Page 109 of Love and the Laws of Motion
“No!”Livie covered her face with her hands.“Oh,no!He couldn’t have been so stupid, could he?”
But she already knew the answer to that question.He’d hacked into Skylight’s financial records, and the university’s databases, and Langley’s personal bank account.He hadn’tleftwith those FBI agents, he’d beenarrestedby those FBI agents.He’d crossed the one line he wasn’t supposed to cross.And he’d done it for her.
“He also seemed to think Langley had it out for you personally?”The dean was obviously upset about the scandal that had just exploded in the middle of the university, but his voice was kind, as were his eyes, as he examined her across the piles of evidence that might send Nick to jail.
“He did.When Janet had her heart attack and didn’t recover right away, Langley tried to get me to work on his project instead.He wasn’t happy when I said no.”
“Is there anything else about Professor Langley I should know before I take steps to resolve this matter?”
So she told him everything—about getting shunted to Peter’s lab assignment, about his refusal to sign off on her Hubble application, knowing it would imperil her PhD, about the new stuff in Langley’s office, the new equipment in Peter’s—by the time she’d finished, Dean Haverman was wearily pinching the bridge of his nose.
“You have my apologies on behalf of the university, Miss Romano.Whatever we can do to facilitate you advancing your work on your thesis, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I want Langley held accountable for what he’s done.That’s all.I don’t need any help.”She paused to draw a deep breath.It felt like she was about to jump off a very tall cliff into very cold water far below.“Because I’m transferring to McArthur to finish my PhD.I start in January.”
Haverman looked utterly defeated.“I’m very sorry to hear that.Your records indicate you’re an exceptional student.Is there anything I can do to get you to reconsider?”
She shook her head.“It’s not about this.It’s about me.This is something I should have done a long time ago.”
Haverman pushed himself to his feet and extended a hand toward her.“Then I wish you good luck with your future studies, Miss Romano.”
Chapter Forty-Five
All things considered, Nick was treated quite decently by the guys who arrested him.It might have been that he called them up as soon as he’d gotten the information he’d needed and told them exactly what he’d done and when and where they could come and arrest him for it.
He didn’t see much point in trying to hide.They kept pretty close tabs on him.They were bound to figure it out sooner or later.Why not save the taxpayers a few bucks and make everybody’s job a little easier?
He was mildly surprised that they’d hauled him all the way to DC instead of interviewing him at a field office in the city.But then again, he was a sensitive asset, and they liked to keep those pretty close to the nest.
He’d been cooling his heels in an interrogation room for the better part of an hour, but it wasn’t some break-your-will-to-live kind of place like he’d seen on TV, or like he’d experienced firsthand back when they’d picked him up eight years ago.No glaring bare bulbs overhead, no one-way mirror, he wasn’t cuffed to a steel table.This looked more like the office of some low-level bureaucrat who hadn’t had the time to decorate yet.He sat in one battered office chair—not even handcuffed to it—and on the other side of the desk an empty chair awaited his interrogator.They’d even brought him a cup of terrible coffee and some chips from the vending machine while he waited.
Finally, the door opened and a familiar face entered the room.Nick knew him as Agent Smith, but he was pretty sure that was not his name.He was carrying a fat file in one hand—all of it no doubt about one Nicholas DeSantis—and a coffee mug emblazoned with the FBI logo in the other.Smith circled around the desk and took a seat, leaning forward on his elbows to examine Nick.
“You look good, Agent Smith.You been working out?”
Smith cracked a small, sarcastic smile.“I figured I’d see you here again one of these days, Nick.A guy like you can’t resist the lure his whole life.Eventually he’s gonna get back in the game, and sooner or later, he’s bound to shoot himself in the foot.”
Nick shrugged.No point in explaining himself.They already knew it all.All that remained to be seen was how he’d be made to pay for what he’d done.
“But I gotta admit,” Smith continued, flipping through the file.“I’m a little confused about how you chose to do it.You finally go rogue, but you don’t infiltrate a Vegas casino or sell your services to one of those Russian outfits.Skylight Telecom is admittedly a little interesting, but you didn’t even break into their research and development division.You broke into theirfinancialdatabase.And the rest of this?Bureaucratic records at a mid-level city college?One single personal checking account at Chase Bank?I’m not seeing a criminal mastermind hacker at work.Mind letting me in on your genius plans here?After all this time, why’d you cross the line forthis?”
Nick bit back a smile.“Would you believe me if I said I did it for a girl?”
Agent Smith threw his head back and laughed.“Honestly?That’s the only explanation that makes sense.”Sobering, he folded his hands in front of him on the table.“But while I find that terribly romantic, you understand you fucked up?”
“I do.”
“And you understand our previous arrangement no longer applies?”
“I do.”
“This isn’t something we can overlook.There will be consequences.”
Nick lifted his head and looked Smith straight in the eye.“Whatever they are, it was totally worth it.”
“She must be one hell of a girl.”
Nick thought back to Livie’s face in that last moment, right after he’d kissed her senseless and right before he’d vanished without a trace.That memory might have to last him quite a while.How long remained to be seen.
