HOPE YOU REMEMBERED TO BACK UP!
Where was the photo? He closed that file and opened the next. Same message.
"Oh, my God!"
He opened more files and felt his mouth grow progressively drier as the same words popped up time after time. He moved to other folders, but all his jpegs carried the same message. He tried a couple of doc files and they were the same! Every goddamn file on his computer had been wiped clean and replaced by the same sneering message!
He was on his feet, hands clamped against the sides of his head. "This can't be! This can't fucking be!"
Eddy poked her head through the doorway. "Something wrong, Richie?"
"My computer! Someone's been in here and sabotaged my computer! Wiped out everything!"
"How is that possible?"
He went to the two windows and checked the contacts. No sign of tampering. And both were locked from inside.
"I don't know. I—" He jabbed an index finger at her. "You must've forgot to turn on the alarm."
Eddy shook her head and looked offended. "Not a chance. I put it on as I always do. And it was still armed this morning when I opened up."
"Bullshit!" he said as he charged her way. She had to back out of the doorway to allow him through. "If that's true, how did he get to my machine?"
Same story with the sealed window in the reception area. What was going on?
"Maybe he didn't," Eddy said. "Maybe he—what do they call it?—hacked into it. I've heard they can get into government computers, so why not yours?"
Richie didn't know much about hacking, but he knew one thing for sure: "A computer's got to be turned on before you can hack it, and I turn mine off every night."
He returned to his office.
Eddy said, "Well then, I don't know what to tell you besides the alarm was set." She frowned. "And then you've got to ask yourself, why anyone would want to sabotage your computer? I keep all the correspondence and billing records on mine. If someone wanted to hurt your business, they'd go after my machine, wouldn't they? And mine is fine."
Richie couldn't answer that. And suddenly he was thinking about the envelope.
"Okay, okay, we've wasted enough time jawing about it. Get the number of that computer place down the street. Call him and tell him I've got an emergency here and need him ASAP."
"Will do."
As soon as the door closed, he went over to the radiator. The envelope was still there. He yanked it out and checked the money—all there. He dropped it back into its hiding place and stumbled back to his chair.
Maybe no one had broken in after all. That was a relief. He'd moved his computer here for the security system. Rudimentary but better than nothing, which was what he had at the house. And since it came with the rent here, a hell of a lot cheaper than installing one.
He grabbed the Post and fanned to the horoscope page.
Gemini (May 21-June 21): Win points by accepting additional responsibilities. Extra hours ensure future financial security. If you are in negotiations, you know by now that the other side may not be taking things as seriously as you are.
Well, he was always in financial negotiations, and that nun bitch didn't seem to be taking things as seriously as she should, but nothing here about bad luck or watching your back. Cusp guy that he was, he read on to the next.
Cancer (June 22—July 22): Being in the right place at the right time is your style today. You get recognition for a job well done. Balance job responsibilities with social ones. Celebrate, even if you have to invent a reason.
No warning here, either. But he liked the being in the right place at the right time part. That never hurt. No help, though, on what had happened to all his files.
He glanced at the screen where the words still flashed: