Silence fell across the table. From the corner, music swelled and dipped. Cass reached for Torie’s hand. Torie jerked away.
“Torie, you’re seeing things you want to see so you can feel grounded,” Cass said.
“I’m seeing clearer than I ever have before.”
“You have to stop, Torie. You’re coming unraveled, and I’m scared for you.”
“I need to prove this,” Torie said, jerking back. “You’ll see. You’ll all see.”
People at nearby tables were beginning to glance over. Torie stood, clutching her bag. She gave them one more glance, her eyes filled with fear and worry. Then she rushed away without another word.
Harmony watched her go. “Unraveling,” she murmured.
“She’s spiraling,” Cass whispered.
Harmony was silent for a long moment, then shrugged. “Or maybe it’s all a performance,” Harmony said. “Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference.”
Cass sighed. “If she doesn’t stop, something very,verybad is coming.”
Harmony smiled faintly. “I guess we’ll soon find out.”
***
Torie waited until Harmony’s lights went out before slipping inside. The lock was easy. She’d grown up on this island and knew its secrets.
Inside, everything was neat—annoyingly so. On the desk sat a notebook. Open, as if it had been left that way on purpose.
Torie approached and froze.
In tight handwriting were sketches—Lisa’s smile, the bonfire circle, the curve of the beach where her body was found. Lines connected names like a spiderweb.
Mary—Vengeance.
Zach—In Hiding.
Tosh—Manipulation.
Candy—Liar.
Torie—Unraveling.
Janie—Empty.
Deputies—watching.
Her heart kicked hard. “What are you hiding?”
She flipped another page—and gasped.
A timeline of Lisa’s final night. Details no one had shared publicly.
One note read:Broken bracelet clasp found behind the last bonfire pit—missed by responding units.
“No. No. No.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What are you up to, Harmony? How do you know all of this?”
A floorboard creaked behind her.
Torie froze. The scent in the room shifted—jasmine, ink, and something colder underneath. Something that didn’t belong.
