Page 40

“Where did this come from?”
“I’m just going to wait over here,” said Rock, walking over to the windows.
“I asked Rock to pick it up and bring it to you.”
I looked in the bag and didn’t see a receipt. “How much do I owe you?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
My eyes opened wide. “You can’t buy me a computer, Cope.”
“It was that or let you borrow one of mine, and that’s against regulations.”
“Ha, ha.” I ran my hand over the white box covered in plastic wrap. I hadn’t let the idea of being “disconnected” settle in, but if I had, I certainly would’ve been agitated by it. “Thank you, but I insist on reimbursing you for this as soon as I have the energy to go get my wallet.”
“We can work it out later,” he said, motioning with his head toward Rock.
“Sure. Of course.” I shifted to stand, and Cope came around from the other side of the counter.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m giving you some privacy.”
“We might need you.” Cope turned to Rock. “Do you have it?”
He nodded and patted his pocket. “Right here.”
“Bring it over.”
Cope opened his laptop and inserted the thumb drive that Rock handed to him. I could tell that he played a video recording, but without my glasses, I couldn’t see much of anything other than shapes moving around on the screen. He hit the space bar and turned the computer toward me. “Is this the guy you saw in the parking garage?”
I looked from the screen to him. “Without my glasses, I can’t tell.”
“I’ll get them. Where are they?”
“In my bag.” I didn’t like not being able to do something as simple as getting my glasses, but if he went, it would be much faster.
“These them?” he asked, what seemed like seconds later.
“Yes,” I sighed in relief. I put them on and sighed again when everything came into focus. I peered at the screen. The image was grainy and in black and white, but he did look a lot like the guy I’d seen in the parking lot of the courthouse.
“He probably saw you leave with me,” Cope muttered.
“What exactly happened over there?”
“He was looking for something and wasn’t too happy when he couldn’t find it.” He turned the laptop back so he could study the image. “Any idea what it might’ve been?”
“None.”
“Ali?”
“Yeah?”
“No idea?”
“Obviously, my laptop.”
He leaned against the back of the stool. “Why, though? It doesn’t make sense.”