Read Online Points West (A Butterscotch Jones Mystery Book 5) by Melanie Jackson - Free Book Online Page A

stick open. And
if it is something dreadful, he is far better able to deal with it than we
are.”
    “I know.” Chuck didn’t sound happy. He is a loyal Canadian
and the idea of passing intelligence over the border sat wrong with him.
    “Can you think of any way to give the thing to your people
without getting in trouble, or leading them to the Gulch?”
    “No. I don’t have any real friends and I don’t know whom to
trust. If it was convenient for the higher-ups, they’d turn me into a
sacrificial animal and bleed me for the evening news.”
    “Well then.”
    “I just wish I could figure this out myself.”
    “What is the sticking point? Just that the files have
passwords you can’t break?”
    “No. It’s more than that. You see, there are two parts to
that drive. It’s been partitioned. Part of it is heavily encrypted. Like it was used by two people. Or on two
machines. And the part I can get open, I don’t understand.”
    “So.”
    “I know, but let’s sleep on it. If it still seems reasonable
in the morning we’ll borrow Sasha’s special phone and call Agent Desoto.”

 
 
 
 

Chapter 11

 
    The dawn was frozen in place and the cold clamped over my
face the moment I poked my nose out of the covers. The first thing was to build
up the fire before the blood retreated to my vital organs and my extremities
fell off.
    Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration, but we had let the
fire go out in the night and it was too cold for anyone except Max.
    I got the fire going and then fried up bacon and bread. It
was the kind of morning for a hearty breakfast full of fat and carbs.
    Chuck and I discussed the matter backward and forward and
decided that my plan was the best. We also agreed to keep Brian on ice in case
Desoto didn’t come through and we needed whatever was in his body as evidence.
    We went to the inn, had some coffee with Big John, Sasha,
and the Flowers, and then Chuck asked Sasha if he could borrow his phone and
Big John’s office.
    Though the plan was mine, I found myself getting more
nervous as we put it in action. Did we want to call the FBI? Did we want to
invite the camel to put its nose under the tent flap? Was the fact they were in
another country sufficient to guarantee that they wouldn’t get curious about
the Gulch? After all, some of our residents were American.
    Showtime. Chuck punched in the
number and then handed me the tiny phone that had some kind of weird little
plug-in on the bottom.
    The phone was picked up after the second ring but it was an
answering system. I supposed that this was better than speaking to a human who
might identify my voice sometime in the future, but I absolutely hate pushing
buttons and beeping my way through relays. Fortunately, it had an option for
speaking and I could state the name of my desired party .
    It was one in the afternoon and I hoped that Agent Desoto
would be in. Phoning the FBI made me very nervous and I didn’t want to leave a
message.
    “Desoto,” a familiar voice barked.
    “Agent Desoto, I don’t know if you’ll remember me—” Of
course he would remember me, but I had to assume that phone calls were
recorded. “I met you on a fishing trip to Canada last year.”
    There was a pause and then he said, “Why yes. I recognize
your voice.”
    I nodded at Chuck.
    “Well, sir, I am sorry to call you at work, but I don’t have
a home number for you.”
    “Not a problem at all. What can I do for you?” It was too
much to say the voice was warm, but it was definitely curious and encouraging.
I blessed him for being quick on the uptake and not saying my name.
    “Well, I was cleaning out a closet here at the pub and I
found a piece of fishing gear that I thought might belong to you. I was going
to send it down but wasn’t sure if you would want it coming to the office.”
    Agent Desoto was thinking hard. This was like playing bridge
and trying to tell your partner through bidding what was in your hand. I leaned
over and