“She was looking for answers.”I keep scrolling.The URL bar suggests a site I don’t recognize—SpeakSecure.chat.My pulse kicks.I click.
A sign-in loads with two fields and a padlock icon.I open a second tab.A peer-to-peer messaging portal marketed to activists and journalists.Not quite the dark web, but not kid stuff either.“Belinda, who taught you this?”I murmur.
Raven leans in.“Is that…safe?”
“Safer than most,” I say.“But it takes intent to find.”I check the browser’s saved passwords.None for this site.I return to the tab and try the username field.It autofills.
bnotes.
“B-notes,” Raven says faintly.“She calls her little melody ideas ‘B-notes.’”
I tab to password.The dots appear as I typedanielaagain, because it’s suddenly the only thing I can think to try.
We’re in.
The interface is stark—conversations listed by handle.One thread.The other user is only numbers—019473.My mouth goes dry.I click.
The chat scrolls up.It’s Belinda’s typing style all right—short lines, bursts, emojis deployed like confetti.
bnotes:hi.do you know him fr??
019473:I know of him.I know what he did.
bnotes:to who
019473:To a lot of people.To your mother.
bnotes:don’t talk abt her
019473:I can help you find what you want.
bnotes:what i want is to know if he ever did anything good.Or was he all bad?
019473:He’s both.But mostly the second one.
bnotes:that’s not an answer
019473:Meet me.I’ll show you.
bnotes:no
019473:Public place.You choose.
bnotes:the mall food court?
019473:Tonight?
bnotes:can’t.sleepover
019473:That works.Just make an excuse to sneak out.
I scroll.The timestamps make my stomach twist.The “sleepover” night at Gwen Charleston’s.If she slipped out then and nothing happened, the seed was planted.She could meet him again without fear.
Vinnie swears under his breath.“I thought she had more sense than this.”His fingers are already moving.“I’m pulling cameras from every entrance.If security won’t hand them over, I’ll?—”
“Call Chef Charleston,” Raven says quickly.
He nods once, jaw tight, and steps into the hall with the phone to his ear.
