help them, then I can save Crwys. It's got to be from his kidnappers."
"Help who do what?" Kyle said. "We don't even know that Crwys is alive."
I knew he wasn't dead. I could feel he wasn't. He filled something inside me that right at that second, was brimming over with anxiety. "Who has the kind of expertise to put that message there?"
"It's obvious whoever they are, they don't know you because you never check this computer. You're rarely even in here," Kyle pointed to the machine. "Can you track who accessed it?"
"Doing that right…now…" Ivan moved his hands again and the images flew past him. Standing behind him like this, I could almost see the magic from his point of view as he traveled along several pathways, then veered right until the string of red, blue and green lights separated into five, and then two and then finally one green light. Ivan pushed his hands out and the speed slowed until a string of numbers separated by periods appeared in the air in front of him. "I got an IP."
"And?"
He moved his hands, poking each set of numbers with his fingers until they twisted into an address.
I read the address aloud.
It was Arden Vervain's home in the Garden District. "Arden did that?"
"Or someone in Arden's home or someone using her Wi-Fi connection." Ivan folded all the windows up until they were back in the computer and everything snapped into place. He rubbed his eyes and looked up at me as the green fire in them dimmed. "Someone from Arden's IP broke into your computer and made that change. But that was all they did. They targeted a message to you."
This didn't make any sense. "Why do it that way? Why not text me? Or call me?"
Dharma put her hand on Ivan's shoulder and squeezed. He put his hand over hers. "Maybe…" she said. "They didn't want anyone to know they'd sent it. These days most everyone is mobile, so we take our work, our emails and our social media with us. Hell, most of us read books or watch movies and shows on our phones or laptops. What we don't do is spend a lot of time on our desktop computers, unless we're artists or digital painters, things like that."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'm not sure I get your point."
"You're always on the go. Just since I've known who you are, I've rarely seen you here, in your store, for more than an hour at a time. Anyone who watched your actions would see how mobile you are and they would track your phone because that's what they always see you with. But what means could they use to send you a message where no one would bother or know to look? How many people know you have a computer in this room?"
"Damn few."
"Exactly. My guess is who ever picked this medium to send you a message was afraid their text would be seen if they sent it to your phone. So they sent it to the one thing they know about and others don't."
I looked at the desktop and thought about it. It made sense. In a twisted way. "The list of those who know this exists is pretty short. There's you guys, Crwys and Levi, Arden Vervain and Ina Devonshire. Not sure anyone else knows."
"That's a good list to start with," Kyle said. "The hack originated from Arden's house. I say Sam and I pay her a visit. She hasn't answered any of my messages over several days and I'd like to know why."
"I want to come too," Ivan said.
"No," I said. "You, Dharma and Grey stay here. Kyle and I can go and if we get into trouble, we know we can get you. Ivan, log into their security grid and see if you can see if Arden's there."
"Sure."
You're not leaving me behind.
"I'm sorry Mom, but I think it should just be us. What if Blackwood is there?"
Everyone in the room understood my random responses to Grey. They all knew I could hear her. But apparently what I said struck something.
"Good point," Kyle said as he left the office. "I'm gonna grab a few things."
"I don't like the idea of you two going alone. And if you take Grey, I'm sure she can get away if you can't communicate with us," Ivan looked up at me from the chair. His expression worried.
"Okay. Grey can come too, but right now it's just a social call. For