“Go.” Devon gave her a gentle shove. “Text me your plan. She’s in my fourth-block class. You have until then.”

Gem and Lia split up for third block, and Lia sat in the back of her communications class, her old flip phone barely keeping up with her typing. At least the school Wi-Fi was fast. Devon protested: he didn’t want to die or get them hurt, but they all knew that if they even broached the topic of Faith Franklin being the killer that no one would believe them until evidence proved it. If Lia was right, and she was fairly sure she was, then Faith was getting desperate.

If this was a terrible plan to get the Governor’s Scholarship, her deadline to be offered one was fast approaching, and Lia could almost understand that. Tuition, room and board, and school fees paid in full for four years—it was a dream many joked was worth killing for.

Lia texted Gem and Devon.

If we’re wrong and she’s innocent, we’ll all be fine. If we’re right, this will keep you safe and prove it’s her. Please trust me.

No one ever believed Lia. No one ever had faith in her. No one ever trusted her.

But if she helped catch the killer and cleared her name, maybe the only gossip about her wouldn’t be sordid rumors about murder and her obsession with Assassins.

Devon said:

I do, and I should be the bait. If you’re right, I’m next, and if it’s Faith, I was one of her targets all along. She’ll risk it to kill me. She already risked it the other night. The stairwell and Cassidy were way less organized.

Lia stared at Devon’s words, her chest tight and eyes burning.

You’ll be in danger.

Not if your plan works. I trust you

I’m tired of waking up only to find another friend dead. If no one else will face this head-on, we have to

Gem texted:

What do we do?

They decided that Devon would let it slip that he was going to be chilling in the drama room behind the stage before orchestra. They’d place a prop knife near the door so that Faith would see it. The one from Wait Until Dark would be perfect.

Lia knew Faith kept Mace on her keychain.

Gem, can you get rid of that?

Gem’s response was slow.

Maybe? It’s hard to rip something off of a keychain

Gem decided to try to get the Mace between third and fourth block while Lia distracted her. Lia would somehow distract Faith and let her know Devon would be alone and stop her before she could walk into fourth block.

Lia sprinted from the class once it was over. Students whispered and darted out of her way. Before Abby’s death, Lia had been known in that way the laws of thermodynamics were—some students at Lincoln High knew of her and remembered her first name, but only a few knew her. Now everyone knew her.