Hide and Seek (19 page)

When Emma pulled into the Mercers’ driveway a half hour later, she was relieved that Mr. Mercer’s SUV was nowhere in sight. She dreaded coming back, but she dreaded more what might happen if she didn’t. She opened the front door and dumped Sutton’s keys next to a stack of envelopes on the shiny black table in the foyer. Then she padded past the photographs that lined the hallway—Sutton and her father posed on vacations and family outings, always smiling. What a crock. Had he been thinking about Raven the whole time? And what had the checks he’d written her been for? Jewelry? Hotel rooms?

Or was it hush money to keep Raven quiet about what he’d done to me?

“Sutton?” Mrs. Mercer called from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

Emma stopped in the hall, trapped, as Mrs. Mercer emerged from around the corner. Emma ducked her head, feeling like everything she’d just found out was written all over her face.

“Hi, Mom,” she said, her voice way higher than usual.

Mrs. Mercer’s hair was piled on top of her head with bobby pins holding up the pieces near her ears. Other than a streak of blush on her high cheekbones, her face was free of makeup. She’d changed from work clothes into black jogging pants and a fitted zip-up sweatshirt with an Adidas logo on the chest. Tiny pearl studs still dotted her earlobes.
She’s so beautiful
, Emma thought sadly.
And such a good mom. Why would anyone want to cheat on her?

That was the question I kept asking myself, over and over.

“Are you okay, sweetie? Dad says you’ve been studying hard with the girls all week,” Mrs. Mercer said, the smile melting from her face. “You look pale. The stomach bug didn’t come back, did it?”

Emma’s cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. “Oh, I’m fine. I just have this German test tomorrow. It’s going to be
really
tough. And so much of my grade is riding on it.” She tapped a fingernail against the railing. “I just need to
lock myself in my room tonight and study. Do you mind if I eat upstairs, just this once?”

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.

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.

“About time!” Lili cried, clutching a butter-colored roll of streamers in one hand and a rusty pair of scissors in the other. Her hair was piled high on her head, and thick eyeliner rimmed her eyes.

“Hey, Mercer girls,” Charlotte said from the top of a stepladder. Her red hair spilled down her shoulders, and her pink dress complemented her skin perfectly. She stuck a tack into a cardboard cutout of Jessica Rabbit. “And Ethan,” she said, nodding in his direction. “Looking sharp.”

“Thanks.” Ethan smiled. He did look great. His dark
hair was combed off his face, and his blue button-down brought out his eyes.

“What’s
that
?” Emma asked, watching the busty cartoon swing from her carrot-colored hair.

Charlotte shrugged. “I found it in my mom’s closet and figured, why not?”

Madeline, whose hair was up in an artfully messy bun, snickered.

“So everything is set?” Emma asked, scanning the wooden tables lined against the bleachers.

“Yeah, is the footage okay?” Ethan said, checking out a silver laptop next to the food.

“It’s great. And we’re just about there, setup-wise.” Madeline handed Emma a bunch of red cups in plastic sleeves. “You’re on food duty. We need cups, plates, silverware, and everything unpacked from the coolers.”

“Got it,” Emma said, breaking the plastic wrap with her teeth. But as the girls turned away, the smile that had been pasted on her face faded. She knew she should be excited for the illicit dance—and in some ways, she was. But she was also terribly distracted by what she had to do later tonight.

She still couldn’t believe she’d been ballsy enough to ask to meet with Raven. She’d called Ethan after to tell him her plan. He’d insisted she let him go with her—just in case. She’d added his worry about her safety to her
Top Ten Cutest Ethan Moments
list, but it wasn’t until now that she considered that he might be right. What if this just spelled disaster? What if Raven had contacted Sutton’s dad already? What if Emma and Ethan showed up at the motel and found them both waiting for her?

Madeline’s phone beeped, jarring Emma from her thoughts. “They’re on the move?” she said into the receiver. “Perfect. We’ll expect them in five.”

She stuck the phone back into her clutch and looked at the others. “That was Gabby. She’s in her car, following the Devious Four, who are
obviously
on their way to our party. We’d better mobilize. Char, is everything in place?”

“Yep,” Charlotte said, giggling slightly.

Ethan moved to Emma’s side. She narrowed her eyes and squeezed his hand. “What are you guys up to?”

Charlotte smiled slyly. “Oh, we thought we’d add something extra, along with the video projection on the wall. Just to remind them never to mess with us again.”

Ethan gave Emma a skeptical look, and she pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. Just one more thing to add to her
Things I Hate About the Lying Game
list:
Taking everything a step too far.
“It’s nothing dangerous, is it?” The last time the Lying Game had pulled a prank without her knowing, she’d ended up trapped in a rocky crevice in the desert.

Madeline snickered. “God, Sutton. Don’t worry about it.”

Before Emma could ask more, a bunch of kids streamed through the unlocked door. The girls had on party dresses, and the guys wore ties and khakis. Madeline dimmed the lights further, and the DJ started a loungey song to kick off the night.

Lili materialized at Emma’s side again. “They’re here!” she hissed. “The Devious Four are here!”

Emma peeked out the gym door. Sure enough, the bouncer had lowered the velvet rope and was talking heatedly to the four girls, who were dressed to the nines.

“What do you think it is?” Ethan asked out of the side of his mouth.

“I guess we’ll see,” Emma said nervously.

“But we were
invited
,” Ariane, the girl with the dip-dyed hair, argued, tugging on the leather skirt of her dress.

The bouncer held up his clipboard. “Not according to this list, you aren’t.”

Lili nudged Emma. “I told him to give them a hard time. But now he’s going to ask Coco to prove she’s a Hollier student by going to her locker…which is right next to the gym.” She grinned maniacally, then flagged down a girl Emma recognized from English carrying a video camera. “Sadie! I need you in the hallway! Something major is about to happen!”

Emma chewed on her lip as the bouncer lifted the velvet rope and let the Devious Four inside. He followed them to Coco’s locker, and the girl with the video camera skulked behind them. Coco spun her combination, looking annoyed. Emma braced herself for what could be inside. What if it was something that really freaked them out—or worse?

I didn’t like this either. I didn’t want to be responsible for hurting anyone else.

The video camera blinked red, its lens focused on the girls. Just as the latch clicked open, there was a
whoosh
ing sound. Suddenly, something spilled out of the cubby, gathering in a mound at each girl’s feet. Emma squinted, taking a moment to realize what the white tube-shaped objects were. Tampons.

“Ew!” Ariane said, grabbing for the cottony tampons, which had all been unwrapped from their plastic shells. The other girls jumped away from the tampons, but they kept spilling from the depths of Coco’s locker. Then, they looked up and realized they were on video camera. Their faces went red. Ariane put her hand on the lens, angry-celebrity style.

“Smile!” Charlotte trilled, leaning against the doorway. She gestured to a wall in the gym, where the girls’ images were projected. “You’re live!”

The Devious Four all turned in the direction she
was pointing, their mouths hanging open. And as they watched, the footage switched from the live feed of the tampons at their feet to the security feed Ethan had successfully downloaded. A grainy image of four girls decorating the trees in the courtyard with bras and panties appeared on the wall, flip-book style. At first, it was hard to see who the vandals were, but then, one of the girls turned, stared straight at the camera, and gave it the finger. She had trademark two-tone hair and a bratty smirk.

Gotcha
, I thought. My friends couldn’t have pulled this off more perfectly.

“Ethan, it looks amazing,” Emma breathed.

Ethan grinned. “I have to admit it’s pretty fun to be on
this
side of the prank.”

Everyone in the gym was watching. First there were whispers, and then they turned into stares and grumbles. “It was
them
!” plenty of people said. “Who
are
they?” someone else cursed. “Losers!” a voice called over the rest.

The Devious Four hung their heads. They stared at the members of the Lying Game, who had all gathered in the doorway to accept their victory. Emma stepped forward and plucked a tampon off of Ariane’s shoulder, a smirk on her face.

“Now you know who bows down to whom,” she said lightly, spinning on her heel.

Way to go, Sis. They totally deserved it.

An hour later, the party was in full swing. A rap beat pulsed through the huge speakers the DJ had positioned all around the bleachers. The disco ball spun, strings of lights flashed on and off, and bodies danced in a massive swarm under the basketball hoops. Sadie roamed with a handheld camera, and members of the yearbook staff patrolled with big SLR cameras, snapping photographs like they were the paparazzi. Hollier students had gone all out, as though this was a normal dance—some of the girls wore full-length dresses and most of the guys wore ties.

“Um, I thought we were keeping the guest list small,” Emma said, scanning the packed room. At least a hundred kids were there.

The Twitter Twins looked at each other guiltily. “Well, people kept asking to come…”

Madeline blushed. “Yeah, I ended up inviting some people from the dance studio.”

“Who cares?!” Charlotte shouted. “This party is awesome.”

The song ended, and the DJ’s voice boomed through the microphone. “This next one is dedicated to a certain group of girls—you know who you are. Thanks for throwing such an amazing party, ladies!” The opening beats to “Sexy and I Know It” swelled through the air. Everyone screamed and ran for the dance floor at once.
Lili barreled up to Emma, who was supervising the food table, and grabbed her arm excitedly.

“We so rock!” Lili shrieked.

Emma grinned in return. For the past hour, kids had come up to her, thanking her for throwing the party and complimenting her on the decorations and music. It was official: The girls of the Lying Game were back on top as the queens of Hollier.

If only
I
could share some of the glory. Nostalgia filled me as I watched my friends. I remembered exactly how a night like tonight felt: the sheer thrill of orchestrating a prank, the buzz I felt when I walked into a packed party and decided who was lucky enough to be on the receiving end of my attention, the whoosh of heat when I locked eyes with Thayer across a room.

But then Emma checked her phone, and her stomach tightened. It was almost eight thirty. She had to leave soon.

Suddenly, a warm hand circled the top of her arm. “Can I have this dance?” Ethan said in her ear. While Emma had been holding court, he’d been talking to some kids from their German class.

“Of course!” she breathed as Ethan pulled her close. His lake-blue eyes held hers. He leaned forward and brushed Emma’s lips with a kiss.

“Awwww!” Lili swooned, snapping a Twitpic.

Emma grabbed his arm. “Let’s go somewhere quiet,” she whispered into his ear.

Ethan nodded, and they pushed through the crowd together. Students brave enough to talk to the girl they thought was Sutton Mercer congratulated her on an amazing party, and Emma flashed a confident smile. One girl dressed in head-to-toe purple asked to take a photo of “Hollier’s Hottest Couple.” Emma and Ethan paused for a moment, smiled, then moved on. Normally, Emma would have nudged Ethan and commented on how ironic it was that a foster kid and a loner were suddenly an It couple, but now wasn’t the time.

As the opening notes to a Coldplay song blared, Emma pulled Ethan under the bleachers. “Okay. I admit it, I’m nervous about tonight,” she said.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed in concern. “You don’t have to go, Emma. There’s got to be another way.”

“Maybe, but I don’t know what it is, and I can’t just continue on like this, not knowing.” Emma twisted the silver bracelet on her wrist around and around. “Living in that house is making me crazy.”

“But what if Raven is in on the murder? What then?” Ethan asked. “Maybe this
is
too dangerous.”

Emma thought about this, staring at the students in the gym. Most of them were dancing or laughing by the snack table. “Maybe it is dangerous. But that’s a chance
I have to take. Please back me up, Ethan.
Please.
I don’t know what else to do.”

Ethan still looked worried, but he pulled her into a hug. “I understand,” he said. “I’ve got your back. I’ll be there every step of the way.”

Emma set her jaw. “Actually, I was thinking about that. If I bring you to the room, it could freak Raven out.”

Ethan paused, running a hand through his hair. “Okay, what if I wait outside the room?”

I liked that plan. The last thing I needed was my sister dying and
both
of us being in the in-between, trying to figure out who killed us.

“Deal,” Emma said.

“Please be careful, okay?” Ethan looked worried. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”

Unexpectedly, tears filled Emma’s eyes. “I’ll be okay.”

“How can you know that?” Ethan pressed.

“I guess I can’t,” Emma said, fidgeting with Sutton’s silver locket at her collarbone.

“I’ll be right outside the room. And if you get a bad feeling, or if something doesn’t seem right, promise me you’ll get out of there.”

Emma forced a smile. “Of course I will.”

Ethan leaned forward and put his arms around her again.

“When this is all over, think of how much easier it will
be for us,” Emma whispered in his ear. “I’ll just be…me. And you’ll just be you.”

Ethan pulled her closer to him, but his gaze was elsewhere. A bunch of bulky figures stood in the doorway. “What the…?”

Suddenly, the music screeched to a halt. There were confused murmurs. Emma and Ethan made their way out from under the bleachers just as Madeline’s voice rang out. “Cops!”

“Everyone, freeze!” one of the figures called at the same time.