Read Online Equal Access by A. E. Branson - Free Book Online Page A

his skills on despite its
obsolescence. And as soon as Shad was able to get on the internet
regularly after Mam and Pap bought a new computer, he indulged in a
personal challenge that was his worst ever defiance of the law.
    He became a hacker. Shad never tampered with
the files of another system or used confidential information
unethically, but he took satisfaction from being able to break into
programs that were designed to keep him out. Shad suspected his
enjoyment of this form of rebellion was rooted in the abuse of
authority he’d suffered in his earlier childhood. Although his
parents were aware of what sites Shad would go into, it wasn’t
until he was a junior in high school they figured out how he
was getting into them.
    “Isn’t this illegal?” Pap asked him that
evening when they realized what Shad was doing.
    Shad was scared they were going to take the
computer away from him, but he was more concerned about the
consequences that naturally came from a lie. “Well ... yeah.” He
quickly added, “I’m not messing with anything, though. I’m just
looking.”
    “It’s an invasion of people’s privacy.” Pap
frowned. “I know you wouldn’t want your privacy
invaded.”
    The discussion continued for at least an
hour, and Shad became more convinced his parents were going to shut
off their internet access. Pap had Shad show him how he managed to
get past the security on the sites, then Pap sat in silence for
what seemed like an eternity to Shad as the man stared at the
monitor and absently stroked his beard.
    “Tell me this,” Pap finally said. “When you
become a programmer, you’re gonna use your knowledge about this
stuff to come up with technology that will stop people like
you.”
    Shad agreed. His parents allowed him to
continue, and Shad sometimes wondered if this was Pap’s way of
encouraging him to keep up the Delaney notoriety. When Pap went
into the hospital the following year, however, it started the chain
of events that turned Shad away from the technology profession to
actually consider law.
    Ironically his questionable talent was an
asset to Shad in his work as an attorney. Although illegally
obtained information wasn’t admissible in court, for Shad just
having the knowledge was a powerful advantage. Research was one
aspect to his job Shad actually liked, so he had a tendency to
overindulge in it.
    Right now he needed all the information he
could get on Walden Palmer.
    It was easy enough to start with the website
Shad had learned was associated with Wally’s business. From there
he began delving into information that wasn’t normally available
without paying a fee or hiring a detective. He already knew Wally
was still living in the St. Louis area, and before very long Shad
had his mailing address and phone number. Then he discovered Wally
owned the property with his wife.
    Wife? Had Wally merely altered his modus operandi to actually marry a woman instead of
simply move in with her to gain access to a young son? Was the
marriage a better front for the public persona that would make
people believe Wally would never do such a thing to a child? Was it
possible the wife belonged to the ranks of those few women who were
also molesters? Such females were a minority, but they often got
started by pleasing male molesters they became attached to.
    Shad did a background check on the wife,
Lynette. She had been formerly married and given birth to two sons
... but both were legal adults now. A search on the sons revealed
that neither was married, so Wally apparently wasn’t preying on any
grandkids. And Lynette’s record was clean in regard to any run-ins
with the law.
    Could Wally be putting together a personal
harem from boys drawn to the business? Shad’s research on the
history of the chain revealed Wally opened the original store eight
years ago, five years before his marriage to Lynette.
    Further focus on Wally gave Shad his
political party affiliation, former addresses, when and where