“The numbers inside the stars are ASCII text. It says, ‘Welcome.’ The next part is where the guy I’m looking for calls me by a code name I have on the internet. Says… see right here it says if? If I cooperate, I get something I want, and everyone laughs at me if I don’t. Last line between the stars says, ‘Stay a while,’ which is real cute. Because the longer I stay, the more likely I am to be an even bigger loser and have the world laughing at me.”


“Huh. That’s weird.”


“He wants me to think he’s in Barrington.”


“Interesting.”


“Do you know a guy who knows stuff like this? Computer code? You might not recognize it—”


“Don’t know a guy like that.”


“He might be in IT security, or he might be a kid who stays inside a lot and plays video games.”


“Nope.”


“He could be really young.”


She shrugged. “I have to go.”


Everything I’d ever built could crumble, and she was shrugging. Great. She took off, not even looking to make sure I was following.
Bounding down the steps, hair flying, she wasn’t wasting any time. I chased her down the dirty stairways and outside.