Good. Still using Grayson’s phone, I call my phone, back in Grace Village with Luke. He answers immediately.
“Ready to go,” I say. “We need to be quick about this.”
“And you’re sure about this?” he says. “You and Trinity aren’t exactly—”
“Do you want me to help her or not?”
“I do, I do. I just…thank you.”
“So listen,” I say. “You’re going to send text messages to Finley from my phone. And I’m going to respond back from Finley’s phone.”
“So later, the cops will see a bunch of texts between you and Fin.”
“Exactly.”
“But wait,” he says. “Didn’t you tell me once the police can locate your cell phone? Won’t they know Finley’s phone is in your condo unit?”
“No, cell site location isn’t that precise,” I say. “They can put you in an area, a sector. They’ll know he was either in this building or close by.”
“But where the hell else would he be? What’s near your condo building?”
I walk over to the picture window and look down, beyond Lake Shore Drive, to the spot I once stood with binoculars, watching Finley and Trinity enter my condo. “Ohio Street Beach,” I say. “He’s too much of a coward to meet with Grayson. He can’t bear to face him. So he’s hanging there, by Jane Addams Park and the beach, until Gray leaves.”
“You want them to think he’s hanging out at the beach? It’s pretty freaking cold out.”
“You got a better idea? I’m dealing with the hand I’m dealt here. Besides,” I say, “he loves that beach. The lake gives him peace. He goes there all the time, even when it’s cold.”
“He does?”
“Well…he does now,” I say. “So let’s do this. Text Finley this message. Ready?”
“Ready.”
I speak slowly so he can type along with my narration. “ ‘Where are you, question mark. Gray is at the condo, period. You were supposed to meet him there at seven, he said, period.’ Got all that?”
“Got it. Sending it now.”
Finley’s phone buzzes a moment later. I respond back on Fin’s phone:At OSB thinking and no I’m not contemplating jumping in tho its tempting.
Luke chuckles. “Okay. ‘OSB.’ Ohio Street Beach. What next?”
“Do three question marks. Then type, ‘Must be thirty degrees outside, period. Why would you be at beach, question mark.’ ”
“Got it.” I receive the message on Finley’s phone a moment later.
I reply:You know I like it here and hard to face grayson I’m not proud of what’s happened sometimes I think its better I disappear from all your lives.
“That’s dark,” says Luke after he receives the text. “Are you—are you gonna try to make it look like he committed suicide?”
“No, not suicide,” I say. “But his night is about to get a lot worse.”
“All done,” I say to Luke after multiple rounds of text exchanges. “Grayson will be leaving soon. He’ll probably call you from his phone.”
“The cops are gonna think he was talking to his mom an awful lot tonight.”
“I know, but in this context? He’s pissed at his dad, he’s discovering we split up, his dad ghosted him when they were supposed to meet? A long talk with Mom wouldn’t seem odd. Take care of him when he gets home, okay?”
“Will do. And then I’ll see you later tonight? About what time?”
