We already have three to deal with,” Alexis said dryly.
“True. But what I was saying is that the hospital or doctor’s office must provide a means by which to secure that information. Obviously, password-protected files, but the files could be accessed by several employees, all with their own password. And there are files that are not accessible to everyone.”
“You mean the hospital may not have the tidiest means of securing the database?” Alexis seemed surprised.
“I can’t tell yet. I’ll have to get a look at the workstations and chat with some of the employees. Let’s think on this. I can ask them to show me how their software program works. I could suggest using a file from someone who is deceased. Those are probably archived in a separate program. Or I may fake a need to use the Internet. I’ll figure it out once I get the lay of the land.”
Alexis sat back in her seat and crossed her arms across her fake overly voluptuous chest. “Well, I’ll be darned. Abner has taught you well!” She gave her companion a wide grin.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Isabelle replied. “I’ve been practicing. Abner gives me programs to hack. I think I’ve moved from ‘intermediate hacker’ to ‘almost excellent hacker.’”
The women burst into laughter. “I’ll drink to that!” Alexis pressed the button for the flight attendant. “My friend and I would like mimosas and a snack, please.”
The middle-aged man, dressed in a white jacket, nodded. “Of course. What would you prefer to eat? We have smoked salmon with crème fraîche, poached chicken salad, roasted vegetable salad, or a charcuterie board.”
Isabelle spoke first. “I’ll have the salmon, please.”
“Madame?” The attendant looked at Alexis.
“Charcuterie board, please. And sparkling water, too.”
“Very well.” The man nodded again, turned, and walked back to the galley.
“Now, this is the way to fly.” Isabelle sighed.
“Yeah. Ain’t that the truth.” Alexis chuckled.
Several minutes passed, and the women moved to the other side of the jet, where there were two identical chairs and a table.
The flight attendant returned with a rolling cart and set their food on the table.
Isabelle grinned and started in on her food. Alexis did likewise.
After they finished their lunch, the women went back to the other table and scrolled through their information again, watched the video, and studied the layout of the offices. Luckily, it wasn’t massive, like Bethesda or the Mayo Clinic. Aspen was famous for the celebrities during skiing season—which was why this hospital specialized in orthopedics. But the general population of Aspen was less than eight thousand people, and if there was a major medical crisis, one could go to Denver.
Thinking about that point, Isabelle asked Alexis, “Do we know if Mrs. Brewster was transferred to Denver? It doesn’t look like they could accommodate someone in her condition for any length of time. It would make sense if they transferred her there.” Isabelle kept sifting through pages on her screen but could not find any information about possible transfers.
“That should be on her release form, right?” Alexis asked. “Have you thought about how you are going to gain access to one of the computers? You know, the distracting people part?”
“As soon as we get there! But most likely, I’ll pretend I got an e-mail saying they—the home office—need me to look at some schematic, but the file is too big to download on my phone, and I don’t have my laptop with me, and is there a computer terminal I could use for a couple of minutes? Then you are going to have to distract whoever else is hanging about.”
“Sounds pretty sketchy, but it could work.” Alexis considered. “You’re right. We’ll have to wait to see how it all plays out, how many people are on staff, in the area, et cetera.”
The steward returned to the cabin. “I beg your pardon, but we are beginning our descent into the Aspen area. Please fasten your seat belts and store your electronic equipment. Please let me know if I can be of service.”
The women looked up. Isabelle responded, “Thank you. I think we’re fine. Alexis?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Alexis powered down her laptop, and Isabelle did the same. They stowed them in their humongous Fendi and Versace bags. Alexis pulled out another wad of gum and handed a piece to Isabelle.
“Ready for action?”
“You bet!” Isabelle gave her a high five.
The plane touched down without a bump and glided into the small area near the quaint alpine-and-stone terminal of Aspen-Pitkin County Airport. There was a commercial propeller plane nearby.