Troubleshooter

Chapter 28 - Clues

AMY HAD brought her boom-box from home and had cranked up the music to fill the office with sound. She actually was a bit freaked out by the big space and by being alone in there.

"I watched ‚The Shining' over the weekend on DVD, and it is scary to be stuck in an empty office with lots of dead chairs and desks," she said to herself as she worked away.

Where was everyone? Paul was gone, not picking up his phone. Brady was gone, not picking up his phone. Tom was pissed off, not talking to her over the com-gear. So it was just her and the Foo Fighters.

After last night Amy had commenced a different path of her investigation. Her accesses had now increased tenfold with the help of some discreet hacking-tools and weak passwords in various places.

"Now, show me the money, honey," Amy sang to herself as she hunched over the keyboard.

Her eyes were glued to the screen. Dammit. It should be there in plain view. A hundred million dollars can't be too easy to move.

"It is still in the system. But still, it is missing. Paradox. Who is missing the money? And who has it? Strom Defense is not missing any money."

Amy was not an economist or an accountant by trade, but she had enough knowledge to know what was possible.

"It is not hidden in the system! So it is not hidden in the haystack. Now, how do I hide an elephant? How do I hide it in plain sight?"

She sighted and tapped her com-gear console.

"Tom, you around?"

"Hmmhm."

"Can't talk or won't talk?"

"Won't."

"You are studying economics, right?"

"Hmm."

"I am looking for an elephant hiding in plain sight."

"Dammit, Jim, I'm an economist, not a zoo director!"

"Nice one, Bones. Understand the analogy? The money is the elephant and..."

"HmmHM" Tom was impatient.

"The ultimate plain sight would be: one big payment for hundred million dollars. Has any such big payment ever been made in the history of the company?"

"I can think of some off the top of my head."

"Now he can talk!"

"I told my co-workers that I take a break. I am on the—"

"Too much information, my young sexy friend. Some things are better left unthought to keep up our erotic tension. Tell me, what could it be?"

"First: There is no erotic tension between us, Amy! That's only the current from your ungrounded computer gear. Second: Strom Defense buying another company. Hundred million is spare change if you are buying a billion dollar company. But that is usually handled through the banks ordered with the acquisition, not through your own books."

"Ok, go on."

"Strom Defense acquiring license rights, if their own weapon control system relies on the patented technology of others."

"Your parents must be proud of you, so much money well spent on your classes. Anything else? Gimme more!" Amy was warming up.

"Maybe a big refund to a customer. Strom's products and systems are quite expensive. Buy fifty weapon systems for five hundred million, return ten units for a hundred million. Though I think this is unlikely, as usually this is subtracted from the next delivery. And Strom Defense would probably try to fix the defective units first."

"No details, please. You come up with great scenarios. Gimme more, more more!"

Tom was silent for a minute. "Sorry, no more ideas. I have to get back to my desk. Ms. McAllister wants to have a status meeting in an hour, and I have to prep. I have a 'real' job, too. Remember?"

Amy was disappointed that there wasn't more. "Thanks. I have something to go on thanks to my little honey-bunny next door...."

She started to check up on the various transactions that Tom had mentioned, but she could see right away that Strom Defense had not acquired any other company in the last two years, and the two transactions from three and four years ago had been concluded financially by now.

Tom's com-gear beeped once. "On my elevator ride up, I remembered one more thing. We are at year's end, so that means paying our taxes. Strom Defense also has to send some money to the Strom Industries headquarter to make the shareholders happy."

"Thanks."

Amy sat trance-like for a moment. The word 'taxes' echoed in her head. Could it be that...?