“Oh, we know that?” Eve asked, deadpan.

“Sorry, I got ahead of myself. The concrete walkway outside of the kitchen entrance is heavily stained by tobacco ash, like no place else in the entire complex. Even if the kitchen workers try flicking their ashes over the railing, the offshore breeze no doubt blows them right back. Early-morning condensation also causes the ash to stick and stain more easily than it would later in the day, when it would tend to blow around even more. And there’s a wood-wedge doorstop on the walkway, meaning that they probably prop the door open to take advantage of those cool, morning sea breezes.”

Eve nodded. “So we wait around the corner and slip in through the open door while they’re standing outside smoking?”

“At least while one of them is out there. Even if the other employee is inside working, we don’t have to cross through the kitchen to get to the food services office.”

“Food services? We need to get to personnel.”

“Not necessarily. Food service has a computer. If you have someone skilled enough at accessing the info, they might be able to get what we need if the system is linked.”

“But won’t that office be locked?”

“Doubtful. It looked like it doubles as a kitchen storage area for cleaning and paper products. The staff needs ready access. Once we make our way there, there’s a computer that we can use to try to access your sister’s file.”

Eve held up the fob and shook her head. “This will get me into the system, but it might not give me the kind of deep access I’m looking for, into her confidential patient records, psychiatrist’s session notes, that kind of stuff.”

“You’re probably right.” Kendra thought for a moment. “But I think I know someone who can help us. I was mulling possibilities over while we were touring the hospital.” She took out her phone and accessed the directory. “I tried to squeeze a moment to make a call earlier in the afternoon, but Piltot was sticking to us like glue. I’ll be lucky to get hold of Sam now.”

“And who is this Sam you’re going to call?” Eve asked.

“Our way into those computer files. I was also considering using him to get us back into the hospital, but I believe we’ve got that covered.” She made a face. “Voice mail. Sam, this is Kendra Michaels. I’m in Santa Barbara, and I need your help tonight. Pack up your tools and head my way. If I don’t hear from you in two hours, I’ll try to find someone else.” She hung up. “We might as well grab something to eat while we wait and see if I can use Sam. I have a couple other prospects, but they’re second-best.”

“And this Sam is tops on your list?”

“He’s tops on everyone’s list. Just ask him.”

“It would be difficult since I don’t even know his last name,” she said dryly as she drove out of the parking lot. “How would he be able to get us into the hospital? Is he some kind of thief?”

“Don’t be crude. Sam Zackoff is an expert at entry and exit.”

“A cat burglar?”

“Closer. I’ve never seen a lock or security system he couldn’t get around. But he doesn’t do it for a living any longer. That was during his misspent twenties. He’s the shining sun of Silicon Valley.”

“Computers?”

“He’s a genius.” She shrugged. “And a nerd. He’s involved with defense against cyberwarfare now. It suits him just fine. He gets to invent ways to get beyond all the firewalls, then close them up so no one else can.” She grimaced. “My only problem is that he’s so valuable to the Pentagon that they have him guarded night and day. We don’t want him followed here.”

“Wait a minute,” Eve said. “You think he’d leave a job like that to break into the hospital and tap sensitive records for you? Not likely.”

“Not for me. For himself. Sam gets bored occasionally and has to step beyond that gold-lined fence they try to keep around him.”

“And risk landing in jail?”

“It’s only a slight risk. Unless he burgled the White House, his bosses would find a way to get him off. He’ll be a lot safer than we are.”

“That’s comforting.”

“We don’t have to do this, Eve.”

An almost invisible deadly streak on the wall.

“Yes, we do. There have to be answers in those files in the office.” She pulled into the parking lot of an Applebee’s restaurant. “I’m just having a few second thoughts about whether I should call Joe and get him out here. I hate leaving him out of this. He’s going to be royally pissed.”

“If you’re wondering, I don’t think you’re going to do it,” Kendra said shrewdly. “As you said, you consider Beth Avery your responsibility, and you wouldn’t want to involve Quinn in something that would possibly be detrimental to his career as a police detective. I agree that his police captain would not consider breaking and entering particularly cool.”

Neither did Eve, and even though Joe had indicated that it might be necessary, he shouldn’t be the one to take the risk. “No, when we were looking for the body of my daughter, I ignored everything but my obsession to find her. I risked Joe then, but I’m not starting back down that trail.” She added soberly, “I should make that same rule apply to you, Kendra.”

“My choice. I’m not a cop, and if I break the rules, I can find a way to talk my way out of it.” Her lips tightened. “And I don’t like the idea of Beth Avery helpless, tied to that bed by those damn pills and just waiting to die. It pisses me off.” She got out of the car. “Come on, let’s grab a burger and a cup of coffee and wait and see if Sam is going to come to our rescue. I want to be—” Her cell phone rang, and she smiled. “Sam.” She answered it. “It’s the personnel office of a mental hospital. We’ll need to copy computer files, possibly break into file drawers, then get out without anyone’s knowing we were there. Yes or no.” She listened. “What do you mean I’ll owe you? You’ll owe me. I can tell when you’re bored out of your mind. The Chinese haven’t been inventive enough for you lately, have they?” She smiled. “We’re at the Applebee’s restaurant on Sunrise Drive. We’ll be waiting.” She hung up. “Sam’s on his way. He’ll be here in a little over an hour.”

“He sounds … extraordinary. And you must know him very well,” Eve said as she opened the glass doors of the entrance. “How did you meet him?”

“I was playing keyboard in a cheap little club in San Francisco about a year after my operation. Sam would come in after hours and play clarinet with the band.”

“He’s a musician, too?”

“Not a very good one. But you don’t have to be good, you just have to love it. He loved it. But I couldn’t stand him to be quite that bad, so I gave him a few lessons. We got to know each other pretty well.”

“How well?”

She smiled. “Now that’s another tale.” She smiled at the hostess who was approaching. “Two for dinner, and we’ll have someone joining us later.”

*   *   *

SAM ZACKOFF ARRIVED AT THE RESTAURANT fifty-five minutes later.

“There he is.” Kendra waved at the man in jeans, a black T-shirt on which something was written in bold white letters, and black-and-white tennis shoes who had just strolled into the restaurant. “He made good time. Too good. All we’d need was for him to be stopped by a traffic cop when we’re trying to be low-profile.”

“He doesn’t look like he’d care,” Eve murmured.

Zackoff was probably in his middle thirties, but he appeared younger. A little above middle height and very muscular, his hair was dark, curly, and cut close to his head. Blue eyes lit a square face that was more interesting than handsome. He swaggered with confidence as if he owned the restaurant. No, Eve corrected her impression, as if he owned the universe. “Interesting. But can you control him?”

“For short periods of time.” She got up from the booth as he reached them. “Hi, Sam.” She gave him a quick, hard kiss and pushed him down in the booth. “This is Eve Duncan. Sam Zackoff. Sam and I are old friends.”