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  “Absolutely.” I nodded. “Wally is determined.”

  “I really like that boy.”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  We started fixing dinner, both of us quiet with our thoughts. I was chopping carrots when my mom took off her wedding ring and set it on the counter while she washed a head of lettuce. Although I’d seen her do it a hundred times before, given my reflective mood, it prompted a question.

  “Mom, why do you still wear your wedding ring?”

  Mom stilled, then turned off the water. She shook the lettuce once and set it on a paper towel. “I know it must seem silly to you, Angel. But I still feel married. It’s hard for me to accept your father is not with us when he remains so close here.” She tapped her chest.

  I set the knife down and pushed the carrots to the side. “Why didn’t you get a death certificate?”

  “Because I have no evidence he’s dead.”

  “Maybe the fact that he hasn’t been around for fourteen years is as good a reason as any.”

  Mom pulled off a paper towel and wiped her hands. I knew her well enough to see she was trying to measure her response. When she spoke, her voice was calm but firm. “Angel, the reasons I have for holding out hope for your father are mine alone. We haven’t talked a lot about this, but your father loved you very much and provided well for our family. He created college funds for both you girls before he disappeared. Our savings accounts were solid. When he vanished, he didn’t leave any problems behind, including debt.”

  “So he gets a medal for deserting his family because he left us in excellent financial shape?”

  “Angel.” My mom’s voice was hard now. “Stop it.”

  “Then why don’t you enlighten me? You never talk about him. You’ve never even told me if you think he left of his own will or if he was…murdered.” My breath hitched, garbling the last word. For the first time, I understood why Gwen never wanted to talk about Dad. It was painful beyond belief. But I pushed ahead anyway.

  My mom flinched as if I’d slapped her. Reaching out a hand, she steadied herself against the counter. But when she spoke, she said something I didn’t expect.

  “Does it matter?” She spoke quietly, her face pale. “The results are the same. He’s not here with us.”

  My mouth dropped open. “It matters to me, Mom. If you know something, tell me. Please.”

  “Your father was a good man. Brilliant, heroic, tender, and kind. He loved me, you, and your sister with all his heart. If he left of his own free will, there was an important reason. Nothing anyone can say would change my mind about that. That’s all you need to know.”

  “I’m sorry, but it’s not. I’m going to find out what happened to him, Mom. I mean it.”

  My mom smiled. “You remind me a lot of him, you know. Passionate, committed, obsessed with the truth. It meant everything to him. Your father also considered himself a loner, although he was the most charming and gracious man I’d ever met. But sometimes…I saw a sadness in his eyes.” She looked off at the wall above my shoulder, clearly lost in a thought. “Leave this alone, Angel. Please.”

  “I can’t, Mom. I won’t. I’m not going to lie to you. I won’t give up until I know what happened to him.”

  She blew out a breath and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “You know who else you remind me of? Your aunt Dorothy. She’s the most dogged person I know, next to you, of course. Once she gets her mind set on something, there is no dissuading her.”

  Just like that, the tension dissolved. It was hard to be mad at the only parent you had, especially when she was suffering as much as you were.

  I mustered a smile. “Hey, I’m not dogged. I’m invested. There’s a big difference. Besides, how can you possibly compare me to Aunt Dorothy? She still thinks I’m ten years old. She gave me a Hello Kitty bra last Christmas. That isn’t normal.”

  Mom chuckled. “I forgot about the bra. She’s always in bigger sister mode with me and now with you two girls.”

  “Well, it’s embarrassing.”

  “She loves you. She’s a bit quirky. Go easy on her.”

  “I always do.”

  We grinned at each other before I walked across the kitchen and wrapped my arms around her waist. She hugged me back. We stood there for a bit without talking.

  “I love you, Angel.” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

  “I love you, too, Mom. But I’m not giving up on finding Dad, and I’m not giving up on Mr. Matthews, either. I’ll figure things out. I promise.”

  My mom twirled a strand of my hair around her finger. “No matter how hard you try, some mysteries may never be solved. Are you prepared for that?”

  Before I could respond, my phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket. Wally was calling.

  I pressed the phone to my ear. “Hey, Wally. What’s up?”

  “Are you alone?”

  I looked over my shoulder at where my mom had resumed washing the lettuce. “Give me a minute.” I walked out of the kitchen toward my room. “I’m clear. What happened?”

  “Detective Barnett updated the police report.”

  “Again?” I went into my room and closed the door. “What is it this time?”

  There was a long silence. “I’m sorry, Angel, but I don’t think you’re going to like what he wrote.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ANGEL SINCLAIR

  I went to my room and sat down in front of my computer. “Give it to me straight, Wally.”

  He was silent for a long moment.

  “Wally?” I said.

  “Just read it, Angel. Then call me back, okay?”

  Wally’s voice sounded different. Strained. Distant. Something was wrong.

  My fingers shook on the keyboard as I hacked in. As I read the new entry to the report, a fist tightened around my throat. Words floated across the screen.

  Troubled young woman…wishful thinking…transference…misguided.

  Detective Barnett didn’t believe me. Since no one except me had seen the mysterious Vincent, my information was to be considered suspect. He’d interviewed both Ms. Eder and Headmistress Swanson, and neither had reported seeing a dark-haired stranger. Vincent hadn’t signed in on the office clipboard, which made sense, since Mrs. Eder hadn’t been there to ensure he did.

  But the report went on. While the detective concluded it was not impossible I saw someone, he feared I might have exaggerated the exchange in a misguided effort to help Mr. Matthews. He supported his conclusion about me by saying he believed I was transferring the loss of my father onto Mr. Matthews. He’d done his research on me—which shouldn’t have surprised me, since he was a detective—but it still stung. I wasn’t the suspect here. He’d even attached the seven emails (none of which had ever been answered) I’d sent to the police department over the past few years, regarding possible leads to my father’s disappearance.

  Humiliation swamped me as I pressed my hand against my mouth. They didn’t believe me. All those emails to the police department, leads to finding my dad—they didn’t care. They thought I was a nutcase, completely unbalanced because I’d never given up hope of finding my father. Now Wally had read the report, so he knew everything…about me and my father.

  How could I face Wally now? What if he told people? I’d become the laughingstock of the entire high school.

  My phone beeped. I looked down. I had a text from Wally.

  Call me?

  I ignored the text and stuck my phone in my pocket just as my mom called out that dinner was ready. I shut down my laptop, took a couple of deep breaths, and went out to dinner. There was no way I was going to tell her of this development.

  Until I could figure out what to do next, I was on my own.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  ISAAC REMINGTON

  Executive Director, Research Directorate ED/RD, NSA

  Isaac stopped by a nearby Target on the way home from his work at the NSA. He hated going into stores; it was so…pedestrian. He
preferred ordering everything online because it was cleaner, solitary, and noninvasive. Children were too loud in stores, germs were everywhere, and the unpleasant smells of cheap perfume, sweat, and bad breath bothered him. Unfortunately, however, some items were best purchased in store and for cash.

  Now was one of those times.

  Keeping his head down, Isaac put on a pair of thin black gloves and quickly grabbed five burner phones, going rapidly through the express line.

  When he got home, Isaac hung up his coat, set his briefcase down next to the table in precisely the same spot he put it every day, and perched on a corner of his couch. It took him three minutes to activate one of the new phones. As soon as it was ready, he dialed the number.

  “Hello?” a male voice answered.

  “It’s me. We have a problem. The Hidden Avenger made contact with the NSA. Candace Kim is in charge of the investigation at this point. Someone on the inside raised the possibility that it’s Ethan Sinclair. It’s only a matter of time before they confirm it. I was forced to hand over his file to her.”

  “Who identified him?”

  “I don’t know. She wouldn’t say and I couldn’t press further without looking suspicious. Right now, it’s a rolling ball I’m trying to keep in front of. I’m maneuvering to be a part of the investigation so I can keep an eye on things.”

  There was silence before the person on the other end responded. “Why has he surfaced now?”

  “I’m not sure. My guess is the retirement announcement of General Norton may have prompted him to speak out.”

  “Oh. He knows you’re angling for the directorship.”

  Isaac shrugged. “Or he may want to come in, so he’s offering what he has in hopes they’ll give him immunity.

  “From what?”

  “Hacking, I assume. He’s offering them information on a terrorist plot he obtained by hacking into their networks using ShadowCrypt.”

  “Brazen.”

  “Yes. But it may be the break we’ve been looking for in terms of finding him.”

  “As long as they don’t bring him in before we do.”

  “They won’t,” Isaac said confidently. “We’ve got people where we need them. We’ve patiently waited fourteen years to get a lead on him. Now we’ve got it, all we need to do is follow up. Let me be clear. If we want to ensure our agenda is implemented, I must be in the director’s seat. That means we need to find the Avenger before they do. We can’t have him blabbing or raising any questions about me.”

  “Does he want anything else other than immunity?”

  “Protection for his family.” Isaac stood and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of water. He took a swig of the water and wiped his brow.

  There was a soft chuckle. “From who? Us?”

  “I would suspect that is correct. So far, the Avenger has only agreed to a secure method of communication. I want to be there when the virtual exchange goes down, so I can find out what he really wants.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Since protection for his family is foremost on his mind, start there. Observe, monitor, and report on them. I don’t care what you do, or how you do it, so long as you get a lead on his whereabouts.”

  “We’ve monitored his family before and got nothing. He’s careful.”

  “That was then. This is now. It’s hard out in the cold. He wants to come in, get his old life back. We need to leverage that.”

  “You think he’s in the vicinity? Near enough to be watching his family?”

  “That’s exactly what I think. We need to exploit that. Take whatever steps are necessary. Get started right away.”

  There was a long pause. “You do know you’re not going to get official permission to wiretap. They’re US citizens on US soil.”

  Surely he couldn’t be so stupid. “Do I have to spell everything out for you? Do what you need to do. I don’t care how you do it. Are we clear?”

  “Crystal. Do you want me to bring in anyone else?”

  “No. Let’s keep this information tight to the core group. I’ll give you what I can when I’m able.”

  “Understood. One more question. What do we do if we find him first?”

  “What we’ve always needed to do. Eliminate him.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ANGEL SINCLAIR

  The next morning, I skipped going to my locker and went straight to math class since I already had my book. I’d ignored three more text messages from Wally last night and one this morning. I ran into Frankie in the hall and she tried to talk to me, but I told her I was in a hurry and ran off. It wasn’t until lunch that Wally cornered me.

  I was planning on skipping lunch and going outside, but he caught me at my locker even though I’d waited until lunch had already started.

  “Angel, we have to talk.”

  I yanked my locker open and shoved in my books. “About what?”

  “You know what.”

  “What’s there to talk about? The police think I’m crazy. End of story.”

  “Are you?”

  I slammed the locker shut. “What kind of question is that?”

  “A simple one. Are you delusional or not?”

  I hadn’t expected that, so I crossed my arms against my chest and studied him. “Do you think I am?”

  He lowered his voice. “Look, calm down, okay? We’re not enemies. And, since you asked, no, I don’t think you’re crazy. I didn’t tell Frankie, either.”

  I blew out a breath, leaning back against the lockers. I closed my eyes and tried to do what Wally asked me to do—calm down. My anxiety was sky-high. None of that would help Mr. Matthews—or me, for that matter.

  “They aren’t doing anything to find my father. They think he disappeared on purpose.”

  “I’m not judging, Angel, but the evidence I read is compelling for that scenario. However, further research indicates to me it’s not the whole story. There’s something not right there.”

  “You read my father’s file, too?”

  A slight bit of color touched his cheeks. “I didn’t intend to pry. But I want to help Mr. Matthews. I needed to know if you’re solid.”

  I was torn between extreme mortification and outrage. “And your diagnosis, Dr. Harris?” I was an exceptionally private person, and the revelation that he now knew more about my life than even my mother was agonizing.

  He shrugged. “You’re good in my book, Angel. Truth is, if I’d been in your shoes, I’d have done the exact same thing. Let’s move on and get back to helping Mr. Matthews. We can’t expect much, if any, help from the police.”

  I stared at him. “That’s it? Just like that.”

  “Yeah, just like that.”

  I swallowed. I appreciated his vote of confidence more than he would ever know. In fact, I was so dangerously close to tears it scared me. I’d cried like five times in my life.

  I raised my chin, pretended all was cool. “Thanks, Wally. I’ll see you after school at X-Corp.”

  I started to walk away when he reached out and grabbed my arm.

  “Hey, I’ll give you a ride to X-Corp. It’ll save you from having to take the Metro. I should have offered you a ride a long time before this.”

  I pulled my arm from his grasp. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I feel bad enough having you drive me around town as it is.”

  “I’m doing this of my own free will. You’re not making me do anything. And I don’t feel sorry for you. Trust me, if I didn’t want to drive you, I wouldn’t. It’s simple logistics—we’re going to the same place at the same time. Meet me at my car and we’ll go together. Okay?”

  I let out a breath. “Okay, thanks.”

  “And Angel?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I think it’s time to bring Lexi onboard to help. Maybe even Piper and Brandon, too. Not the stuff with your father—that’s between us—but if you saw some guy named Vincent in Mr. Matthews’s office, and I believe you did
, then we need to find him regardless of whether the police believe you or not. That’s got to be a priority.”

  “I agree. I’ll talk to Lexi today.”

  “Great.” He gave me a light punch on the arm. “Are you going to have lunch with us now? Frankie is wondering what’s wrong with you today. I told her it was your time of the month.”

  “Wally!”

  He laughed and pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Just kidding. Come on, let’s eat and assure Frankie we still love her.”

  I hesitated and then followed him. All of this was so foreign to me. I hadn’t expected this level of support. He could have laughed, agreed I was a total nutcase, or worse—told everyone. Instead, he’d learned one of my deepest secrets and shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

  At that exact moment, it occurred to me perhaps what I’d been afraid of with my peers was being understood, rather than misunderstood. Now that Wally understood me and accepted me anyway, what did it mean?

  I pondered the question. I didn’t have answers, but I had a feeling I was going to find out.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  ISAAC REMINGTON

  NSA Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland

  Isaac couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he strode into the conference room where the team was assembling the first consistent line of communication with the Avenger. He knew he’d pissed off Candace Kim by insisting on being part of information exchange. He didn’t understand why she was resisting his help. She acted all high and mighty, as if her position outranked his. It didn’t.

  Needling her wasn’t necessary, but it amused him to put that angry glint in her eye. If only she knew how much more he intended to do as the investigation continued.

  A technician climbed out from beneath the table and typed something on a laptop. He raised a hand in greeting to Isaac when he saw him.

  “Just in time. We’re ready to go. We’ve installed the email host software on the target server and established the account there as requested. The laptop has been triple wiped to make sure that it contains nothing other than the required software. It’s completely isolated from our internal network and SIPRNET, and has access to the Internet.”