Page 49 of Wired Strong

Sophie hadn’t been kidding that she liked the looseness of the coverall. She still wore a pair of running shorts and a spaghetti strap top underneath it, but her midsection was sensitive to any sort of binding, even at the early stage of this pregnancy. Experience had taught her it was better to go with everything her body was telling her than to fight it.

Sophie exited the van and took the stairs to the fourth floor, all of her senses alert as she pushed open the office’s door. The Peerless floor was set up like many a workspace: a sound-deadening, short nap carpet in wear-concealing oatmeal covered the floors, and three-quarter height cubicles boxed the room into separate work areas.

Sophie walked confidently through the cubicles, heading for Beverly Cho’s office. The woman’s name was marked clearly on the door. She knocked, looking around for a receptionist, but there was none visible.

The door opened. Cho stood in the doorway wearing a flax dress that looked like it had been cut out on the floor of someone’s barn, and a pair of Birkenstocks. Sophie blinked: she wasn’t used to seeing that kind of outfit on an accounting executive. She extended a hand. “Sophie Smithson with Security Solutions. Pleased to meet you.”

“Beverly Cho.” They shook, and Cho held the door open and stepped aside. “Come in.”

Sophie stepped inside, and Cho went on. “I’m glad to have you here so quickly. I think it’s better if you install the software on all of the computers, so Jana isn’t singled out.”

“I agree. I came equipped for that.” Sophie walked into a spacious work area, tastefully decorated with a theme of wood and fiber arts. “I see you are an aficionado of the natural look.”

“Oh yes,” Cho said. “Actually, I create this work in my spare time.” She gestured to a woven wall hanging, and a low table made from a wood burl. “These are from my own workshop.”

Sophie’s estimation of the woman went up a notch. “I admire someone who can create things with their hands. I mostly work with computers.”

Cho smiled. “I can manipulate numbers, but I’m not a programmer, and I admire that skill too. Jana Kanekoa, whose computer I’d like you to monitor, is the mother of a talented young man, a student at Kama`aina Schools. Jana says he’s a computer genius.”

Sophie’s internal antennae went up.Whoever had figured out how to skim the money from the Kama`aina accounts knew how to code.Could the embezzler be a student? Or maybe it was a pair: the son working with his mother to steal from the schools.

“Why don’t you start me on a different computer than the target one, and I’ll work my way to her cubicle.” Sophie held up her zippered bag. “I brought plastic nodes to plant. Most of them are dummies, but I will put a live one on Kanekoa’s computer.”

“Perfect.”

Cho led Sophie to the first of six cubicles, and indicated the target with her head as they walked past a black-haired woman industriously working on a spreadsheet. Once she’d explained that Sophie was here to install security software on their computers, Cho went back to her office.

Sophie introduced herself politely, sent the accountant for a coffee break, and installed the dummy node.

She worked her way to Kanekoa’s cubicle, and smiled brightly in the doorway, holding up her kit. “Good morning. I’m Sophie Smithson with Security Solutions, and I’m here to add a security upgrade to your unit.”

Jana Kanekoa stood up with a smile. She wore a tropical print aloha shirt down past her ample hips, and a pair of leggings with heeled shoes. Her long black hair was braided in a thick cable that nearly reached her waist. Sophie could easily imagine her dancing hula with that pretty hair swishing.

“Is this tech job something you went to college for?” Jana asked, surprising Sophie as she approached the computer.

“Not a bachelor’s degree,” Sophie said. “But I did take several certifications in programming and hardware tech.”

“I’m asking everyone I meet who’s in the computer business how they got where they are.” Kanekoa seemed talkative as she took up a position at the back of the cubicle, watching Sophie.

Sophie felt sweat prickling under her arms as she knelt in front of the computer. Did this woman know something more than usual? Would she detect the casting device Sophie was installing? “What is your interest?”

Kanekoa shrugged. “I’m raising a brilliant kid who’s great with computers. I’m trying to present different pathways to him.”

An unexpected opportunity!Sophie set aside her kit and turned to face Kanekoa, still on her knees in front of the computer’s plug-in area. “Oh, I’m always interested in young people who have a talent for tech. Tell me about your son.”

“Conrad is a real genius.” Kanekoa’s eyes gleamed with pride. “He got into Kama`aina Schools on a scholarship. He is so good with computers that they let him fix up the school’s lab and update all the units with the latest software!”

“You must be so proud. Has he ever gotten in trouble with hacking into something he shouldn’t have?” Sophie smiled in a conspiratorial way. “I certainly did when I was a teen.”

Kanekoa flapped a hand dismissively. “Oh, no. He’s a good boy. I’m a single mother. He would never endanger anything for us, since we live from paycheck to paycheck.” She seemed to realize she was over-sharing, and clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. I do go on and on. I’ve had too much coffee this morning!”

Sophie shook her head as she opened her computer kit. “No problem at all. Sometimes my job is quite lonely, so I always enjoy talking to people when I have a chance.”

“Usually it’s men doing this kind of work,” Kanekoa observed. “What got you into the tech business?”

Sophie took out the casting device. She plugged it into one of the ports on the side of Kanekoa’s unit. She had come up with an explanation that made sense in case any of the accountants asked her for more information. “You’re going to have to restart the system to activate this security device. What it does is help keep other devices from trying to breach your unit. It’s an exterior firewall.”

Kanekoa nodded. “That makes sense. We handle a lot of sensitive information. Beverly is always concerned about making sure we have the highest security.”

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