Page 83 of Made of Steel (Made of Steel 1)

"I think I found something."

"If there isn't a cup of coffee in your hand for me, I'd really reconsider coming up. I get grumpy when I haven't gotten enough sleep."

"I have coffee for you," I lied.

"You know I can see you, right?"

Of course she had a camera down here.

"This better be good." The door buzzed open and I quickly grabbed the handle.

I took the elevator up and wandered down the hall to her door. Before I even knocked, I heard a bunch of bolts being unlocked.

The door swung open. I had thought her hair was unruly before, but it looked like a rat's nest piled on top of her head tonight.

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "You're dressing like the vigilante now too?"

"It's his, actually." I pushed past her and into the apartment. It was definitely nicer than the last one, but the set up was virtually the same. There were computer and TV monitors everywhere.

"You talked to him again? Did you figure out anything that might point to who he is?"

I turned back to her. "Not exactly. I need your help."

She pursed her lips. "Last time you came, you promised you had information on the vigilante. Everything you told me I already knew. So now you're telling me you don't have anything else, you just want me to fix your computer again or something?"

"I wouldn't say throwing my computer out the window was fixing it. And this is related. You agreed that the vigilante is here because of me. And I'm in trouble."

"I was up late last night chasing down a lead. I haven't slept in over 24 hours. I need some coffee." She turned away from me and walked into the small kitchen. There was already a pot brewing.

Did she really have no reaction to me being in trouble? Maybe she was the wrong person to confide in. Unfortunately, she was the only one that could make any sense of what I had found on Eli's iPod. And I knew it was all related. It had to be. It was the only lead I had. I stood awkwardly in the hallway until she rejoined me.

"Does this have anything to do with the vigilante breaking his MO again?" She walked past me toward her computers.

I followed her. "How do you know about that?"

"The dead body that showed up in the dumpster on 9th avenue? The guy's rap sheet goes further back than my birth. And the bullet that pierced his skull was registered to his own gun. I'm pretty sure he didn't shoot himself in the back of the head, so I'm assuming it has something to do with what you're not telling me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about the fact that your name isn't really Sadie Davis. Who are you?" She wasn't kidding, she really did get bitchy when she was tired.

"That's not why I'm here." I just needed help tracing Don. I needed to know if he was really here. I needed to know if he was the one messing with my head.

"I know. You just need my help again. Well, until you start talking, I'm not helping

you. I'm not an idiot. You being here puts me in danger too. So if you want my help, you better start talking."

It didn't seem like she was bluffing. Mr. Crawford was missing as far as I could tell. There was a bounty on my head, or my face more literally. I was caught in the middle of some twisted game I didn't understand. Despite how much I wanted to believe I could handle all this on my own, I couldn't. And it seemed like Liza was pretty good at hiding. Maybe she wouldn't get hurt in the crossfire. "My real name is Summer Brooks and I..."

"I knew it."

"What?"

She turned back to her computers and pulled up an article about my case. "As soon as I saw Gavin Moore's body turn up, I saw the pattern. He's a hit man for Don Roberts. And so was the other guy that made the vigilante break his MO. It was easy to put the pieces together. Your disguise is good, but it doesn't really fool anyone who's known you recently."

She brought up a picture of me, one from the report filed against Don. It was supposed to be in evidence. How did she even find it? There was a bruise on my eye and a cut on my lip. I looked terrified. I probably looked the same way right now, minus the red hair and blue eyes.

"I should have put it together as soon as crime started to increase," Liza said. "Not just petty crimes either. Shoot outs, rapes, homicides, it's a cesspool. You singlehandedly brought the Helspet Mafia to New York City."

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