The Project Gutenberg EBook of Zero Data, by Charles Saphro

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Title: Zero Data

Author: Charles Saphro

Release Date: August 19, 2009 [EBook #29727]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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ZERO DATA

By CHARLES SAPHRO

_All the intricate, electronic witchery of the 21st century could
not pin guilt on fabulous Lonnie Raichi, the irreproachable
philanthropist. But Jason, the cop, was sweating it out ...
searching for that fourth and final and all-knowing rule that would
knock Lonnie's "triple ethic" for a gala loop._

Lonnie Raichi was small, heavily built, wet-eyed, dapper and successful.
His success he attributed entirely to his philosophy.

Not knowing about Lonnie's philosophy, the whole twenty-odd years of
Lonnie's success was the abiding crux of Jason's disgust. And this, in
spite of the more and more men Jason came to control and the fitful
stream of new techniques and equipment Gov-Pol and Gov-Mil Labs put at
his disposal.

Jason was a cop. In fact, by this Friday the thirteenth in the fall of
2009, squirming on what had come to be his pet Gov-Park bench right
across from the Tiara of Wold in the Fane, he was only one step short of
being the Head Cop of Government City. He was good. Gathering in a lot
of criminals was what had brought him up the steps.

But he hadn't gathered in Lonnie.

It wasn't for lack for trying. Way back, when Lonnie was known simply as
"Lonnie," Jason managed to get a little help from his associates and
superiors. Sometimes.

But as Lonnie came to be known as Lon Raichi, then Mr. Raichi, and
finally as "THE Launcelot Raichi" (to Everyone Who Mattered), and as
Jason's promotions kept pace with his widening experience and
painstakingly acquired knowledge; peculiarly, there seemed to be fewer
and fewer persons around who could be made interested in "Lonnie."

Inside Government and Gov-Pol-Anx as well as among the general
Two-Worlds public.

So Jason got less and less help, or even passive cooperation, f