“Holy crap! Is this real?”

Hikari’s little brother Jace sat on her bed with the hard copies of all the info she had pulled on their dad spread across the bed.

“How did you get in my room, you little thief?”

“Girls always pick the worst security codes. It only took me two tries to figure it out.”

She was reaching to snatch the paper from his hand and add a few choice words he wasn’t supposed to know but used more than she did, when she realized how pale he was and the way his bottom lip stuck out, just like it used to when he was only a toddler and was getting ready to cry. She went over and sat on the bed next to him.

“Seriously, Hikari, is this real?”

“I think so.”

“How did you get all this?”

“I hacked it.”

He grinned at her, his face returning to normal. “You’re not as stupid as you look.”

“Thanks, pee wee. I guess that bad security code choices run in the family. It wasn’t all that hard to get.”

The frown returned to his mouth and he scanned the page he was holding again. “Papa and Uncle Ken are killing people.”

Hikari sighed. “I don’t think they’re killing people exactly, they just know about it.”

“They take money for it. They arrange it. That’s the same thing.”

“I guess.” Gently, she reached over and took the files from him.

“You should probably burn those so you don’t get caught.”

“You’ve seen too much TV, Jace.”

“I’m really serious. Papa would kill you if he caught you with those.” He swallowed his bad choice of words. “Sorry, I didn’t mean literally.”

“Just shut up, okay.” The sibling equilibrium balanced itself again.

“What’s the deal with August 20th? Everywhere it’s mentioned, it’s printed in bright red.”

“I heard Angine say that we needed to get out of town on that date, but I don’t know why.”

Jace’s eyes were wide and dark. “Were you spying?”

“No. Yes.”

He looked at her with solemn eyes. “I’m sorry I ever said you were a bitch.”

“Uh, apology accepted. But I’m still a bitch, so look out.”

“What’s this one?” He handed her a sheet that hadn’t made it back in the folder.

“I don’t know. This one’s got me stumped.”

“It looks like your birth certificate.”

“Yeah, but it’s labeled copy two, and it has the wrong dates.”

Jace stood up and started jumping on the bed. “Maybe you’re adopted.”

“I wish" she retaliated, “then I could finally breathe easy knowing I’m not related to you, and if I ever have children they won’t come out with big tongues and small IQs.”

He stuck his tongue out.

“Get off my bed, loser.”

“Make me.” The door alarm beeped once and Jace and Hikari exchanged looks. She shoved the file at him and he jumped down to hide it under the bed while she answered the door. “Yes, Papa?”

Her father looked suspiciously at Jace. “I was just looking for Jace. What are you doing in here under the bed?”

“We were playing hide and seek,” Jace said.

Congressman Suzuki turned wide eyes to Hikari, and she nodded too emphatically. “I thought we should, you know, hang out together.”

“Are you hiding Yerik in here again?” her father demanded.

“Uh, no.”

Her father strode over to the closet and threw it open. Hikari half wished he would find Yerik in there to distract him, but no luck. He turned around and considered Jace for a moment and then dropped to his knees.

Hikari and Jace stared across the bed at each other in horror, but her father stood back up without ever noticing the folder. “Okay then. I don’t know what you two are up to, but I smell rotten fish.”

“That’s just Jace’s socks,” Hikari said.

Her father suppressed a smile, mollified for the moment. “Listen, I came in to tell you I have to go out of town for a few days. Do you think I can leave you two alone that long and not come back to any dead bodies?’

Hikari felt her heart give a little lurch and knew Jace felt the same. “Sure, Papa.”

“Okay. I’ll have Reena come by and clean the house as usual. Use the credit card to buy anything you need. And no boys.”

“Yes, Papa.”

He leaned over to kiss her forehead and she made herself stand still. “And whatever you do Hikari, don’t leave your brother alone okay? Stay close to home.” He looked so serious, so worried.

“Aye, aye captain.”

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead just wished them goodnight and left the room.

“Whew! That was close!” Jace lay face down on the bed and took a few deep breaths.

“This is perfect! With him gone I can try to find out what I need to know without him breathing down my neck.”

“He said you can’t leave me alone.”

“I’m not,” she said. “You’re coming with me.”