Her former mentor shook her head, squeezing the pin in her fist. “No, I’d be honored to wear Her Madam’s pin.” She opened her palm, her finger brushing the star as though it were a diamond.
Lila nodded and poured them both a mug of hot chocolate. “We’ll hold a ceremony next week. Dress uniforms, speeches, toasts, champagne.” The commander’s face fell. “I know you don’t like to make a fuss, but it’s a necessary ritual, especially for the people under your command. I’m sure there’s some psychological term for it, but I’ll be damned if I know what it is.”
Sutton chuckled at that, still turning the silver pin over and over in her fingers. “I suspect so. You never make it easy on me, do you?”
“I’m like a rose, always pricking.”
Sutton carefully put the pin into her pocket. “Ms. Nancy Randolph from accounting has run into a bit of trouble. Her son Anthony was arrested last night for another bit of mischief.”
Lila raised an eyebrow.
“That’s why I came to talk to you. The kid was in the process of reprogramming his building’s security system. Instead of emitting a beep when someone entered the wrong code, it was rewired to give off a mild electric shock. He was in the process of changing the code when we arrived.”
“The forced-entry program notified us?”
“Yes, Chief—President Randolph. Your program worked perfectly.”
Lila’s face fell with the change of her title, but she was getting more and more used to it as the days wore on. Forcing a smile, she leaned back into the couch, her mug of hot chocolate forgotten. “It only worked because Anthony didn’t know about it. I almost admire the kid. Most twelve-year-olds have trouble with algebra and basic programming. Meanwhile, he’s scrambling security systems.”
“Nostalgia makes fools of us all. It was only a condo this time, but an internship with one of the R&D departments might put his energies to better use. It might also save us the trouble of dealing with him yet again.”
“I should have done it sooner. Is he still at the security office?”
“Yes, in a holding cell. He thinks he’s going to court next week and might lose his mark. Ms. Randolph is encouraging our playacting. She’s at her wits’ end. She’s willing to try anything at this point. When she visited this morning, she told him that if we pressed charges and sent him to Bullstow, then she wouldn’t get him a lawyer. She claimed that if he’s sent to auction, then she’ll pack his lunch and wave him off to live with whatever family buys him. It shut the boy up fast. He hasn’t eaten a thing since. Perhaps it’s made a dent this time.”
“I’ll call around to the labs and find him a spot. He’ll be out of your hair before dinner.”
“Tomorrow morning,” Sutton countered.
“Fine. You can offer the deal, then.”
“A deal? How very film noir of you. I’ll tell him it’s only good if he keeps his nose clean from now on, or we’ll toss him in the lake. Is that the standard line?”
“How would I know? I haven’t had time for a movie in years. Are you sure you still want the job?”
Sutton straightened her shoulders instantly. “I’ve never cared much for the cinema, madam. I won’t miss it.”
“What about your husband?”
“I’ve never cared much for him either,” she said, her lips twitching. “I care a great deal about you, though. I hope that when I’m chief we can still talk as we have over the years. At least sometimes. I’ve always considered you something of a friend. I should have said that this morning instead of razzing you. It’s been bugging me all day.”
Lila nodded quickly, her eyes beginning to water.
Sutton knew her too well. She stood up quickly and clasped Lila’s injured hand, not spying its red hue.
Lila didn’t say a word. The throbbing returned as Sutton crushed it affectionately, and Lila had to stop herself from crying out in an altogether different manner.
But at least she hadn’t started blubbering in front of the woman.
After Sutton left, Lila snatched up her palm. It took only a few moments to call one of the R&D labs about Anthony. After a brief conversation, she managed to find the boy a place with a take-no-shit lab director who didn’t seem too put off by having the boy in her lab. Lila sent the details to Sutton and plopped down at her desk, finally able to pull up her search results.
Smiling, she scanned the data. Her search had found several cruder versions of the same trap from the BIRD. The least sophisticated had been melded into the state’s mental health registry almost four years before.
Reaper hadn’t even lived in New Bristol back then.
Her hunch had been correct, then. Reaper and Zephyr were not the same person. Reaper had likely been a pawn, just another hacker her blackmailer had turned.
More to the point, Zephyr had chosen a difficult database to infect for a first attempt.