“That could work,” I said softly. “I just need to figure out exactly how to do it.”
The room fell silent as my mind began racing through possibilities. Julian's strategy was sound: fear, then hope, then the truth spilling out in a desperate bid for survival. But how could I apply it to Cherry? She wasn't the standard Club target who'd gotten caught doing something she knew was punishable by death.
Something suddenly clicked in my head.
“I might have an idea,” I said slowly, sitting up straighter.
Both men turned to look at me, Julian's expression curious, Roman's guarded but attentive.
I leaned forward and told them my plan, slowly and haltingly, my voice barely above a whisper. As I spoke, Roman's expression shifted from skepticism to understanding mixed with grudging respect. Julian went very still, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.
When I finished, I sat back, hands trembling slightly in my lap. “So… do you think that would work?”
Julian's mouth curved into something that wasn't quite a smile. Then he nodded. “You're a fast learner,” he said, and there was something almost proud in his voice that made my chest tighten.
Roman was quiet for another moment, jaw working. Then he nodded slowly. “It’s definitely worth a shot.”
“Well then, I guess I should call her now for Stage One of this thing, before it gets too late,” I said, glancing over at the clock. “I’ll really need to act my ass off.”
“You can do it,” Julian said firmly. “She might be a professional actress, but you have an advantage. She doesn’t know that you know anything. So right now, you’re still just her clueless friend.”
“True.” I took a long, deep breath. Then I held my hand out. “Can you pass me my phone?”
Julian handed it to me, and I found Cherry’s number in my contacts with trembling fingers.
“Try to smile when you talk to her,” Roman said. “It’ll make your voice sound happier and more relaxed.”
I nodded, pasting on a smile that felt grotesque under the circumstances. Then I pressed the call button and set it to speaker.
Cherry answered on the third ring. “Vee, oh my god! Is that you? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I managed to get my phone back,” I said, forcing brightness into my voice. “But I’m not actually supposed to call anyone, so I have to make this pretty quick.”
“Okay.” Her tone shifted, becoming more cautious. “What’s going on?”
“Remember when I sneaked into the initiation ceremony here? And that really nice maid helped me leave without anyone noticing?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, I’ve made friends with her over the last few weeks, and she’s agreed to help me sneak out of here tomorrow night. I was—”
Cherry cut me off. “Wait, you’re sneaking out? I thought you said everything was okay. Are you in trouble?”
“I’m fine. But I really need to see you and the others, and I’m not supposed to leave the estate at all for another two months. So I have to sneak out.”
“Why do you need to see us?” There was an edge to her voice now, sharp and alert. “Did you find something?”
“Yes.” I lowered my voice conspiratorially. “I’ve been searching around the mansion every chance I can get, and earlier this week, I found some sort of archive room down on the basement level. I’ve been going through it whenever I can slip away, and today… I found something. Something that could prove Roman killed Calista.”
Cherry inhaled sharply. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s a file with his name on it, and a bunch of papers with numbers on them. I can’t be sure, but I think it looks like coordinates and timestamps,” I said. “Like, tracking data from a phone, maybe. And the date on the top says October 31st, 2024.”
“Holy shit.” Cherry’s voice rose an octave, and I heard genuine excitement there. Excitement with a secret undertone of glee, I was willing to bet. “Depending on what the coordinates are, that could prove Roman was at the motel that night.”
“Exactly. I figured the Club probably created the file as some sort of insurance policy against him if he ever tries to cross them,” I said. “But… I’m not sure. I could be looking at the numbers wrong. Maybe it’s something else entirely. Or maybe this file actually proves his innocence. I really don’t know.”
“Can’t you look up the coordinates? See if any of them match the motel address or the clock tower?”
