“Hey,” I rasp. “Did you get my recordings?”
“I did.”
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re onto something,” she says, her voice tight. “But we’ve got bigger problems right now.”
“How—”
“Mum was on shift today. Everyone at the farm knows a girl called Ada Renaldo got caught talking to one of the workers. They all think you’re a journalist or something and they’re pissed as hell you went over the fence. Everyone’s been told not to speak with you, and you’re not allowed anywhere near the farm. They’ve got guys driving around the fences, making sure you’re not there.”
“That’s good, right? I’m nowhere near the farm, and that means?—”
“You’re not listening,” Betty interrupts again. “They’re after you.”
“I know, they already slashed my tyre. Cece’s tyre.”
“Holy shit.”
“It’s all good,” I say quickly. I’m so sick of people dwelling on the miscellaneous details of this situation, like I’m not totally fine, and we’re not so close to taking these pricks down. “Cece bailed me out. I’m at the hotel. What could they possibly do now?”
“Fuck me, are you for real, Ada? Do you not remember these guys beat Rhys half to death?”
I bite my lip so hard it stings. I hadn’t forgotten, but the reminder still doesn’t translate into any kind of fear. But why? Because I’m a girl? Because I’m Autistic? Because I think I’m special?
“Look, I get you, but have you looked into Grace? Have you found anything?”
“Nothing concrete,” Betty says. “I’ll keep looking, but Grace?—”
“Isn’t her real name?”
“No.”
“Shit.” I turn, staring through the hotel doors. “Well, I’m gonna head to the cocktail party. Maybe I can get Thrasher?—”
“Fuck off, you can’t go anywhere near the reunion. Mum’s terrified. I’ve never seen her this way. She wants you to leave town.”
“I can’t do that! They know I’m onto them, and they’re going to start burying shit. I need to find out more.”
“No, you need to stop acting like the bitch who gets murdered at the start of horror movies. This isn’t a game, Ada. These people are dangerous, and you’ve all but walked up to them and promised to send them to prison. If you’re right about what they’re doing, and I think you are,then there’s probably enough shit to keep them behind bars for years. And what do you think men like that do when you back them into a corner?”
“But they don’t know about you and what you’re doing. They don’t know this is bigger than just me.”
“Exactly,they don’t know,and until we’ve got enough to indict, I’m not gonna put my hand up and have them come after me, too. I’ve got a fucking kid, Ada, and my mum works for Thompson’s. The place is her livelihood, and half the town’s. A lot of people are gonna be more than willing to go to bat for them.”
“So you’re backing out?” I demand, pushing my way through the revolving door of the hotel.
“Never. The whole thing can come crashing down and fuck anyone who’s left standing inside as far as I’m concerned. But if tomorrow you’re missing without a trace or dead behind the wheel of a rental car?—”
I stop listening. Not because I don’t want to hear what Betty says, but because Henry, of Bachelor Party fame, is smiling at me from the hotel bar. He’s wearing a suit, a wedding ring and the ugliest grin I’ve ever seen. It could be a coincidence he’s here, but somehow I doubt it.
“Gotta go,” I tell Betty, ending the call.
“Hey there, Ada,” Henry strides toward me like we were planning to meet. “Not dressed for the party yet?”
“Just about to head upstairs,” I say.
“Got time for a chat first?”
