Chapter 41 #2
“Why do you need to see us?” There was an edge to her voice now, sharp and alert. “Did you find something?”
“Yes.” I lowered my voice conspiratorially.
“I’ve been searching around the mansion every chance I can get, and earlier this week, I found some sort of archive room down on the basement level.
I’ve been going through it whenever I can slip away, and today…
I found something. Something that could prove Roman killed Calista. ”
Cherry inhaled sharply. “Really?”
“Yes. It’s a file with his name on it, and a bunch of papers with numbers on them. I can’t be sure, but I think it looks like coordinates and timestamps,” I said. “Like, tracking data from a phone, maybe. And the date on the top says October 31st, 2024.”
“Holy shit.” Cherry’s voice rose an octave, and I heard genuine excitement there. Excitement with a secret undertone of glee, I was willing to bet. “Depending on what the coordinates are, that could prove Roman was at the motel that night.”
“Exactly. I figured the Club probably created the file as some sort of insurance policy against him if he ever tries to cross them,” I said.
“But… I’m not sure. I could be looking at the numbers wrong.
Maybe it’s something else entirely. Or maybe this file actually proves his innocence. I really don’t know.”
“Can’t you look up the coordinates? See if any of them match the motel address or the clock tower?”
“No, I have no internet access here. That’s why I really need to see you and the others,” I said. “We can look at it together and figure it out. Jeremiah especially. He could probably run the data through some program to map everything out clearly."
“Yeah, he definitely could,” Cherry said breathlessly. She paused, and I could practically hear her mind racing. “This is great, Vee. It could be the smoking gun we need.”
“Exactly,” I replied, injecting hope and excitement into my voice. “I might be getting ahead of myself here, but I have such a good feeling about this paperwork. I really think it could prove what we've suspected all along. That Roman stalked and hurt Cal that night.”
“I bet it will prove it,” Cherry said with conviction. “Because we all know he did it.”
“Yeah,” I said, catching Roman’s eye. “You know, I've actually seen him around the mansion a few times while I've been here, and he's just so… creepy. Completely dead behind the eyes. Like a shark.”
“Totally,” Cherry replied. “I can't believe Cal never saw it. I guess love really is blind, huh?”
“It must be,” I said softly. “Anyway, the maid can help me sneak out during the guard’s shift change tomorrow night at ten-thirty. So could you meet me at the BHU theater at eleven? I know it’ll be locked, but you have a key to get us in, right?”
“Yeah, I do. Why the theater, though?”
“It’s the one place on campus where I feel the safest, because of you and the others,” I said, really laying it on thick. “So it just seemed right.”
“Oh, Vee.” Cherry's voice went soft, almost tender. “That's so sweet. And yes, of course I'll be there.”
“Perfect. Can you let the others know too?”
“Absolutely. I'll call them right after we hang up.”
“Actually,” I said quickly. “Never mind. I’ll call them myself. I haven't talked to them in a while, so I'd really like to hear their voices.”
“Oh, of course. I totally get it.”
“I'll do it now. And I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?”
“Yes. I can't wait,” Cherry said. She sounded almost giddy now. “This is it, Vee. We're finally going to get justice for Cal.”
“We are,” I whispered. “I promise.”
I ended the call and set the phone down on the table, my hands shaking.
Julian was watching me with an unreadable expression. “That was perfect,” he said.
“She bought it completely,” Roman added, and there was a grim satisfaction in his voice.
I nodded, sucking in a deep breath. My heart was still racing, adrenaline coursing through me.
“Time for Stage Two now,” Julian said, brows rising. “Let the others know what’s happening.”
I nodded again. Then I picked up the phone.
I called Jeremiah first, then Ginny, then Dylan. Each conversation was brief and carefully worded, ensuring they'd each be exactly where I needed them tomorrow night at the right time.
When I finally hung up after the last call, I turned back to find Julian and Roman watching me with identical expressions of dark approval.
“It's done,” I said, my voice sounding rougher than I expected. “Tomorrow night, we end this.”
Roman rose to his feet, scrubbing a hand over his face. “In that case, I’m going to go home and have a glass or ten of whiskey.”
Julian’s jaw tightened. “Rome… don’t do anything stupid.”
“If you’re worried about me sneaking off to kill Cherry behind your backs tonight, you don’t need to be.
” Roman lifted his palms. “I know my initial reaction wasn’t exactly measured, but Violet’s right.
If we don’t hear that confession from Cherry, we’ll spend the rest of our lives wondering why the fuck she decided to throw Calista off that tower.
So as much as I’d like to do something to her… I won’t. I promise.”
“Good.” Julian’s chin dipped in a curt nod. “See you tomorrow. And for fuck’s sake, don’t drink too much.”
“No promises on that one,” Roman muttered, heading for the door. He paused at the threshold and looked back at me. “What you did just now… that took real guts. Cal would be proud.”
The words hit me harder than they should have, and I had to look away as my throat tightened. “Thanks,” I managed to choke out.
When the door closed behind him, the room suddenly felt too quiet. Too still. The adrenaline that had been keeping me upright during the phone calls was starting to crash, replaced by something raw and volatile that made my hands shake.
Julian moved over to me. “How are you feeling?” he asked, voice gruff with concern. “Those phone calls couldn’t have been easy. Especially the one with Cherry.”
I rose to my feet, pacing to the window and back, unable to stand still.
My jaw clenched so hard it ached. “Honestly…
I thought I would be sad, but right now, I'm just angry,” I said, the words coming out harsh and clipped.
“So fucking angry. At her, at everything, at—” I broke off, pressing the heels of my palms against my eyes.
“I just… I want to scream my head off. I want to hit someone or smash something. I want...”
My voice cracked, and I spun away from Julian again, chest heaving.
The fury was so intense it felt like it was burning me from the inside out.
Cherry's voice kept echoing in my head. That fake sympathy, that pretend grief, the excitement when she thought she might finally have a chance to make Roman go down for what she did.
“She sounded so happy,” I spat, whirling back to face Julian. “So thrilled at the idea of the wrong guy going to prison, just so she can finally rest easy. And she has the audacity to tell people that he’s a psychopath!”
Before Julian could respond, I grabbed a decorative pillow from the settee and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall with a pathetically soft thump that did nothing to ease the rage burning through me.
“Fuck!”
The word tore out of me, and I grabbed another pillow, throwing it harder. Then I started reaching for absolutely anything—a book from the side table, a rolled-up throw blanket—hurling them uselessly while Julian watched, making no move to stop me.
When I ran out of things to throw, I stood there shaking, breath coming in ragged gasps. “I can't… I can't just go to sleep and wait until tomorrow night,” I said in a low voice. “I can't. I need to do something.”
Julian closed the distance between us slowly, like he was approaching a wild animal that might bolt. “You can punch me if you want,” he said, his tone almost gentle. He spread his hands. “I can take it.”
I shook my head. “I don't want to hit you, Julian.”
“Then what do you want?”
The question hung in the air between us, and suddenly I wasn't thinking about Cherry anymore.
Wasn't thinking about tomorrow night or confessions or justice.
I was just looking at Julian. At the way he was watching me like I was the only thing that mattered, at the careful restraint in his posture even though I could see the tension coiled in every line of his body.
“I… I don’t know,” I murmured, even though I knew perfectly well.