Page 119 of Dare To Fall

I reach into a cabinet to take down two mugs and busy myself making coffee for us both.

“There was a tracer app on Arabella’s. That girl has no fucking idea of cyber security. No passwords, nothing hidden. I don’t know how the tracer got on there. Someone could have installed it while she was away from her cell. It could have been sent to her via text. But it was installed just before Thanksgiving. Oddly, around the time the first video was leaked.”

“So, when the cell I gave her went missing?”

“That would be about right. One bit of good news though. There was nothing on your cell.”

“Did you pick up the new phones?”

“I did. They’re also in the car. I also arranged for new numbers and transferred all the cell numbers you need into yours.”

I hand him a mug. “It’s got to be another student.”

He pauses with the drink partway to his mouth. “How’d you figure that?”

“It doesn’t make sense for it to be any of the staff.”

“What about the people behind the real dares?”

I snort. “You know it’s Principal Warren behind those.”

“Not for certain.”

“Of course, it is. Him and the rest of the teachers who’ve been there for at least ten years. They do it as a bit of harmless fun. By telling us to not do them, it guarantees that we will. Why do you think they’re all such ridiculous dares? And why security never looks too closely at students sneaking around after hours.”

“Still doesn’t mean it’s him.”

I roll my eyes. “Where do you think I stole the paper from? It’s kept in the bottom drawer of his desk, along with the fountain pen he uses to write them.” I pause for a drink. “Anyway, the dares have been going on since my dad was there. He told me it was the faculty who do it. It’s handed down to the most senior member of staff whenever the one who was in charge of it retires. Warren was a math teacher when Dad was there. When Principal Garner retired, Warren got the position and took over the dares.

“Why do you think there are so many rumors about them? The faculty makes up shit that has happened to students. Do a search for some of the names they use in the stories of kids who didn’t do the dares and had shit happen to them. None of them fucking exist.”

“And how long have you been sitting on that little gem of information?”

“I thought you knew.”

“Now I do. Okay, so we scrub any teachers you’ve clashed with off the list. Are you sure?”

“Positive. It doesn’t feel like something a teacher would do. They’d be more likely to cause shit for me through education. Alienating me from other people wouldn’t make any difference to them. And, anyway, I don’t clash with teachers all that often. Does Zoey mention any teachers in her diary?”

Kellan shakes his head. “She got along well with all of them.”

“Another reason I don’t think it’s any of the faculty.”

“Okay, okay. You’ve made your point. So that leaves all the students.”

I shake my head. “It leaves our year and maybe the two below us at most. None of the others were there when my mom died, and I was dubbed the monster. I’m leaning toward it being someone in our year, maybe two or three working together.”

“So, we’re looking at Miles’ old buddies. What about Jace? He had a thing for Arabella.”

“Not for Zoey though. She was friendly with the entire group of them.”

“Especially Tina.” Kellan’s voice is dry. “Don’t suppose this is a case of spite? Tina wanting payback for taking Zoey away from her?”

“I didn’t take Zoey away from anyone.”

“I know that. Jilted lover situation? Jealousy?”

“How does that link to Arabella?”

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