Wired (Buchanan-Renard #13)(26)

They wanted a list of the systems she had "looked into." Alec took out a notepad and began recording the names as she recalled them.

"How many is that now?" he asked Liam, fearing he was going to run out of paper.

"I counted twenty-two," he said before turning back to Allison. "Did you keep a record of all of these?"

"No. If you'd like, I could write a list. I think I can be pretty accurate."

"There couldn't be that many more," Alec commented.

If he only knew. Should she pretend to agree? She decided to keep silent.

"You've never looked in on any federal agency?" Alec asked, clearly skeptical.

"You've already asked me that. No, never. That would be breaking the law." She rushed to explain, "I know. I'm not making any sense. I broke the law every time I entered a bank's or a credit card company's system, but I felt I was helping them. Going into the FBI or any other federal agency wouldn't be helping."

"Anything else you want to tell us? Now's your chance. You've got immunity," Liam reminded her.

Should she tell them about the hackers who'd stolen from the nursing home residents? It had happened three years ago. She thought she was safe, but there was always the chance that someone would come along and figure out she was the one who had gone after them. "There are a few other things I've done."

"Be specific."

"Now or never, Allison," Alec said. "What else have you done?"

"When I said I had never taken any money . . . that wasn't exactly true," she admitted. 

Alec and Liam leaned forward expectantly.

She took a deep breath, then said, "I stole thirty-eight million dollars and sent an e-mail to the FBI telling them where they could access the funds."

Liam seemed to take the announcement in stride. Did anything faze him? Alec, on the other hand, looked shocked.

"Thirty-eight . . . ," Alec began, then stopped.

"Million," she supplied.

She explained everything, from the nursing home segment on the news to the e-mail she'd sent. Alec said he hadn't heard of the hacking. Liam didn't respond. He seemed to be studying her as he listened to her recount the details.

"Did they get the hackers?" Alec asked.

"Yes," she answered. "It was on the news, but it all happened a long time ago."

"About three years ago," Liam added.

"Then you knew about it?"

"I read a report on it," he answered. "A lot of people tried to take credit for getting that money back. None of them could tell the investigators what was said in the e-mail sent to the director, though."

"Do you remember what it said?" Alec asked Liam.

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. It made me laugh."

"What was so funny?" Allison wanted to know.

"Prove you did it," Alec urged. "Tell us what the e-mail said."

She didn't hesitate. "‘You're welcome.'"

Alec looked at Liam, who nodded. "That's right," he confirmed.

"Any other chunks of money you've liberated?" Alec asked.

"Yes, and each time I gave specific instructions on how to locate the hackers. And proof so they would go to prison."

"What about the money?"

"I told the FBI where they could find it."

"I'm curious," Alec said. "How much money-the total?"

"Around eighty million."

They both looked incredulous.

Alec had a good laugh and, shaking his head, said, "You're lucky you have immunity."

Jordan entered the room as Alec was speaking. Hands on her hips, she snapped, "But you did promise her immunity, and you're not going to take it back." When they all turned to look at her, she defended her eavesdropping. "What? You didn't think I wouldn't find out what was going on, did you? The house is still empty. Sound echoes," she protested with indignation.

"Don't get all worked up," Alec said, exasperated. "I was just saying what could happen if she didn't have immunity."

"Stop trying to scare her. What she did might have been illegal, but not a serious crime. She didn't cause any harm. Nobody goes to jail for looking."

"Does she seem scared to you?" Liam asked.

Jordan frowned. "Okay, she doesn't. Allison, don't let them bully you into doing anything you don't want to do."

"I won't," she assured her. "Alec, there's another way of looking at this situation. If for whatever reason you were to take away immunity and decide to arrest me, what evidence do you really have? I could explain that I was telling you a story. I could say that I made it all up to show off," she added with a nod. "You don't have any proof that I've done anything wrong."