Jasjiv looked at Greg's abandoned fedora, tie, and badge and then shuffled together the papers in his hands. He went to the workbench and set the papers down. "I really wish you hadn't done that. He's right that all these new gadgets are no match for genuine detective work."

"Oh sure," Ivan replied, "but if he had his druthers we would still be chartering flights and speed-dialing Jimmy the Squealer. We've got to keep moving ahead, especially when Carmen's already ahead by a step."

Jasjiv shook his head. This was a circular argument, and he didn't feel like having it. "Anyway, I'm all done with the paperwork. Is there anything else you need?"

Ivan raised his head from his work bench. He looked left and right, and then spoke in a low voice. "You're a detective, aren't you?"

"Good of you to finally notice." Jasjiv quipped back.

"Take a look at this." Ivan handed Jasjiv a folder. inside where blurred photos, telegraphs, and various latters, all pointing to an office in Washington D.C. Behind it was a printout of binary code that may as well have been written in Chinese.

"I don't get it." Jasjiv responded initially.

"You know this new ACME Crime Net overlay I've been installing throught the reorganization? The one that serves as the central brain of all this new technology?"

"By now who hasn't?"

"I didn't actually write it." Ivan strained in saying it, as though it was a confession. "I was given the technology through private correspondance with a hacker who calls himself 'Player.'"

"Player...sounds like some sort of computer game fanboy."

"That's what I thought...but even after building the network to his specifications, I still know very little of him. I need you to follow the trail, find him and observe him for me."

Jasjiv looked back in the folder. Indeed there wasn't a lot to go on. "Should I let Zack know?"

"No! I mean...you shouldn't get him involved. it could be compromizing to his career."

"As opposed to only being compromising to ours."

"You catch on quick. Good luck." And with that, Ivan went back to his workbench.