What Lies in the Darkness (Shadow Cove Book 1) Read online

  For a moment, the only noise I hear is the hammering of my own heart slamming against my chest. Then thoughts begin to flood my mind.

  Bria killed herself? Bria, the girl Sawyer was dating right before he died, took her own life, too? Bria killed herself because of a pact with my brother? Does that mean my brother killed himself because of a pact?

  “It might just be a rumor,” Rylen breaks the maddening silence. He stares at me as if he fears I’m about to shatter. “You know how shit is around here. Someone says one tiny remark, and suddenly, the entire school is blowing up with gossip. Don’t let it get to you, okay? You’re too strong for that.”

  “Yeah, I know.” I distractedly click the camera lens on and off with my brows furrowed.

  Even if it is a rumor, there has to be a starting point that sparked it. What got the ball rolling, or rather, who?

  I rub my aching chest as reality sinks in. Bria is dead. The girl Sawyer once said he loved is dead. Just like him.

  Tears sting my eyes, and I hurriedly wind around Rylen. “I have to go. Embry’s waiting for me.”

  He opens his mouth to say something, but I quickly yank open the door to the recording room, slip inside, and shut myself in.

  While Rylen is a nice guy, he does hang out with the same crowd as Dixon, and the last thing I need is to break down in front of him.

  Taking a few measured breaths, I collect myself and focus on the task at hand. I cross the room to a locked glass shelf with all sorts of high-tech gadgets. When I spot a pair of walkie-talkies and an earpiece, I dig my student ID card out of my pocket and slip it between the lock and the frame around the case. With a slight wiggle, the lock glides open, and I easily slide open the glass.

  I quickly grab what I need, hide them in my bag, and then hightail my behind out of there with time to spare. After I’m finished with the plan, I’ll have to sneak in and return the items without being spotted. I’m not a thief, contrary to what this town believes.

  The second I step out of the recording room, Dixon and a couple of his friends walk by.

  Great. Please don’t let them spot me. Please don’t let them spot—

  “Hey, Mak,” he greets me with a chin nod and a sly smile.

  Dammit!

  “I heard your brother spread his craziness before he offed himself and convinced poor Bria to kill herself, too,” Dixon continues. When he passes by me, he spins around and walks backward. “Tell me, was he always such a crazy-ass motherfucker, or did he go off the deep end when everyone at school found out he was selling drugs?” When my fingers fold into fists, his smile broadens. “That Rewards Board can be such a bitch, can’t it? Anyone can put whatever they want up there, even false accusations about some loser selling drugs.”

  His friends snicker and slap high-fives with each other.

  “That was you?” I grit each word out, battling the urge to swing my fist at his face. “You were the one who put that up on the marquee?”

  “Now, why would I do something like that? Better yet, why would I be stupid enough to admit I did something like that?” He feigns dumb, but the stupid smirk on his face reveals the truth.

  All this time, Dixon was the reason this town thought my brother was a drug dealer.

  That asshole is going down!

  It takes every ounce of my willpower not to lunge at him and force a smile on my face, instead. “You know what, Dixon? You’re right. The Rewards Board can be a real bitch.”

  Without waiting for him to respond, I stride away. Then, before I walk back into class, I send a text to Embry, Kennedy, and Everleigh.

  Step one completed. Step two happens at lunchtime. Meet me at my car promptly at 12:00. We’re going to get ahold of that laptop no matter what.

  This is no longer just about the money, skating in the competition, or getting back at Dixon for picking on me. This is about getting revenge for my brother. And I’m going to search every single file on Dixon’s computer until I figure out the perfect way to do that.

  LOCATION: MAK’S CAR

  TIME: 11:58 AM

  DATE: MONDAY, MARCH 22ND

  “Mak, can you hear me?” Ev’s voice fills my ear. “Testing, testing, one, two, three.”

  I glance over at her sitting in the passenger seat with a walkie-talkie in front of her mouth and a laptop on her lap. “You know, for someone who was so nervous about this plan, you sure enjoy using the equipment.”

  She clicks the talk button a couple of times. “When I was younger, my mom bought me a set of walkie-talkies for Christmas. It was actually the Christmas right before she died, and we spent the entire day play-spying on my dad and brother.” A sad, wistful look crosses her face. “I really miss those days. Everyone was so happy all the time, and we actually did stuff together. These days, we can’t even find the time to sit down and eat dinner together.”

  “I’m sorry, Ev.” I lean over the console and give her a hug. “I know what you mean, though. My mom and I barely spend any time together now that my brother and dad are gone.” When I sit back in my seat, I notice her expression has tensed. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing.” She runs her fingers through her tangled locks as she stares out at the people roaming around the parking lot.

  “Ev …” I say in a sarcastically stern tone. “Best friends don’t keep secrets from each other. We made a pact, remember? Never, ever keep secrets, or else we’ll drop dead.”

  Her shoulders slouch as a sigh eases from her lips. “I’m sure it’s nothing, and I know it’s not true, but I overheard something during second period … something about your brother.”

  I take a deep breath, willing my voice to come out evenly. “I heard about it, too. And I know it’s not true.” Don’t I? “And, when we’re all done with this Dixon thing, I’m going to find out who started the rumor and track them down.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Ev says worriedly. “In fact, I think this whole revenge thing might be getting out of hand.”

  “No way,” I disagree, reaching for my bag on the backseat. “I should’ve done this a long time ago instead of ignoring the shit people said about Sawyer when he died. Maybe if I’d stopped it then, things wouldn’t be so bad now.”

  Pity fills her eyes. “You can’t stop every single person in this town from gossiping.”

  I drop my bag onto my lap. “But I can sure as hell try.”

  She opens her mouth, but her words are cut off as Embry suddenly hops onto the bumper of my car and begins bouncing up and down.

  “Guess what I found out,” she singsongs with another bounce. “Kennedy kissed Hunter at the party last weekend, and apparently, he slobbers as much as a dog.”

  Kennedy strolls up behind her and pokes her in the ribs. “Will you shut up? You’re ruining potential blackmailing material.”

  Embry dismounts from the car and pokes Kennedy back. Kennedy winces then pinches Embry on the arm.

  I stick my head out the open window. “Will you two quit acting like two-year-olds? We’ve got work to do, and the clock’s ticking.” I make a big show of tapping an invisible watch on my wrist.

  Embry dramatically rolls her eyes. “Drama. Queen.”

  I flip her the bird, and we laugh.

  Kennedy skips up to the driver’s side and lowers her head to look me in the eye. Doing her best mafia impression, she whispers, “So, this shit is going down now?”

  I hand her a walkie-talkie. “This shit is so going down now. After what happened in the hallway with Dixon, I can’t wait to get my hands on his computer.”

  “What’d the asshat do now?” she asks, handing the walkie-talkie to Embry.

  “I’ll tell you on our way to the main office.” I check the earpiece to make sure it’s secure before sweeping my hair over my ear and climbing out of the car. I bump the door shut with my hip then lower my head to look at Ev. “You ready?”

  She gives me a thumbs up. “Just please don’t get caught.”

  “Cau
ght? Me? Never.” I wink at her then sling my backpack over my shoulder before walking toward the school with Kennedy and Embry.

  As we make the three-minute journey to the main office, I give a brief retelling of what Dixon said to me. By the time I’m finished, Embry looks like she’s about to punch someone, and Kennedy is on the verge of tears.

  “I really hate this place sometimes,” Embry says, opening and flexing her hands. “If it weren’t for you guys, I’d probably beg my parents to pack up their shit and get us the hell out of here.”

  “Mine will never move.” Kennedy leans against the wall beside the main office door, eyeing the few people lingering around. “I’ll be stuck here until college. But, as soon as I graduate, I’m saying, ‘Peace out, bitches,’ getting in my car, and never looking back.”

  “Can you put me in a suitcase and take me with you?” I joke. “It’s probably the only way I’ll ever be able to afford to go anywhere.”

  “Mak, I’d never let you ride in my suitcase.” Kennedy’s eyes glitter mischievously. “That’s where all my clothes and shoes go. But I will cram you in the trunk of my car.”

  “Aw, gee, how very generous of you. And, as a thank you, I’ll return the favor. From now on, you can ride in the trunk of my car everywhere.”

  “Awesome. I love dark, compact places,” Kennedy says. “They’re, like, my favorite places ever.”

  “Says the girl whose bedroom is bigger than my house.” Embry peers around the hallway, checks the time on her phone, and then looks at me. “We’ve only got about twenty more minutes before the bell rings. If you’re going to do this, Mak, you better do it now.”

  “On it. Just remember to listen for the sneeze and then pull the alarm.” I test my earpiece one last time to make sure everyone can hear me. Then I breathe out and push open the door to the main office, ready to put step two into motion.

  LOCATION: THE MAIN OFFICE

  TIME: 12:11 PM

  DATE: MONDAY, MARCH 22ND

  Like we predicted, Ms. Finkleson is sitting at the front desk with her lunch spread out in front of her. Classic rock floats from the computer speakers as she sings along with the lyrics, tapping a spoon against the desk to the beat.

  I shut the door loudly to get her attention, and she startles and nearly drops the spoon she’s holding.

  “Oh, hey, Makayla.” She sets her yogurt down then smooths down her navy blue button-down shirt. “What can I help you with?”

  I let my bag fall to the ground and have a seat in the chair across from her. “I’m pretty sure my phone was stolen from my locker on Friday.”

  She doesn’t seem that surprised. “And why do you think it was stolen? I mean, I know a lot of that’s been going on, but sometimes, people think stuff has been stolen when they’ve really just misplaced the item.”

  “I know I didn’t misplace it. My locker was open when I came out of seventh period on Friday, and my phone wasn’t in there anymore,” I lie breezily. “I know for sure that I closed my locker before I went to class, and I know my phone was definitely in there because Mr. Brinkling has a shit fit when we bring our phones to class.”

  “Please watch your language, Makayla,” she says, dabbing her lips with a napkin.

  “Sorry.” I cross my legs and pick at a hole in my jeans. “I’m just so stressed out, you know. I haven’t told my mom about my phone yet because I know she’ll freak out. But if I don’t find it fast, I’m going to have to tell her, and then she’s going to stress out about paying for a new one.” I glance up at her with a weighted sigh. “Ever since my dad took off, we’ve been pretty broke, and she’s constantly stressing about money.” I look down again, letting my hair curtain my face. “So, if there’s anything you can do to help me find out who took my phone, I’d really appreciate it.”

  “Wow, Mak, way to work the sob story,” Ev whispers through the earpiece. “That was so good even I believed it.”

  I want to laugh, but the truth is that my mom would lose it if I lost my phone. That is, unless she has leftover cash from what Don Jennings gave her. But no, the financial records show the money is gone.

  I crinkle my nose at the thought then quickly shove the look away. Now’s not the time to be thinking about this.

  “I’m so sorry to hear that, Mak,” Ms. Finkleson says. “Your mom is such a sweet person. When my father was hospitalized, it made his day when she was his nurse. She was always so caring and good with him.”

  “She really loves her job.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear and look up at her with what I hope is pity-me-please eyes. “She works so hard, too. Too hard, probably. I really hate that this phone thing probably means she’s going to have to put in more hours.”

  “Have you thought about tracking the phone? I know mine has some sort of tracking app on it so I can locate my phone when I lose it.”

  “Mine’s one of those super cheap flip phones, so I doubt it does.”

  “Oh, I see … I guess I could pull up the security footage and see if it caught the person who did this. I have to warn you, though, we’ve been getting a lot of power outages that have ruined a lot of the footage.”

  My brows pull together. “That’s weird. Do you know what’s causing them?”

  She shakes her head, tapping a few keys on the keyboard, spelling out: January 15, 1973. Her birthday, I assume, and probably her password. I make a mental note of that mostly out of habit, but also just in case my plan doesn’t go down the way I hope. And hey, you never know when you might need to hack into the school’s security system.

  “Let’s see …” She glides the mouse around on the mouse pad. “You said it happened this Friday during seventh period?”

  “Yes.” I inch forward in the chair. “Do you see anything?”

  “Hold on.” Her lips sink. “Well, shoot. It looks like that happened during one of the outages.”

  I rest my arms on her desk. “What about the backup data? Can you look at that?”

  She glances at me with perplexity etched in her expression. “Backup data?”

  “Yeah, a lot of security systems have them.”

  “Really? Well, that’s good to know, but I don’t think I know how to access it. Maybe when Principal Mikenely comes back from lunch, I can ask him about it.”

  “I could do it for you,” I offer. “I’m fantastic with computer stuff.”

  “Not as fantastic as me,” Ev whispers in my ear, and I struggle not to smile.

  Ms. Finkleson appears torn. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think I should let you mess around with my computer. It’s against school policy.”

  “That’s okay. I can just walk you through the steps,” I propose. When she remains undecided, I tack on, “I’d really like to figure out where my phone is before I have to go home today.”

  She wavers then nods. “All right, tell me what to do.”

  Right on cue, Ev begins prattling directions off in my ear, which I repeat to Ms. Finkleson. Thankfully, I’m not a complete ditz when it comes to computers and understand most of Ev’s directions.

  Five minutes later, Ms. Finkleson has the backup footage pulled up and seems greatly appreciative.

  “Thank you so much, Makayla.” She looks away from the computer screen and smiles gratefully at me. “I wish I knew about this sooner. I have so many students come in here and make reports on stolen items, and about half the time, the security cameras have gone down, so there’s nothing I can do to help them.”

  “That’s so weird. I mean, that so much stuff gets stolen around here.”

  “I used to think so, too, but then I realized that over seventy percent of the kids at this school are in the higher-class income, while the other thirty percent are in borderline poverty level.”

  “So, you think poor kids are doing all the stealing?” My tone comes out clipped. “And that the rich kids are all just victims of our thievery?”

  “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I was just …” She shifts in her chair unco
mfortably. “You know what? Let’s pull up the footage of your locker before the lunch bell rings.” Looking at the screen, she double-clicks the mouse. “I don’t want you being late for class.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  All right, girls, let’s get this show on the road.

  Sucking in an inhale, I let out a fake sneeze.

  “Bless you,” Ms. Finkleson says automatically, tapping a few keys on the keyboard.

  “Em’s on it,” Kennedy’s cheerful tone echoes out of the earpiece.

  I rub my nose and smile at Ms. Finkleson. “Thanks.”

  She continues to type on the computer until the high-pitched blare of the fire alarm sounds through the school.

  Her gaze darts away from the screen to the door. “What on earth? I don’t think there was a drill scheduled.” She shoves her chair away from the desk, rises to her feet, and pushes the intercom button. “Students and faculty, please evacuate the school using the nearest exit and remain outside until further instructions.” She releases the intercom switch and winds around the desk, signaling for me to follow her. “Come on, Makayla; we need to get outside.”

  I gather my bag and follow her out the door where students are wandering toward the exit doors in a chaotic manner, which makes it easier to get lost in the crowd. Once I’m sure Ms. Finkleson’s no longer paying attention to me, I whirl around and slip back into the main office.

  “Can someone keep an eye on the door?” I ask loudly over the alarm. “And if she comes back, warn me.”

  “Already on it,” Kennedy replies. “Oh, and FYI, remind me never to believe a damn word you say ever again. Your lying skills are literally terrifying.”

  I chuckle, swinging around the desk and clicking the mouse. “Shit. It already went back to the password screen.” I crack my knuckles and align my fingers on the keys. “Good thing I totally saw when she typed her password in.”