Rembrandt code

Chapter 3: The Phantom

The investigator, being even an employee of such an important institution, tried to be as polite as possible with the lady who applied to their department, because she, first of all, was referred to them by the foreign intelligence service, and secondly, was the wife of the professor – the unspoken genius of the secret project "DUBLFEIS".

– Good afternoon, Veniamin Moiseyevich. I would like to know what became with that citizen who was arrested in the case of blackmailing me?

The investigator, after a few seconds of silent looking around at the visitor, said:

– M didn't arrest him. If that's what you're referring to again. I apologize, as a matter of procedure, he was questioned and sent....

– And you're telling me he's out there now? – n she cut him off abruptly.

– We had no reason to detain him, – without expressing the mimicry and tone of change, replied the inspector for special cases of the investigative committee.

In response, she stared at him with fiercely bulging eyes and began to scan the investigator with her gaze ; wrinkles appeared on her face, giving it an indignant, even more furious expression. This stage of silent communication lasted for about five seconds .

– We sent him for psychiatric examination, – apparently, not waiting for a burst of emotions, calmly, as before, answered the officer of the law, after which their dialog again passed to the stage of silence.

It is not known for what reason the late professor's wife kept silent, but the silence of the investigator was apparently related to what he said next.

– Unfortunately, he got away.

Now the woman still e opened her mouth. The inspector continued in his serene ma

–And since he never showed himself or contacted you again, we had no reason to look for him. It's still the duty of the Internal Affairs Department.

Seeing the boundary of the visitor's outburst of emotion, he hastened to clarify the situation:

– And sorry, but… – he hesitated, anticipating the imminent end of her silence, – I understand you understand, but… – now he took a note of silence, – agree, we can't arrest everyone who is talking nonsense, excuse me, who was pointed out by a citizen. And I'm sure the police department won't be looking for every crazy person either.

Suddenly she spoke out calmly, albeit in a slightly elevated tone:

– But he came and told me everything my husband knew. All my secrets. That…" she stopped talking, looked away, and finished quieter: – There was no way he could have known that.

The next thing she said in a whisper:

– Could you set me up with a so-called crazy person?

– No," the investigator replied dryly. – What's your point?

She stared at him intently, studying him . The investigator involuntarily became embarrassed and looked away.

– See, I feel like I'm him… like he's not him.

– How's that?

– It felt strange, like I'd met him somewhere before.

Now Moiseyevich studied her facial expression with a slightly amazed expression, as evidenced by the slightly bulging and slightly slanted eyes.

– I'd like to be examined. I'd like to get an expert opinion.

– Why do you need an expert opinion? There was a doctor's report. First of all, your husband worked in a secret research institute called ZASLON, and there's no right to take classified materials out of there. No one would have left you the chip. It was removed. That's right. This lunatic didn't have one. And the fact that he made up some nonsense, I'm sorry.

– What nonsense? He even told our intimate secrets.

– I don't know," said the investigator, – maybe your husband drunkenly blabbed something to him from .

After saying the visitor became agitated, the mask of indignation again appeared on her face:

– You know, I'm very unhappy with your attitude.

– Excuse me, – the investigator said in his serene ma

– He allegedly conveyed to me the husband's request, which he said was for insurance purposes. Allegedly he had contacted him just before his mysterious disappearance.

– Sorry, a mysterious disappearance to you. For us, it's all very clear.

– Okay? Why is that? My husband wasn't an agent- conspirator.

– Oh yes … apparently you didn't know him well.

– I would ask you.

– I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but, uh.

– He couldn't have known events ahead of time.

– However could have pla

– What are you trying to say?

The investigator looked away, thoughtful.

Indeed the professor in question was a unicum in his own right: he defended his dissertation at the age of 26, received his degree in 31, and in 32 became the author of a revolutionary scientific development in the field of neurolinguistic programming. In 33 he demonstrated a method of incubation of a cloned body. In the same year – a method of recording human consciousness into a digital form; in 35 – a method of loading a digital form of consciousness into a cloned body; in 36 he received a foreign patent for his invention, which, by the way, he demonstrated in violation of the statute of the closed research institute at an international exhibition of modern weapons. And… no one was able to repeat his method, invention. Or maybe even a discovery. This was a good reason to authorize the detention of the scientist by the competent authorities in order to find out, among other things, whether anyone else knows the secrets of the technology he implemented. After all, it changed the whole structure of human and mankind existence – it was possible to clone oneself young and, repeating this process, to be… eternally alive… and even more – to be different. After all, consciousness could be downloaded into any body.

Reflecting on this, staring at the monitor, ostensibly analyzing what he had heard from the visitor , the investigator was about to ask " what is it?" as she, having made a second pause, carried on: .

– P asked me to zero out all the accounts. How is that even possible? And my husband didn't have any small grants. And e, – she paused again for a couple of seconds, – it turned out that for some reason he had been transferred a very large amount of currency to his international account . An account I didn't know about. This guy did.

– This we also figured out and tried to block all kinds of accounts, – the investigator tried to calm e e down.

– Tell me, please, why didn't you take action to apprehend this blackmailer? And why don't I have access to his accounts, but you do?

– Access to your family accounts? We don't have access to them, we blocked them as part of the investigation procedure.

– Not to family, to offshore and trust.

– Are you sure they exist? I'm sorry, I'm still investigating. I have to ask.

E e face again overflowed with indignation.

– Am I sure?! And this is what – she pulled out of her purse a very expensive go brand sheet- statement from a crypto exchange, showing two accounts with two denominations of cryptocurrencies.

One listed 20 thousand units, the other 5 thousand . The yellow marker circled the amounts at the exchange rate at the time the statement was taken. The sums seen made the investigator slightly embarrassed, to say the least. By virtue of his position, by the level of cases that he had to handle, he had encountered larger sums, but… this was a servant of science. His inquisitive and trained eye figured out another e one peculiarity : the lady took the document from Hermès handbag, namely – from Matte Crocodile Birkin, which was sold at auction for about 203 thousand dollars. His suspicions of a conspiracy component in the script of Rembrandt's drama increased. His reflections put him into a lethargic state, from which he was brought out by the lady's question.

– Am I sure?! What do you say now?

– And where did you get this data from?

– From your madman, as you like to call him.

– Why would he give you that kind of information?

– He had a specific request, he's as crazy as you think he is.

– Let's stay within the bounds of tactfulness.

– Yeah, you should.

– What's the request?

She faltered a little.

– I am listening to you. You came to me for some purpose, – said the investigator in a questioning tone, assessing the visitor with an inquisitive look.

O on looked around, more out of habit, – there was no one in the office, bent slightly toward the investigator and said quietly:

– And do you keep a record?

– No, why? Not yet. If I'm recording, I should warn you. Is there something you want to tell me?

– Yeah. (chuckles)

– I'm listening.

She bent e.

– I all e understand, but all options have been tried. The only thing left is yours.

She was intriguingly silent. Now the investigator looked around involuntarily, looked questioningly at the not e.

– He asked to unlock his computer, then password key generation files, then log into his accounts and transfer the cryptocurrency to an account from which to cash them out. Or use them as currency in electronic payments.

– Hmm, how can I help you? – asked the investigator, thinking for a second. – If even I agree, to you understand to whom and what you are offering, right?

– Absolutely. I told you. I went to ZASLON , they wouldn't let me into his cell block. It's locked and sealed. No security clearance. Maybe you can… You can easily get a search warrant.

– Of course it is. It's investigative procedure. And I've already been there.

– When? may I know…? – she asked with a touch of indignation.

– After I arranged for you to meet with… – the investigator did not continue, she understood everything.

The woman said something else while he was distracted by his own thoughts.

this student had sort of a second family. Very strange, to say the least, regarding the concept of "family". In fact – no family it was not, in content – also relatively. Once he resorted to the help of a surrogate mother, but this very mother a