Poor Little Dead Girls

by Lizzie Friend

  They paused. “I’ll notify the boss — let him know the procedure was successful,” one said.

  The other gave him a mock salute and grinned. “Let him know that if he happens to keep sending us hot ones, that’s just fine with us. Maybe a brunette next time, though.”

  They both laughed, and Sadie’s stomach felt like it was filled with ice water. Barely breathing, she stumbled back through the curtain.

  “Hey, what was that?” she heard the taller one say behind her.

  She ran. She didn’t care that patients were staring, or that one of the doctors tried to stop her as she passed. She just ran and ran until she was flying through the foyer, ignoring the woman at the front desk, and pushing her way out the front door.

  When Jessica saw her face, she started running too, and they didn’t stop until they got to the front gate and then two blocks down the street, where Sadie finally collapsed into a heap on the curb.

  They sat there for what felt like an hour. She told Jessica what she had heard, and how she still had no idea what she was dealing with. Now, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  When the sky started getting darker, they finally stood up. “I didn’t want to mention it before, but our car left us,” Jessica said.

  “It’s okay, we’ll just call another one.” Sadie flipped open her phone. She had six unread messages from Jeremy. She erased them all without reading a word.

  Jessica looked uneasy. “I don’t know — it’ll take them a long time to get out here, and we’re supposed to be back on campus in,” — she glanced at her watch — “two hours.”

  Sadie shook her head, picturing the twins as they stumbled into the room at four A.M. “Trust me, curfew is not an issue.”

  Jessica raised her eyebrows. “The faculty is in on this thing too?”

  “I don’t know. Either that or they just look the other way. I just know that last night I didn’t get home until five, and no one said anything.”

  “Well, we still have to get back eventually. Want me to call Regency?”

  Sadie shook her head. “I have a better idea.”

  While they waited for the twins’ driver to pick them up, Sadie flipped open her phone. She had learned so much about her mom in the last week, and now truth and lies had all blurred together. She wasn’t sure she could believe any of what Thayer had told her anymore, or even what she had read online. She had to talk to someone she could trust.

  “Hey, kiddo.” Her dad sounded so happy, she felt terrible. “I’m so glad you called — I missed you last week.”

  She pounded her fist against her forehead in frustration. “I’m really sorry, Dad. I was just so busy with homework I didn’t have time.”

  “Hey, that’s okay. You’ve got to keep up with the kids whose private tutors do all their work for them, right?”

  She laughed weakly, then winced. Even she could hear how half-assed it was.

  “Hey Sadie May, what’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing really. I’m just tired.”

  “Ah. Big night last night? Did you go into town with Jessica and Brett?”

  “Yeah, we saw a double feature,” she lied. “Ate too much popcorn and then stayed up way too late.”

  She hesitated, trying to decide how to bring it up, but her brain was so fried she couldn’t think.

  “Dad, I know about Mom’s family.”

  The phone was silent.

  “Oh. Well … ” He trailed off and sighed. “I knew eventually someone at Keating would mention that to you, but I was hoping it would be later rather than sooner.”

  She didn’t respond, and eventually he continued.

  “You have to understand, Sadie. This was your mother’s choice. By the time you knew her, she didn’t want to be Maylynne Ralleigh, the heiress, anymore. She wanted to be May. My wife, your mother, her own person. That’s the mom she wanted you to know, and it’s never been my place to change that.”

  Sadie wasn’t convinced. “But they were her family. How could she just leave them behind like that?” Like she left us? She bit her lip to stop the tears from flowing.

  “I know it’s hard to understand, but the Ralleighs are a powerful family — you must know by now what they do, the business with the diamonds — and your mom didn’t agree with any of it. She was an idealist, and their business takes a certain … hardness. I really don’t know the details about what happened between them. May didn’t like to talk about it, and it made her sad so I didn’t push it. I just know they had some kind of falling-out after she figured out where the diamonds came from, and when she turned eighteen they disowned her and she them. After that she didn’t consider herself one of them anymore. I never met her parents or the rest of her family, not even on our wedding day.”

  Sadie took a deep breath as she felt her eyes start to well up. Jessica put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed, and the tears spilled over. She cried for who her mom was and what she had been through, and for her own failures — falling for this whole scheme and convincing herself that belonging to this group was important. She had been neglecting everyone who actually mattered — her dad, Jessica, her friends back in Portland — all for people she couldn’t even trust. Just because they had given her a taste of things she had never even thought she wanted: wealth, power, status.

  “Are you there, Sadie? Talk to me.”

  “I’m here, Dad. Sorry — I’m really, really glad you told me. I just needed to hear the truth.”

  She paused, not sure how far she was ready to take this yet. “There’s something else, too.”

  “Anything. Nothing but the truth from now on, I promise.”

  “I … ” she stalled, trying to figure out how to make sure he didn’t immediately hang up and call the psych ward. “Some weird things have been happening.”

  “Like what?”

  The rest tumbled out in a rush. “I met some people. They knew mom when she was in school, and there are all these creepy coincidences​ — like a girl who was related to mom died last year and she committed suicide too. And things have been happening that made me think these people — the ones who knew her — might have had something to do with her death. I don’t really have proof yet, but I just don’t trust them — ”

  He cut her off. “Whoa, Sadie, slow down, okay? I’m not quite following.”

  “I don’t think she killed herself, Dad. I think someone hurt her. Or at least, something happened to her when she was at Keating that messed with her head.”

  The line was silent for a moment, and she held her breath.

  “Sadie, I’m so sorry. I knew sending you to that school was a bad idea, but you were so excited. I don’t blame you for having these feelings, it must be so strange to be somewhere where she had such a history. But I think you need to know the whole story.

  “Your mom was troubled. You know about her drug abuse and her depression, but what you don’t know is that day at the hospital — it wasn’t the first time she tried to commit suicide. She was sick when I met her. I knew it, but I loved her anyway.”

  “But, they must have done something to her — to make her sick — ”

  “Sadie, stop. You can’t let yourself get too wrapped up in this. I understand how you’re feeling, because I went through it too. But she had a disease, one that ended with her attempting to take her own life, and not for the first time. It’s not your fault, Sadie, and nothing we do now will change what happened.”

  Sadie was stunned. “When? When was the first time?”

  “Promise me you won’t read too much into this?”

  Sadie nodded inanely.

  “It was while she was at Keating.”

  Sadie felt like the pavement was falling away from her, and she put her head down between her knees. She felt Jessica hugging her shoulders, and she leaned into her.

  Her mom had tried to commit suicide at Keating, just like Anna Ralleigh.

  She heard the nurse’s voice in her head. She got too close to the rocks near
that old tower. Nearly got crushed by the waves. It was too much of a coincidence. Two Ralleighs, two members of the Optimates, and two suicide attempts. It was all too much.

  She sat up.

  “I think I need some time, Dad … I’ll call you in a few days, okay?”

  “Okay, sweetheart. Please call me, though. I need to know you’re okay. I know this is a lot to take in.”

  “I will Dad. ’Bye.”

  She hung up, and Jessica’s eyes widened.

  “What was that about? Is everything okay?”

  Before she could explain, a black limo pulled up and one window rolled down. Trix stuck a cigarette out the window and yelled, “Get in, hookers.”

  “I’ll tell you on the way. You’re going to want to be sitting down.”

  Jessica raised her eyebrows. “What about the twins?”

  “I’m telling them too. We’re going to need more help if we’re going to have any shot at doing this.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Finding out what they did to me. And making sure they never do it again.”

  To their credit, the twins took it a lot better than Jessica had.

  “Bloody Americans, always trying to copy everything we do,” Trix muttered between guffaws. “We were doing secret societies before your big old shopping mall of a country was even invented.”

  Gwen just rolled her eyes. “So this secret group — they’re how old?”

  Jessica leaned forward. “Like, two hundred years or something. Isn’t that crazy?”

  The twins looked at each other and shrugged. “Call me when they get to an even five,” Gwen said.

  Sadie felt anger flare up in the pit of her stomach. The whole idea might sound stupid — and to someone who grew up hearing legends about Freemasons and the Knights Templar, it probably was. But this group wasn’t a joke. They might be killing people.

  “Look, are you guys going to help or not? I’m not really in the mood to be laughed at. They took me last night, and they can’t just do that. I don’t even know what I was doing for four hours … they could have … those men … ”

  She couldn’t even say it. She didn’t want to. She turned to the window and bit her lip, hard, to force back the tears.

  She felt a hand on her shoulder.

  “Sadie.” She turned to see Gwen, her face settled in smooth lines.

  “We’re sorry — it’s just … it’s a lot. If this were coming from anyone else at this school, I wouldn’t believe it. But I believe you.”

  Sadie frowned. “Why?”

  Gwen shrugged. “Every other roommate we’ve had has tried to use that status to get something. Money, or attention, or favor with our family. But you didn’t even suck up to Ellen. You’re a good roomie, even if your accent sounds like you’re talking through a mouth full of nacho cheese.”

  She set her mouth into a hard line. “Now whatever you need, we’ll do it.” She glanced at Trix, who gave a small, almost imperceptible, nod.

  “We happen to know a little about what it’s like to not have complete control over your life, but we know a lot more about how to handle it.”

  Sadie raised her eyebrows. “And how’s that?”

  One corner of Gwen’s mouth curled up into a smile. “By getting the bastards to back the fuck off.”

  Chapter 22

  “Guys, this plan is so good.” Jessica grinned widely as she looked around the circle. When they had gotten back to Keating the night before, they had agreed to go on as normal for a few days while they tried to figure out their next move, but Jessica hadn’t even made it past breakfast the next morning. “I have a plan,” she had whispered under her breath between bites of scrambled egg. “Your room at 8 P.M.”

  “What is it?” Sadie asked, back in their room, later that night. She knew she sounded a little too eager but part of her was glad for Jessica’s impatience. She had to know what happened to her in that place, and she had to know soon.

  Jessica flipped open her laptop and turned it around so they could see the screen. It was a newspaper article from the National: “Dawning House Winter Benefit set for December 12th.”

  “I saw some invitations on that receptionist’s desk when I was trying to distract her, so I looked it up last night. They’re having a big fundraiser next weekend.”

  Trix raised her eyebrows. “And?”

  “And we’re crashing.”

  The twins dissolved into laughter and Sadie put a hand on Jessica’s arm. “Jess, it’s a good idea, but we can’t exactly sneak in anywhere. They’re, you know — ”

  “Super famous? I’m aware. And for the record, three months ago you had never even heard of them.”

  Trix gasped and looked at Sadie accusingly. “I knew I should have let them release that sex tape,” she said, pouting.

  Jessica’s jaw dropped. “The tape is real?”

  Trix smirked. “No comment.” Gwen just rolled her eyes and mouthed, “No.”

  “Anyway, I’m not a complete idiot. Hear me out. I’ve thought this through,” Jessica said.

  Sadie nodded. “We’re listening.”

  “Okay, so we all have different cover stories. Sadie, you have to convince the Sullas to go. Tell them you want to support the hospital because it’ll give you closure or something.” She waved a hand. “Or just tell Thayer rehab is Samantha French’s favorite cause, and I’m sure she’ll be all over it.”

  She turned to the twins. “You guys will go as … duh … yourselves. Unlike Sadie, most people don’t live under an Oregon-shaped rock, so we have to assume everyone will recognize you. You can pretend you’re interested in becoming benefactors or something, right? It’ll probably just look like a good PR move because of all your, um, negative press about partying.”

  Trix looked thoughtful. “Actually, our parents would probably love that. I’ll tell Ellen to get us tickets.”

  Jessica nodded and sat back, looking satisfied. “See, it’s good, right? I have a plan for once we’re all inside, too, but we can get to that later.”

  Sadie took a deep breath. This sounded like it could actually work. “Wait, what about you, Jess?”

  She grinned. “Mine’s the easiest. I’m just going to walk in.”

  Sadie raised her eyebrows. “Uh, I think your master plan may be flawed. The other members know you.”

  Jessica waved a hand. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll be invisible.”

  Sadie burst out laughing, but Jess just rolled her eyes and went to Sadie’s closet. She rummaged through the rack before pulling out a pair of black pants and a collared white shirt. She held them up to her body.

  “See?”

  Sadie could see the twins breaking into broad smiles. “Wait, I don’t — ”

  “She’s going to dress like the party staff, French Fry,” Trix offered, clapping her hands. “It’s genius.”

  “But — ”

  “When was the last time Thayer actually looked at the person connected to a platter of hors d’oeuvres, Sadie? I’m thinking never.” Jessica threw the clothes on Sadie’s bed. “Plus, it’s our only option. I’m not letting you sneak around in there alone, and Trix and Gwen have to stay at the party to distract people. Don’t you want to find out what they were doing in that basement?”

  Sadie hugged her knees to her chest. “More than anything. But I don’t want to put you guys in danger.” The weight of what she was asking her friends to do settled on her chest like a stone. Considering what she thought this group had done to one of their own, who knew what they would do to an outsider who tried to break in? She shook her head.

  “I can’t ask you guys to do this. I don’t even know what I was thinking yesterday.”

  Gwen sat forward. “We want to help, Sadie. We want to get these assholes.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t get it though. This is my problem. I was the one dumb enough to join this group, and we could get in real trouble.” She swallowed. “We don’t even really know what we’re dealing with yet, but we c
ould go to jail. These people are powerful.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “They might really hurt us.”

  Gwen’s eyes flashed. “It’s not just your problem. You may have been inducted into this secret society thing a month ago, but we’ve been in one our entire lives. We were born into it, and we can never get out.” Her voice sounded hard and bitter. Trix put a hand on her shoulder, but Gwen just shrugged it off. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be a member of the nobility?” She spat out the word, like it had gone rancid on her tongue. “They tell us how to live our lives, down to what we can wear and who we can associate with. My parents shipped me all the way out here to Hamburgerland just to keep me from being who I am, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. But you can.”

  She stood up and stomped to the door, blinking away tears. “I’m going out for a cigarette,” she mumbled. In seconds she was gone.

  “Whoa. What was that about?” Jessica asked.

  Trix sighed and picked at a thread on the carpet. “The real reason we’re here instead of in London.”

  “What do you mean? You guys didn’t get kicked out of all those schools?” Sadie said.

  “Well, yeah. But there was more to it than that. Our parents were worried about a scandal, so they figured the farther away we were, the better.” She rolled her eyes. “Anything to keep the family reputation intact.”

  “They just sent you away? All because of the tabloids?”

  She shook her head. “Gwen told them something — something she didn’t want to hide anymore. Something she shouldn’t have had to hide in the first place.” She squared her shoulders. “They tried to send her away, but I told them it was either both of us, or neither. We’re twins, you know?” She smiled ruefully. “Package deal.”

  Jessica shook her head. “Wait, why would they want to send her away? No offense, but she always seemed like … you know … the conservative one.”