“Did you doit?” Daisy asked, after I’d changed back into normal clothes and joined them in the stands.
“Yeah,” I said, catching my breath. “I poured in the whole thing.”
I watched Alex launch a perfect pass into the end zone. All around us, the crowd cheered.
“Maybe it takes some time to kick in,” Kai said. I wrung my hands nervously. I was sure I’d shaken it well. But what if Alex hadn’t drunk enough of it?
The announcer’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Princeton and Harvard tied 14–14 as we go into the fourth quarter.”
My heart wouldn’t slow down. I’d never been so invested in a football game in my life. “Tigers interception on the ten-yard line!” the announcer shouted, and the crowd erupted. Alex came onto the field for the next play. After the hike, he gripped the ball and was backing up like he was about to throw it. A wide receiver stood wide open in the end zone, waving his hands in the air.
Cecily gripped my forearm and I held my breath. Instead of throwing the ball, Alex fumbled and his knees buckled together, like a little boy who needed to pee. There were confused cries from the crowd. “Not sure what Bain is doing right now,” the announcer said.
My heart beat fast. I held on to the railing as Alex sprinted in the wrong direction. Everyone was confused for a moment, but then a Princeton running back picked up the ball and dodged his way into the end zone and the crowd cheered.
Alex was on the far side of the field, grabbing his backside as he waddled the rest of the way off. Daisy and I exchanged a look before breaking down in a fit of laughter.
Kai handed me a beer and clinked her glass against mine. “Good work out there, babe.”
“You did it,” Cecily said, hugging me.
“Fuck Alex Bain,” Kai said, her beer high in the air.
“Yeah, fuck Alex Bain,” I said, swelling with pride.
Daisy was laughing so hard, tears formed in her eyes. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched Alex disappear into the tunnel.Revenge is so sweet.
After that, Sterling Club bicker was just a formality. I knew I wasin.
Chapter Eighteen
Maya
June 2023
Back at the police station,I set the note on the metal table between us and remain standing, breathing hard.Naomi, I’m sorry about last night. Let me make it up to you. —M
Simmons studies it with a frown. “Where did you get this?”
“I found it in my sister’s dorm room. Underneath the dresser. Maybe if your team had looked more carefully…”
She presses her lips together. Studies the note. “M.”
“Did you talk to her roommates? The boys she was dating? She got in a fight with someone on Thursday night—did you know that? Maybe the guy she was seeing, Benjamin Wong, or her ex, Liam—”
“We’re in touch with them.” Simmons reviews her notes. “Benjamin Wong was out of the country.”
“And Liam?”
Simmons narrows her eyes. “We’ve spoken to his lawyer.”
My heart is pounding, sweat slicking my brow. “Another thing you should know: my sister was in a secret society. Greystone Society.”
“A secret society…” Her mouth twists, a note of disbelief in her voice.
“Yes.” I take a breath. “They are one of the most powerful groups in the country.” I wait for a flicker of recognition but find none. My eyes flit to the note on the table. SignedM…“There was a professor involved with Greystone when I was a student—Matthew DuPont.He still has ties to them, and there were always rumors about him hooking up with students. What if he has something to—”
Simmons exchanges a look with a young police officer guarding the door. She clears her throat and turns back to me. “I appreciate your diligence, Ms. Banks, but we need to let the evidence speak for itself.”
