Cam planted both hands on his narrow hips. “They lifted prints from your keyboard that didn’t match your prints on file. Says someone used it for sure. They processed every key and will map out the ones holding the unknown prints. Might tell us something.”
She hated that someone had sat here. In her chair. Using her computer. Stealing information. Her indignation rose. “If this crew member was hacking the network, or even looking at my files, why wouldn’t they wear gloves?”
“Ever try to type with them on?” Cam asked. “It can be done, but not fast. And this person likely had to be quick.”
Mack leaned against her cubicle wall, looking right at home. “Still, they could at least wipe down the keyboard when they finished.”
“The guy might not have been savvy enough,” Cam said. “Think about it. Hackers usually work at home in the dark, in hiding. They don’t come out into the open and visit the place they’re hacking.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” Mack narrowed his eyes. “But still.”
“Don’t try to analyze it,” Cam said. “Just take it as the gift that it is. Someone’s prints served up on a platter.”
“You’re right. It could be a real lead.” Addy turned to stare at her desk, looking for anything else out of the ordinary. Her eye caught on her Amazon Echo. When she worked late alone in the office, she played music on the device. The bottom looked odd. She reached for the Echo with her gloved hands.
“What is it?” Mack moved closer.
She held it up. “Looks like someone tampered with this.”
Cam leaned over her shoulder, and she could almost feelhim jonesing to grab the speaker. She glanced up at him. “You want to have a look?”
“Do I!” He jerked it from her hands and turned it over. “The bottom’s been removed.” He shoved his hand in his pocket and came out holding a multipurpose tool. “Mind if I have a seat?”
She got up and let him take her chair. He all but collapsed on the seat and soon had the rubber base removed. He quickly pulled the plug and shook his head. “It’s been hacked. Turned into a listening device.”
“Listening device?” She stared at him, her mind racing. “If Harris told Warren about the transport plan within earshot of this thing, whoever was listening in could’ve heard the details of our transport plan.”
Cam grimaced. “That’s rough. Using your own device to listen in. IoTs are great, but unscrupulous people are getting better and better at hacking them. Not in person like this but via the internet.”
Addy knew IoT meant Internet of Things, which described any device connected to the internet.
“Smart TVs, security cameras, thermostats, even refrigerators can be hacked these days, leaving people more vulnerable than ever.” Cam snorted. “We don’t need all this stuff to be smart-based. I mean, who needs to see what’s inside their refrigerator from clear across town?”
Addy had to agree but was surprised to hear a tech lover like Cam hold such an opinion. “Is there any way to tell who did this?”
“I’ll get a tech to print the device.” Mack stepped over to Lyle, who they’d been speaking to earlier.
She watched Mack as he talked with Lyle, his mannerisms sharp, the tech bobbing his head in agreement, then quickly grabbing his kit and following Mack back to her desk.
“Get up, Cam,” Mack ordered, “and give Lyle room to work.”
Cam traded places with Lyle and looked at Addy. “With your permission, I’ll take the Echo back to the house when Lyle’s finished with it and see if I can figure anything out.”
“Of course,” she said, watching Lyle as he was taking out a small device she’d never seen before.
“And might I suggest you don’t use an IoT device at work in the future? Not that you’ll be able to.” Cam smirked. “I’m going to warn Fitz not to allow them.”
She tried to smile with him but couldn’t find any humor when she had obvious evidence of someone having invaded her personal space. Evidence that she might have compromised her agency, which was an even worse feeling.
“Yes!” Lyle shouted. “We have DNA.”
She looked at Lyle’s hands. “What is that thing?”
He glanced up. “A new technological breakthrough that the RED team is testing.”
“But what does it do?”
“Saves me a lot of work is what it does.” Lyle continued to look at her. “Nearly half of all DNA samples we take at crime scenes don’t result in useable DNA profiles. This device clearly indicates whether a trace is worth further examination. It works kind of like a pregnancy test with a yes and no. You load a potential DNA sample, and anoresponse means move on and look elsewhere.Yesmeans that human DNA is present and that the trace is good for DNA profiling in the lab.”
