“Thank you,” Grant says, and he means it.

Peter nods. Then he says, “Keep an eye on your sister.”

“What?”

“Do you think Ned’s ever going to get over finding his mom dead? That’s the kind of stuff that messes up a guy forever. I mean, forever. Everyone probably needs to back away from Ned for a bit.”

Grant doesn’t say anything. “Does Ned really like Julia?” he asks suddenly. “She really likes him, but she doesn’t know how to help him.”

Peter frowns. “He wouldn’t tell me if he did. But mostly I think Ned likes Ned.” He holds up his backpack. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”

“And don’t tell Ned what I asked. Please. Julia will kill me.”

“I won’t. Don’t worry.” Peter gives him a rare smile, but it’s reassuring.

“We’re bringing you dinner tonight, Mom and me.”

Peter laughs. “I won’t have a report that quickly. Sir.”

“I didn’t mean…Sorry. I’m nervous about this.”

“You should tell your parents,” Peter says.

“Not now. Especially if it’s just some stupid prank.” But the money tells him it isn’t.

“Yeah, when stuff calms down.”

Peter heads downstairs. Mom gives him another awkward hug and he leaves.

“Did you finish your project?” Mom asks. Mom loves nothing more than hearing a project that’s due is done. Even when their lives are in chaos.

“No. I will, later.” Grant doesn’t want Mom to notice he doesn’t have his laptop. Too much explaining to do.

He goes upstairs and lies down on his bed. His mind is spinning. Everything Peter said about email spoofing and social media oversharing and all that sounds entirely plausible. Why does he feel like the danger is close? Like he’s being watched, right now?

Your family’s network could have been compromised… Does that mean the Sender knows what’s on Dad’s computer, too? Is that how he knows what Dad did that was bad?

A cold finger of fear runs down Grant’s spine. Peter will find the bad guy. He’s just afraid of what the bad guy knows. How can a kid like me, Grant wonders, take on a guy like that?

He walks outside to the greenbelt. No one is along the trail. Are people scared now? He walks down toward the tree. He looks up in the nearby branches, wondering where he could hide a camera. Something to catch his mysterious benefactor in the act of leaving another object.

He kneels by the opening and sticks a hand in. He feels something soft and silvery under his fingertips. He pulls out a bracelet, grimy with dirt. It looks to be silver, and along the band is a series of green stones. Emeralds? Or fakes? He doesn’t know.

He holds the bracelet up to the light.