Page 63 of Live To Tell

“USB,” says Rowan. “They’re not used much anymore. Do you have the laptop, Julius?”

“No. A lot of Madison’s stuff was ‘lost’ in the house move.” He places the photos on the table and Leif picks them up. “Her diary doesn’t have much information apart from day to day teen things.”

“Boyfriends?” asks Rowan.

“She does mention guys, but only by a single initial letter.”

I hold my hand out for the diary. “Which initial in the most recent entries?”

“D. Obviously that doesn’t narrow things down a lot.” He scratches his head. “She writes a lot in code. Not actual code, but almost everything is initials—locations, other people, etcetera.”

“May I take the diary?” I ask him and he tenses. “To study. I promise to return the book to you.”

“Study the words or the psychic energy?” he asks.

“Both,” says Rowan.

“I’ve tried psychometry a lot of times. Either Madison ‘locked’ the diary’s energy with magic or somebody else did. I suspect Madison, since I found the diary hidden at the back of her dresser, behind the drawers.”

Like the tiara?

“Then we find a spell to unlock the diary,” I say simply.

Julius hands me the book and there’s no tangible magic attached to the smooth cover and raised stickers, so I pass the diary to Rowan. He curls his fingers tighter than I did and closes his eyes, the way he did when finding the Ursa cap at Wesley’s crime scene. Then he opens them again and shakes his head. My spirits dip but did I expect him to instantly find a memory on a blocked item? No.

“Have you deciphered any of the places Madison mentioned?” asks Rowan.

“Only the obvious ones like the academy, names of local cafes, stores. She mentions visiting R a lot, but I can’t figure out if that’s a local place or another person’s name.”

“Can I see the photos?” I ask Leif and he leans across to hand them to me. Teenage girl involved in teenage behavior—lots of ‘selfies’ with friends in indoor and outdoor locations. I tap an image of Madison with two girls, both who’ve long, dark brown hair, one slightly shorter than the other. “Did you identify either of these girls? They appear in a lot of the pictures.”

“That’s Christine and Annabelle. I met Christine. Annabelle wouldn’t speak to me or tell me where she lives, but we did exchange emails. Neither have any idea where Madison went, but Annabelle told me she’s sure Madison died. The three were close and it makes no sense that Madison would never speak to them again. I asked about guys and Christine said Madison was popular. Both women claimed not to know her date the night of the dance.”

I scoff. “Somebody’s hiding something.”

“I’m perfectly aware of that,” says Julius snippily.

“No photos at all of the guy in the formal photo?” asks Rowan again.

“None. But you’re welcome to watch any footage on that USB. I’ve watched again since you showed me the picture, and can’t see him, but he could be on there, even if just in the background,” Julius says. “No computers in the academy have USB ports. Can any of you find one that does?”

“Rowan,” I say. “He’s an expert. Knows how to interfere with surveillance footage, break computer systems, and—”

“I’ll pretend that I never heard that,” interrupts Julius.

“If you’ve put so much time into this, why haven’t you found the killer yet?” I ask.

The most telling part of his reply? That he doesn’t protest his sister might be alive. “The answer to that question appeared a few days ago and took the tiara—the person responsible for her disappearance must be connected to the Circle. I’d always suspected this, but I’m not important or skilled enough to gain entry so that was a dead end.” He gestures at me. “The guy in your photograph? Circle connected, I'm positive.”

I blow air into my cheeks and tap the diary. “Rowan can gain entry into the Circle.”

“What?” he asks sharply.

“You're from an important family and you're one of the best witches of your generation. Of course, they'll allow you in,” I say blithely. “Dorian can help.”

“And if I don't want to?” he retorts.

“You don't apply to be in the Circle,” says Julius. “You're selected and invited.”

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