toe, trying to find some sort of clue. But his tux was generic and his shoes, standard dress shoes. He was even wearing gloves.
I took a slow step forward. “I liked your painting. It was amazing.”
“Thank you.” He glanced to the side, his escape route.
“I won’t tell anyone who you are. I’ll keep it to myself.”
“That’s not how it works.”
“How what works?” I pointed back toward the door we had both come through. “They know who you are. How come I can’t?”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“If you can’t tell me who you are, at least promise me this.”
He gave a small nod.
“Please stay away from the swim meets from now on.”
He gave another nod, bigger this time, then he took off. I ran after him but by the time I rounded the corner he was gone. The hallway split into two and there was no trace of him. I clenched my fists in frustration, a jolt of pain radiating through my shoulder as I did. I cringed and massaged it away. Not bothering to put my shoes back on, I made my way back to Amelia.
She was typing furiously into her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Recording who was here before I forget. There were so many people. I swear it was nearly my entire list. This is really going to help us narrow it down.”
“Did you happen to see Brad McCall or Leo Morales?” I asked, remembering the names that had been whispered behind me earlier.
“Yes, actually.” She showed me her phone. “Already on my list. Why?”
I gave a frustrated sigh. “Nothing.”
“Where’d you disappear to?”
“I went after him.”
She stopped typing and looked up. “Did you catch him?”
“Sort of, but that stupid mask made it impossible to tell who he was.”
“That stupid mask was pretty awesome. I haven’t seen it in person before, only online. How do you even get a mask that realistic? That would cost a serious amount of money.”
I had forgotten she hadn’t seen the mask at the pool. “So our Heath Hall is rich?”
“Wouldn’t it be funny if it was Grant James wearing a Heath Hall mask?”
“It’s not.”
She shoved her phone into her purse. “I know. I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny?’ Work with me here.”
I smiled. “Yes, it would be funny.”
“Thank you.” She widened her eyes. “So what happened?”
“He ran off. I have no idea who he is. He was as skittish as a baby rabbit, though.”
“That’s a clue. Maybe one that will help us.”
I sighed. “I accomplished my mission. I told him to stay away from the pool. I don’t really need to know who he is anymore.” This was becoming more trouble than it was worth.
“And you think he’ll listen.”
“I think you were right anyway,” I said, gesturing to the art around us. “I don’t think he likes to do repeat appearances.”
Two security guards talking into walkie-talkies rushed by us, toward the painting.
“They’re a little late,” Amelia said.
“We should probably go find DJ and rescue him from the cruel mission you sent him on,” I said.
“Yes. We should’ve just told DJ about the Heath Hall thing. After seeing so many people from school up here, he probably wouldn’t have found it weird.”
“Probably not.”
It took us searching every floor before we found DJ on the first. His tie was loosened, his collar beneath it unbuttoned, as if he was done being dressed up for the night. When he saw us, he smiled. “Still haven’t found it. Did you have better luck?”
“We had no luck,” I said.
“I found something else I want to show you.” Amelia took his hand. As she pulled him away, she looked back at me and mouthed, Do you mind?
I shook my head no. Amelia had been crushing on DJ forever. And it seemed like she was actually making a tiny bit of progress. I wasn’t going to get in the way of that. I stared after them for a while. A strip of white hung down below the back of his suit jacket and it took me a moment to realize it was his shirt. It must’ve come untucked. DJ was a mess. Cute but a mess. I turned and went to look at some art. I was at a museum, after all.
Eleven
“I don’t believe Coach isn’t letting you swim all four races today. I thought that’s what the paper you caught DJ with was implying.”
The cold metal bench beneath my legs made me shiver. “Amelia. Are you trying to get in my head right before we swim?”
“Sorry. Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
But