We’ll toss his body into the moat
And teach his sons better.
There is no room for compromise
Not when he’s burned us at stakes.
There is only room for a queen
Who will be just
And fair
And strong.
First we disrupt.
Then we engage.
And then
We destroy.
Part IIBe a girl to make themproudafraid
16
In the morning, Annalise doesn’t mention our night watching old movies on the couch. She seems better, or at least clearer. For that I’m grateful. It pained me to see her so upset.
Over breakfast, the girls and I evaluate our situation. We’ll stay clear of Winston Weeks; we didn’t come here for him. We don’t need him. We also won’t tell Raven that we know him, just in case she has designs on using us to get to him.
For now, we stick to our plan. So far, we have a few possible suspects. There are three or four players on the rugby team—including Jonah Grant, who stands out because of the way the other boys seem to follow him. Lyle’s on the list, but after Marcella did a little digging, he doesn’t seem the type. Still, his family history is concerning. His dad sounds awful.
Marcella searched for information about all their parents, but nothing unusual turned up, at least not publicly. Marcella threw out the idea that Raven could hack the bank records andsee where they’re spending their money. We’re considering it, but we’re understandably cautious about how much we’re letting Raven into our lives. Besides, it’s doubtful the money is funded to Innovations so openly.
Sydney and I head to school. The day passes quickly and without incident, but it isn’t until the end of the day that I have time to check my phone. There is disappointment when there are no missed calls or messages. I try not to analyze who exactly I was waiting to hear from.
“There’s a game directly after school,” I tell Sydney. “I’m thinking of staying. It’s possible Lennon Rose might show up, and I’d like her to explain why she left me alone with Winston Weeks. You coming?”
“I can’t,” Sydney says. “I promised Marcella and Annalise I’d help them. They want to head to the library, see if they can find more articles like the one Raven mentioned about Winston Weeks. It might lead to more information about our systems. You okay doing the game on your own?”
“Yes,” I say. “You help figure this out for Annalise. I’ll gather more information on the investor. Maybe we’ll both get lucky today.”
She smiles. “I’ll count on it. Call me if anything happens, okay?”
I promise that I will before she leaves. When she’s gone, I head to the field.
The bleachers are surprisingly crowded for such an early game. People must have left work to be here, but I’d have preferred ifit’d been empty. It’s unsettling to watch people cheer for violence.
I climb the bleachers, searching for Lennon Rose, but I’m disappointed when she doesn’t turn up. The boy she was with isn’t here either. But there are several students who I recognize from school, along with my math teacher and a few loud men who I assume are fathers of the players. They call to their sons in the middle of a play, slapping their hands on the metal bar when they get it wrong. It’s all very intense. Very … angry.
I sit down and wonder why anyone would want to be part of something that makes them so upset.
As I wait and hope for Lennon Rose to arrive, I scan the crowd. My stomach sinks when I find Garrett sitting with two other boys a few rows closer to the field. He hasn’t noticed me yet, and I’m hoping that he won’t. I watch as he calls to a girl sitting alone at the end of his row. His friends cover their mouths to hide their laughs. The girl does her best to ignore him.
“Hey,” Garrett calls loudly. “Why don’t you bring that luscious ass over here?”
His friends burst out in laughter and my hands clench into fists on my lap.
