No Test for the Wicked: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Five Read Online Free PDF Page B

come in.” He gestured for me to enter. I closed the door behind me.
    A man with balding hair and a bit of paunch sat in one of Finn’s chairs. Ben Steinhouser, the other bigwig of X-Corp and a legend at the NSA where he used to work before he retired and got picked up by Finn for a job. Even after working together for several months, it was weird for me to talk to Ben like a normal person because he was freaking legendary within our field. But he treated me like I had a brain, and I appreciated him for it.
    “Hello, Lexi.” Ben balanced a laptop on his knees and didn’t look up. “Finn was just telling me about your new assignment. Going to take on some kids, I hear.”
    I plopped into the chair next to Ben. “Yeah, lucky me.”
    Ben lifted his gaze to look at me from above his spectacles. “Do I detect a hint of concern in your tone?”
    “More than just a hint. One of the more unfortunate trends in cybersecurity is that it is becoming less of a tech problem and more a people-centric issue.”
    “Ah.” Ben snapped his laptop shut. “Let me guess. The students are getting in through the teachers and professional staff.”
    “They’re smart. The school has a part-time IT guy who is capable, but honestly, he’s no match for these kids.”
    Finn came around his desk and perched on the front edge. “Well, that’s why they hired us.”
    “Yes. But the solution isn’t going to be a simple one. This is largely a people-centric problem. I can see already it’s going to have to be a combination approach, which is going to be difficult for me to balance.”
    “Because?” Finn crossed his legs out in front of him.
    I rotated my neck to release the tension that was building there. “Because I have to convince the kids that what they’re doing is wrong.”
    “Teenagers. Good luck with that.”
    “I appreciate your vote of confidence, Ben. Not.”
    “Just being realistic. So what’s your strategy, Lexi?”
    I forced myself to continue before I chickened out. “Well, it’s a bit of an unorthodox approach, and I’m not sure Bonnie, the headmistress of the school, will approve. Technically, I’m not even sure I approve and it’s
my
idea. But after turning it over in my head for a while, I think it’s our best shot of solving this problem for the school once and for all.”
    Ben lifted an eyebrow. “Okay, I’m intrigued. You have my full attention.”
    “Mine, as well,” Finn added.
    I took a deep breath. “Well, I think the best way to figure out exactly how and why they are getting in is for me to become one of them. A student, I mean.”
    Finn blinked, clearly in shock. He held up a hand in a stopping motion. “Wait.
What?
Did you just say you want to pose as a high school student?”
    “Well, let me make it perfectly clear. I don’t
want
to pose as a high school student. Technically, I’d rather face down a post-apocalyptic zombie swarm with nothing more than a nail file than go back to high school again. High school was one of the worst periods of my life. Ever. But I think the best solution lies within this plan.”
    Finn stared at me in disbelief, so I tried another approach.
    “I actually got the idea from Ron, the school’s IT guy. He mistook me for a student when he first met me. Even Bonnie asked me how old I am. I think I could pull it off.”
    “Clever.” Ben regarded me thoughtfully. “Really clever. I think it’s a solid idea.”
    I looked at him. “You do?”
    Finn pushed off the desk. “Seriously, Ben? You think this would work?”
    “I do. It’s creative and innovative.”
    Finn began to pace the office. “But she’s twenty-five years old.”
    I held up a hand. “Hey. Hello. I’m in the room here.”
    They ignored me.
    Ben leaned back in his chair. “So what if she’s really twenty-five? We both know she could easily pass for seventeen or eighteen. Put her in a ripped pair of jeans and a T-shirt, keep her hair up in that ponytail she likes to wear, and slap a backpack