“There’s a desk in my father’s office.”
“Wouldn’t the police have looked through that?” Rory interrupts.
“They would have, but they don’t know about the secret compartment in the bottom drawer.”
“Oooo, oh my God, when do we leave? Let’s do this.” Rory bounces in her seat.
“Okay, so you think that it will all be in there?” Ainsley questions, her tone sounding more and more on board as she begins to put the pieces together.
“I think there’s a good chance.”
“So what do we do? Wait until it gets dark and just... break in?” Ainsley asks nervously.
“What? No way, that’s a rookie mistake. We need to go during the day in case we turn on the lights. If it’s dark outside, the lights might draw unwanted attention.”
Ainsley and I slowly turn our attention on Rory and eye her suspiciously.
“Rory,” I say slowly. “Is there something you wish to share with the class?”
“Nope,” she says, smiling innocently, popping the ‘p’.
“Alrighty then,” I laugh. “So, are we doing this?”
We look at each other, nodding our heads in agreement.
We come up with a plan until each of us understands ‘the mission’ as Rory calls it. She seems the most excited, which honestly makes me question her sanity a bit, but she assures me that this is the type of dopamine kick that she lives for... again, slightlyconcerned, but as long as they both understand the risks, it’s out of my hands.
“We’ll be crossing police tape. If we get caught, we may be arrested.” I pause, making sure my words sink in and searching for any tell that they don’t really want to do this, but they both look certain and ready to support me in any way they can. It takes me a second to clear the emotion from my throat before I can speak. Rory glances at Ainsley before resting their hands on my arm.
“Okay,” I say nervously, a fluttering in my stomach as I clear my throat. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tris
Ainsley drives over the bridge before pulling up to my family’s lake house and puts the car in park. I haven’t been here since the day the FBI showed up. That was roughly a year ago, but it feels like a lifetime. The grass on the front lawn is now overgrown, camouflaged only by the leaves that have fallen from the trees lining the driveway. From the passenger seat, I can see the yellow tape that criss-crosses the beams on each side of the portico. It’s not too busy in this part of town, but still, my knee bobs up and down nervously.
“You sureyouwant to do this? Even if you’re right and you find what you’re looking for, are you sure you’re ready to open this can of worms?” Ainsley asks softly.
What happens next... I’ve thought about it at least a hundred times on the drive here. If we find what I’m hoping for, there’s no going back. My father will be convicted, and it will be because of me. Funny that a few months ago, I didn’t want to be involved, and here I am, taking a card out of Arias’s daughters’ playbook.
“I’m sure.”
“Hell yeah. Let’s go, Charlie’s Angels!” Rory bounces up and down in the backseat, wiggling her eyebrows with that lopsided grin.
Ainsley waits down the road after dropping us off, ready to drive or warn us in case anyone shows up. While she does that, Rory and I casually sneak our way to the front door. Luckily, we’re able to climb through the yellow tape that’s across the beams. Rory basically walks right under it. I try not to laugh since it’s obviously not the time, but my face gives me away.
“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Rory grumbles. “I’m short.”
I lift a shoulder and reach for the front door, only to find it locked. I slide my key in, but when I try to turn it, it doesn’t budge.
“What the hell?” I wiggle the door handle and the key, but still nothing happens.
“Did the police change the lock or something?” Rory asks, confused.
“They must have, or someone did. I don’t know, but that means we can’t get in this way. I can try the back door, but it will probably be the same thing. Maybe a window?” I back up, pulling on the strap of the bag on my shoulder as I weigh our options.
As I do that, Rory steps toward the door.
