Page 112 of Together in Harmony
“Good job for not having it password protected. You’ve been sending a lot of emails in the last hour. Luckily they are all through a false IP address, so no one can trace them. You offered your sex video to Hugo’s ex. That was a gross viewing experience by the way.
Screech pretends to gag, then grins.
"Then you sent a tip to theDaily Star Diaryabout Clara Duville’s cancer. You wrote a hilarious article about Lennox’s dyslexia and how stupid he is. I’m struggling with the perfect Asa bomb, but I’m sure I’ll find it soon.”
“Why?” I croak.
A can rolls across the floor towards me. “Coke?”
I grab it eagerly.
As I guzzle, Screech tells me about the cocaine he planted in the cabin. “Left some coke and some molly, took your laptop, phone, took the battery out so it can’t be traced, don’t fret, and wallet. No way the cops will be looking for you. We can have family time as long as we want.”
I finish the soda and feel a little stronger.
“Can you at least bring me some clean clothes? Some water so I can wash?”
“Eh, I’ll think about it. You do stink.” Screech looks thoughtful. “I tell you what, give me a bit of dirt on Asa and I’ll bring you that.”
No. My immediate reaction is no. But I have to be clever, I must be clever.
“I’ll come back later and see if you’ve remembered anything. Toodles.”
The door shuts and I’m back in the dark.
Can I send the guys a coded message somehow, through what I tell Screech? If he is publishing gossip articles that are supposed to be coming from me, the guys will be reading them.
I have to think.
Also, this chain and padlock. Can I pick a lock? Is it actually a thing you can do? I don’t have hairpins, but I am wearing an underwired bra.
I take it off and bite a hole through the fabric then ease out the wire.
I have nothing else to do so I might as well try.
Nothing to lose and everything to gain.
HUGO
It’s like she has disappeared into thin air. We’ve been in constant contact with the aunts, they are also losing their minds.
I want to do an appeal—go on the news or something. But the press keeps churning out all these stupid articles that are supposed to be from Harmony, aka Frenzy.
The sex tape is now everywhere.
The private investigator we hired thinks it will do more harm than good to do an appeal. There will be thousands of false tips to go through and any actual clues will be lost in the noise.
An article is trending about Clara’s ovarian cancer diagnosis. How did Screech manage to get information about Clara out of Harmony? Is he torturing her? My mind is spinning.
But it feels like we are just treading water.
“I’m going down to the cabin with Waldo,” Asa calls to me.
“I’ll come. Where’s Lennox?”
“Talking to the aunts.”
“K.”
