by Lucy Smoke
Marv nodded. "You don't think his daughter's suicide could have put him over the edge?"
I shook my head. "Maybe, it could have," I admitted. "But his whereabouts have been fairly easily tracked, right?" Marv's eyes widened and he nodded again. "Well, I've also been thinking," I continued. "There was a rumor that another girl committed suicide because of what happened. Did you ever confirm that?" I asked.
Marv was quiet for a moment. "There were attempts," he confessed. "Some of the family members that I interviewed wouldn't admit to anything more. The only true suicide we know about is Kayla's."
"What if the goal is to get these girls to commit suicide?" I asked. I had put some thought into this. If I was right, though, then I didn't think the true villain was Mr. Wallace.
"Why would that be?" he seemed shocked, but Marv didn't immediately discard the idea.
"I think Kayla's suicide is the key," I said. "I think it started everything. Whoever is doing this wants Ms. Enders to be ruined, but not just that, they want the whole program to be ruined – the girls included. I think they're all targets, as well as Ms. Enders. To be honest, Mr. Wallace might even be a target."
"Mr. Wallace?" His face scrunched up and he backed up. "Why would he–" There was a sharp shriek and he yelped, reached up and jerked his earpiece out, throwing it to the ground. "Fuck!" he snapped, sticking a finger in his ear. "What the fuck?!"
I blinked at him, confused. "Are you okay?" Marv was bent over, wiggling his finger back and forth in his ear.
He nodded but remained bent over. "Yea," he coughed, wiggling his fingers some more. "Shit, I can't fucking hear out of this ear now."
"What happened?" I could guess, though.
"Something with the system probably," Marv guessed, slowly standing up again. His eyes were a little unfocused. I could tell that he was off balance as he reached out and put a hand back on the wall. Marv's phone buzzed and he grimaced as he fished it out. "Here," he said, handing it over, "can you answer it."
"Sure," I said, swiping across the screen and putting the phone to my ear. "Yea?" I answered.
"Harlow?" Texas' voice was confused, but he quickly adjusted. "Where's Marv?"
"He's right here," I said. "But he can't hear very well, something happened to the earpiece."
"Yea," Texas replied. I heard keys clicking in the background. "I don't know what the hell happened, but Knix's and Bellamy's are out too."
"I thought Bellamy was with you?" I frowned.
"He was," Texas said, "but I sent him in. Something doesn't feel right. He's in there looking for you right now."
"Marv and I are in the back hallway behind the kitchens," I said. "Knix is out on the balcony with Delilah. We're about to head upstairs."
"Okay," Marv said. "Give me the phone." I raised my eyebrows but didn't resist when he took the phone. He quickly put it to his uninjured ear. "Texas," he said. He paused for a moment as Texas spoke on the other side. Marv nodded but didn't respond for a few more moments. "Yea," he finally said. "Yea, listen, do me a favor. Look into something for me." Marv relayed the information I had just brought up. "Just double check which girls have been checked into hospitals for any reason. Cross-reference that with the amount they've been blackmailed with and the pictures they were sent."
"You can get that information?" I asked.
Marv grimaced. "Yea, message me though." He was still talking to Texas. "We might have a situation. I'm gonna put my cell on silent. Okay, thanks, man." Marv ended the call and took my arm, motioning me towards the back stairwell we had come up before.
"Marv?" I prompted.
He shook his head, sighing. "Yea, we can get that information," he answered.
But he didn't answer my real question and that was an answer within itself. They would get the information, but it probably wouldn't be completely legal. We ascended the stairs.
Chapter 17
The lights remained off as he snuck down the upper hallway. I took off my heels and held them in one hand so that I wouldn't make any more noise than necessary. As it was, Marv and I were very careful not to make any noise at all. As quickly and quietly as possible, we moved down the hall on separate sides. His eyes sharpened – glittering with intensity and seriousness. We listened for any kind of movement behind the closed doors. Down the entire hallway, there was nothing.
"Are you sure Knix saw Mr. Wallace come up here?" I whispered.
"He–" A scream cut him off, shocking the both of us. It almost sounded like it had come from outside, but it was muffled and low. With the noise level downstairs, no one else would have heard it. Marv yanked me off my feet, shoving me behind him, and I dropped my heels. The next thing I knew, he had a gun palmed in his hand and his shirt was untucked. I blinked. Where the hell had that come from?
"Where do you think that came from?" he hissed at me.
I had no clue, but if I strained my ears enough, there was soft sobbing. I pointed at a door and Marv moved towards it slowly. For some reason he didn't want to announce our presence just yet. It was so hard for me to follow behind him at such a sluggish and quiet pace. I wanted to barge into the room, no matter the danger.
Marv reached out and tried the handle. It wasn't even locked! He sighed and slid his phone out of his pocket, handing it to me. "Call the others," he ordered, then his foot was against the door and he kicked it in.
I decided against calling, instead, I shot out a quick text to all Knix, Bellamy, and Texas and hoped like hell they managed to get here in time. Then I moved in right behind Marv, my jaw dropping. Natalia's cheeks were red and blotchy. She sagged on the couch on the far side of the room as a dark figure ducked through an open window. Marv gave chase, ducking out right after the figure.
"Natalia!" I ran across the room and fell to my knees next to her. Her big dark eyes were wide and glassy. She looked at me, but I had a feeling she couldn't really see me.
"No," she whispered. "No, please, no." My heart squeezed.
"Natalia, it's me," I said, choking on my own tears. "It's your friend. I'm not going to hurt you. You're okay." The front part of her dress was pulled down. Something flashed out of the corner of my eye and I looked down, bending to pick up a small, cheap camera. Natalia whimpered, and I tucked the camera into my bra, the bulge noticeable, but not an issue as I went back to her.
"You're okay," I soothed the shivering, terrified girl. Something was wrong, though. Natalia wasn't responding right. She was crying and whimpering, but she couldn't talk coherently.
There were calls from down the hall. "Harlow!" Bellamy yelled. "Where are you?!"
"In here!" I called back. Several footsteps stomped over the floors and as the door was flung open again Natalia cowered against me when Bellamy and Knix arrived with a panting Texas on their heels.
"Hold on," I snapped. "Go slowly." I patted Natalia on the shoulder, letting her clutch me. "She's scared."
"What happened?" Knix demanded. I told him exactly what Marv and I had done and what we had walked into. Knix's eyes glittered angrily. He shot Bellamy a look. "Go find Marv," he ordered. Then he looked to Texas. "Find Ms. Enders and her assistant and bring them up here. No one else." Texas and Bellamy both nodded and then they were gone. Natalia's shivering increased as Knix approached.
"Go slow," I warned. I was surprised by how steady I managed to keep my voice when really, I felt like there were hundreds of emotions rioting inside of me and choking me up. Natalia's face was flushed, and her eyes remained glassy. Knix nodded once at me and then proceeded to get on his knees so that he wouldn't tower over us. I didn't even ask where Delilah was. I trusted Knix enough by this point to know that he had probably left her somewhere safe enough, likely with Isador.
"What's wrong with her?" I whispered. Tears pricked my eyes as Natalia curled closer to me, seeking comfort and protection in me. I wrapped my arms around her.
Knix moved closer as slowly as possible. "I need to examine her," he said. "Natalia, can you understand me?" He used a voice
that was incredibly gentle. She whimpered again anyway. My arms tightened around her and Knix sighed. "Harlow, I don't want to traumatize her further, but I do need to make sure she's okay. Can you check her eyes for me?"
I nodded and looked down. "What am I looking for?"
"Just tell me what you see," he ordered.
"Her eyes are glassy," I related. "She's not focused – Natalia?" I cupped her face in one of my hands and she didn't even flinch.
"Hold a few fingers up in front of her face," Knix instructed me. I did as he said. "Put them together, yes like that, now slowly move them back and forth. Are her eyes tracking them? Following them at all?" he asked.
I shook my head and looked back up at him as I lowered my hand. "What does that mean?" I asked hesitantly.
"I think she may have been drugged," Knix said. He shifted closer. Natalia was growing more and more despondent. It appeared as if whatever she had been given was making her sleepy. She closed her eyes and slumped against me. Knix stood and tucked his arms under her slack body and lifted her into his arms.
"What are we going to do?" I asked, scared.
"I'm gonna get her to a hospital," he said, striding out of the room with me on his heels. "I don't know what they gave her or how much."
My eyes widened as we descended the staircase. My thoughts immediately leapt to dark places. But there was no way whoever was behind all of this was going for murder now. This hadn't been an attempt at framed suicide. The camera and dress and runaway figure proved it. Right?
Knix jogged out into the front lawn and then around the building to a parking lot I hadn't realized was there alongside the Bluestone House. "What about Ms. Enders and Mr. Wallace?" I asked as I rushed to catch up with Knix's long legs. Knix stopped and cursed. Texas came around the side of the building with the two in tow just then.
I could hear Ms. Enders proper tone, "What is the meaning of this, young man? I demand–" Her voice cut off with a gasp.
"What the hell?" I blinked as I realized Mr. Wallace had spoken. "What have you done with that poor girl. Unhand her!" His wrinkled face grew red as he stepped forward.
"No!" I yelled, putting my hands up between them. "Knix didn't do anything."
"I figured you'd go to the car," Texas said, looking behind me. I turned and Knix nodded to him before he looked at Ms. Enders and Mr. Wallace to address them.
"I apologize for having to pull you from the festivities," Knix said. My eyes widened at his proper tone. "But my colleagues and I found Ms. Sevilla in a precarious position and we believe she needs to be rushed to a hospital." Quick. Straight to the point. Completely professional. My chest twinged at being referred to as just a colleague but now was not the time to concern myself with that.
"Oh dear," Ms. Enders looked to Mr. Wallace.
"You go with her," Mr. Wallace announced, pushing Ms. Enders forward. "I'll make sure the rest of the girls are safe."
Ms. Enders looked torn between wanting to argue and simply following behind Knix. In the end, she chose the latter. "Call me if anything else happens," she said sternly before gesturing for Knix to lead the way.
Knix looked at me. "Stay here," he ordered. "Go with the others." Knix glanced at Texas. "Bell's secondary on this." Texas nodded and then Knix, Natalia, and Ms. Enders were gone, and I stood there with my bare feet in the dirt and my expensive dress trailing on the grass as I watched them go. My heart hurt, and anger rose. It wasn't Mr. Wallace. His face was truly worried for Natalia and completely shocked when he had seen Knix holding her.
I glanced at Texas. "I know who did this."
"What?" Before he could stop me, I took off for the Bluestone House. I heard him calling after me, but nothing could stop me now. I was going to find her, and I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but I would make sure she paid for everything she had done to Mr. Spencer's stepdaughter, to the girl from the dance club, and to Natalia. I didn't care if it was pain and grief that was making her do this. It wasn't right.
Margarie stood at the open window of the upstairs bedroom where we had found Natalia and her attacker. She faced the outside with her hands at her sides. A heavy metal object was clutched in one fist. I didn't even try to hide my steps or mask my movements as I opened the door and stepped into the room. She looked over her shoulder at me.
"Oh, it's you," she said, disappointed. "I was hoping Ms. Enders would come up here."
"Why?" I asked, panting. The soft fabric of my dress trailed along behind me as I walked further into the room.
She shrugged. "Because I was hoping she wasn't as stupid as she's proven to be. I was hoping she would come up here to look for clues or to – something!" Margarie screamed the last word with a frustrated huff. "But no," she sighed. "The dumb bitch is just that...too fucking dumb."
"She went with Natalia," I said. "They're going to the hospital."
"Ugh." Margarie turned to look at me. Now that I knew what she was capable of, she looked more shallow and empty than she had the day I had met her. Her face was pale, almost hollowed out. "You're a lot smarter than the rest of those girls," she said finally. "No one else saw it, but I did. I knew how smart you were. You aren't a tittering little airhead, are you?" She didn't let me respond. "No, you're not. So, I had to ask myself. Why is this girl here? What does she want? Is she trying to fit in? That's what I thought originally. That you were just there to fit in. To pretend to be stupid. That's what my sister did, you know."
I did feel bad for her. I really did, but whatever sympathies I had for her had washed away the further she had slipped into the dark role of blackmailer – among other things. "Kayla was so sweet," she said. "She had everyone fooled. Everyone thought that she was just like them. Nice and young and innocent. But she had plans for herself. She was just going to this stupid camp for the connections she could amass and then that boy–” Margarie’s voice choked. "God, it's always a boy, isn't it?"
I shook. I didn't know if it was with rage or fear. Maybe it was a combination of both. I kept my eyes glued to Margarie and the gun in her hand in my periphery. Where was Texas? Had I lost him as I ran?
"Boys are so much worse when you're young," Margarie said. "Kayla didn't believe me when I told her that he wasn't good for her. I tried to pay him off, you know. I didn't have much money then. Not like I do now. God, these dumb bitches..." She laughed, the sound low and hollow. "They have everything – money, power, connections, and they are too brainless to use them to their own advantage. They don't deserve to live. Not when Kayla is–"
"It won't bring her back," I said.
Margarie stopped, as if shocked that I had said anything. "What?"
"Hurting these girls won't bring your sister back," I repeated. "Hurting Ms. Enders won't either."
"It's her fault too!" Margarie screamed. "Don't you see that?!" Margarie gestured wildly and I had to stop myself from cringing as the gun moved in her hand. "She was supposed to protect these girls. To keep them safe. And she didn't. She failed, and she thinks that she can just keep going on like nothing happened. Like Kayla was never here. Like she–" Margarie cut herself off before taking a breath. “But no, this isn’t about her. It’s not about Enders. It’s about her.” At first, I was confused, thinking she was talking about her sister, but the venom in her voice was wrong for that to be true. “She did this to my sister. My best friend. So, I’m going to ruin this camp. I’m going to ruin Enders and all of the girls and then...then I’ll ruin her.”
"So, what?" I asked. My voice was rough, my tone low. I stepped closer. I was only a few feet away from her now. Margarie’s eyes widened and she backed up to the window. “What then?” I asked. "You were planning to have someone keep attacking the girls from the camp? Rape them? Blackmail them for money? Then hurt them so much that, by the constant reminder of what happened to them, they would end up taking their own lives?" It made me so sick my stomach threatened to roil, and I had to swallow against the urge to throw up.
"I-I–" Margarie stuttered.
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"It would never have worked out for you," I said. "Do you know why?" I moved even closer and realized something. She hadn’t even bothered to use the gun. It was still at her side. Her eyes were impossibly wide, her mouth agape. I wondered if it was even loaded. It would be wrong to discount it.
"W-why?" she whispered.
"Because you're not the one with the power," I said as I slowly reached for the gun in her hand. She trembled as I extracted it from her fingers. Once it was in my hand, I breathed a little easier. I continued talking anyway. "You may have been the blackmailer, the instigator of their problems, the reason the girls you hurt will need help...maybe even for the rest of their lives." My eyes watered. I held the gun in my hand. My hands clenched around the metal. It was warm. "You hurt them. Yes. But they have the ultimate power. And they have the ultimate choice. And you can't ever take that away from them."
"Yes, I can!" Margarie screamed at me and flung herself forward. She slapped me, raking her nails across my face. I grunted as the gun dropped from my hand and hit the floor. She went for it but before she could close her hands around the handle, I kicked the thing out of her reach. She screamed, insanely. Instead of heading for the gun again, Margarie dove on top of me and we rolled. I grunted again as the camera in my bra banged against my breast. I knew I would have a good-sized bruise there later. I couldn’t dredge up any care though. I was too focused on Margarie.
She slapped me, punched me, kicked me. I felt my lip tear. I tasted blood. I closed my eyes and took a breath, then grabbed her by the upper arms and flipped her. I straddled her body and then punched her in the face – once, twice, three times. Her nose was bloody. Her eyes open and face shocked. I stared down at her.
I leaned close. "You don't have any power over them," I stated clearly. "Not anymore."
Margarie stared up at me and strangely, she looked just like Natalia had – drugged, glassy-eyed, and more than a little lost. My heart clenched because, in that moment, she reminded me of the unnamed girl from the dance club. I only hoped that what I said was true. That Margarie's actions really wouldn't continue to hold power over all of the people that she had hurt.