“I haven’t decided.”

“It could be dangerous, Dad.”

He didn’t respond, just waved to her mom, who was looking hot and exasperated as she wrangled Tommy back toward them.

Maggie decided she couldn’t keep it from him anymore. She hoped it wasn’t a mistake. But telling him about the cell phone report, the address where the phone that called him pinged, was the only way to get him to stay away from the bar. “I have something I need to tell you. A new lead. But only if you promise not to go to Moloko tonight.”

He looked at her for a long moment.

“I uncovered something. It could answer who’s behind this. Who really called you.”

Her father looked at her intently in that way he would.

“What is it?” he said. “And why didn’t you tell me before? What’s—”

“I need a promise.”

“Okay. I promise.”

“I’m serious,” Maggie said.

“I know, so serious,” her dad said playfully.

Her mom and Tommy appeared. Mom gave them a skeptical look. “What are you two up to?”

“Maggie’s decided to take a gap year. Or two. Live with us until she’s thirty,” her dad said.

“That would be totally fine with me.” Liv gave her a side hug. They were so embarrassing.

“Actually,” Maggie said, “Dad said he was taking me out to dinner tonight, just me.”

“He is, is he? What are you two plotting?”

Tommy interrupted them. “What’s a human sacrifice?” He pronounced it sac-pre-price.

“Where’d you hear that, sweetie?” Mom said.

“Those people over there were saying that’s where they would make human sacrifices.” He pointed to a stone platform in the center of the ruins.

Her parents looked at each other.

Dad said, “You want to take this one?”

“All yours, handsome,” Mom said. “That’s what happens when you ditch me for dinner.”

CHAPTER 53

Maggie and her father had a quick dinner at a place called Burrito Amor, then turned to the plan. They didn’t have all night to wait for someone to come out of the house identified in the cell phone report. So they’d have to be more proactive.

Maggie wrote a simple note:

WE KNOW YOU MADE THE VIDEO PRETENDING TO BE CHARLOTTE AND WE’VE CALLED THE POLICE.

It took some doing, but she convinced her dad to give it a try. He’d be crazy to go to the bar tonight. That was where they wanted him. They needed to be the hunter, not the hunted. Maggie felt so cool right now.