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“You know, Jace here is a talented hacker. He already went through your devices and found your messages, and we’re willing to bet he can dig up anything you could tell us with just a little patience. Under the right amounts of pressure, he might send your messages to people you don’t want. You’re a public figure. If people really saw what you’re like behind closed doors...it would probably make you lose everything, right? For good?”
Miranda’s face paled at Sofia’s words. “I can’t-you don’t understand, it’s not just about me-”
“So tell us,” Sofia said. “Tell us what you know about this person, how they approached you.”
“Anything?”
Sofia sat down on the bed next to Miranda. “Anything. If we feel like you’re trying to hide something, we’ll just do it ourselves. But we might be more lenient if you give us the information willingly.”
Miranda thought for a few minutes before she finally sighed, defeated. “Fine,” she said. “So this Sara person, she was the one who told me about the Sentinel. I could tell there was something she wasn’t telling me. I know when I’m being manipulated, but I believed it was neutral.”
Sofia’s jaw hardened. “Did you know someone is trying to kill us?” she asked. “My brother and I have a bounty on our heads and you’ve been sharing our locations with this person...”
Miranda’s eyes widened. She looked genuinely horrified. “What?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice cold. “And now, thanks to you, we’re in a lot of danger. We need to know everything about Sara and anyone else who may be involved in this.”
Miranda swallowed hard. “I don’t know much more,” she said. “Sara was very secretive. She never told me much about herself, but I do remember her saying something about needing the information for a client.”
“We’ve been trying to figure out who’s behind this, and why they want us dead,” Sofia said, her voice trembling with anger. “And you’ve been helping them. Whether you knew it or not, you put our lives in danger.”
Miranda looked like she was about to faint. “I had no idea,” she whispered. “I swear, I thought it was just a story. I didn’t think anyone would actually-”
“Did Sara give you any hints as to who might be behind this?” I asked, cutting her off. “Any names, any locations?”
Miranda shook her head. “No, nothing like that. She just told me to keep an eye on you and report back if anything interesting happened.”
“What did she promise you in return?” Sofia asked, his voice calm but firm.
Miranda shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Money, mainly. And some exposure for my blog.”
“Well, congratulations,” I said sarcastically. “You managed to sell out your safety and the safety of everyone around you for a quick cash grab and some internet clout. I hope it was worth it.”
Miranda hung her head in shame. “I didn’t know,” she repeated softly.
“We believe you,” Sofia said, her tone softer now. It shouldn’t have surprised me that it definitely sounded like she believed her. “But we need your help to stop this. Can you think of anything else that might be useful?”
Miranda shook her head, tears starting to well up in her eyes. “I swear that’s all I know,” she said, her voice breaking. “Please...please don’t hurt me.”
Sofia leaned forward and put a hand on Miranda’s arm. “We’re not going to hurt you,” she said gently. “But we do need your cooperation if we’re going to stop this. Is there anything else you can remember? Anything at all?”
“I’m pretty sure she’s a guy?” Miranda said. “I mean, like, when she first messaged me, it sounded like the kind of message a man would write.
My eyes widened at Miranda’s revelation. “A man? Are you sure?” I asked incredulously. This changed everything. We had been looking for a woman this entire time, never considering the possibility of it being a man.
Miranda nodded, wiping away her tears. “Yeah, I mean, it could be a woman using a fake name or something, but the way the message was written...it definitely sounded like it could be a man. I actually thought when I was at Neon that it was this guy who was asking where you were, Sofia. But I mean, that made no sense.”
Sofia and I exchanged a look.
“Because he wasn’t the guy who served you, he was this guy that like...as soon as you came out, he went to hide in the bushes.”
Sofia’s eyes narrowed as she tried to piece everything together. “So you’re saying that there was someone else at Neon who was looking for me?” she asked, her voice low with suspicion.
Miranda nodded quickly. “Yes, he didn’t say anything specific, just asked if I had seen you or anyone with you,” she said. “I thought it was weird because I hadn’t seen you since you got there.”
“And you didn’t think to mention this before?” I asked, my voice laced with anger.
Miranda shook her head. “I didn’t think it was important at the time,” she said, shrinking under Sofia’s gaze.
