***

The next morning, the sky over Washington was a flat, heavy gray.

The rain had stopped, but the humidity clung to the brick buildings of the navy yard.

I arrived at my office at seven-thirty.

By eight-thirty, Captain Miller was standing at my door with a thick blue folder.

“We have the preliminary trace on the IP address, Admiral,” Miller said.

He handed me the folder.

“Who does it belong to?” I asked.

“A residential account registered to a Mr. Richard Hart,” Miller said. “Your father’s estate in Maryland.”

I set the folder on my desk.

“Thank you, Captain,” I said. “Keep the forensic team on it. I want the exact MAC address of the device that initiated the search.”

“They’re working on it now, Ma’am,” he said. “Commander Reed has arrived. He’s waiting in the anteroom.”

“Is the board ready?” I asked.

“Captain Vance and Lieutenant Commander Harris from JAG are already in Briefing Room B,” Miller said.

I stood up and put on my service dress blue jacket.

I adjusted the collar and checked my ribbons in the small mirror on the back of my door.