I fully braced myself for rejection. Sydney didn't seem very personable. Did she have friends? Could she understand what I felt?
"Mostly bio stuff," she said at last. "Some of his history and observations we'd made."
"Observ--" I let it go, deciding I really didn't want to know more than I had to about Alchemists spying on us. "Anything else?"
"Financial records." She frowned. "Particularly about some large deposits he made to a bank account in Las Vegas. Deposits he went out of his way to cover up."
"Las Vegas? I was just there...." Not that it was relevant.
"I know," she said. "I saw some Witching Hour security tapes of your adventure. The fact that you'd run off like that is part of why I suspected you. It seemed in character." She hesitated. "The guy with you... the tall Moroi with dark hair... is that your boyfriend?"
"Er, yeah."
It took a long time and great effort for her to concede the next statement. "He's cute."
"For an evil creature of the night?"
"Of course." She hesitated again. "Is it true you guys went there to elope?"
"What? No! These stories get to you guys too?" I shook my head, almost laughing at how ridiculous this all was, but knowing I needed to get back to the facts. "So, Eric had an account in Vegas he was moving money into?"
"It wasn't his. It was some woman's."
"What woman?"
"No one--well, no one we can track. She was just down as 'Jane Doe.'"
"Original," I muttered. "Why would he be doing that?"
"That we don't know. Or really care about. We just want to know who broke in and stole our stuff."
"The only thing I know about that is that it wasn't me." Seeing her scrutinizing look, I threw up my hands. "Come on! If I wanted to know about him, I'd just ask Lissa. Or steal our own records."
Several moments of silence passed.
"Okay. I believe you," she said.
"Really?"
"Do you want me to not believe you?"
"No, it was just easier than I thought convincing you."
She sighed.
"I want to know more about these records," I said fiercely. "I want to know who Jane Doe is. If you could get me other files--"
Sydney shook her head. "Nope. This is where I cut you off. You know too much already. Abe wanted me to keep you out of trouble, and I've done that. I've done my part."
"I don't think Abe's going to let you go so easily. Not if you made an open-ended deal."
She didn't acknowledge that, but the look in her brown eyes made me think she agreed. "Good night, Rose. Morning. Whatever."
"Wait, I--"
The screen went black.
"Damn," I growled, shutting the laptop more forcefully than I should have.