A Darkness More Than Night

records which transmitter stations are used to engage and disengage the system. In this house the stations are set on either side of three doors – you know, outside and inside the door. The three are the front door, the door to the garage and one of the doors to the rear deck. The transmitters are on the outside and the inside of each door. Whatever one is used gets recorded in the innkeeper program.”
    “Can you look at the printout from Mr. Storey’s system that you looked at earlier and tell us what transmitters were used during the three-nineteen and four-oh-one entries?”
    Hendricks studied his paperwork before answering.
    “Uh, yes. At three-nineteen the exterior transmitter was used. That means somebody was in the garage when they turned the alarm on in the house. Then at four-oh-one the same exterior transmitter was used to turn the alarm off. The door was then opened and closed, then the alarm was turned back on from the inside.”
    “So someone came home at four-oh-one, is that what you are saying?”
    “Yes. Right.”
    “And the system computer registered this someone as David Storey, correct?”
    “It identified his voice, yes.”
    “And this person would have to have used Mr. Storey’s password and given the correct date as well?”
    “Yes, that’s right.”
    Langwiser said she had no further questions. Fowkkes told the judge he had a quick cross-examination. He bounded to the lectern and looked at Hendricks.
    “Mr. Hendricks, how long have you worked for Lighthouse?”
    “Three years next month.”
    “So you were employed by Lighthouse on January first a year ago, the so-called Y-two-K changeover?”
    “Yes,” Hendricks said hesitantly.
    “Can you tell us what happened to many of Lighthouse’s clients on that day?”
    “Uh, we had a few problems.”
    “A few problems, Mr. Hendricks?”
    “We had system failures.”
    “What system in particular?”
    “The Millennium Twos had a program malfunction. But it was minor. We were able to -”
    “How many clients with Millennium Twos were affected in the Los Angeles area?”
    “All of them. But we found the bug and -”
    “That’s all, sir. Thank you.”
    “We got it fixed.”
    “Mr. Hendricks,” the judge barked. “That’s enough. The jury will disregard the last statement.”
    He looked at Langwiser.
    “Redirect, Ms. Langwiser?”
    Langwiser said she had a few quick questions. Bosch had known about the Y 2 K problems and reported them to the prosecutors. Their hope had been that the defense would not learn of them or raise them.
    “Mr. Hendricks, did Lighthouse fix the bug that infected the systems after Y-two-K?”
    “Yes, we did. It was fixed right away.”
    “Would it in any way have affected data gathered from the defendant’s system a full ten months after Y-two-K?”
    “Not at all. The problem was resolved. The system was repaired.”
    Langwiser said that was all she had for the witness and sat down. Fowkkes then rose for re-cross.
    “The bug that was fixed, Mr. Hendricks, that was the bug they knew about, correct?”
    Hendricks gave a confused look.
    “Yeah, that was the one that caused the problem.”
    “So what you’re saying is that you only know about these ‘bugs’ when they cause a problem.”
    “Uh, usually.”
    “So there could be a program bug in Mr. Storey’s security system and you wouldn’t know about it until it creates a problem, correct?”
    Hendricks shook his shoulders.
    “Anything’s possible.”
    Fowkkes sat down and the judge asked Langwiser if she had anything else. The prosecutor hesitated a moment but then said she had nothing further. Hendricks was dismissed by Houghton, who then suggested an early break for lunch.
    “Our next witness will be very brief, Your Honor. I’d like to get him in before the break. We plan to concentrate on one witness during the afternoon session.”
    “Very well, go on.”
    “We recall Detective Bosch.”
    Bosch got up and went to the witness stand, carrying the murder book. This time he did not touch the microphone. He settled in and was reminded by the judge that he was still under oath.
    “Detective Bosch,” Langwiser began. “At some point during your investigation of the murder of Jody Krementz were you directed to drive from the defendant’s home to the victim’s home and then back again?”
    “Yes, I was. By you.”
    “And did you follow that direction?”
    “Yes.”
    “When?”
    “On November sixteenth at three-nineteen A.M.