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.
28
BREAKING AND ENTERING
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.