The Desperate Game Read Online Free PDF

catching up on news."
    "What news?"
    "Well, Liz had her baby; a little girl. Jackson is still looking for another job and is beginning to get restless. Larry Hixon is back from vacation and feeling depressed-"
    "Why?"
    Guinevere shrugged. "Because his friend Cal hasn't been in to work for almost a week. He took off while Larry was on vacation and hasn't returned."
    "So why does that depress Hixon?"
    She groaned. "Zac, they're friends, and they've been working on a secret project."
    "Secret project!"
    Guinevere laughed at his astounded expression. "Don't get excited, Zac. Larry and Cal were secretly designing a computer game. Larry's been anxious for Cal to get back to work so they could finish it. The idea is to sell it to a software firm that will market it to all the kids in the nation who have their own home computers. Larry and Cal have plans to retire early on the proceeds."
    "So why is it a secret?" Zac asked pointedly.
    She explained painstakingly. "Because when they hired on at StarrTech, both Larry and Cal had to sign one of those cute little papers that say anything they invent on the job automatically becomes the property of StarrTech."
    "Standard employment forms."
    "Exactly. But neither Larry nor Cal has any intention of giving StarrTech rights to their new game. Why should they? StarrTech specializes in the manufacture and marketing of communication and test equipment, not children's games. Relax, this is no earthshaking conspiracy. Furthermore," Guinevere said coolly, "if you tell Elfstrom about the game, I will personally take pains to screw up your big investigation."
    "I'm supposed to be the one threatening you if you'll recall." Zac paused as the waitress returned with the espresso.
    "I haven't forgotten. But somehow I don't think you'll turn in Larry and Cal. They're not big enough fish, are they?"
    Zac tilted his head thoughtfully. "Not unless they're the ones responsible for the missing shipments of test equipment."
    Guinevere frowned. "They aren't."
    "How can you be sure? They're in the right place to organize that kind of scam. They have access to the computerized shipping program, the accounting programs, the payroll programs, and the scheduling program. They could do all sorts of neat tricks."
    "So could a lot of other people. Almost anyone could get into the computer room after hours."
    "From what Russ has told me," Zac said, "it takes someone who knows what he's doing. From what we can piece together it looks like the day before a marked shipment is due to go out, someone issues address instructions via the computer and then goes back in and erases the instructions after the stuff has left the loading dock. There's no record left. The packing and shipping people just follow orders on the computerized forms they get with each shipment. The whole process is automated. Neat, simple, cost-effective. And almost nothing left in the way of a paper trail."
    "StarrTech makes thousands of shipments a year. How did anyone even realize a few of the shipments were going astray?" Guinevere asked.
    "A new inventory control program apparently turned up some discrepancies. Small differences the old program would never have caught. Some guy in accounting discovered them and brought them to Russ's attention. Russ told Hampton Starr what was happening."
    "And Starr hired you to ask some discreet questions."
    "Speaking of questions," Zac interrupted, "I've been curious about something."
    "You're curious about a great many things," she said complainingly.
    "I know, but this relates to you."
    "I was afraid of that." She picked up the hot espresso cup and waited with a resigned expression. "What now?"
    "You don't really know much about computers, do you? I mean, the work you do in the department is largely clerical."
    "True. Most temporary help work is clerical. I'm terrific at typing and answering phones. Probably missed my calling. Could have been a fulltime receptionist. Instead, I blew it and became a bigtime