Read Online The Haunted (Sarah Roberts 12) by Jonas Saul - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jonas Saul
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completely smashed—” Parkman’s eyes widened. “That’s why you want another MacBook. So you can back up her hard drive from that Time Capsule thing she uses.”
“Exactly.”
“Okay, let’s go. They don’t need us here.”
Parkman left Aaron alone so he could call a taxi while he strode over to tell Kershaw they were leaving.
Moments later, he returned. “Kershaw has my cell number and I’ve got his,” Parkman said.
“Great. Cab’ll meet us two blocks from here.”
“Why two blocks?”
Aaron shrugged. “Don’t know. Just didn’t want to be picked up at a murder scene.”
Parkman frowned. “Hmmph. Okay.”
They left the shade and started walking. It was hot for late April, warning them that the coming summer could be a scorcher. The yellow taxi came up the street. Aaron waved and the vehicle veered toward them, stopping two feet away.
Parkman grabbed the door handle but didn’t open it. “How much of that email from Cole’s sister did you get to read?”
“Over half of it. Rebecca was about to tell Sarah where Cole is. I’m assuming Sarah read the email last night. Once we read the email, we might know where Sarah has gone.”
Aaron got in the taxi. Parkman followed.
“Take us to town. We need an Apple Store.”
The unshaven driver, whose cab reeked of cigarette smoke, twisted in his seat and looked at Aaron. “You mean apples and oranges, as in fruit? Or Apples as in computers?”
“Computers.”
“This might prove difficult,” the driver said.
“How so?” Parkman asked.
“Not many people around here can afford an Apple. Closest store is in the big city. Many hours from here. We could drive south and make it to Sacramento in three to four hours.”
Aaron shot a side glance at Parkman. “Now what?”
“It has to be a Mac?” Parkman asked.
Aaron nodded. “We can’t sit on the highway in a taxi for almost eight hours there and back to the cabin, buy a thousand dollar computer, transfer the files over an eight-hour period so we can read one email. That’s too long. Sarah doesn’t have that long.”
“Is there an Internet cafe anywhere?” Parkman asked.
The driver shook his head in the negative, the taxi still idling. Then said, “There is, but it has old PCs, not Macs.”
“We need to take it to the cabin with us, log onto her network.”
“What now?” Parkman asked.
“No idea.” Aaron said. He leaned up in the seat to read the driver’s name. “Marco, do you know anyone who has a MacBook laptop we could borrow for the rest of the day?”
He shook his head wide, shoulder to shoulder. “I’m sorry, I don’t have friends who own such a machine. My boss has one in his office, but it’s not a laptop—”
Parkman slapped the arm rest on the door and sat up straighter in his seat. “Your boss has a Mac?”
“Yes, but it’s a desktop computer. And I can’t imagine he would lend it out to go to some cabin for the day.”
“Take us to your boss.”
“Can’t do it. Waste of time.”
“Where’s your head office?”
“You’re not listening. My boss is a private man. There’s no way in hell that he would give you his computer, even if you gave him the couple of thousand it’s worth in cash. It’s his and only his. He doesn’t even let his wife on it.”
“You’re a cab driver. We’re asking you to taxi us to your boss. We’ll pay the fare and then let your boss tell us that he won’t let us on his system.”
“No.” He stared back at the two of them. “I will take you wherever you want to go, but not to my office. Either leave my cab or pick another destination.”
Aaron leaned forward again, studying the identification card on the dash of the taxi. “Yellow cab. Marco Vinetti, car number 8674,” Aaron said. “C’mon Parkman. Let’s go back and get Officer Kershaw to drive us to the
“Exactly.”
“Okay, let’s go. They don’t need us here.”
Parkman left Aaron alone so he could call a taxi while he strode over to tell Kershaw they were leaving.
Moments later, he returned. “Kershaw has my cell number and I’ve got his,” Parkman said.
“Great. Cab’ll meet us two blocks from here.”
“Why two blocks?”
Aaron shrugged. “Don’t know. Just didn’t want to be picked up at a murder scene.”
Parkman frowned. “Hmmph. Okay.”
They left the shade and started walking. It was hot for late April, warning them that the coming summer could be a scorcher. The yellow taxi came up the street. Aaron waved and the vehicle veered toward them, stopping two feet away.
Parkman grabbed the door handle but didn’t open it. “How much of that email from Cole’s sister did you get to read?”
“Over half of it. Rebecca was about to tell Sarah where Cole is. I’m assuming Sarah read the email last night. Once we read the email, we might know where Sarah has gone.”
Aaron got in the taxi. Parkman followed.
“Take us to town. We need an Apple Store.”
The unshaven driver, whose cab reeked of cigarette smoke, twisted in his seat and looked at Aaron. “You mean apples and oranges, as in fruit? Or Apples as in computers?”
“Computers.”
“This might prove difficult,” the driver said.
“How so?” Parkman asked.
“Not many people around here can afford an Apple. Closest store is in the big city. Many hours from here. We could drive south and make it to Sacramento in three to four hours.”
Aaron shot a side glance at Parkman. “Now what?”
“It has to be a Mac?” Parkman asked.
Aaron nodded. “We can’t sit on the highway in a taxi for almost eight hours there and back to the cabin, buy a thousand dollar computer, transfer the files over an eight-hour period so we can read one email. That’s too long. Sarah doesn’t have that long.”
“Is there an Internet cafe anywhere?” Parkman asked.
The driver shook his head in the negative, the taxi still idling. Then said, “There is, but it has old PCs, not Macs.”
“We need to take it to the cabin with us, log onto her network.”
“What now?” Parkman asked.
“No idea.” Aaron said. He leaned up in the seat to read the driver’s name. “Marco, do you know anyone who has a MacBook laptop we could borrow for the rest of the day?”
He shook his head wide, shoulder to shoulder. “I’m sorry, I don’t have friends who own such a machine. My boss has one in his office, but it’s not a laptop—”
Parkman slapped the arm rest on the door and sat up straighter in his seat. “Your boss has a Mac?”
“Yes, but it’s a desktop computer. And I can’t imagine he would lend it out to go to some cabin for the day.”
“Take us to your boss.”
“Can’t do it. Waste of time.”
“Where’s your head office?”
“You’re not listening. My boss is a private man. There’s no way in hell that he would give you his computer, even if you gave him the couple of thousand it’s worth in cash. It’s his and only his. He doesn’t even let his wife on it.”
“You’re a cab driver. We’re asking you to taxi us to your boss. We’ll pay the fare and then let your boss tell us that he won’t let us on his system.”
“No.” He stared back at the two of them. “I will take you wherever you want to go, but not to my office. Either leave my cab or pick another destination.”
Aaron leaned forward again, studying the identification card on the dash of the taxi. “Yellow cab. Marco Vinetti, car number 8674,” Aaron said. “C’mon Parkman. Let’s go back and get Officer Kershaw to drive us to the
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