This Lie Will Kill You

by Chelsea Pitcher

  And Ruby shook her head, cluck-cluck-clucking her tongue. “Oh, Parker. That’s a rookie mistake. You never lie to the best friend.”

  Parker scowled, not even bothering to appeal to Brett. Always, he appealed to Ruby. “Nobody understood what Shane was doing. He was manipulating you.”

  “Do you hear yourself? He wasn’t doing anything to me. I wanted him.” Ruby wandered over to the window, savoring the memory of Shane’s lips pressed against hers. She remembered leaning over him, learning to move her body in an entirely new way, melting into someone, rather than always pulling away. “And you know what? He was good. We were good. I knew he couldn’t have hurt me like that. But there was this moment, watching the video, when I just . . . didn’t trust myself anymore. Didn’t trust my memories, didn’t trust my instincts.” She turned, catching Parker’s gaze. “I haven’t always made the smartest choices.”

  Parker flinched, looking to Brett for support, but Brett wasn’t having any of it. Ruby smiled at the rift growing between them. Finally, finally, people were showing their true faces.

  “All day, I tried to get ahold of him,” she said, remembering her desperation. She’d texted and she’d called, doing everything short of visiting Shane at home. “What did you do, steal his phone?”

  Parker’s gaze hardened to stone. “It fell out of his pocket when he dropped his pants on your floor. And he didn’t notice it when he left, so I reached in and picked it up while you were taking a shower. I sent the video from his phone, then I sent Brett to your house to keep you from doing something reckless. Right, Brett?”

  Parker turned to the doors, where Brett had been standing a moment ago. Now there was only empty space, and a hastily tossed-aside rope. Ruby had, after all, only tied it in a bow, in case they needed to escape.

  “What the hell?” Parker darted across the room. “He’s gone.”

  Gavin cursed, staring at the space where Brett had been. “He’s going to run. She’s going to catch him and—”

  “Maybe not,” Ruby said, holding Parker’s eye. “Maybe he’s going to confess.”

  Parker’s face reddened, and he yanked open the doors. Before anyone could stop him, he’d bolted into the hallway, leaving the others in his dust. The doors swung shut behind him.

  “We have to go after them,” Gavin stammered. “If Brianna gets her hands on Brett before Parker can reach him—”

  “She won’t,” Ruby said, gathering the rope in her hands. Juniper stood with Gavin’s help. Together, they followed the sound of shouting to the dining room. There, Parker was engaged in an epic battle. A battle with the patio doors. He was screaming at them, trying to yank them open, but they must’ve been locked from the outside.

  Brianna must’ve locked them.

  Ruby could see her now, inching slowly across the patio in the darkness. There was something unusual about her ensemble, a splash of red among the white. Was it blood? No. It was a little red can. Not unlike the watering can Ruby used to feed the vegetables in her garden at home. Except, well, that can held a life-giving substance, and this one could take life away in an instant.

  All you had to do was strike a match.

  “Brett,” Parker yelled, banging on the doors. “Brett, get back here!”

  “He’s not out there,” Ruby said. “None of us is going anywhere.” When she stepped up to the glass, she could see that Brianna was just completing her project. She must’ve been busy while Ruby was punching Parker in the face.

  Now, with a line of gasoline drawn around the house, Brianna pulled a matchbox out of her pocket. Such a small thing, to take down a person. A single match! It was kind of pathetic, when Ruby thought of it like that. But the tiniest of sparks could give life to the greatest of fires, and Ruby watched, mesmerized, as Brianna stepped up to the patio doors.

  She wasn’t lighting her wicked circle. She was writing something on the glass. But she hadn’t perfected the art of writing backwards, so it took Ruby a minute to decipher the message.

  The Iron Stomach’s gone rogue

  The situation looks dire.

  If he leaves without permission . . .

  This party ends in fire.

  27.

  ELECTRIC LOVE

  Parker reacted first, because, like always, Parker had to be the center of attention. He had to keep the spotlight on his face. Spinning away from the patio doors, he raced toward the hallway, shouting, “Brett! Damn it, get back here. I can’t—”

  Then, silence. Gavin tried to fill in the blanks. I can’t protect you seemed too thoughtful for Parker Addison. I can’t fool Brianna without you seemed too honest. Was Parker trying to fool Brianna? Still? He looked frazzled, even in that crisp green suit, and his usually tousled hair was a little flat, like he’d been sweating. Clearly, he knew more than he was telling, but if he’d done something to Shane Ferrick the night of the party, he’d take that secret to his grave.

  He’d take all of them.

  “We’re going to burn,” Ruby said, her breath fogging up the glass door. In that long red dress, she looked like Jessica Rabbit. All she needed were the gloves. Well, she had gloves, but Jessica’s were purple, and Ruby’s were red, to match her slippers.

  Which movie was this?

  Gavin shook himself, but his mind kept meandering. He was desperate to believe they were in a movie. A million-dollar production called Who Framed Shane Ferrick? where Hollywood directors told him where to stand and what to say. And, after it was over, the director would yell, “Cut,” and the actor playing Shane would jog out from behind the scenery, waving and grinning.

  Then they’d all go out for drinks.

  In the real world, Gavin’s eyes trailed to his skin, and he had to stop himself from throwing up. Shane Ferrick hadn’t done anything to Ruby. He hadn’t done anything to anyone, and still, they’d tormented him until he was too messed up to see three feet in front of his face. Yes, if Gavin was very honest with himself, the truth about that night was clear:

  They’d killed an innocent boy.

  Maybe they even deserved to be punished. But how much? That was the question, and it was a tricky one. When Brianna had scrawled on his skin with a marker, an eye for an eye hadn’t seemed so horrifying. It hadn’t been great. In fact, it had all-around sucked to wake up like that, head pounding and body looking like Banksy’s drunken cousin had gotten ahold of it. But Gavin would allow himself to be written on, if that was what it took.

  To make up for what he’d done.

  Then Juniper had almost drowned, and Ruby had tumbled down the stairs, and an eye for an eye had taken a terrifying turn. Gavin wanted to stop it. He wanted to save the girls, and Brett, too. Even Parker, if the guy stopped talking for the rest of the night. Every time he opened his mouth, Gavin’s hands balled into fists. Ruby was practically chanting “Redrum” at this point. Parker was dragging them down, and while Gavin didn’t approve of setting the guy on fire, the longer they stayed together, the greater the risk of Parker fanning the flames.

  He needed to get Parker out of there, and then he could conspire with the girls. Share knowledge about the house. So he did the one thing that would guarantee Parker’s exit from the dining room.

  “We need to stay where we are,” Gavin said, his voice filling the space. He sounded confident, strong. That would really piss Parker off. “Every time we go running off on our own, Brianna strikes. The only way to ensure our safety—”

  “There is no way to ensure our safety,” Parker spat. “She’s going to burn the house down!”

  “That was a bluff. She’s going after Brett, and you know it. She thinks he knows something.”

  “He doesn’t.”

  “Then you don’t have anything to worry about,” Gavin reasoned. “I’m telling you, the only way she lights that fire is if she has proof one of us put her brother into that car. She’s doing to us what we did to him.”

  “It . . . kind of makes sense,” Ruby said, from her place by the doors. She wouldn’t even loo
k at Parker. “Brianna wants justice, which is why she’s drawing out our stories, one by one. Some of the stuff, she must’ve heard around town. I heard plenty of rumors.” Her gaze flicked to Juniper, and Juniper winced. “But until tonight, I didn’t know what you guys really did. I think you’re right. I think she’s going after Brett next, but she’s not going to attack until she knows what really happened.”

  “You guys are crazy. She’s going to hunt him down and—” Parker broke off, pretending to be choked up. Gavin knew he was pretending at this point. Parker only admitted to guilt when he’d already been caught, and even then, he defended himself.

  All this horror, all these lies, and still, he hadn’t said he was sorry.

  Now, wearing remorse like a mask he could shed at any moment, he told them, “She’s going to torture Brett. She’s going to torture a person, and you don’t even care. Whatever. Stay here and cower. I’m going after him.”

  With that, Parker raced to the stairs, his footfalls pounding against the hardwood floors. The house shook with the force of them. And Gavin, a little too pleased with himself, turned to the girls with a smile. “Well? You ready to get the hell out of here?”

  “Oh my God. Yes!” Ruby clapped her hands. “But what about the guys? Brianna will hurt Brett if she finds out what he did.”

  “I know.” Gavin’s stomach dropped, and he told himself that he could save all of them. He would. “But if Brett locks himself in a room, it’ll take Brianna time to get to him. And by then . . .”

  “We’ll have called the police. But how do we get out of the house? There’s only one exit.”

  “As far as we know.” He stepped closer to Ruby, speaking softly. “But Brianna knows things that we don’t. Where was she hiding you, before?”

  “There’s a secret passageway. It leads from the study to the master bedroom upstairs,” Ruby said, toying with her rope. “If she used a ladder to climb up to the balcony, she could slip in and out of the house whenever—”

  “What balcony? Where?”

  Ruby pointed out and up. Over the patio. Gavin’s body flooded with heat. Meanwhile, Juniper was shivering, her arms wrapped around herself. His heart sank, thinking of what it would take to get her out of this house.

  He hurried to her side, sliding an arm around her waist. “How you doing, Bambi?”

  “Bambi?” she asked, her voice a little stronger than before.

  “You know, shaky fawn’s legs. Baby steps.”

  “Funny.” She scowled, but he knew it was playful. Just like she knew his joking came from a place of affection. That, and a desperate desire to keep from panicking. As long as they could joke, they could survive.

  “How about you?” he asked Ruby. “You doing all right?”

  “I thought you’d never ask,” Ruby gushed, following his lighthearted lead. There was a pause, as she surveyed her bruises. “I’ll live.”

  “Good.” He offered his free arm. Ruby took it, and together, the three of them returned to the hallway.

  “Do you think there are cameras out here?” Ruby asked, her cheeks still flaming from her encounter with Parker. The girl had a mean left hook. “God, do you think he installed them for her?”

  “Probably,” Gavin muttered bitterly. He needed to keep her mind off Parker. He needed to keep his mind off the guy, because every time he thought about Parker’s manipulation, and what he’d done to the Ferricks, Gavin found himself sympathizing with Brianna.

  And that wasn’t good.

  “Look, we can figure it all out later.” He led them toward the long, twisting staircase. “We can analyze the whole thing when we’re sitting in my living room, in front of the fire. Scratch that, no fire,” he corrected. “Hot chocolate and blankets.”

  Juniper cooed. Her hair was still wet from the pool, and Gavin wished they could stop by a bathroom and get her a towel. It was a foolish thought, considering where he was leading them, but he wanted that for her, in that moment. Comfort. Warmth. Besides, there were practical reasons for making a detour.

  “Anyone else have to pee? We’ve been here, what, two hours? Three? And if Brianna keeps popping up out of the shadows . . .” Gavin paused, smiling slyly. “Well, let’s just say we don’t need an accident on top of imminent death.”

  “It’s there.” Ruby pointed to a door at the end of the hall. “I found it when I was looking for the study. Oh my God, you guys, Brianna came out of the walls! I’d just come into the study when an entire bookshelf swung forward, and I felt fingers tickling my neck.” She swallowed, clearly thinking about what had happened next. The dark room. The rope. It was kind of a miracle that she’d broken free.

  Quietly they hurried to the bathroom. Slipped inside. Scanned the room for signs of a threat. But all they found were white tiles and brass accents, and a door that actually locked.

  They closed themselves inside.

  “Well,” Gavin said after a minute, “you’d think we’d be bonded after everything that’s happened, but . . .”

  “Feeling a little shy?” Ruby teased. Then, to show she was a good sport, she reached down and turned on the bathtub, creating noise. She even plugged up the drain, so steam would fill the room.

  Gavin was thankful. The house was big, old and drafty. Soon he started to feel warm. As the girls took care of their business (of course they wouldn’t be shy around each other), he searched the cabinets for towels. He found a hair dryer and curling iron, but nothing fluffy. Nothing soft. Still, the room was steaming up, and after they’d all relieved themselves, they huddled together beside the tub, listening to Gavin’s plan. When he’d finished talking, Ruby turned to Juniper, asking, “Are you up for it?”

  Gavin held his breath.

  Juniper didn’t make him wait. Her limbs were trembling and her hair was plastered to her face, but she said, “Yes.” Immediately, she said, “Yes.” His chest tightened. This was what he loved about her, what he’d always loved about Juniper Torres. Her bravery. Her refusal to give in.

  Maybe, after tonight, he would tell her.

  For now, he stuck to the basics. “When we leave this room, there’s no going back,” he said, sliding off his shoes. The girls followed suit, Juniper kicking hers across the room. “We’ll go as quickly as we can. And if she figures out what we’re up to, and sets the house on fire in an act of desperation, we’ll take a leap of faith—”

  “An act.” Ruby gasped, looking up. “All of this is set up like a circus. A grand, dramatic show.”

  “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know,” Gavin said.

  “Well, how about this?” She pulled the hair dryer out of the cupboard. The curling iron too. “What if you could actually become the Invisible Man?”

  “Why would I want that?” he asked, as Ruby plugged in the styling tools.

  “All night, we’ve been trying to escape the identities she made for us, but maybe they’re exactly what we need to shut the circus down.” Now that the electronics were plugged in, Ruby guided them toward the huddle. Toward the tub. “You have to become invisible. Juniper has to make friends with the depths.”

  “And you?” Gavin cocked his head.

  Tucking the hair dryer under her arm, Ruby pulled something out of her dress. Like a saloon dancer in an old western, she reached right into her cleavage and procured the card marked Ruby Valentine. Opened it up. The three of them read it together.

  1. My name is THE DISAPPEARING ACT.

  2. I am secretly in love with A CORPSE.

  3. My weapon is a REVOLVER because I HAVE A KILLER’S INSTINCT.

  4. My greatest secret is I MADE AN ENTIRE PERSON DISAPPEAR.

  “Um. Hold on a minute,” Gavin said, pointing to number three. “You have a revolver? Is it loaded?”

  “Would you bring a loaded gun into a house with Parker?” Ruby huffed, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t, and it’s a good thing too, because Brianna confiscated my purse in the secret passageway. But let’s focus on number four, shall we? Apparently,
I made a person disappear.”

  “Shane.” Juniper bit her lip. “She blames you as much as anyone.”

  “I was supposed to go to the party. I left him alone. I made him disappear. And now . . .” When Ruby looked down at the swiftly filling tub, the red of her dress reflected in her eyes. Red eyes. Red hair. Red gloves. She looked possessed. Stepping closer to the bathtub, she lifted the electronics over the water. “I’m going to make the entire circus . . . disappear.”

  28.

  KEY WITNESS

  The bedroom was colder than Brett remembered. Maybe his body had acclimated to the temperature of the living room, with its blazing fire and tangling bodies. Or maybe he was simply panicking, and his body was going haywire as a result. What he knew for certain was that he needed to be alone, in the quiet.

  He closed the door and stumbled to the bed.

  He couldn’t believe that Parker had made the video. He honestly couldn’t, and his mind kept trying to find a hole in the story. Parker had lied about so many things. Maybe this was all part of the game, and Parker was still working with Brianna, and the lie about the video was supposed to send Brett into a tailspin from which he would never return.

  If that was their intention, those two were geniuses. Brett was coming undone. He felt as if his skin was unraveling, and whatever remained of his soul was trying to climb out, to get away from the person that he’d become.

  “I was never supposed to go to that party,” he said, speaking to the camera he assumed was there. It made no sense to bug the common rooms but not their private spaces. This was where the magic would happen. Where they would slip away, alone or with a partner of their choice. Where secrets would unfurl.

  “I was supposed to watch over Ruby, to make sure she didn’t leave the house. Parker thought she might try to confront Shane at the party and humiliate herself. That’s what he told me, anyway.” Brett swallowed, running his hand over his head. When he was a kid, he’d had soft, chestnut curls, just like his mother, but after she’d left, his father had been unable to look at him. Not with that hair. It had been impossible, and after months of seeing his father wince at the sight of him, Brett had taken a pair of scissors to those curls.