Seamus had a few good tips on social engineering for me, and he was so excited to be teaching me something for once that his face just about broke in half with the force of his smile. It was at that moment I decided he’s now on myslowlyrising list of friends.
“Eli?” Dad’s quiet but sharp tone has all the trains in my brain stopping at the same time.
My eyes focus again on where we are, on all the faces... staring at me.
Iris, Matthew, Zack, and Virginia, the Heirs of Foundation, Theatre, Wealth, and Residence respectively are the only ones missing, so it really is a lot of faces.
“Sorry, what?”
I look at Dad, but Harrison is the one who answers.
“I just gave you the floor so you can update us on your side of things.”
“Right.”
I shift on my chair and sit straight, my eyes catching Tucker’s smirk, and that makes at least one of my previously functioning brain trains start up again—I’ll get to that later, I assure myself.
“I’ve handed over everything to the FBI, and for now there’s not really a lot for me to do except keep looking for the person who created the website on the dark net. Like I explained last time, it’s clear that whoever they are, they’re experienced, but I’m having trouble finding them.”
“Do you know who the hacker is?” I’m surprised that Patricia, Heir of Art, would be the one to be interested enough to ask a question in the middle of my rant, but it’s not a bad question. “Is it someone famous like Anglewings66?”
I very pointedly don’t look at Dad, Baron, or Harrison, who are the only ones who know she’s talking about me, and use every trick I have under my sleeve to keep my face impassive.
“No.” I shake my head once. “I’ve never heard of them before and I’ve been asking around as discreetly as I can. None of the hackers I know have ever heard of tgr81gotcha, but I’ll keep looking. I’m sure that whoever they are, they’ll resurface soon enough.”
“Thank you, Eli,” Harrison says, taking control of the conversation again thankfully.
“Last thing for today, and hopefully for the next six months,” he mutters. “You all know Eli has become invaluable to the security of the Turris. He’s given me a way to communicate with you without it being a royal pain in the ass, and he’s given all of us tools to make sure our homes and offices don’t have any listening devices.”
There are nods all around when he pauses... for dramatic effect, I’m guessing?
“Well, I just want to make sure to also tell you that his new company has been protecting the more delicate data of Crawford Inc. for a few months now, and I cannot recommend them enough. I know you’re both interested, Jim, Richard.” He nods at them shortly. “And so I’ll just give Eli the floor now to explain what he does.”
I recite the spiel in that practiced way that Dad made sure I had ingrained in me before I was ready to start looking for clients. It’s the least technical way to explain how secure my encryption is, and I see it clicks with more than Jim and Richard halfway through.
When I’m done and everyone thanks me for the information, when we all stand to leave and I take one step to go talk to Tucker before he leaves, I’m swarmed with five Chairs trying to get my attention and asking for appointments.
I gulp when Shirley smiles at me, but I accept her handshake and assure her I’ll call her in the new year.
Just the thought of being responsible for the most sensitive data of a freaking bank is enough to make my stomach twist in knots, but I power through and keep my breakfast down.
Tucker agreesto come to the house, but it takes a while.
He has to go back to Jim’s house with him, because as far as anyone who notices knows, they’ve been there all morning. It’s better if he’s seen leaving their building and making his way to our house, that way we can be sure everyone thinks it’s the first time he’s stepped out today.
A bit theatrical, but you don’t keep a society asecret societyfor more than three hundred years unless you take all the precautions possible.
He’s looking at me curiously when I drag him into the house then up the stairs before Lyla can see him and start asking questions, but to his credit, he keeps his questions quiet until we’re in my office with the door firmly locked.
“What’s up?”
Pretty basic question, but okay, I’ll take it as the wide open door it is.
“I need a favor.” I worry my bottom lip when he doesn’t say anything in return for a long moment.
“Are you going to tell me what?”
“Not until you agree.”
