No Test for the Wicked: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery Book Five Page 2

  As I passed through the outer office, where white lights twinkled on a lovely floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree, I could hear the strains of “Joy to the World” playing softly over the loudspeaker. It made me feel warm and cozy.

  I walked into the conference room. Finn sat across the table from a pretty young woman in a red suit. She had shoulder-length blonde hair that curled around her chin. Her face was perfectly made-up, with just the hint of a rosy glow to her cheeks. Her hands rested atop the table and, although they were devoid of any jewelry, they were perfectly manicured with red nail polish. Next to her sat a very distinguished-looking man with gray hair and sideburns, dressed in a three-piece suit and steel-blue tie. I felt like an outlier in my purple sweater, black slacks and ponytail.

  I set my laptop down on the table as both men rose.

  Finn swept out his hand. “Glad you could make it. Lexi, I’d like you to meet the Honorable Percival O’Neill, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States.”

  Jeez, I was underdressed. An ambassador? I hoped I’d brushed the cookie crumbs off my sweater.

  The older gentleman extended a hand and I shook it firmly.

  Finn nodded to the young woman, who remained seated. “This is Bonnie Swanson, Headmistress of the Excalibur Academy for the Technologically Gifted in Washington, D.C.”

  I leaned across the table to shake her hand and she smiled at me.

  “Glad to meet you.” Although she looked young, she had a firm grip and a no-nonsense look to her.

  After the introductions were finished, we all sat down. Finn leaned forward, consulting what looked like several pages of notes.

  He shuffled them around and then placed his hands on top of the small stack. “Ambassador O’Neill and I have been talking over the phone for a couple of days. In the spirit of full disclosure, our families have been close friends for years in Ireland. He recommended X-Corp to Ms. Swanson to see if we can assist with her current situation.”

  I looked between the ambassador and the headmistress, wondering what kind of situation would bring the two of them together via X-Corp.

  Finn leaned back in his chair and pressed his fingertips together. “I’ll go ahead and let Ms. Swanson explain her situation to us.”

  Bonnie smiled at us around the table. “I greatly appreciate the ambassador’s assistance in bringing me here to discuss this confidential matter. His daughter, Piper, is a junior at our Academy, so it goes without saying that he is personally invested in helping us come to a satisfactory solution. Actually, I’m not sure whether to be embarrassed or proud of our problem, but...” She paused. “There is no easy way to say this. We can’t seem to keep our students out of the school’s computer system.”

  I grinned before quickly fashioning my face into a somber expression. Bonnie caught my smile, but to my surprise, I didn’t see disapproval in her eyes, only amusement.

  She looked at Finn. “So, do you think X-Corp can help us?”

  Finn glanced down the table at me. “I’m sure of it. This kind of situation is Lexi’s specialty.”

  I hadn’t realized I had a specialty, but if Finn said so I wasn’t going to contradict him.

  Bonnie studied me. “I’ve seen you before.”

  “I’m pretty ordinary looking. A lot of people say that.”

  She stared at me a moment more. “No, I’m sure of it. Have you ever been on television?”

  I cleared my throat. “Ah, briefly. Very briefly.”

  “I knew I’d seen you before. I rarely forget a face. Well, glad to make your acquaintance.”

  I mumbled and looked down at my laptop, pretending to search the web for something.

  Finn spoke. “Well, if we are in agreement, we can have Lexi accompany you back to the school or come at your convenience to determine a solution to the problem.”

  Bonnie nodded. “Actually, today would be excellent if she is available. There are no students there now because of the weather. I’ll be happy to sign the paperwork as soon as it’s ready.”

  “Of course.” Finn reached into his briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of papers. “It will take me just a few minutes to prepare them.”

  I stood. Both men rose to their feet.

  “I, ah, thought I’d just get my things together so I’m ready to go when Ms. Swanson is.”

  “Call me Bonnie, please.”

  “Sure, Bonnie. Then you should call me Lexi.”

  I left the room and went to get my laptop case, a notepad, my coat and purse. The rest of my tools were either in my head or at my fingertips online.

  I returned to the conference room as Finn and Bonnie were signing papers. The ambassador stood at one of the windows looking out at the city below. I walked up and stood beside him.

  “It looks festive with the snow,” he said.

  “People around here can’t drive for beans in weather like this. Adverse weather conditions, such as snow and ice, are present in nearly thirty-four percent of total vehicular crashes and nearly twenty-eight percent of highway fatalities in America. Or in other words, Americans can’t drive in such conditions.”

  He chuckled and glanced at me sideways. “Bloody truer words I’ve never heard. None of them has ever seen an Irish snow. Have you ever been to Ireland?”

  “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 s
lid 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.”