“The person behind this is smart. They probably sent it to him anonymously. I think he’s a pawn in a larger game.”
Sierra stopped pacing. “You’re probably right. Argh, I’d give anything to see that final room!”
“I know, Sierra. I’m sorry.”
She turned to him. Her expression had him cringing. He owed her an explanation.
“When Ranielle offered that host gig, it felt like my chance to get away. Life at home, it’s hell. Maybe notmy sister was murderedhell, but my mom is . . .” Adi was usually good with words, but he was finding it difficult to articulate what it was like to have a parent who cared so much more about herself than she ever had for her kid.
Sierra’s gaze flicked to his duffel bag again. “That’s why you’re leaving?”
He shifted his weight, unable to look at her.
“Running away won’t solve your problems,” she said. “Trust me.”
Adi had emotionally prepared for his escape. He’d been so sure there were no anchors locking him in place.
But the mystery hadn’t been solved. Ranielle was going to get away with murder. If Adi could do one thing before he left, it would be to help Carter, and Beck, and Sierra.
And Alicia.
“We haven’t gone home yet,” Sierra said. “Last night, Beck reminded me that we’re still Team Helsing, and there’s still work to be done.”
“Like slay the vampire?”
A slow smile crept across Sierra’s face. “Precisely.”
44
Carter
Carter and Beck had squeezed together on one of the two doublebeds. Carter was trying to keep her phone screen turned away from him so he wouldn’t see the team T-shirts she’d designed.HELSINGS SLAY! THE ESCAPE GAME SEASON FIVEwas printed above a glowing chemistry set. Carter had placed the order the day after the fun-house round.
Now she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how to cancel the order.
Custom order. Nonrefundable.
Beside her, Beck studied Alicia’s cryptic letter about the affair for the thousandth time. They hadn’t given it to the detective who questioned them at the villa, knowing he would have used it as further confirmation that Louis was the killer. Now it was their only clue left.
Old episodes ofThe Escape Gameplayed on the TV. Carter should have turned it off. It was torture watching previous contestants puzzling through each round, knowing her time on the show was over.
Sure, there had always been a possibility of elimination, but never had Carter thought it could happen like this. To have victory ripped from their hands when they were so close, when they’d done so well, all because Adi hadn’t believed in them.
Beck smoothed the letter across the lampshade on the nightstand. They’d already tried that at the villas. No hidden message had appeared then, and none appeared now. He sighed. Flipped the paper over. Upside down. Back and forth.
“Give it up,” said Carter, opening her phone. She had three missed calls from her parents, but she couldn’t bring herself to return them, knowing she would burst into tears the moment she heard their voices. Instead, she mindlessly scrolled through her Domain videos. “The key to that would be in Elijah’s villa, hidden in a light fixture or something.” She stared at her avatar. The bright red hair. The round glasses. A crop top paired with a trendy skirt. In this shot, Carter had the avatar winking and giving a thumbs-up. It was supposed to be encouraging, but now it felt like the character was mocking her. “We’re never going to find it now.”
Beck’s brow was set with determination. He was beginning to act as obsessive as Sierra. “Or maybe it has something to do with episode two’s sheet music.”
They’d watched that episode a dozen times since finding the note, but they couldn’t find anything in it that was relevant to Alicia’s letter.
Carter was relieved when she heard footsteps and the telltale click of a key card—anything to keep them from losing their minds.
The door flew open, striking the wall. Sierra burst in, breathless and frazzled.
And behind her, Adi.
Carter tensed. She and Beck might’ve been the ones to convince Sierra to talk to Adi, but that didn’t mean Carter wasn’t still mad at him.
