Page 51 of Duplicity

Simon took a step toward it. Peter smacked Simon’s chest with the back of his hand. “It’s evidence.”

Cat said, “I’ll grab an officer to collect it.”

He didn’t look at her as she walked away, but Peter would notice that the same way he’d notice if Simon had watched her go. His brother said, “So…she’s great.”

“Shut up.”

Peter grinned.

“It’s not like that.”

“Maybe it should be.”

Simon wasn’t going to get into a debate about him and Cat when she was already headed back to join them, along with a uniformed officer. He and Peter moved down the aisle away from them.

Simon watched her then, trying not to be a stalker but there was a whole lot to appreciate about this woman. Her toned figure, not oddly stick thin like some women. She worked out, but she also came from a Hispanic background. She knew how to appreciate the fuel she put into her body—more than he’d ever learned how to do. Their father had even managed to warp their view of food, withholding it as a punishment.

He glanced at his brother. “Do you ever look at pizza and get like…an odd feeling in your stomach?”

She must’ve heard his question because he saw Cat glance over out of the corner of his eye.

Peter grinned. “That’s a crying shame.” The humor dissipated from his face pretty quickly. “Actually, for me, it’s rice with little pieces of veggies in it. We got Chinese takeout, and Selena noticed. She made me tell her.”

Simon could see how that might be a trigger. They’d eaten plenty of it as kids, and it was all wrapped up together in the swirling pit in his heart and mind. But it was the last thing Peter said that stuck with him.She made me tell her.“Jasper is forcing me to attend a trauma survivors group or I’ll lose my job.”

“So do it. Or don’t and go earn four times as much with another private security company—or in a government job doing black site work into…whatever.” Peter’s face looked impassive on the surface, like he didn’t care.

But Simon could see something very different in him. A whole lot of emotion. “I’m not leaving Vanguard.”

Peter just stared. Finally, he nodded.

It honestly made Simon feel better knowing his brother shared a lot of his issues, those tendencies to have odd responses to what should be normal situations. Simon wanted his brother nearby but also didn’t want to be an obstacle for Peter and Selena. His brother was probably excited that Simon would have someone like Cat in his life because he’d be a little more settled.

The officer collected the evidence, touching the phone with gloved fingers. They took so many photos of where it had been found that Simon’s eyes flashed with white spots. Cat wrote on the bag with a Sharpie. “Thanks.” She turned to them, holding the bag. “Do you need to connect to this phone?”

Simon shook his head. “Is it switched on?”

She touched the power button through the bag. “The screen is shattered. He must’ve dropped it.” The screen remained black.

Simon shifted his laptop, tapped the power button, and used his fingerprint to wake up his device. He tapped the program. “Pete?”

“Yup.” His brother didn’t take the phone from Cat. All he did was hold the buttons in the sequence they’d come up with. The screen flashed green, like old computers used to do, and then their black screen came up with green text displaying the programming. He was young enough a lot of things about computers were retro.

Text scrolled down the phone.

Cat asked, “What did that do?”

Simon said, “Pretty much a factory reboot. It’s just that I run the factory.”

Peter chuckled. “Pretty sure you invented the whole company. Coming up with this? I’m guessing no one ever told you this thing isgenius.”

Simon hadn’t explained it to anyone. He mostly tried to avoid the whole thing. After all, it had been something he was forced at gunpoint to figure out. That whole incident was wrapped in a bunch of messed up memories and fear that still lived in him, which hadn’t been exorcised, and he didn’t plan to do it in a group. Since then, the network had been used exclusively by criminals. He hadn’t been able to shut it down or figure out who from the family was the person behind it.

“He’s right, you know,” Cat said. “Even if it was used for evil, you still have to appreciate the fact you did something amazing.”

She took a step toward him. Peter responded by turning and wandering away, and Simon ignored the why of it. “I’m going to get this where it needs to go, and then I’m going to make sure Romeo gets seen by a doctor. Do you need me for anything?”

Simon stared at her.I can think of a few things.

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