No Test for the Wicked: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Five (2 page)

“No, but Finn speaks quite fondly of it.”

We stood in silence for a bit before he spoke again. “So, Ms. Carmichael, did you go to a school like that?”

“Excuse me?”

“The Excalibur Academy. Did you attend a school like that?”

“No. I attended public school. My parents thought it important I get the full experience of a diverse student population.”

“Did they make the right decision?”

I sighed. “Probably not. It was a waste of my time, academically speaking. But I survived.”

“You look quite young. Have you been out of school long?”

I bristled, ready to snap out my list of academic and workplace accomplishments.
Wait.
I paused, then watched him. He looked curious, so maybe he hadn’t meant it disparagingly. Per Basia’s advice, I’d started trying to assess my conversational partner’s facial expressions before I responded to any remark that seemed contentious.

I kept my tone neutral. “I graduated from Georgetown a couple of years ago. But age is not an indicator of ability. I am fully capable of handling this assignment.”

He smiled. “I don’t doubt that and I certainly didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I’ve known Finn for a long time and he has impeccable taste in people. I just wondered how long you’ve been into computers.”

I stared at him for a moment. Where was he going with these questions?

“Truthfully? I’ve been into computers since I could type on the keyboard. I also had an early aptitude for math. The two subjects meshed quite well for me.”

He nodded. “It’s been the same for my daughter. She is obsessed with math, code, and computers. Her mother and I are worried. She has no outside interests, including friends or boys.”

I stiffened, feeling an immediate kinship with Piper even though I’d never met her. I wanted to leap to her defense, but didn’t have a clue what to say.

Before I could say anything, Finn and Bonnie stood up and shook hands. Bonnie walked over to me. “Are you ready, Lexi?”

“Sure. Give me the address so I can plug it into my GPS.”

She handed me her business card. “Here you go. See you there.”

“Okay.”

Just like that, I was on my way back to high school.

Chapter Two

As I was driving my cell rang. I turned off the Christmas music and punched it on, putting it on speaker so I could keep both hands on the wheel and my eyes on Bonnie, who drove a dark blue sedan in front of me.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lexi.”

I grinned. “Hey, Basia. It’s great to hear your voice. How’s Hollywood treating you?”

Basia had recently ended up on a television reality dating show in Hollywood. To make a long story short, she saved me by agreeing to take my place in the cast after my undercover operation to catch a hacker had ended. I’ll be happy when she’s back at work as a translator for X-Corp in a few weeks.

“Oh, Lexi, Hollywood is amazing. Haven’t you caught the show lately?”

I grimaced and was glad Basia couldn’t see it. “Ah, I’m sorry to report I haven’t.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, you shouldn’t. I’m sure you’re a superstar. How are the guys?”

The “guys” were the nerdy male contestants on the show, all of whom I’d made friends with when I was out in California.

“They’re doing wonderfully. They all say ‘hi.’”

“Tell them I say hi back. Glad things are well with them and you.”

I heard a squeaking noise in the background. Basia was sitting down in the big, black makeup chair on the set. I’d sat there a few times myself and recognized the sound.

“So, Lexi, I’m going to skip the rest of the small talk and get right down to the important stuff. How are things with Slash?”

“Huh?” I hadn’t seen that coming. “Slash? What do you mean?”

She clucked her tongue. “I’ve seen the way Slash has been looking at you lately. Then he shows up in California and tries to sweep you off your feet on national television. I would presume he’s either made his move or is about to do it. So, what’s going on with you two?”

How she was able to interpret our social interactions to come to that scarily accurate conclusion was beyond me. Still, I tried to fake ignorance.

“What makes you so sure anything is going on?”

“Because you got really nervous when I asked you that question. Plus, you’re doing what you always do when you don’t want to answer. You ask me a question.”

Well, she had me there. “Guess you’re not my friend for nothing. Things are going fine.”

“That’s so
not
an answer.”

“Okay, okay. You win. He’s my boyfriend.”

“
What?
”

“What, what? Don’t freak out on me. You asked. I figured the jig was up.”

It was quiet for a moment before Basia spoke. “Okay. I’m breathing now. I am not freaking out. Much. What exactly do you mean by boyfriend?”

“Wait. Why are you asking me that? You’re the expert on relationships. You know the definition of boyfriend inside and out.”

“True, but I believe there’s a distinct possibility your definition of boyfriend may be significantly different from mine. I need to know for sure.”

“Fine. We’re an item. You know...together.”

“How together is together?”

“Seriously? You want details?”

“Absolutely.”

I couldn’t help it, my cheeks heated. “Well, he’s officially my boyfriend. We’re going to go on dates and stuff. We’re a couple.”

Silence. “I see. Are you still
talking
about this or are you sleeping with him yet?”

“Sleeping as in spending the night or—”

“For heaven’s sake, Lexi! Have you had sex with him?”

It was my turn to be silent.

“Lexi?”

I sighed. “Is it really normal for girls to tell each other the details of their sex lives?”

“Just tell me you
have
a sex life.”

“Okay, I have a sex life.”

She screeched. “Really? OMG!”

“Well, sex
is
part of the adult boyfriend-girlfriend dynamic as long as they agree that it’s morally acceptable within the bounds of their personal beliefs, right?”

“You did it? You really slept with Slash?”

“Look, I know you don’t approve. I also realize this is a big risk for me. It’s okay. I’m taking this slowly and figuring it out as I go along. I do think he cares about me. Actually, he said he loves me. I didn’t say it back, but I’m working on it.”

“Wow. Just slow down. Slash said he
loves
you?”

“Yes. When we were in Rome.”

“Okay, now I can’t breathe. That’s just...astonishing.”

“That I had sex or that he loves me?”

“Both. For crying out loud, give me a second to recover.” She took some audible breaths. “Okay, look, Lexi, it’s not that I don’t like Slash. I do. I just want you to be careful with your heart.”

“Jeez.”

“That being said, let’s get to the juicy part.”

“What juicy part?”

“How’s the sex?”

I laughed. “Well, I assure you, all the parts involved are definitely in working order.”

“I figured that much. What I really want to know is how
was
it?”

“How am I supposed to answer that? I’m not sure how to categorize something like sex. It’s subjective.”

“Okay, smarty-pants, let me put it this way. On a scale from one to ten, how was it?”

Math. Now that was something to which I could relate. “Well, on a scale of one to ten, sex with Slash was...one hundred.”

She squealed. “No way!”

“Way. Not that I have a lot of experience with which to form a solid comparison. But I’m pretty sure a lot of what he does is fairly innovative.”

She giggled. “Oh. My. God. That’s amazing. I’m going to need more details soon. And, since we’re in a sharing mood, I guess I should admit I’m seeing someone, too.”

“You’re
always
seeing someone.”

“I mean on an exclusive basis.”

Now I was surprised. “Exclusive? You?”

“I don’t want you to get all worried or invested, but it’s Xavier.”

I felt like she had punched me in the stomach. As long as I have known Basia, she’s
never
been exclusive with anyone. She has adeptly dated multiple guys without breaking a sweat. Xavier Zimmerman is the identical twin of my other best friend, Elvis, and a fellow geek first-class. Basia had been dating him off and on for a while, but that she’d now actually gone exclusive with him was huge. Xavier is like a brother to me. Whether she wanted me to be or not, I
was
invested and worried what might happen if she got bored.

I managed to get my voice to work. “Xavier? Exclusive? Why him?”

I could hear the smile in her voice. “I know it’s crazy, but he’s so sweet, I can’t help it. We both know he’s not my usual type, but he sees me like no other guy ever has. I’m not saying this is
it
or anything. It’s just I want to give it a go and see what happens. I was going to tell you while we were in Hollywood, but I didn’t have a chance. Look, I know you care a lot about Xavier, so I want to promise that this is not just a fling or a casual thing. I’m really into him.”

“Okay.” I really hoped she meant it, because I was worried how Xavier might react to getting dumped by Basia. It wouldn’t be pretty.

“I’m going to Greece with him for Christmas. Filming on the show takes a hiatus for the Christmas holiday, so it fits into my schedule.”

I already knew the twins had booked a villa for three weeks because Elvis had told me. “Wow. That’s a big step, Basia. Greece with Xavier. Wow.”

“I know, right? Elvis isn’t coming until later so that we can have some alone time. It’s really sweet of him. So, we’re just going to veg, sightsee, and get to know each other a little better.” I heard her take a deep breath. “Actually, I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

“You sound excited.”

“I am.”

A car honked as a minivan slid on the slippery asphalt. I swerved to avoid a collision. “Jeez.”

“Where are you?” Basia asked.

“On I-95, heading to a new client’s place. A private high school for technologically gifted kids in D.C. The students keep hacking into the school’s system, so they’ve hired X-Corp to keep them out.”

“Sounds like it’s right up your alley. So, you think high school will be any better the second time around?”

“We’ll see. I make it a point to never underestimate smart kids.”

She chuckled. “You still
are
a smart kid. Anyway, Mandy needs to put on my makeup, so I’ve got to go.”

“Okay. Tell Mandy I said hi. I’ll try to talk to you before you head out for Greece. Good luck.”

“You, too. Keep me posted on developments with Slash, and, damn it, Lexi, text me once in a while.”

I hated texting with a passion and texting wasn’t too fond of me either. “Not likely, but I’ll think of you. I promise.”

We hung up and I made it in one piece to the Excalibur Academy. I followed Bonnie into a gated parking lot with an attendant who waved us both through. Bonnie parked in a spot reserved for the headmistress, but the parking lot was essentially empty so I had my pick of spots. She waited for me by her car.

I pulled the collar of my jacket up and walked toward her, wishing I had a hat. The wind was cold and the ground icy with a light dusting of snow.

I looked up at the building as I walked. The school was situated in a nice part of D.C., in the northwest section surrounded by trees. The parking lot was large, which was unheard of in the city, and the building looked modern and brand new. It was at least four stories high and had what looked like two flanking wings with a small covered walkway between each wing to the main building. Huge glass windows were centered on the third floor, sparkling like jewels against the gray winter sky.

When we got closer, I stopped and stared. “Wow. This is a high school?”

Bonnie nodded, blowing on her bare hands. “Yes. A very exclusive one. I won’t lie to you. It costs more than an arm and a leg to go here.”

“Wow. Just wow.”

“We finished building the school just two years ago. Razed and rebuilt. We have the best of everything here.”

“Looks like it.”

“Come on. Let’s go in. I want to introduce you to Ron Boland, our part-time technology guy. We have a Code Green situation, which means while students are not here because of the weather, the staff is.”

“Okay.”

We walked up to the school and Bonnie waved a badge at an access terminal. The door buzzed and she pulled it open.

“Security badges?”

“Every student has one. We don’t mess with security at our school. It’s top-notch. Now if we could just protect ourselves from our students.”

I shrugged. “Insider threats are almost always the hardest to stop.”

I followed her down a gleaming hallway. Rows of steel lockers glistened under modern track lighting, and solid oak doors shone as if just polished. My high school sure hadn’t looked like this.

Bonnie led me into a huge office area fronted by a woman with short brown hair who sat behind a marble counter typing something on her laptop. To her left was a large sitting area with a sky-blue couch and three matching padded chairs. A coffee table with a few child development and teaching magazines completed the look. Framed sketches, perhaps made by students, adorned the walls. I couldn’t imagine sitting in this kind of comfort while waiting to be called into the principal’s office.

The woman looked up and smiled when Bonnie and I walked in.

“Any problems, Marge?” Bonnie asked her. The woman shook her head.

“Nope. All quiet on the Western front.”

“Just the way we like it. Can you page Ron and have him meet us in my office?”

“Absolutely.” She picked up a phone and dialed something.

Bonnie motioned for me to follow her down a corridor, then ushered me into a large office with glass windows. She shrugged out of her coat and held out her hand to take mine. Opening a small closet, she hung both our coats in it and then sat down behind her desk.

It had been a few years since I’d been in a principal’s office, but I still felt uneasy when she motioned me to sit in one of the visitor chairs. My palms began to sweat as I perched on the end of the chair and tried not to look uncomfortable.

Bonnie pulled on a pair of dark-rimmed glasses and folded her hands on top of some papers on her desk. “I hope this doesn’t sound intrusive, Lexi, but I wondered if I could ask how old you are.”

I leaned back in my chair and kept my gaze on her. “Only if you answer in turn.”

She smiled. “Fair enough. I’ll start. I’m thirty.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Which is pretty young to be a headmistress of an expensive private school in the middle of D.C.”

“Not if your grandfather owns said school.” She narrowed her eyes. “But that’s not the only reason I’m the headmistress. I have a PhD in Education from Dartmouth and I’m damn good at my job. Now, your turn.”

“Okay. I’m twenty-five. My first job was at the NSA in the InfoSec Department. This is my second job. I’ve been into computers and code for as long as I can remember. I’m damn good at my job, too, if that’s what you are worried about.”

She considered me and then nodded. “Glad we’re clear on that. I like a confident woman. You just look really young, which is why I asked. But I want you to know I got a good impression of you from the start.”

“Likewise. But thanks, I guess.”

A knock sounded on the door and a tall guy with black hair and a beard stepped in.

“You called, Bonnie?”

“Yes, I did. Ron, this is Lexi Carmichael.”

I stood and shook his hand. He looked puzzled as his gaze darted from me to Bonnie. “A new student?”

Bonnie smiled. “No, she’s here to help us with our, ah, computer problem.”

He studied me, the light dawning in his eyes. “
You’re
the infosec expert? Oh, I apologize.”

“No need. It’s okay. Apparently I look young for my age. I get it.”

He sat down. “So, did Bonnie give you the rundown?”

“Can you bring me up to speed?”

“Sure. You want the basics?”

“Always the best place to start.”

“Okay. Well, we’ve got a classic setup with a decent firewall. I’ll show it to you in a minute. Unfortunately, the kiddies keep getting in no matter what steps we take to stop them. Kind of hard to keep them out when they’re essentially plugged in to our network twenty-four seven for schoolwork.”