Page 73 of Wicked Games

I reluctantly turned my screen to face her. “Judging by the mugshots, I’m guessing it’s something to do with the night you were arrested.”

She groaned and rubbed the side of her head. “Shit. That video. I think I know what it is.”

“What?”

“It’s probably the CCTV from the station when the cops brought me in. I was fucked up from the drugs, so I was screaming like a maniac and trying to fight them.” She paused and let out a sigh. “It doesn’t exactly make me look… stable.”

“Wasn’t that stuff supposed to be erased when your charges were dropped?”

Carey shrugged gloomily. “I’m not sure. But either way, the Game Master got their dirty hands on it, so I guess this is my so-called consequence. Everyone in the group is going to see that video of me acting totally unhinged.”

“So what? Everyone already knows you were arrested that night.”

“Yeah, but they didn’tseeit, did they?” she replied, shaking her head. “Once they see me acting like that, they’ll probably trust me a hell of a lot less than they did before. That could lower my chances of surviving the next few games, because the others might be less willing to work with me. Know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I get it.” I gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. “But I don’t think that’ll happen.”

“I think it could. But it’s okay.” She pasted on a brave half-smile. “At least the consequence wasn’t death, huh?”

“That’s true.”

“I wonder what yours is going to be. I didn’t get any—” Carey stopped abruptly as her phone vibrated. She looked down at her screen for a painfully long moment, brows dipping in a frown. Then her eyes widened, and her next words emerged in a choked murmur. “Oh my god.”

Carey

“What is it?” Maverick frowned and craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of my screen.

I jerked my hand away and took a step back. “I, um… it’s a long story. I’ll have to tell you tomorrow,” I said, averting my eyes from his penetrating gaze. My throat was closing up, making my voice come out in a croak. “I mean, uh… we should probably get inside our rooms before it’s too late, because the Game Master said there’d be further consequences if we don’t return promptly.”

“Sure,” he replied, nodding curtly. “We can talk later.”

He didn’t question why I’d refused to show him my phone screen, and I didn’t questionwhyhe didn’t question me, even though I knew he had to be desperately curious about whatever had caused such an intense visceral reaction in me.

I muttered a quick goodnight before stepping inside my room and locking the door behind me, heart pounding and hands trembling. Then I sat on my bed and turned my phone back on to get a closer look at the message I’d just received.

It was a patient profile from the school psychologist’s office at Babylon. My eyes instantly fell on the highlighted part at the bottom, as the Game Master surely intended.

Diagnostic Impression: Based on the assessment findings and clinical observations, there is very strong evidence to suggest that Maverick Reinhart meets the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) as outlined in the DSM-5.

I’d listened to enough true crime podcasts to know exactly what ASPD was—it was a personality disorder that many people informally referred to as sociopathy or psychopathy.

That meant Maverick was a diagnosed sociopath.

I reread the highlighted sentence for the third time, and then I started reading from the beginning of the document, heart jackhammering in my chest.

Patient Assessment Report

Patient Information:

Name: Maverick Jonathan Reinhart

Date of birth: September 19, 2006

Date of first assessment: March 26, 2022

Referral information:Maverick was initially referred for grief counselling after the death of his older brother. However, I continued our sessions due to concerns regarding his interpersonal relationships and patterns of behavior, including manipulation and disregard for social norms.

Background information:Maverick presented as a charming and articulate individual. He describeda pattern of unstable relationships and a tendency to exploit others for personal gain. He denied feelings of remorse or guilt regarding these actions.

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