Read Online No Test for the Wicked: A Lexi Carmichael Mystery, Book Five by Julie Moffett - Free Book Online Page B

safety?”
    “Not so much mine as others’. I won’t even be here for the next week or so.”
    Finn nodded. “Right. Just in case, I’ll check with Brian and make sure our security procedures are up to date. You should make sure your home alarm is working. Don’t go out alone anywhere for a while.”
    “All of that is very good advice. But Finn, there is one more thing I need to do today. It’s work related. Sort of.”
    “What is it?”
    “I’ve got a hair appointment for two-thirty.”
    His eyes widened. “A hair appointment? You’re going to do it?”
    I sighed. “If I can go back to high school, I can dye my hair. It’s all about resolve.”
    He chuckled. “Hot damn, I can’t wait to see this. Text me a selfie, okay?”
    “Not in a million years.”
    * * *
    The closer it got to my hair appointment, the more convinced I became that I couldn’t do it. I picked up the phone and dialed the hair salon to cancel before slamming down the receiver. Three times. The last time I hung up my hands were shaking so badly I had to put my head between my knees and breathe deeply. I couldn’t concentrate on my work or think intelligently. I was a freaking nervous wreck. All because of some stupid hair dye.
    Maybe it was exacerbated because I hadn’t slept. Or maybe because I’d just faced down a potential terrorist who had held a gun to my head. Or maybe hair dye just freaking terrified me on some primal level.
    Whatever the case, I felt extremely anxious.
    I began to pace the office. I considered all angles of hair dye from an intellectual perspective. I tried to separate the emotional components from the practical ones. After careful analysis, I didn’t think I could go through with it. Desperate, I picked up the receiver and dialed. This time I let it ring through.
    “Hello?”
    “Hi, Elvis. It’s me, Lexi. Do you have a minute?”
    “For you, always.”
    “Thanks. I wondered if you could talk me into something I don’t want to do.”
    “If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. It’s pretty simple.”
    “I wish it were that easy. See, it’s job related.”
    “My former statement still stands. If you feel like it’s against your principles, either work or personal, then don’t do it.”
    “It’s just...I...I have to dye my hair blonde in order to disguise myself so I can go undercover at a high school to penetrate a group of hacking students and hope that no one recognizes me from my brief stint on television.”
    Silence.
    “Hello?”
    Silence.
    “Elvis, are you still there?”
    “Uh...yes. I’m here.”
    “So, what do you think? Should I dye my hair or not?”
    “I think...I think I need more data. You’d better start at the beginning.”
    I quickly explained my plan for the school, then waited. Elvis listened without interrupting once. I imagined the expression he got on his face when he was thinking. That calmed me.
    Finally, he spoke.
    “It’s a novel approach, Lexi. Oddly ingenious. It might take longer than you think to penetrate the group, but I agree this might be your best bet for putting a permanent end to the student hacking revolt.”
    “Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that. Give me the big picture. Do I have to emotionally and intellectually be prepared to be a blonde longer than a couple of weeks? Because I don’t know if I can do that.”
    “It doesn’t matter. This isn’t about you being blonde. Think of your hair as nothing more than an accessory or a piece of equipment you need to work this case.”
    I sat down in my chair. “You mean like a cable or a thumb drive?”
    “Exactly. It doesn’t matter what color your hair is. It doesn’t define you.”
    “Right. You’re absolutely right. Hair color doesn’t define me. It disguises me.”
    “Yes. When it’s over, change your hair back if you want. It’s a pretty simple thing, and it’s not permanent. You’ve got this.”
    I sat up straight. “I’ve got this. Right. My hair is an accessory to solve