Chapter 8
“Turns out there are 1,800 people in or around Jerusalem that have received insulin pump refills in the last six months. All shipments went to patients with verifiable addresses, except for one: a six-month supply of insulin shipped under the initials “A. R.” to Odessa, our favorite Russian grocery store where Detective Cohen buys stale bagels.”
-- From DIG: The Official Prequel, Inspired by USA Network’s Television Event Series
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PETER CONNELLY: FIELD NOTES - AKULA FILES
September 8, 2014 – 9:00am Israeli time (2:00am EST)
Scientific advances include bionic eyes and 3D printers, and yet tracking down a lowly insulin pump that has been registered and bought legally has been a nearly insurmountable task. Nearly. Turns out there are 1,800 people in or around Jerusalem that have received insulin pump refills in the last six months. All shipments went to patients with verifiable addresses, except for one: a six-month supply of insulin shipped under the initials “A. R.” to Odessa, our favorite Russian grocery store where Detective Cohen buys stale bagels. The couple who owns the store claims they never received any such shipment, so I’m convinced it was somehow intercepted by Dasha Petrova. I’ve ordered a team to case the area for the purpose of detecting a radio signal from an insulin pump. I wish I had my old Washington team.
In other news, upon digging into Dasha Petrova’s travel history, Liat was able to find three possible aliases she uses and cross-referenced these names against all flight itineraries in the last thirty days out of Ben Gurion Airport. Liat successfully tracked one such flight history to Beijing. What was a small time travel agent doing making a series of trips to Bejing within the span of a month? I contacted the legal attaché in our Beijing office and was informed that China has seen several bank heists in the same vein as the one here in Jerusalem. They have identified their suspect as bank teller Rui Chong. I’ve requested all his files, along with any security footage. This male teller could be the missing link to Akula and Jonathan Frank; maybe he uses unsuspecting women to help execute various elements of the crime, just like Jonathan Frank. Does he befriend them and then use them for their access, i.e. Orit at the bank and Dasha as a travel agent?
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POLICE REPORT
Detective Golan Cohen, Jerusalem Police
September 9, 2014
Based on a hunch, I looked into the Berozashvilis’ complaint about their power bills. Sure enough, their grievance has some merit since there has already been an audit. After tracking down the audit, it revealed that the surge in power usage has come from advanced computer equipment, such as a server or mainframe computer.
Captain Shorer has agreed to another 48 hours of staking out the Odessa grocery store. Funnily enough, the Berozashvilis are actually growing on me. They emigrated from Georgia and speak little Hebrew or English. I’m going there for dinner next Tuesday.
Regarding Mr. Yusim, I did return the shark keychain back to Mr. Yusim’s attorney, Jerome A. Kulikov. I said nothing about what we found and did as a result of discovering the flash drive inside the shark head. Of course he didn’t either. They must know that we found it and deleted the data, but it’s one of those unspoken things between uncaught criminals, police detectives, and the mob lawyers who have no soul. While Captain Shorer suggested that we arrest Mr. Yusim for receipt of stolen property, after a long discussion we compromised on letting me and Detective Versluis tail Mr. Yusim in the hopes that he leads us to Akula.
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To: PeterConnelly@USconsulate.com
From: OritPeleg@mail.ru
Subject: Bank Investigation
Date: September 9, 2014
Understandably, I know you’ve been checking up on me, but I’ve done nothing wrong and want nothing to do with this investigation. I had to leave my apartment. Later, I realized the money went missing and I can only think what Shakespeare would do or say when confronted with such an accusation. The death threats made me realize that I was in danger even though I have no information on what happened. Had I known something I would have gone to the police. The extent of my small life in Jerusalem should concern no one. Well, all I can say is that my mother is very ill and needs me to take care of her. And the extent of her illness has increased. Can you leave us alone?
This is not an act 4 or 3 of a play. This is history.
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EMAIL MESSAGE UNDELIVERABLE
TO: OritPeleg@Mail.ru
From: PeterConnelly@USconsulate.com
Re: Bank Investigation
Date: September 9, 2014
If you feel your life is in danger we should definitely talk. Believe me when I say I know what it’s like to get caught up in something. It’s Jonathan Frank I’m after, not you. You don’t have to live in fear of someone showing up at your doorstep and hurting you or your family. Please come see me and I can help protect you.
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PETER CONNELLY: FIELD NOTES - AKULA FILES
September 10, 2014 – 10:30am Israeli time (3:30am EST)
I have been looking at the email that Orit sent me, particularly the strange language usage and the way that it is written. I’m convinced there is something embedded within this message. It reminds me of a case I had in Washington that had embedded emails and cryptograms. Shakespeare is a clue; Liat agrees. I’m looking through various Shakespeare plays to see if it is, focusing on plays “act four or three” or maybe “Act four, scene 3?” Something is in here. Either she is playing with me or she is trying to ask for help.
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To: LynnMonahan@USconsulate.com
From: PeterConnelly@USconsulate.com
Subject: Shakespeare
Date: September 10, 2014
When I was in college, I only took English classes to pick up women. Cut to me now late at the office, knee-deep in scouring Shakespeare’s plays for clues. Liat has honed down our search to Shakespeare’s histories. I think I figured out Orit’s cryptic message. The first letter of each sentence in her email comes out to U L T H T W A C -- which corresponds to a line in Act 3 of Henry the Fourth: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Orit was trying to tell me something. Something about being a king? A king wearing a crown? A crowning glory? I’m hoping I don’t have to read the Sparknotes on this. Liat and I are going to put our heads together to see what this riddle means. We are hoping Orit is leading us to some location.
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TEXT EXCHANGE – September 11, 2014, 10:00AM
Lynn: Can we talk about what happened last night?
Peter: You treated me to dinner with your poker winnings. We got too drunk.
Lynn: Ok
Peter: If this is about my wife you know the situation.
Lynn: Forget I mentioned anything. Drinks tonight?
Peter: Always
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Thanks for reading another exciting installment of DIG: The Official Prequel. The investigation is really starting to heat up…what do you think the Shakespeare reference from Orit Peleg’s email means? What is she trying to tell Peter?
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DIG: The Official Prequel
Mystery / ThrillerPeter Connelly, a highly decorated FBI agent, has just arrived in Jerusalem for a new assignment—there’s been a major cyber heist and it’s up to him to track the missing millions and whoever’s responsible. While the FBI believes this to be the work...
