False Witness

by Aimée; David Thurlo

  “We have a problem,” Sister Bernarda said. “Merilee, from NexCen, has been in the scriptorium for nearly an hour. She consulted with some of the other techs and she has a theory about our hacker. She asked to talk to you.”

  Sister Agatha hurried back to the monastery and arrived just as the bells were ringing for None. As she entered the parlor, she heard the soft chanting coming from the chapel. Sister Bernarda acknowledged her with a nod, then began whispering Pater Nosters, the Our Fathers.

  Sister Agatha joined her in prayer. In the silence of her mind and heart, she reached up to the Lord, asking for a resolution to their problems. Despite all her good intentions, she’d muddled things badly and now it was possible Terri was in mortal danger.

  After None, Sister Agatha walked directly to the scriptorium and met with Merilee. “I’m here,” Sister Agatha said. “Are you closer to finding our hacker?”

  “You’re actually our best hope of finding him or her, Sister Agatha. I’ve been thinking a lot about this, and you know almost everyone in town. Who loves computer games and has the know-how to pull a stunt like this?”

  “I don’t generally talk to people in town about computers, Merilee. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help you.”

  “Will you look through the e-mails NexCen received complaining about the graphics card needed for the Wilder game? I’ve got the folder with me. See if there’s a name in here that catches your eye.”

  Sister Agatha did as Merilee asked. “Nothing, I’m sorry,” she said after about fifteen minutes. At the bottom of the stack of printouts, she found copies of the e-mails the monastery had received. She studied them as well. “Wilder’s letters have gotten progressively nastier. But it makes no sense. Does he want to shut down NexCen, or us, or both of us?”

  Merilee shrugged. “With cranks, who knows?”

  Sister Agatha focused back on the e-mails. “Did you notice that there’s a pattern here? The last three e-mails were sent at around 12:30 P.M., give or take five minutes, and they’re from a different ISP, though they’re all signed by Wilder.”

  “I didn’t realize that. Let’s see if we can use that to track it back to the sender. I know that the earlier e-mails were rerouted from special Internet sites designed by hackers and spammers to hide the originating computer. But maybe now that he’s using a different server we’ll get lucky.”

  After about fifteen minutes on the phone with NexCen’s techs, Merilee finally hung up. “I’ve requested some special software for the monastery’s computer. According to one of our techs, the ISP on the last three e-mails is for the library network at the public high school. Do you know any kids who attend that school?”

  “Had it been St. Charles, I would have been able to help you a lot more, but public school is a different world. We could go talk to their media specialist. We’ve got the time the kid logged on, so if their system is like the one at St. Charles where kids have to sign in, the media specialist will know who was using the computers at the time.”

  Sister Agatha rode into town with Merilee. Her sedan, a luxury model, seemed to have every imaginable amenity. With the windows up, road noises simply vanished. “It’s like a magic carpet ride,” she muttered in awe.

  “It is, isn’t it? This car set me back some, but since I drive quite a bit and get mileage from NexCen, I decided to go for it. What kind of car does the monastery have? All I’ve seen parked outside is an old station wagon. Does that belong to the gardener?”

  Sister Agatha laughed. “Gardener? We’re the gardeners. That old bucket of bolts is our mass-transportation system. And let me tell you a secret, we don’t call it the Antichrysler for nothing.”

  Shortly afterward, they pulled up to the area high school, a large complex of cinder block and metal beside an enormous gymnasium. As they parked, Sister Agatha noted the large stylized bird of prey painted on the four-story wall of the field house. “Their athletic teams are the Falcons,” she said for Merilee’s benefit.

  She’d run into Liz earlier, so she knew today had been a half day. But in-service days, if the meetings were held on campus, usually meant that teachers would still be required to put in regular hours. They walked into the main building and eventually found their way to the library. A tall, thin woman in her fifties and a petite brunette in her late twenties were standing beside a big, U-shaped counter. The older woman glanced at them as they came though the door.

  “I’m Mrs. Dale, the media specialist. May I help you?” she asked.

  Sister Agatha introduced herself and Merilee, then proceeded to explain the problem. “These last e-mails were sent at 12:30 P.M. and I was wondering if you used a sign-in system,” Sister Agatha said, handing her the printout. Mrs. Dale looked at the letters, then handed them to the other woman with her. “Check the logbook and see who was here at the time.”

  “This really disturbs me,” Mrs. Dale said. “I can’t believe one of our kids is using our computers to hack into a company’s system and send harassing e-mails.”

  The younger woman introduced herself as she came back up. “I’m Holly Finney. I’m normally on duty here when Mrs. Dale has her lunch. The student you want is Ernie Rowe—the kids call him Macho. He’s the one logged in, but I don’t think he’d know how to hack into anyone’s system. He’s just not that good with computers.”

  “Maybe he’s working with someone else,” Mrs. Dale said. “Give me a chance to talk to Ernie’s friends, and I’ll get back to you.”

  Sister Agatha and Merilee thanked both women, then left and headed for the main entrance. Halfway there, Sister Agatha suddenly stopped in midstride. “Wait a minute. I’ve got an idea. Let’s drop by the office before we leave.”

  As they reached the busy administration office, Sister Agatha recognized one of the staff and smiled. Maria Paiz came to Mass at the monastery on a regular basis.

  “Hello, Sister Agatha,” the middle-aged, portly woman greeted. “What a surprise to see you here.”

  “I need to talk to Leeann Karon. Is there any chance she’s around school, maybe at basketball practice or a club meeting?”

  “Probably not—though she does have an absolute gift for landing school detention. Let me check,” she said, then typed in some information on a computer screen. “You got lucky,” she said after a moment. “She’s here, or at least supposed to be. Do you want me to call the detention room and have the teacher on duty send her to the office?”

  “We’d appreciate it if you would,” Sister Agatha said.

  Sister Agatha explained the connection between Leeann and Macho to Merilee. “From what Liz said, Macho has a thing for her, so let’s see what she can tell us about him.”

  A few minutes later, a worried Leeann came into the room, then, seeing Sister Agatha, gave her a shaky smile. “Am I in trouble again?”

  “Not with us. Just relax, Leeann,” Sister Agatha said.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, looking at Merilee. “You’re not a cop … policewoman, are you?”

  Merilee laughed, shaking her head.

  “We’ve been having some problems with a hacker,” Sister Agatha said, giving Leeann a quick summary of what they’d learned from the media specialist. “Do you think Macho would do that to us?”

  “Macho?” Leeann burst out laughing. “Oh, Sister, he still types with two fingers! He won’t even play computer games. Macho’s into cars. Whenever a student’s ride won’t start, Macho’s your go-to guy. He can get anyone back on the road. He’s great with a screwdriver, but he’s totally hopeless with a mouse.”

  “I’m looking for someone who could hack into a corporate server,” Sister Agatha said. “Does anyone come to mind?”

  Leeann grew quiet, considering the possibilities. “There are only a few kids who could pull off something like that.”

  “Is there one in particular who has the ability and a grudge against Macho?”

  “Macho makes a lot of enemies, Sister,” Leeann answered slowly. “He likes to push peop
le around—but the schoolboys get the worst of it.”

  “You mean the nerds?” Sister Agatha asked.

  “Yeah, ‘schoolboys.’ That’s what the tough guys around here call them. Macho has it in for them … maybe because they make him look stupid in class.”

  Merilee pulled out a computer printout from her bag. “This is a list of local people who’ve e-mailed NexCen in the recent past. Do any of the names match the ‘schoolboys’ you mentioned?”

  Leeann looked the list over. “Two names fit—Joey Weaver and Eva Stanley. Macho’s not too bad with Eva. She’s, well, unfortunate looking, and he doesn’t pay too much attention to her.”

  “What about Joey Weaver?”

  “Macho shoves Joey every chance he gets, or knocks books out of his arms, just stuff like that. He doesn’t hurt him, not really.”

  “Are either of those kids capable of some serious hacking?” Merilee asked.

  “Oh, yeah. They’re really into computers.”

  “Thanks, Leeann,” Sister Agatha said.

  As Leeann headed back to detention, Sister Agatha glanced at Merilee. “We’ve now got it narrowed down to two kids, so we’re making progress. But which one should we focus on first, Joey or Eva?”

  “Research shows that more boys play computer games, but that’s hardly conclusive. Why don’t we make sure we’re around the media center tomorrow at noon and check things out?” Merilee suggested.

  “As long as we’re here, let’s go talk to the kids’ teachers first.” Sister Agatha approached Maria again. “I hate to bother you, but how about one more favor?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Are there any advanced computer classes offered in the curriculum here?”

  She nodded. “Computer Graphics. They learn how to use advanced software and design Web sites.”

  “Who teaches that class, and are Joey Weaver and Eva Stanley enrolled?”

  “I’ll check,” she said, calling up the right screen. A moment later, she nodded. “They’re both in Mr. Lopez’s fourth-period class. Most of the teaching staff is probably gone by now, but I’d be willing to bet he’s still here. He’s always at the keyboard. You’ll find him in the last room down this hall to your left.”

  “Thanks!”

  “Those kids aren’t in any serious trouble, are they?” Maria asked.

  “I’m not sure yet,” Sister Agatha answered honestly.

  They walked to the classroom Maria had indicated, then knocked on the open door. A man in his early thirties looked up from his computer terminal and smiled. “Can I help you?”

  Sister Agatha made the introductions. “We’re looking into the work of a hacker. Does the name ‘Wilder’ mean anything to you?”

  “Wilder? Sure. It’s a very popular role-playing game. What about it?”

  “Do any of your students have a particular interest in the game? Maybe even an obsession?” Sister Agatha pressed.

  “Only one name comes to mind,” he said without hesitation. “Liz Leland. She’s competing for the scholarship NexCen’s offering in conjunction with Los Angeles Animation Studios, and the software company that produces the game. She’s altered the Wilder character and turned him from a pig into a woman superhero. Her version is really creative. She’s already got a script for her game and has been working on the animation.”

  “A game designer in the making,” Merilee said thoughtfully.

  Shocked, Sister Agatha said nothing. Had Liz been playing her all along?

  “Do you happen to know Liz, Sister? She used to go to St. Charles,” Mr. Lopez said.

  “Yes, I do. What about Eva Stanley? Is she interested in that game, too?”

  “I don’t think so. She has plans to go into computer engineering. Says that games are for kids and those just interested in programming will be working for her someday.” He chuckled.

  Sister Agatha filled Mr. Lopez in on what she knew. “Have you seen anything that might indicate Liz was doing something illegal?”

  “Sister, that kid’s really turned her life around. No way I’ll believe she hacked into the monastery’s computers. She wouldn’t jeopardize any shot she might have at that scholarship, and I don’t think she has the hacking skills. Her creativity goes in a whole different direction.”

  “What about Joey Weaver? Is he a Wilder fan, too?” Sister Agatha asked.

  “More of a Liz Leland fan, from what I’ve seen around school. Joey would do anything for Liz and has helped her quite a bit on her project. They hang together after school, too, I gather. Joey’s skilled with computers, but a little strange—in a good way. Unfortunately, he’s not really motivated, not like Liz. But there’s no way I’m going to believe Liz is doing anything to bite the hand of the companies she hopes will pay her way into college. She’s much too smart for that. That would blow her career before it got started,” Lopez said flatly.

  After thanking him, Merilee and Sister Agatha left for the parking area. “At least we know we’re on the right track,” Merilee said.

  “But there’s more to this than we’re seeing. I can feel it in my bones,” Sister Agatha said slowly. “Let’s go talk to Liz.”

  20

  AFTER A QUICK DRIVE ACROSS TOWN, THEY ARRIVED at the Leland home. Sister Agatha knocked on the door and Mrs. Leland answered.

  “Now what, Sister Agatha?” Margot asked wearily. “Just when things were starting to look up a bit, here you are again.”

  After introducing Merilee, Sister Agatha added, “We’d hoped to catch Liz at home. Is she here? We’d like to talk to her for a few minutes.”

  “She’s in her room with a friend. Is this about the scholarship she’s been working on?” Her voice finally sounded upbeat, and she looked at Merilee with a hesitant smile.

  “I’m not on that particular NexCen committee, Mrs. Leland,” Merilee replied. “But this is computer related.”

  Margot looked worried as she called out to her daughter. “Liz, someone wants to talk to you. Get out here. Now!” she added sharply.

  Hearing her tone, Sister Agatha cringed. She’d hoped to ease into the matter quietly and privately with Liz.

  Almost immediately, a door opened and Liz came down a short hall into the living room. “Mo-o-o-om, I’m trying to work. What?”

  “Sister Agatha is back, and she has someone with her,” Margot said in a tense voice. “You haven’t done anything illegal with that computer of yours, have you?”

  Sister Agatha’s heart went out to her. “Mrs. Leland, really, there may not be a problem at all. I’m not accusing anyone. I just need to have a few words with your daughter.”

  Sister Agatha caught a glimpse of a boy peering out from a doorway farther down the hall. Could that be Joey? He looked vaguely familiar, but before she could get a good look at him, he ducked back in.

  “Then let’s sort this out,” Mrs. Leland said, and glancing at Pax, added, “Bring your dog in, too, if you want, Sister.”

  Following Margot’s lead, they stepped into the living room.

  “Do you know why we’re here, Liz?” Sister Agatha asked gently, taking a seat on the sofa beside Merilee. “Mrs. Brown is from NexCen.”

  Liz beamed them a hopeful smile. “Is NexCen interested in my version of Wilder? That would be so terrific! But I’m surprised that you’d actually come over to talk to me about it. When I had some problems with NexCen a few weeks ago, nobody would even answer my e-mails!”

  Sister Agatha stared at her for a moment. What she was seeing in Liz’s eyes was hope, not fear. Maybe she’d made a mistake. “Let’s take this one step at a time. What problem did you have with NexCen?”

  “I bought a graphics card from them with money I made from my after-school job. I really needed it to power the version of Wilder I was using as a reference to generate my own spin on the game. But the card started crashing on me. I tried everything to make it work right. Then I found out that I’d need an upgrade in order to continue running the game. I wrote a letter to NexCen and asked t
hem to make good on their offer to give customers an upgraded version or their money back. At first I didn’t hear anything, then I got an e-mail saying I was ineligible because I didn’t have my receipt. The thing is I really needed that new card. It was the only way I could stay in the scholarship competition. But there was no way I could earn enough money to buy another in time to finish my program.”

  A slender boy with hair styled in tiny spikes that stuck out vertically peered into the living room. Mrs. Leland gave him a bored look. “Joey, Liz is busy. Maybe you can come back tomorrow?”

  “Mom!” Liz looked at her mother and then gave Joey a thin smile.

  “Tell them the rest, Liz. If she’s from NexCen, maybe she’ll fix it.”

  Sister Agatha looked at the boy and suddenly remembered where she’d seen him before. Joey was the boy Macho had been intimidating the day she’d talked to him and Liz at Burger Biggins. A picture was starting to come together in her mind.

  “Joey, why don’t you join us? You can tell us the rest of the story yourself.” Sister Agatha said.

  “Yeah, well, okay,” he said.

  He was like compressed energy, too wound up to stay still for even a second. Joey moved around even when he stood in place, and Pax watched him carefully. “Strange, but in a good way,” Sister Agatha recalled Mr. Lopez saying when he’d described Joey.

  “Look, Liz has talent, but she needed the attention of the right people,” Joey said. “She wanted to enter her game in the contest for that NexCen scholarship, but without the proper hardware, she had no chance—I mean zero.”

  He looked at Merilee, then continued. “Liz had done everything right. She worked hard, saved her money, and bought the game and the NexCen video card the Wilder people recommended. But then it turned out the crummy card wasn’t good enough. NexCen refused to replace the card because Liz had lost her receipt. The Wilder people refused to help her, too. They told Liz that the game wasn’t defective, so they could only refund her money if the game hadn’t been taken out of the package. It was a con. I mean, come on. Who finds out a game won’t work right before they try to use it?”