In the lobby, I stop at the public phone and dial. I’m not surprised when the call goes to voicemail. I glare the one potential eavesdropper out the door before I leave the message.
“Okay, Mary. So I have no idea why you brought me to this place, or what the hell is going on. I’ve got maybe one shot to figure it out before they have the law haul me off. But whatever happens, I’m taking the heat for this. All of it. It goes on me and me alone, okay? I don’t know what you set me up for, but these kids, there’s no way they’d survive the system.” I take a deep breath, and don’t ask the questions burning in my mouth. “Full charges if you have to, maximum time, maximum security. But Julian and Faye. Memory. They have futures. Keep their records clean.”
A computerized voice says I’ve reached my time limit, and would I like to hear my message played back. I hang up the phone.
“You missed curfew last night, Tyrell.” Jeremy leans against the wall by the desk in the dorm lobby, with his arms folded over his chest. “Want to explain yourself?”
“Not particularly.” I smile at his attempt to stare me down. His face looks much worse than mine.
“I reported you, y’know. The cops will be here any second. There’s no way you’re getting out of this and don’t even think for a minute I’m taking the fall for you or that little slut.”
“Do what you have to do,” I tell him, not even rising in defense of Memory, because I’ve already won. “Just get out of my way.”
I step close, and rise up in my shoes a little, forcing him to crane his neck and take a step backward. I turn, and walk out the door, the first fight I’ve ever willingly walked away from.
But now I’m stuck, staring at the buttons on the keypad to Memory’s dormitory, with cops already on campus. For once there are no girls coming in and out of the building. I have my hand raised to knock when the door opens from the inside and I find myself face to face with a pretty blonde in a pink t-shirt.
“What on earth happened to your face?” Danielle asks.
“I, uh, got in a fight.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Who was it?” She smirks. I don’t want to say, because it proves her right, but her eyes widen. “Not Julian?” she gasps. “No way. I didn’t think he had it in him.”
I roll my eyes, and try to catch the door as it closes behind her, but I’m not fast enough. The clock tower reads 8:45. Dammit.
“Oh, right,” she says. “Of course not. It was Jeremy.”
“Look, Danielle, I—”
“You’re going to get kicked out, you know. I hope she’s worth it.” She sighs, shakes her head, but turns and punches numbers on the keypad. “Room 113. On the left.”
“Thank you,” I mutter, because she hasn’t said I-told-you-so, and telling her I’d already been in Memory’s room, hell, I’d been in her bed, well, she didn’t need to hear that. I slide past her, and inside. The silver letter opener is heavy in my pocket, tapping my thigh with every stride. The door is locked. I knock, wait, knock again, but there is no answer.
I swear, and wave to a girl in the hallway, as if it’s okay for me to be where I am. She has a towel on her head and a shower caddy in her hand. I ask, “Have you seen Memory? Or Faye?”
She stares at my battered face and says, “Memory ran down the hall, like two minutes ago. I haven’t see Faye since yesterday.”
“Can you check the bathroom?” I ask. “See if she’s in there?”
She frowns. “What are you doing here?”
“Dean Burnett sent me to find her,” I improvise. “News about her brother.”
“Oh, sure, of course!” She sets her caddy down by a door and goes back the way she came. I step close to the door, slip the knife from my pocket and wedge the slim blade between the door and the jamb, with a much-practiced bend of my wrist. The knife flexes and slides against the tongue of the lock. I pop the knob with one twist, and the door opens.
The room is empty. She even made the bed, smoothed sheets erasing my presence there. There’s a note on the end, on top the package from Sonja’s mother. I pick both up. The bracelet is gone, but this time, I read Miriam’s letter.
Sonja- Give Constance a hug for me when you see her. Sorry I was gone before you went to register for SHP, the judge granted the custodial release at the very last second.
I wanted to give you this before you left but there wasn’t time. You’ll have to finish the binding. Clasp all together to make an unbroken chain. Once bound, the links will align and never separate. I’ll see you soon.
Remember: Some things are set in motion before time ever began. Be careful. I love you, Mom
I stare at the words, and the M that makes a distinctive peak at the top of the letter. Swallow when my throat goes dry. Sonja’s mother didn’t know her daughter wasn’t here.
The girl in the hallway calls into the bathroom. I hear no reply.
Memory has added to her nightmare drawings: A girl’s face, dark eyes, long nose and perfect lips, and a boy, same nose, eyes stubborn, mouth thin. Herself and Julian.