“Then you haven’t caught whoever it is,” I said.
“No.” It was Janet who spoke. “We interviewed the graduate student whose I.D. it was, but he definitely isn’t the hacker. We have reasons to be very sure of that.”
“Point is,” said Lucy, “several other I.D.s have been stolen from students here since, and the perpetrator was also trying to access CP&L along with the university computer and one in Pittsburgh.”
“Was?” I asked.
“Actually, he’s been pretty quiet lately, which makes it harder for us,” Janet said. “Mostly, we’ve been chasing him through the university computer.”
“Right,” Lucy said. “We haven’t tracked him in CP&L’s computer for almost a week. I figure because of the holidays.”
“Why might someone be doing this?” I asked. “Do you have a theory?”
“A power trip, no pun intended,” Janet simply said ‘ “Maybe so he can turn lights on and off throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. Who knows?”
“But what we believe is that whoever’s doing it is on campus, and is getting in via the Internet and another link called Telnet,” Lucy said, adding confidently, “We’ll get him.”
“You mind if I ask why all the secrecy?” I said to my niece. “Could you not just tell me you were on a case you couldn’t discuss?”
She hesitated before responding, “You’re on the faculty here, Aunt Kay.”
This was true, and I had not even thought of that. Though I was only a visiting professor in pathology and legal medicine, I decided Lucy’s point was well taken, and I supposed I did not blame her for keeping this from me for yet another reason. She wanted her independence, especially in this place where for the duration of her undergraduate studies it had been well known that she was related to me.
I looked at her. “Is this why you left Richmond so abruptly the other night?”
“I got paged.”
“By me,” Janet said. “I was flying in from Aspen, got delayed, et cetera. Lucy picked me up at the airport and we came back here.”
“And were there any other attempted break-ins over the holidays?”
“Some. The system is constantly being monitored,” Lucy said. “We’re not alone in this by any means. We’ve just been assigned an undercover post here so we can do some hands-on detective work.”
“Why don’t you walk me to the Rotunda.” I got up, and so did they. “Marino should be back with the car.” I hugged Janet and her hair smelled like lemon. “You take care and come see me more often,” I said to her. “I consider you family. Lord knows it’s about time I had some help in taking care of this one.” I smiled as I put my arm around Lucy.
Outside in the sun, the afternoon was warm enough for only sweaters, and I wished I could stay longer. Lucy did not linger during our brief walk, and I could tell she was anxious about anyone seeing us together.
“It’s just like the old days,” I said lightly to hide my hurt.
“How’s that?” she asked.
“Your ambivalence about being seen with me.”
“That’s not true. I used to be proud of it.”
“And now you’re not,” I said with irony.
“Maybe I’d like you to feel proud to be seen with me,”
she said. “Instead of it always the other way. That’s what I meant.”
“I am proud of you and always have been, even when you were such a mess that sometimes I wanted to lock you in the basement.”
“I believe that’s called child abuse.”
“No, the jury would vote for aunt abuse in your case.
Trust me,” I said. “And I’m glad you and Janet seem to be getting along. I’m glad she’s back from Aspen and the two of you are together.”
My niece stopped and looked at me, squinting in the sun.
“Thanks for what you said to her. Right now, especially, that meant a lot.”
“I spoke the truth, that’s all,” I said. “Maybe someday her family will speak it, too.”
We were in sight of Marino’s car, and he was sitting in it, as usual, and puffing away.
Lucy walked up to his door. “Hey Pete,” she said, “you need to wash your ride.”