could count on George – she’s the same old certifiable genius with a devious streak a mile long. After I roped her into my mission during the homecoming game, she hasn’t wasted a moment. Under the guise of taking photos before the dance, she managed to upload keystroke software and tracking onto Mackenzie’s phone. When I told her about Nero, she dug out all the research she had on my dad and found those two photographs from a deleted file on his computer the police never searched.
“He says the man is his contact. Apparently, he introduced Dad to the right people on the body brokering market and in exchange…” I can’t believe I’m saying this, “…Dad did some jobs for him. Helping him get rid of bodies, by the sounds of it.”
George whistles. “So I was right. Your father is in deep with Brutus August. Did you know he’s Imperator of the entire August crime family? Apparently, he killed the rightful king, his brother Julian, by burying him alive. Isn’t that wild?”
“Imperator? They’re serious about this whole Roman Empire schtick.” I hide my shock behind a derisive snort. Claudia said her father was killed by Brutus, but she didn’t say how. Imagine losing your father like that, knowing that he’d suffocated slowly to death—
No. I shake my head roughly. I’m not going to feel sorry for her.
I suck my breath between my teeth. “There’s more.”
“Spill.”
“When they dragged my father out after his fit, the warden noticed the picture of Dad and Brutus on my chair. He tells me Brutus has been to visit my dad in jail. Several times. The last visit was the day before he disappeared.”
“Shiiiiiit. Do you see what this means, Eli?” George lifts her laptop onto the back of my chair and taps at the keys. “My research shows Brutus has put it out all around the criminal underworld that he killed Mackenzie’s parents. And there he is in that photograph with your father, with a business relationship. And they’re still in contact. And with all these sightings of the Malloys over the years, all the internet chatter… I don’t believe it’s true that he killed the Malloys.”
I know it’s not true, because Noah overheard his father talking to that assassin about killing the Malloys. And I know Noah’s dad wouldn’t be working with Walter Hart. But I can’t tell George any of this because… because I’d have to give away her secret. And I can’t do it.
Not until I know everything.
A new piece of this horrific puzzle has slotted into place. I know now that in addition to being a lowlife, lying scumbag, my father is in deep with Claudia’s family. And that he’s shit scared of Nero Lucian. What I don’t know is what that means, or how it changes things for me.
“What next?” I sigh.
“If you want to keep investigating, I can dig deeper into this Nero guy. We’ll keep our eyes on Mackenzie, make sure she’s not putting herself in any danger, follow her and see if she leads us to answers. I think the key to finding the truth about her parents is to track down our friend Mr. August.”
“You want to rock up to the Imperator and just casually ask him if he really whacked them?”
“That might be impossible, since apparently he’s disappeared recently himself. But you’ll be surprised how much I can learn from behind a computer screen.” George grins. “Or maybe you won’t. Of course, we could just ask Mackenzie—”
“She has amnesia,” I say automatically, my instinct still to protect her, to justify her behavior.
“I know. That’s so wild,” George says. “She doesn’t act like it. But then, she’s Mackenzie Malloy. She wouldn’t want anyone to think she’s weak.”
I grit my teeth.
“My dad always used to say, hating someone is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat.” George watches me. Damn that girl – I know she’s smart, but she never misses a beat.
I laugh bitterly. “Clearly, your dad never met Mackenzie Malloy.”
“Actually, he did. At one of the parent/teacher interviews my parents set up with the school after she and Cleo…” George shakes her head. “You know what happened. Anyway, after we left the meeting, he said to me, ‘You know, when I sat down in the principal’s office today, I wanted to throttle that girl for hurting you. But now I just want to give her a hug.’ He pointed out all the things I missed because I was so busy hating