A smile spread across Mrs. Mercer’s face. “Of course I don’t mind. You know how proud your father and I are of your test scores so far this term.”
Emma fiddled with the strap on her bag. The Mercers had made such a big deal about Emma’s high test scores, lifting her grounding for shoplifting from Clique to attend Homecoming. Mr. Mercer, in fact, was the one who convinced Mrs. Mercer that their daughter should be rewarded for her hard work. But it had all been an act. Mr. Mercer knew the girl getting the test scores wasn’t his daughter. He was probably just rewarding her for going along with being Sutton.
“I’ll be in my room.” Emma raced up the stairs two at a time. She shut Sutton’s door behind her and collapsed onto the bed, listening to the front door open and slam, open and slam. First Laurel came in, then Mr. Mercer. High, happy voices sounded downstairs. To Emma, they were like nails on a chalkboard. All she could think about was that phone call from the roadside motel, the breathing on the other end.
When a loud knock sounded on Sutton’s door, Emma shot up. Before she could say a word, the knob turned with a click, and the door creaked open.
“Sutton?”
Emma took in Mr. Mercer’s face. His dark eyebrows lifted. Drake stood behind him, smelling of some kind of sickly sweet dog shampoo.
“You’re back.” Mr. Mercer held a plate of pasta slathered in tomato sauce. “I heard you were eating up here.” He stood in the doorway. “Studying hard?”
Emma watched him. Surely he knew she wasn’t really studying. But he was playing it cool, a smile on his face, a proud look in his eyes. “Uh-huh,” she mumbled.
Mr. Mercer nodded. “It’s amazing how you’ve improved since school started. A whole new Sutton.”
Emma stared at Sutton’s quilt, resisting the urge to be sick. I’m a whole new Sutton because you killed the original, she thought bitterly. Are you happy that I’m doing exactly what you want? Are you glad you can continue your little affair in peace, you horrible murderer?
All at once, she couldn’t deal with him being in here another second. She jumped up from the bed, grabbed the plate and silverware, and turned her back. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, spitting out the words. Then she kicked the door closed on him, and turned the lock with an audible click.
That’s right, Sis, I thought. Get him out of there.
Once she was sure Mr. Mercer had returned downstairs, she grabbed Sutton’s laptop and googled local Super 8 Motels. The second number listed looked familiar—she could have sworn it was the one that showed up on the caller ID in Mr. Mercer’s office. Taking a deep breath, she dialed.
Someone answered on the third ring. “How may I help you?” It was a bored voice. The TV blared in the background.
Emma took a breath. “Can you connect me to Raven Jannings’s room?” she asked in a barely audible whisper.
The concierge let out a yawn on the other end. “Sure thing,” he said. “Please hold.”
Emma’s chest clenched. She’d guessed right. And suddenly, she knew she was right about everything else. The woman breathing on the phone call had to be the same woman Mr. Mercer was seeing. The same woman Thayer had caught him with on the night of Sutton’s death. The same woman Grandma Mercer had called toxic.
There was a click, and then ringing. Emma’s foot jiggled nervously. Please, please, pick up.
The call went to voicemail, a generic message that the guest staying in room 105 wasn’t available.
“I have information for you about Ted Mercer,” she said, before she could even consider her words. “I’m coming to your motel tomorrow night at nine P.M. sharp. Be there.”
Then she hung up and stared at Sutton’s iPhone. Was this really what she wanted? What if meeting with Raven was dangerous? Then again, who knew how long this woman would be at the motel? This might be her only chance.
I had questions, too. Had I met Raven that night in the canyon? Or had my dad just assumed I’d seen her and killed me anyway? Just what kind of deadly secrets was she keeping?
Be careful, Emma, I thought. You could be walking into a trap.
28
BREAKING AND ENTERING
Friday evening, the smell of crisp leaves greeted Emma’s nose as she, Ethan, and Laurel walked up the steps to the school. A forgotten stainless steel Klean Kanteen glinted next to the gym door in the final rays of sunlight. It was 7 P.M., an hour after sports teams finished practice—and a half hour before the dance was scheduled to start. Laurel and Gabby had been right. The entire administration was away at a conference in Sedona, which meant they didn’t have to worry about Principal Ambrose marching in and busting up the party.
A velvet rope had been set up at the back door of the gym. The bouncer Charlotte had hired stood there menacingly, looking the part with a headset in his ear and black sunglasses over his eyes. “Hey,” Emma said cautiously, shooting him a smile, and he nodded in return. The gym door opened easily and without a click—Charlotte had made sure of that by taping down the lock with bright blue electrical tape.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. Lili, Charlotte, and Madeline, all wearing the matching pink dresses they had selected at La Encantada the other day, were in the gym, hanging streamers, blowing up balloons, and setting up tables full of food. The place had already been transformed from a smelly exercise room into a chic club, with lots of curtains, tables, and even a cushy couch or two. The lights were turned down low, and the DJ was organizing his tables in the corner.