Hardison got to work as Parker drove, a plan already in mind. If it'd worked in Boston with Nate's dad, it would work now.
He'd made sure to hack in to the Portland PD network when Nate told him they were coming here. Nate had approved. It had the opportunity to serve useful in case they needed the local leos. Now, though, it would prove useful for a modified shell game.
Four high-priority alarms that the system thought was being triggered, set to activate the second he was connected to the network. One "virus" on the front desk computer that would force the guy out. He just needed to be IT, and to be IT he needed to send in the fake virus… Now.
With everything being so connected these days, it made his job so easy.
"So, who's this mystery woman?" Parker asked, taking a hard left. Hardison slammed in to the door, still typing frantically. It was almost an art, having the ability to type in a normal car that Parker was driving. It was definitely a hard-earned skill.
"Her name is Allison Whitman, formerly Allison Miller." He said. "She's a student at a local community college, computer science major. Her sister is Jamie Whitman, formerly Jamie Miller. Both parents, deceased." Hardison didn't need to look at a computer to know all of this, though. He knew it from doing Eliot a favor for the past few years.
"How does she know Eliot, though?" She asked next. Hardison closed the laptop and started changing. "Wait, you were setting up the alarm thingy when you spoke. You knew that stuff already!"
"Yes, I did." Hardison admitted honestly. "And they know each other because they lived in the same town when they grew up, and went to the same schools. They were a few blocks from each other."
"But that's from, like, before Eliot became Eliot Eliot, right?" Hard right this time. Hardison just barely grabbed the upper handle in time, trying to button up his shirt with one hand. "And why do you know all this stuff?"
"Yes, it's before Eliot turned in to a bad guy." Hardison agreed. "And I know because he asked me to keep tabs on her." As he spoke, he could hear a little voice in his ear.
"And over down that street is where this guy," Eliot's voice. Coms. "He was actually murdered not too long ago because he kept running his mouth and saying a bunch of stuff that he probably wasn't supposed to."Both of them heard a disinterested uh-huh from who they presumed to be Allie. Hardison looked over at Parker, eyes wide in fear.
"You don't think he's serious, do you?" He asked. Parker smiled.
"You're so dead." She laughed.
"Hardison, why do you have so much information on this woman?" Nate's voice, over the coms.
"Uh…" Hardison looked over at Parker for help. She was still just smiling and driving like a maniac. "Eliot asked me to."
"And why did Eliot ask you to?"
"I don't know." That was truthful.
"And you didn't think it pertinent to tell this to us last night because?"
"I've been running this info for a long time!" Hardison defended. "I figured it was just him keeping track of a sister or something at first, maybe some sort of second cousin twice removed."
"Does that information tell you who might've wanted to attack her?" Nate asked.
"Not certain right now." Parker honked her horn loudly. "We'll go over it with Eliot at the station, OK?"
"Sounds great."Sophie agreed quickly. Hardison could almost hear the look that Nate gave her. "Is she alright?"
"Alright enough to go to the police." Hardison checked the GPS. Eliot would be there too soon. They needed time to clear the majority of the place out. "Eliot, I need you to stall."
"Eliot, amp up the Portland Tour Guide." Nate's command came crystal clear. There was a slight sigh before they heard Eliot speak again.
"And up and over there is, in all honesty, one of the best donut places I've ever been to."Parker perked up at those words. "You know, you really didn't eat a lot of that omelet I made. We should stop by. They're the best donuts in the city, and a full stomach might be good for you."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't listening. What were you saying?"
"Donuts."Eliot repeated.
"Eliot, if you stop for donuts get me some!" Parker requested.
"Ooh, and me!" Hardison added.
"Actually, funny story." Eliot continued. "That guy that got murdered had some of those donuts before he was murdered. Still would've raved that they're the best donuts in the city. You know, I think the officers over at the Precinct wouldn't say no to a few."
"You are definitely dead." Parker repeated, braking hard as she made one more hard right. The parking job was admittedly pretty smooth, if not jarring. Hardison hopped out, and headed inside.
"Hey, I got a call for IT?" He said. The guy at the desk nodded.
"Yeah, I just put it in. My computer is screwed and we've got four different major calls out!" As he spoke, a group of cops ran past them. The desk guy let out a sigh, thinking. "Look, these calls are important. I need this computer fixed PRONTO in case anything else comes in over the wire or in person. How soon can you have this fixed?"
"I'll need to take a look, but…" Hardison breathed in through his teeth. "It might take an hour or two."
"Great." The guy groaned. "I'm heading out to help with these calls. I need you to call me as soon as it's fixed, alright?"
"Yes sir-ree!" Hardison nodded, offering the biggest smile he could. The guy rushed out, leaving Hardison to "get to work."
One password typed in, and the fake virus was gone.
Hardison saw Parker walk in, and switched off with her. "Receptionist?" She asked. Hardison nodded. "What're you?"
"Tech recon." He replied, opening up his laptop as Nate and Sophie walked in. Both were dressed sharply. "What's the game plan?" He asked them.
"Interviews first." Nate said. "We'll be there in seven minutes. Sophie, you take the client. I'll double check with Eliot and Hardison on what's going on. How long do you think we have until the officers will be back?"
"Thirty minutes, at max."
"Potentially fourty, depending on volume and whether or not they investigate the power lines." Parker added. Hardison nodded.
"Great." Nate said. "Alright. Sophie, do you have a plan?"
"Yes, but I wish I had more time." She admitted.
"We'll find a way for more time later." Nate decided. "Hardison, give me everything you've got on Allison and go check out her apartment."
"Don't you want me to wait for Eliot on that one?"
"No." Everyone seemed a little shocked by that. Eliot was almost always there to check out the scene.
"And here we have the precinct." Eliot's voice crackled over the coms. As he spoke, Sophie snapped her fingers.
"I have an idea." She said, walking around to Parker's side of the desk. As she typed, they heard a car pull up.
"Hardison, go." Nate ordered.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Eliot's voice, but they couldn't tell whether he was talking to the client or to them.
"If you're asking us, I need you to stay with the client." Nate answered. Out through the window, they could start to see Allison exit the car.
"Eliot, give us two more minutes!" Sophie requested.
They all saw her stop, as if by Eliot. Over the coms they could hear him.
"Wait."
"What?"
"I… I'm sorry."Those were words they hadn't ever really heard him say before, much less with such… such sincerity. Such honesty. "I'm sorry for… a lot of things, Allie. I hope you know that."
"Yeah, I know."
"Hardison, go!" Nate hissed. He made his way to the back exit, still hearing the conversation as he went.
"I mean it, Allie." He said. "I really do. And I want to talk about it all at some point. Please."
"Why now?" She asked. "Why now, after everything?" There was a long pause. Hardison wanted to tell the man to say something, anything, but he was quite certain he would be punched for it later. "I'm going inside, Eliot. I'll be back out in not too long. If the officer wants your statement I'll come back out to get you."
Hardison started the car as he heard Parker start to talk with the client. She said something about filling out forms, and he couldn't help but smile. Sophie's idea. Not a bad one, at that. Definitely was at least a quick one that would give them a hard copy of information to review.
"Eliot, can you tell me what I'm looking for?" Hardison asked, driving off.
"See if they left anything behind to help identify them." Eliot ordered. "She did her best to beat the crap out of them, so at least one of them is probably in the hospital. She sprayed something in their eyes."
"Got it. I'll see if there was any surveillance around to get an ID on the guys or the car, and cross-reference with recent hospital check-ins. Do you know what they were after?"
"Her."He replied. "And something she had, judging from how ransacked the place was."
"Hopefully Sophie will get more in the interview." Hardison muttered.