“I need you to promise to keep this secret,” Colin said. He knew he was not saying it as well as he had in his many mental practice runs. Yet just taking this first step calmed him immensely. The tension was still there, but it had shifted from clenching him tightly to serving as a shield. Even if they said no, he was committed. “It’s very important.”
Alexi asked, “If we agree not to tell anyone, will you explain what you mean?”
“We won’t say anything to anyone,” Mira promised.
“Roland is an attorney and I am an auditor,” Ethan said. “Confidentiality is the rule we live by.”
“All of us agree,” Regina said.
Roland asked, “Why do you need the money, Colin?”
“I want to take a long position on a stock.”
The table went so quiet Colin could hear the sputtering tiki torches used to keep away the night insects. Finally, Alexi said, “Can you decode that a little for us?”
“I’ve developed an algorithmic method for tracking stock trends in the entertainment industry. There’s a big opportunity coming. I want to invest before it happens.”
Roland said, “There are any number of funds based on market trends. What makes you think—”
“This isn’t about themarket. I don’t think a singlemarketactually exists. This is about one industry. Actually, a number of different segments within the one.”
Roland actually seemed pleased by his response. “Why entertainment?”
“Two reasons. There are more semihidden sources of advance news than any other industry. Most are unofficial websites.”
“You’re talking about the LA rumor mill,” Roland said.
“A lot of dirt,” Ethan said. “A lot of nonsense about stars who sell their souls for fame.”
Colin heard the negative, the refusal, in Ethan’s tone. But Roland looked across the table at his friend. A brief glance from those dark eyes. A silent communication that cleared the frown from Ethan’s features. Roland said, “You’ve been tracking the online communication about the entertainment industry.”
“Yes. And the major news sources.”
“Which ones?”
“Wall Street Journal. Fortune. Financial Times. LA Times. Variety. Hollywood Reporter. Deadline.”
They were all watching him now. All sharing the same open expression. Beyond curious. Fascinated. Regina asked, “How often do you read these papers and magazines?”
“Every day. And a lot of other online sites.”
“How long does all this take you?”
“Not long.” He shrugged. “Half an hour, maybe a little more. It takes longer to input the data into my system. Two hours altogether.”
“What about your schoolwork?”
“I lied to my teachers.”
“You …”
“I told them I was having trouble with things I finished studying months ago.” It felt better than good to reveal his secret world. Colin felt the weight lift balloon-like from his mind. “They don’t know. They can’t. I’m so far ahead they check my work and assign the next thing and leave me alone. Half the time my math teacher can’t even explain what I claim I need help with.”
“Let’s back up a second,” Roland said. “I want to know a little more about your sources. There must be a hundred analysts searching social media and news feeds for the latest opportunity.”
“If it hits the public sites, it’s too late for the first curve.”
Alexi asked, “Do you understand what he just said?”
