按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Here's why；〃 he said at length； pointing at the screen。 〃The detail record's been erased。〃
〃You mean the information about the journal's location has been deleted？〃 Smithback asked。 〃Can they do that？〃
Moriarty shrugged。 〃It takes a high…security ID。〃
〃More importantly； why should somebody do that？〃 Margo asked。 〃Did the mainframe problem this morning have anything to do with it？〃
〃No。〃 Moriarty said。 〃This file pare dump I've just done implies the file was deleted sometime before last night's backup。 I can't be more specific than that。〃
〃Deleted； eh？〃 Smithback said。 〃Gone forever。 How clean； how neat。 How coincidental。 I'm beginning to see a pattern here…a nasty one。〃
Moriarty switched off the terminal and pushed himself back from the desk。 〃I'm not interested in your conspiracy theories；〃 he said。
〃Could it have been an accident？ Or a malfunction？〃 Margo asked。
〃Doubtful。 The database has all sorts of referential integrity checks built…in。 I'd see an error message。〃
〃So what； then？〃 Smithback pressed。
〃I haven't a clue。〃 Moriarty shrugged。 〃But it's a trivial issue； at best。〃
〃Is that the best you can do？〃 Smithback snorted。 〃Some puter genius。〃
Moriarty； offended； pushed his glasses up his nose and stood up。 〃I really don't need this；〃 he said。 〃I think I'll get some lunch。〃 He headed for the door。 〃Margo； I'll take a rain check on that crossword puzzle。〃
〃Nice going；〃 Margo said as the door closed。 〃You've got a really subtle touch； you know that； Smithback？ George was good enough to get us into the database。〃
〃Yeah； and what did we learn from it？〃 Smithback asked。 〃Diddly…squat。 Only one of the crates was ever accessioned。 Whittlesey's journal is still missing。〃 He looked at her smugly。 〃I； on the other hand； have struck oil。〃
〃Put it in your book；〃 Margo yawned。 〃I'll read it then。 Assuming I can find a copy in the library。〃
〃Et tu； Brute？〃 Smithback grinned and handed her a folded sheet of paper。 〃Well； take a look at this。〃
The sheet was a photocopy reproduction of an article from the New Orleans Times…Picayune dated October 17； 1988。
GHOST FREIGHTER FOUND BEACHED
NEAR NEW ORLEANS
By Antony Anastasia
Special to the Times…Picayune
BAYOU GROVE； October 16 （AP）…A small freighter bound for New Orleans ran aground last night near this small coastal town。 Details remain sketchy； but preliminary reports indicate that all crew members had been brutally slain while at sea。 The Coast Guard first reported the grounding at 11：45 Monday night。
The ship； the Strella de Venezuela； was an 18；000…ton freighter； currently of Haitian registry； that plied the waters of the Caribbean and the main trade routes between South America and the United States。 Damage was limited； and the vessel's cargo appeared to be intact。
It is not presently known how the crew members met their deaths； or whether any of the crew were able to escape the ship。 Henry La Plage； a private helicopter pilot who observed the beached vessel； reported that 〃corpses were strewn across the foredeck like some wild animal had gotten at them。 I seen one guy hanging out a bridge porthole； his head all smashed up。 It was like a slaughterhouse； ain't never seen nothing like it。〃
Local and federal authorities are cooperating in an attempt to understand the slayings； easily one of the most brutal massacres in recent maritime history。 〃We are currently looking into several theories； but we've e to no conclusions as of yet；〃 said Nick Lea； a police spokesman。 Although there was no official ment； federal sources said that mutiny； vengeance killings by rival Caribbean shippers； and sea piracy were all being considered as possible motives。
〃Jesus；〃 Margo breathed。 〃The wounds described here…〃
〃…sound just like those on the three bodies found here this week；〃 Smithback nodded grimly。
Margo frowned。 〃This happened almost seven years ago。 It has to be coincidental。〃
〃Does it？〃 Smithback asked。 〃I might be forced to agree with you…if it wasn't for the fact that the Whittlesey crates were on board that ship。〃
〃What？〃
〃It's true。 I tracked down the bills of lading。 The crates were shipped from Brazil in August of 1988…almost a year after the expedition broke up； as I understand it。 After this business in New Orleans； the crates sat in customs while the investigation was being conducted。 It took them almost a year and a half to reach the Museum。〃
〃The ritualized murders have followed the crates all the way from the Amazon！〃 Margo said。 〃But that means…〃
〃It means；〃 Smithback said grimly； 〃that I'm going to stop laughing now when I hear talk about a curse on that expedition。 And it means you should keep locking this door。〃
The phone rang； startling them both。
〃Margo； my dear。〃 Frock's voice rumbled to her。 〃What news？〃
〃Dr。 Frock！ I wonder if I could e by your office for a few minutes。 At your earliest convenience。〃
〃Splendid！〃 Frock said。 〃Give me a little time to shuffle some of this paper off my desk and into the wastebasket。 Shall we say one o'clock？〃
〃Thank you；〃 Margo said。 〃Smithback；〃 she said； turning around； 〃we've got to…〃
But the writer was gone。
At ten minutes to one； another knock sounded。
〃Who's there？〃 Margo said through the locked door。
〃It's me； Moriarty。 Can I e in； Margo？〃
〃I just wanted to apologize for walking out earlier；〃 Moriarty said； declining a chair。 〃It's just that Bill wears on me sometimes。 He never seems to let up。〃
〃George； I'm the one who should apologize；〃 Margo said。 〃I didn't know he was going to appear like that。〃 She thought of telling him about the newspaper article； but decided against it and began to pack up her carryall。
〃There's something else I wanted to tell you；〃 Moriarty went on。 〃While I was eating lunch； I realized there may be some way we can find out more about that deleted database record； after all。 The one for Whittlesey's journal。〃
Margo abruptly put down the carryall and looked at Moriarty； who took a seat in front of her terminal。 〃Did you see that sign…on message when you logged into the network earlier？〃 he asked。
〃The one about the puter going down？ Big surprise。 I got locked out twice this morning。〃
Moriarty nodded。 〃The message also said they were going to restore from the backup tapes at noon。 A full restore takes about thirty minutes。 That means they should be done by now。〃
〃So？〃
〃Well； a backup tape holds about two to three months' worth of archives。 If the detail record for the Whittlesey journal was deleted in the last two months… and if the backup tape is still on the hub up in data processing…I should be able to resurrect it。〃
〃Really？〃
Moriarty nodded。
〃Then do it！〃 Margo urged。
〃There's a certain element of risk；〃 Moriarty replied。 〃If a system operator notices that the tape is being accessed 。。。 well； he could trace it to your terminal ID。〃
〃I'll risk it；〃 Margo said。 〃George；〃 she added； 〃I know you feel this is all a wild goose chase； and I can't really blame you for that。 But I'm convinced those crates from the Whittlesey expedition are connected to these killings。 I don't know