The Girl and the Secret Society (Emma Griffin FBI Mystery Book 9)
Page 24
“But not these people,” Sam notes.
“Not these people,” I repeat. “For every one of those murders, there was at least one suspiciously perfect alibi. And it checked out. Every single time. I couldn't figure out what that meant until I thought about Xavier again. I had to remember this started for him with Lakyn. She only knew him and his situation, which meant that he had to explain to her what he believed happened to Andrew. And that started with The Order. When I thought about his situation and how he was framed, everything else started to fall into place.”
“I'm not the only one who made a web. The Order did, too. They killed for each other and proved themselves by framing other people. That's what Xavier was trying to tell me when he was talking about playing Monopoly. He kept talking about Andrew’s death and his being accused of it out of turn. At first, it sounded as if he meant that Andrew died too young, and he would have to possibly face the death penalty for something he didn't do.”
“But that's not what he was talking about,” Sam says.
“No, he literally meant out of turn. Andrew was murdered by someone who had no reason to murder him, and Xavier was framed even though he had no reason to have committed the crime and did nothing wrong. That's what happened in every single one of those situations. That's what the plaque is for. It commemorates the day a man becomes a member of The Order by committing murder for his sponsor. I can only guess each of the elder members has one of those black balls, and when it comes time to choose a sponsor for a prospective member, they use the wheel. Because it's fair. They keep them with them as reminders of The Order and their importance. They're out in the open, but no one notices. Hiding in plain sight.”
“What happened to Lakyn?” he asks. “No one was framed for her murder.”
"Xavier said it was her turn. Not her time, her turn. And he only knew that because she was hidden after death, not left out to be used in a scheme. She was murdered by The Order, but not as a ritual. She got in the way. She was getting too close to Xavier, and they knew she was going to work tirelessly until she got him out. She understood him. And they also knew as soon as he got out, there was a storm coming. He would destroy them. This time, his conspiracy theory was actually right. In the end, Lakyn and Andrew died for the same reason. Xavier was unraveling The Order. He found out about them and was going to uncover them.”
"Why didn't they kill Xavier? Why did they kill Andrew instead?"
"To protect the integrity of The Order. If they were to kill Xavier, the investigation could uncover what he knew. They had no idea what he had planted or saved and what people would find when they went through his home if he died. Instead, having him go to prison for murdering his best friend would discredit everything he ever said. If he started talking about The Order, people would just dismiss it as another conspiracy theory, and the entire Order would be protected. They could continue their initiation methods, bonding themselves together through blood, and no one would question it. They underestimated Xavier and didn't anticipate Lakyn.”
Sam shakes his head. "What about Lilith Duprey?"
"We aren't done with The Order of Prometheus yet, babe," I tell him. "There's more to find out. But I know it's not a coincidence that the LLC that operates the cornfield next to both Lilith's farm and the killing ground is called FireStarter and is represented by the brother of the most prominent Order member."
"There really are no coincidences," Sam sighs. “Sometimes I wish there were, though.”
I know there is more to come. The Order hasn't given up all of its secrets yet. But I have hope for Xavier and for others who fell victim to its rituals.
I rise up to kiss Sam, and Dean comes running toward us, his phone held to his ear and a frantic look on his face.
"They're gone," he says.
"What?" I demand.
"Everyone is gone. The police just got there, and the building is empty."
"No," I say, raking my fingers back through my hair. "How can they be gone?"
"We'll find them," Sam reassures me. I start to pull away, but he takes my hands, holding them against his chest. "We'll find them. You have enough evidence now to launch formal investigations. We will get this done. I'm going up there to see if I can help."
He kisses me and goes to his car. Dean walks up, and I wait until Sam drives away to look at him.
"When you were pretending you were sent to take me back for someone, you said the Dragon. Where did you come up with that name?" I ask.
"The notes from Lydia finally came in. I didn't even get a chance to tell you after Millie was shot. I read through them, and that name stuck out. It was in the stuff about Greg, but it mentioned she talked to Lakyn about it, too."
"She talked to Lakyn about the Dragon?" I ask. "After Greg died? And before I went to Windsor Island?"
"That's what it looks like. Why? Why does that name upset you?" he asks.
I cross my arms tightly over my chest.
"That is the name of someone from my past. Something I didn't want to think of again," I say.
"What happened?" Dean asks.
"The Dragon was my first undercover assignment. My first takedown with Greg. He is also supposed to be dead."
THE END
Dear reader,
Thank for you reading my books this far.
I am able to keep writing these novels, because of you!
I know the world is a bit mad at this moment.
And I hope that I was also able to take your mind out of the chaos and give you a moment of peace.
I would massively appreciate if you could take a moment of your day to write a review for this novel.
Your reviews give me the motivation to keep this series going, and it helps me massively as an indie author.
The review doesn’t have to be long, but however short or long you want.
Just a few seconds of your time is all that is needed.
When you leave me a review, know that I am eternally grateful to YOU.
My promise to you has always been to do my best to bring you thrilling adventures.
I hope I have fulfilled that. I look forward to you reading my next novel!
Yours,
A.J. Rivers
P.S. If, for some reason, you didn’t like this book or found typos or other errors, please let me know personally. I do my best to read and respond to every email at aj@riversthrillers.com
Staying In Touch With A.J.
Click Here now to join my mailing list and get your free copy of Edge Of The Woods.
Also by A.J. Rivers
Emma Griffin FBI Mysteries
Season One
Book One - The Girl in Cabin 13*
Book Two - The Girl Who Vanished*
Book Three - The Girl in the Manor
Book Four - The Girl Next Door
Book Five - The Girl and the Deadly Express
Book Six - The Girl and the Hunt
Book Seven - The Girl and the Deadly End
Season Two
Book Eight - The Girl in Dangerous Waters
Book Nine - The Girl and Secret Society
Other Standalone Novels
Gone Woman
* Titles are now available on Audible click here to browse Audible now. Not an Audible subscriber, click here to try a free month today.