Sadie nudges my foot with hers. "Do I? I basically run the place, babe. I’m Max O’Reilly." I drape my arm over her shoulders, turning her so we can walk into the house. "I think I’ve seen you there. Don’t you think we could work something out? A little favor for an old friend?"
"Max? As in Mad Max, star forward?" She chews her bottom lip.
"The very one. What do you say?" I trail my fingers down her arm, squeezing her hand gently. I know I’m flirting for a reason, but my stomach knots slightly. I’ve never had a problem with it before. It’s harmless, really. But something about it feels wrong, different with Sadie standing only a few feet away.
"I, well, sure. I guess it couldn’t hurt. Just promise to be quick. Ten minutes, then I’m coming to find you."
A small scoff comes from behind me, and Olive giggles. Spinning, I wave my arm for my group to proceed. Howie heads for the back of the house, Sam and Olive step toward what appears to be a kitchen with a small work table directly in the center, and Sadie skips toward the steps. Following closely behind, I have to take them two at a time to catch up to her.
She pushes into a wooden door that appears to be made from three boards nailed together by cross sections at the top and bottom. There’s a wooden handle with a string latch, and it’s stained a rich brown color.
"In a rush?" I ask, stepping in behind her.
Sadie rolls her eyes, crouching to look under the bed. "You didn’t have to follow me."
"Oh, hmm. Was I supposed to stay with Katie?" Her head whips around at lightning speed, her lips pursed in a tight line. I can’t help but smirk.
"Sure, that would be fine."
"Okay." My heart stutters, a small part of me—the needy part—hoping she’d rather I didn’t hang out with the womandownstairs. Turning on the ball of my foot, I take a step toward the door.
"Max, wait."
"You jealous, Sade?"
Another eye roll. "No." She chews her lip.
"Sure about that?"
"Okay, fine. Maybe a little. But that’s not important… I think I found something." She slides a small box out from under the bed. It’s dusty, like it’s been sitting here far longer than the restoration.
Dropping beside her, I squeeze her shoulder gently. "Try it."
Sadie fumbles with the key, pulling it from the pocket of her crossbody purse. She moves to insert it into a small hole at the center of the box, but before it touches the small iron lock, the latch flips open. My mouth drops open, and Sadie sucks in a deep breath.
"I didn’t even put it in," she whispers.
"We seem to have that problem a lot these days."
A laugh bursts out of her, and I promptly make a shushing noise while flipping the lid open. Inside sits a single piece of parchment with a message.
Like a clue reveals your one true fate. A key unlocks a future—one you cannot escape. Your destiny is binding, a path so crystal clear when you stop minding.
Sadie grabs her phone and snaps a picture before closing the lid and sliding the box back into its place.
"What does it mean?"
Sadie shakes her head. "I have no idea. It makes it sound like this is metaphorical, like it doesn’t actually unlock something physical."
"Any luck in here?" Howie pokes his head into the room just as we stand to move toward the door.
"Maybe." Sadie holds her phone out to him, and Howie reads the riddle. "It’s not here. It can’t be, right?"
Howie confirms with a nod of his head, and we head back downstairs to find Sam and Olive.
We may not have gotten exactly what we came for, but one thing is clear as we exit the house—Beth is playing a game with Sadie. She just doesn’t realize that Sadie teamed up with a guy who plays every game to win.
twenty-three
