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“Just slip it under the door. If someone answers -- ”
“Why would someone in your apartment answer?”
I wink. I lie. “It’s part of the show.”
“Gotcha. So they’re actors?” She fluffs her hair, which mostly means she pushes the helmet of hair up an inch.
“No. They’re unsuspecting real-life people who don’t know what’s going on over here.” Another truth.
“Oh!” Her eyes brighten. “I love being in on the joke and they don’t know!”
Joke.
Right.
I look at the wall and contemplate my first move. Goal number one is to get a fiberoptic camera through a light socket or a tiny hole in the wall, to establish a visual without breaking the line. I can’t think too many steps ahead, because I have to pivot if this goes south. All I can do is focus on this step.
The drill and other tools will make noise. My premise is weak. But having Tiffany go to my apartment is part of the ruse. I wait until she comes back.
It gives me a chance to assess myself. I look down.
I am fucked.
Chapter 7
Lindsay
“What do you want to know?” I offer.
“Why would you give us confidential information like this?” Stellan asks, turning to John. “I smell a set-up.”
I laugh. “You seriously think I’m offering fake information? Okay. Fine. Go ahead. Go ahead and kill me. Then you’ll never know if I could have told you something you could use to protect yourselves.” I shrug, as much as you can shrug with your hands tied together. “Kill me. Ruin the chance.” The words come out with a strange detachment as I stop caring.
I just...stop.
A switch flips in my head. It’s a relief. I am my blood. I am my heartbeat. I am each breath.
But my mind doesn’t matter any longer.
No one is coming to save me.
Not Daddy.
Certainly not Mom.
And obviously not Drew.
We fool ourselves every day into thinking that we have forever. Maybe we have to. If we thought about the fact that we’re going to die someday, maybe we couldn’t really live. Waking up, brushing our teeth, slogging down coffee, and doing whatever we need to do to check off our To Do list requires a belief that there’s no end.
Because if you knew there was an end, wouldn’t you live differently?
See, I know there’s an end.
It’s staring right at me.
“Where’s the weakness in your father’s security?” John asks.
Stellan smacks his arm. “She doesn’t know the answer to that.”
