The two shared a quick grin, then broke into a sprint.
Carter was waiting impatiently in their living room, chewing a fingernail. “Finally!” she said when they burst through the door. “What took you so long? Did he catch you?”
“No,” said Sierra, holding up the note. “And we found it.”
Carter eagerly snatched it from her hands. She was halfway through opening it when she froze and gave Sierra an apologetic look and slowly handed it back. “I guess you should have the honors.”
“You think?” said Sierra, but she wasn’t too upset. Carter had been acting more confident ever since the alien room. Between the Morse code, the sandbag, and figuring out the importance of Louis’s clue, it seemed her Solve Specialist instincts had finally kicked in. Sierra felt oddly proud of her.
“Should we wait for Adi?” Beck asked as Sierra started to unfold the note.
Sierra stilled. Her jaw tensed, her curiosity to know what her sister had wanted to tell her at war with her conscience, until Beck singsonged, “We are a team . . .”
Letting out a long groan, Sierra set the unopened note on the counter and picked up her phone. “I’m giving him five minutes. If he’s not back by then, we’re reading it without him.”
Adi was back in one minute and forty-nine seconds.
“Thank you,” he said earnestly as he burst into their villa. “I’ve never been so grateful to escape a conversation. Word of advice: donotask Lisa what kind of movies she likes unless you want an indepth analysis of every plot hole in theBack to the Futurefranchise.” He shook his arms, as if trying to clear the conversation from the air. Then— “Where is it? What does it say?”
Carter pointed at the note in Sierra’s hand. “We haven’t opened it yet.”
“We thought we’d wait for you,” said Beck.
Adi looked momentarily surprised. “Oh. Thanks. I’m here now. Let’s see it.”
Sierra was already unfolding it, revealing a typed message in huge font, spanning the width of a piece of printer paper.
Well.. shit. This letter=a last dangerous plot, a last futil hope.
Maybe I’me now dead and buried. Or maybe just_missing?
R u ready? Ive been w/ Louis. (Louis Augustus R!)
Was only flirting first, that turnd into **more**
I abso!!lutely don’twant the cops to know the _rest
It’s complex, baby sis. i’d really love if u avenged me - good luck Rememberathe inane clue in the ...
2nd episode?If u first cn findathe light from the #4 villa it should guide u.Will reveal every thing. My secret, my error.
If I’ve already lost, I hav 1 big request:Lay waste to Rani+Louis.
Do not trust the Russells.
-Alicia
“Holy . . .” Carter muttered, which was about as far as Sierra’s mind was able to process, too. “Does this mean . . . Is she saying what I think she’s saying?”
“Do you think she’s saying that she was sleeping with Louis?” said Beck. “Because yes. And yuck.”
Sierra read through the note again. And again.
Her sister. And theGame Master?
Adi snatched the note away to examine it closer. “Maybe, maybe not. This is clearly a code.”
“But what if she was?” Beck said quietly. “How old was she? Was that . . . I mean, was it . . . illegal?”
