Chapter 41
Kinsley
Chapter Forty-One
“I don’t think it was in Ava’s possession.” I fixed my eyes on the ring between Thomas’s fingers. He didn’t look at me, but he didn’t need to; I could tell he thought differently.
“Kins is right,” Connor joined in, leaning forward from the backseat. “Let’s say you possess a ring for almost twelve years, then on the day the ring’s owner’s family comes to your house you happen to leave it out where they can find it. I’m not the genius here, but that stings even for me.”
“I’m with them on this one, man,” Kevin agreed, and I pursed my lips.
“Not everything is what it seems, you know that.” I could see Thomas thinking it through, his features changing as he argued with himself.
“Okay,” he replied, his eyes meeting mine. “So, what should we do, then?” he asked. “The police are obviously out of the picture,” he added, and Kevin shifted in his seat.
“Well, we are back to square one,” I said, giving him a look.
“Square one?” Connor asked, pushing himself more forward.
But neither of us looked at him, even when he lingered between us. Our eyes talked instead of our words, and finally we settled on an agreement.
There were eight people in that house besides Ava Lee. And any one of us could have left that ring there to be found. It was obvious that it wasn’t Thomas or Connor, and I knew I had nothing to do with it, but everyone else…I glanced at Kevin, whose eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me I’m back on your suspect list.”
I made a sympathetic face at him.
“I don’t think you ever made it off.” Thomas turned from me to Kevin, who let out a frustrated sigh.
“Can I just remind you that someone killed my fucking parrot? And sure as hell it wasn’t me.”
“About that.” Thomas opened his mouth. “It was that masked guy from the party and the woods who broke into the house yesterday.” His gaze flickered.
“You mean that psycho killed my bird?” Kevin asked, and Thomas nodded.
Kevin dropped back in his seat.
“How—” I started.
“Remember the old video camera from Lizzie’s box?” Thomas asked, and I dipped my head. “I left it on the windowsill after the grill party, just in case, and Braxton helped me clear the picture,” he added, and I nodded, finally knowing what he was doing up there.
“Wait, can we just circle back for a moment,” Connor cut in. “Who else is on your list?”
I bit into the inside of my cheek. I completely forgot that I didn’t show it to him after I mistook him for Thomas on the night I wrote it.
“Everyone.” I chewed on my bottom lip while I pulled out the list from my pocket. Well, I had crossed out Kevin’s dad since then, and I will probably do the same with Ava.
“Everyone?” he asked, his eyes widening as he turned his head toward the house. We nodded as I handed him the list with the names on it. “Well, that’s cruel.” He fell back into his seat, unfolding the paper. “I genuinely like them,” he added as both he and Kevin scanned through the names.
“I think Braxton would only be mad if he wasn’t on the list, if that makes it better,” Kevin commented, and Connor elbowed him in the side.
“We like them too,” I said, and even Thomas agreed. “We just can’t rule out that they aren’t in on it. Especially after…” I closed my mouth as I realized we haven’t had the chance to tell him what we gathered this morning. Kevin and I shared a look.
“I told them about Kinsley’s fear of birds.”
“Oh,” Connor blew out a breath, handing the paper back to me. “I see how that looks.”
I nodded. Especially now that Thomas told me about the video, where the masked guy went up the stairs, I felt confident that whoever it was knew about my phobia. I remembered the guestroom door being locked when we got back, which meant they had to go around the house to climb up to the window and leave it on my bed. But why not just pick the lock on that door too? Was it to scare me more?
We were quiet for a moment, then Connor straightened again.
“But they are the same age as us.” He furrowed his brows. “They were literally around ten years old when Mom disappeared.”
Thomas and I shared a look. We thought of that, of course, but that didn’t mean they still couldn’t be helping someone older. Every clue we came across suggested that.
“Let’s just go home,” Thomas said, his eyes on the house, and I noticed one of the curtains move.
I shivered from the feeling that someone was watching us while we drove away.
???
Half an hour later, we gathered downstairs around the kitchen island. Thomas sat down beside me, his warm hand immediately finding the sensitive spot on my thigh, and goose bumps spread over my skin.
“We were all together when someone broke into the house, remember? Playing hide-and-seek,” Connor tried.
“But only five of us were at Braxton yesterday when someone killed Kevin’s parrot,” I replied, glancing at the other boy sitting next to Connor.
“She’s right.” Kevin stiffened. “Aaliyah, Cora, and Samantha weren’t there with us.”
“So, you think one of them left the ring for us to find?” Connor asked. “Why?”
“That’s what we need to find out.” Thomas and I shared a look. “And that’s why I’m going to Samantha’s sleepover,” I added. “So I can snoop around.”
Connor’s green eyes widened. “You cannot be serious.” He looked from me to Thomas. “You would really let her go there?” he asked, and I shifted in my seat.
“I have free will, Con.” His lips parted.
“That’s not what I?—”
“I will be sticking around,” Thomas cut in. From his tone I knew he wasn’t happy either. “If anything happens, I will be there in less than a minute.”
I raised my eyes to him. “You will stick around?” I asked, my eyes rounding. “No offense, but you do not exactly fit into a girls’ sleepover.” Thomas gave me a look, and I smiled. “Thanks,” I added, and he brushed his fingertips against my skin under the counter.
“Now, can we change the subject, please?” Kevin joined in. “I’m creeped out as it is.”
I pulled out my phone and opened the message Samantha had sent earlier in the group chat. I read it over, memorizing it, and I was about to put the phone away when another notification came. Braxton sent you an attachment, it stated, and I clicked on the link under it.
“You are invited to Braxton Lee’s epic Fourth of July party.” I read the invitation out loud while the attached music started to play on my phone.
Kevin snorted, and Thomas grimaced while Connor opened his own invitation.
“Didn’t his mom just get home? All tired and everything.” Connor frowned.
“She might have to go back tomorrow. It happened before. A lot of times, actually.” Kevin shrugged, following the lines of his tattoos with his fingertip.
“I should get going.” I looked at the clock and put away my phone, standing up.
Thomas followed my example, pulling a gray hoodie over his head and turning toward his brother. “If you guys are watching a movie in the living room, please make out before I—or we—get back.” He walked to the front door, and I chuckled while Connor groaned.
“Have fun,” I said, waving goodbye.
“Thanks. You too. And don’t die please,” Kevin said, and we all froze.
“I will try?” I replied.
“Kins,” Connor called after me, and I glanced back around. “Be careful, please. Like really careful,” he said, and I nodded, giving him a smile.
“Pinky promise,” I said and followed Thomas out into the night.