Cami met her gaze. She knew she was being judged and tested. She knew she would be judged harshly if she failed. But she did not feel she was in a good position to comply.
“You live with the choices you make,” Jacenta reminded her.
“Look,” she said after a moment, struggling to keep her voice steady, “I know what I did was wrong and criminal. The hacking, I mean. I understand that. But I get so frustrated with the bureaucracy. The red tape. Years ago, my sister went missing, and she was never found. I know the FBI was involved in the case, but nothing happened. I feel as if they failed me and failed her too. That’s why I get so frustrated when I can’t do what I need to. It takes me right back to the way I felt then. It makes me worried that this will end up going the same way.”
“I’m sorry about your sister. There may be more to it, and if you speak to Connor at a later stage, perhaps he can look it up and give you the details.”
Cami nodded. She didn’t know if speaking to Connor again was in her future at all. It might be too late for that already. But if it wasn’t, she resolved to try.
“And I understand you feel you’ve been caught in this situation, Ms. Lark,” Jacenta said calmly. “But, listen to me, and listen carefully. The rules and red tape that you feel so frustrated by are in place for a reason. It’s because the FBI has to work within the framework of the law, and if they don’t, then a case can fall apart. And that’s a disaster beyond our powers to fix. So, things have to be done correctly.”
Cami nodded. “I’m not good at following rules. I know,” she said humbly.
“So far, your reports from Agent Connor have not been negative. There have been a few issues mentioned, but nothing serious.”
“Is that so?” Cami asked, feeling surprised.
“That’s correct.” Jacenta continued in a businesslike tone. “Now, we don’t have much time. I know this case is putting you under a lot of pressure. And I hope I’ve given you some guidance on your current issue. Now, I need to know, firstly, if you have everything you need to do your job. Is there anything you require? Any problems you have come up against that you want to speak about?”
Cami thought.
“I guess I have everything I need for now. If…if I’m doing this full time, or regularly, from here on, I can bring my laptop. That’s still in my room at the university residence and I haven’t been back there since. I’d like it in the future. I’m okay for everything else. I bought a few fresh clothes. I don’t actually need that much.” She smiled ruefully.
To her surprise, Jacenta nodded, showing the first faint flicker of approval Cami had seen.
“That’s probably an advantage when teamed up with the FBI. Everyone is on the move all the time.” She tapped her fingers on the desk. “Then, here’s my number. If you have any issues, if anything is bothering you, call me.” She handed over a business card. “Talk if you need to. Call me if there are issues. Most times, you’ll find they can be solved without the need for escalation or fights. Or hacking attempts. Or trying to quit.”
She stared at Cami, stern again. Cami felt herself redden.
“Thank you. I will.”
And, at that moment, the interview room door opened. Connor stood there, his face grim.
Cami took a deep breath. Time to apologize.