Dark Harbor (Stone Barrington 12)

“Wait a minute.”

“I’m still here.”

“Call me when you get back Dick’s personal effects, the things that the police took from his body.”

“They arrived yesterday.”

“There should be a small coinlike object, larger than a penny, smaller than a nickel.”

“There were no coins, just ninety-four dollars in a money clip.”

“Look through them again. I’ll hold.”

Stone put the phone down, went to the cupboard, retrieved the bag and shook the contents out on the desk.

“No coins,” he said.

“Tell me what’s there.”

“Small wallet, ninety-four dollars, money clip, handkerchief, comb, Chapstick, keys, Kleenex.”

“It’s got to be there. Take a minute and go through everything again, especially the wallet.”

Stone removed everything from the wallet and inspected it carefully. Nothing. He went through the money. Nothing. Nothing anywhere. He sneezed.

“Bless you,” he heard Lance say.

“Just a minute.” He picked up the Kleenex pack, got one out and blew his nose. “Hang on,” he said. He took all the Kleenex out of the pack, and left inside the plastic was a small disc. “Got it,” he said. “It was in the pack of Kleenex.”

“Okay, are you in the little office?”

“No.”

“Get in there, and take the disc with you.”

Stone unlocked the door and went inside again, taking the phone with him. “Okay, I’m in.”

“Look at the bottom of the computer; there’s a little panel.”

Stone looked at the black computer tower. “Yes, I see it.”

“Push on the panel.”

Stone did so, and out slid a little tray that had an indentation the size of the disc. “Okay, do I put the disc in the tray?”

“Yes, smooth side down.”

There were four little bumps on one side, so Stone put the disk, bumps up, Into the tray and closed it. “Done.”

“Now turn on the computer and the monitor. There’s a button at the top of the tower, next to the floppy-disk drive, and another on the monitor.”

Stone turned them both on. “Booting up.”

“Wait a minute, and you’ll get a prompt at the top of the screen.”

Stone waited, and the prompt appeared. “It’s there.”

“Type in, all caps, TELOG.”