Spilling Guts

Part 24 - Bribes and Couches

On the way back to Denver, Megan and Teegan received a file from the Hive. A small folder containing the information of a Jared C. Rover, age thirty-nine, former roommate to Parker Lenore. Teegan whistled as she gave the run down to Megan; the Hive had pulled hard on this string. Jared's folder had his work history (multiple jobs that didn't last long), housing history (all female roommates that also did not last long), automobile history (a rust-colored Oldsmobile bought used and still working after fifteen years in his ownership) and a copy of an expired driver's license. The photo showed a white male with a light beard covering a double chin and a smile that tried very hard to look helpful and sincere.

Megan and Teegan showed this photo to the worker behind the counter at "Net-Inn", the small cyber-cafe that stood in the shadows of downtown Denver. Net-Inn had free wifi, enough desktop computers to host a small LAN party, and charged by the quarter hour. It had one patron scrolling through sports scores. The majority of its profit came from a well stocked fridge housing energy drinks of every size, color, and potency.

"Yeah, he came in a few times with his own laptop," said the worker, a spread of college notes in front of him. His nametag read "Cam". "But he always bought a drink so I didn't mind."

Megan's hands slid into her jacket pockets, partially for comfort, and partially to palm a device the size of a stick of gum.

"Did he mention what he was doing?" asked Megan. She glanced at the keyboards in front of the buzzing desktops, some covered in orange chip-dust, then at the counter between them and the worker.

"No. I don't poke around other people's business." He shrugged and looked back down at his textbook. "People come in here for wifi, not a conversation."

"How much for a drink?" asked Teegan, eyeing the fridge.

"Which one?" asked Cam.

Teegan read the slanted scrawl on the smaller can of neon green and sickly red. "The Ka-Bang at the top."

"Seven fifty."

The can radiated eye-bleeding caffeine as the worker took it out of the fridge.

Megan took out the device, peeled off the backing, and stuck it under the counter as the worker's back was turned. When Cam turned back around with the can, Megan's hackles rose. She liked coffee and caffeine as much as the next person (as long as the next person wasn't one of Watch Two's Sugar Duo), but the can looked like a void in the universe that should not be touched.

Teegan held out a twenty, but kept hold of it as Cam reached for it. "Was this guy silent all the time?"

Cam eyed the twenty, his textbook, and then the one lone patron in the cafe. "He mentioned talking things over with a former roommate that had a few things of his. Kept saying it was a misunderstanding, not his fault. You know, blaming everything unfortunate in his life on everyone but himself. We get a few people like that in here trying to find job listings."

"Does he come here regularly?" asked Teegan, letting go of the bill.

"Not like clockwork, but at least twice a week. Last time was two days ago."

Megan nodded. That matched up with when Charlotte got the "ghost" email from her dead sister. She held out her card. "Would you mind contacting us if he stops by again?"

"Would you also like a drink?" Cam said with patient smirk.

Megan pursed her lips and also got an overpriced can containing essence-of-unholy-wakefulness, this one covered in metallic red and orange.

Cam held up the card. "I'll keep you in mind! Thank you for stopping by!"

The two agents left Net-Inn, their wallets lighter, but their case stronger.