November 2: Danger Calls

Dag is in his office when Brenda Barnette walks in. There is an immediate air of tension that accompanies her. It is obvious that they know each other, but haven’t seen each other in many years. It is also obvious that no matter how he balks at it, Dag will do whatever she says. We are led to believe that she holds some power over him, but we don’t know precisely what. “I could have gone to my grave happy if I’d never seen her again.” Maizie adds a bit of commentary by sticking her nose in the back of Brenda’s knee and she collapses back in a chair. We find out a little bit about Maizie’s heritage.

Brenda wants Dag to find her missing husband, Simon Barnette. All the usual questions regarding the police, etc. She reported him missing, but they only said they would keep her informed. Dag says he doesn’t do field-work like that. He does computer forensics. She says that is why she came to him. She pulls out a laptop and says it is Simon’s and that she believes there are clues to his disappearance on it, but that she couldn’t log into it. She knew that Dag could work around it.

Dag recites a warning that if he has possession of the laptop, he will possess potentially damaging information about her husband and even about her. He will know her credit card and banking information, travel record, internet tracks, and anything else that Simon might have kept on the computer, even if it had been erased. Brenda says that she knows she can trust Dag. He asks if she is sure and she asks if he wants to steal her identity. He affirms that from what he knows he’s happier with the one he has.

Brenda leaves and Dag calls Riley in. He gives her Brenda’s name and address and tells her to do a records search on her. Last ten years. Is she in the news, etc. Riley is to look up both Brenda and Simon. She takes the assignment with glee. Dag settles back to look at the computer.