure. Go ahead. In order to detain me, you have to prove a crime has been committed. What’s the crime? Come on. I’m waiting.”
The officer was flustered.
“Just as I thought. Have a good day.” Noah heard Angie raise the window and turn on the radio. He was dismissed.
Officer Clarke’s hand gripped the yellow-bodied Taser. He stood there for a few seconds, eyes wide in disbelief. Then he went back to the cruiser, and Noah could see him on the radio as he called it in. The officer whipped his hat into the car as he got behind the wheel.
Five minutes passed before the flashing lights were turned off, and he backed up and used the neighbor’s driveway to turn around.
“What an asshole. Are you okay?” Dickinson held the radio in her hands and turned toward the home. Noah pulled back the curtain to give her a thumbs-up.
“I’m good. I’ll be out in a minute. Keep an eye out for any neighbors that may have called this in. No doubt we attracted some attention.”
Noah felt the knot of tension fade. She handled herself well, probably better than he would have. He turned to the one thing that had to be addressed—the computer behind the desk.
The orange cord had over a dozen smaller cables inside, and they connected to the back of the system. Noah had thought it was an extension cord. Twelve separate lines snaked around to the back of the electronics. The low hum from various internal fans was barely audible.
“I would imagine a woman with her experience would have one hell of a system.” There wasn’t one piece of equipment Noah recognized. He had trouble with laptops and could barely handle email, let alone a complicated system. Was someone looking for Miriam Davis and attempting to break into her computer? It was only a guess, but it felt right. Noah realized the answers could be inside as he followed the cord back out the front door to the step-van.
After scanning the park and surrounding homes, Angie figured out what he was doing, then nodded. He tried the handle and sliding rear door, but they were locked.
Dickinson rummaged in her luggage and stepped out of the rental. She had an eighteen-inch collapsible baton and passed it over.
“Thanks.”
Noah stepped to the side, with his back against the truck. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he extended the baton. Contrary to popular belief, a vehicle's windows are designed to be stronger in the middle—where a collision or impact is more likely. Along the perimeter is the weakest point. The rounded steel rod went through the bottom with little effort. The window shattered with a muffled pop, and the tempered glass exploded inward across the passenger seat. Noah used the shaft to outline the opening to clear the clinging fragments.
Angie stepped forward and reached inside to unlock, then opened the sliding rear door. The orange wire went in through the bottom of the truck and into a computer bank built into the driver’s side. It looked like a mini-office, including two chairs against a small desk.
“Anything?” Noah kept a lookout while Angie went inside.
“There’s a laptop and three cell phones connected to the system.”
“Those could be traced if we took them. Right now, I believe we are under their radar. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Roger that.” She reached inside and showed Noah a small black case the size of a tissue box. A black wire and plug hung from the back. “I do know what this is. An external hard drive.”
“Can it give away our position?”
Angie shook her head. “There may be software that will connect to the internet and broadcast a signal, but until that happens, no.”
“Take it. We’ve pressed our luck too far. Time to go.”
“Where next?” Angie got back in the Navigator as Noah patted his pocket. “Road trip. Just a second.”
Noah grabbed two large bottles of water out of the backseat and went back to the van. He emptied both onto every piece of computer equipment inside. At first, nothing happened, but then everything shut down after a series of pops and crackling. A think trickle of smoke rose from the server bank along with a sharp smell of burned electronics.
Now, he was ready to hit the road.