Murder House Read online

  “If this gets out—and I am certainly strongly considering leaking it to the police at the earliest opportunity—it will be the district attorney who decides whether or not you will be prosecuted. And with this evidence”—again Veronica’s nail tapped her desk—“I’m certain you both would be.”

  “Do you want money?” asked Georgina. “Call our dad. He’ll give you whatever you want.” She looked over at me and Joe. “You guys too. This was no big. Just me and George messing around.”

  “You know what I think this is?” Veronica said. “I think this is truly compelling television, which means you’ll both be allowed to stay at the house.”

  “That’s it?” I protested.

  “That’s it,” Veronica answered. “I appreciate you boys bringing this to my attention. And I assure you, if anything like this happens again, I will personally take George and Georgina directly to the police.”

  She flicked her hands at us. Clearly, we were dismissed.

  “I can’t believe she didn’t throw you out of here!” James yelled at George and Georgina as soon as we stepped out of Veronica’s office. “If I had done that, I’d be in jail already.”

  The whole group was gathered in the hall. Staring at the twins.

  “You did the drawing, too, didn’t you?” Brynn demanded. “The one of the demon? And mutilated my teddy bear?”

  “No way!” exclaimed George. “Georgina’s the only person I wasn’t sure I could beat.”

  “Yeah, I wanted to get George out of the running. I’m not worried about you guys,” Georgina added.

  One of the production assistants hurried up to the twins. “Veronica wants both of you to have a session in the Deprivation Chamber. She wants to get all your thoughts and feelings on tape—the two of you together.”

  “I’m next in line,” James said as the three of them hurried away. “I have some things I want recorded too.”

  “How did you guys find out what happened so fast?” Joe asked.

  Exactly what I was wondering. Joe and I had gone straight to Veronica in the morning, and she’d pulled the twins into her office while we were sitting there. No one had had time to talk to the rest of the group.

  “Oh, you’ll love this,” Brynn answered. “They put the plasma back and told us we were getting a special treat. We were being allowed to watch TV! And what comes on? Closed circuit of you and the psychos in Veronica’s office. Of course, the camera crew was right in our faces. They wanted to get some good close-ups of our reactions.”

  “It really was truly compelling television,” Olivia snarked.

  “I think we should be asking you two how you found out what was going on with the twins so fast,” James commented. He looked back and forth between me and Joe. “You guys fingered Mitch, too. You knew what was going on with him before the rest of us. What I want to know is how.”

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed. “James is right—for once. There’s something off here. You two didn’t even know each other before you got to the house. How come you keep teaming up? Have you made some kind of deal? Are you teaming up to win or what?”

  Olivia had alliances on the brain.

  Joe laughed. I have to admit, he does a good fake laugh. Mine always sounds a little . . . fake.

  “Me team up with him? The guy hates me, just because I ended up with a family who has bucks. All that garbage Mitch pulled? I thought my brother over there was behind it. I started watching him. It turned out he was just as suspicious of me.”

  “Yeah. I was keeping an eye on you. I didn’t like you,” I said to Joe. “I still don’t, just for the record.”

  “Anyway, we were both watching each other, and we ended up catching Mitch,” Joe explained. “Then when more bad stuff started going down, I figured he”—Joe jerked his head toward me—“could probably help me figure out who was behind it. He was decent at it the last time.”

  “We decided to work together—just on finding out who was pulling the sabotage,” I said. I turned to James. “Happy now?”

  “Whatever,” James muttered.

  “Nice attitude,” I said.

  “I’m going to go get breakfast,” Olivia announced. “I get headaches if I don’t eat, and I want to be ready for whatever Miss Veronica decides to throw at us next.”

  The rest of us followed her into the dining room. The cereal bowls and silverware had already been set out by the morning’s assigned cooking crew. Not that there was much actual cooking going on anymore, since we no longer had hot food privileges.

  Brynn, Gail, and Hal brought in the boxes of cereal and the milk, and all they had left to do was handle the dishes. Olivia, Ann, and I were scheduled to make lunch. It would take about ten minutes to slap peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together for everyone.

  “Those two really should have gotten kicked out. Who cares that they only tried to hurt each other? They cheated!” Ripley exclaimed as she shook some cereal into her bowl.

  “Hang on. I thought you cared about everybody, princess,” said James. His bowl was already full. You had to be fast to get food before that guy. “Isn’t that your new PR image?” He grabbed the milk.

  “Being nice doesn’t mean you have to like everybody or that you’re an idiot,” Ripley exclaimed. “Are you saying I’m being mean to feel like cheaters should be thrown out of the game?”

  “You’re not in it to win it anyway, right?” Olivia asked. “You don’t need the money. You have multiple millions, even though people are starving. And not just in other countries. Right here—”

  “I get it. You hate me because I’m rich. You hate everybody who’s rich. But obviously you want to be rich yourself, or you wouldn’t be here trying to win a million dollars,” Ripley snapped. I noticed a muscle in her neck twitch. Then she forced a smile in Olivia’s general direction. “But everyone is entitled to their own opinion, right?”

  “Right,” said Hal softly.

  I wondered if he was thinking about his opinion that sabotage was unacceptable.

  “I think we should ice them out. Not deal with them at all. They can cook for themselves, talk to themselves. I don’t want to even look at either one of them,” Gail said, taking the subject back to George and Georgina.

  “What they do doesn’t matter to me—as long as they keep doing it to each other,” Brynn commented.

  “But they’ve already done stuff to you,” Olivia reminded Brynn. “That drawing of you with the monster. The teddy bear massacre.”

  “They said they didn’t do that,” Brynn told her.

  “And you believed them?” exclaimed Olivia.

  “George admitted he poisoned his sister and sabotaged her brakes,” Brynn said. “Georgina admitted she did something that could have paralyzed her brother for life. I think if they’d gutted a stuffed animal, they would have confessed.”

  “Then who did do that other stuff?” asked Gail.

  Was she putting on an act? Or had she and Olivia really been acting so weird about the sketchbook for some reason that had nothing to do with the investigation?

  “The demon! It was the demon!” Ann shouted. She jumped to her feet so fast she knocked over her chair. “Every time one of you doubts its existence, it does something worse!”

  I didn’t bother asking her why a demon would use crayon drawings and words on a wall to scare people when it was a demon. Logic wouldn’t work on Ann. I’d finally accepted that.

  “Whoever did it—including the demon,” Olivia added when Ann gave her a death look, “was doing stuff before the twins even got here. Mary said she didn’t put glass in the ice.”

  “Whatever. I’m not worried about—” James began.

  Ann pointed her finger at him. “Don’t say it!” Her whole arm trembled.

  “Demons,” James mumbled into his cereal bowl as he lifted it to drain the milk at the bottom.

  “What’s that?” asked Hal.

  “What’s what?” James answered.

  “There’s something stuck to the
bottom of your bowl,” Hal told him.

  James felt around, then pulled a piece of paper off the bowl. He stared at it for a couple of seconds, then slapped it down in the middle of the table so we could all see it.

  EVERYONE DIES AT DEATH HOUSE. The words were written in the same childlike handwriting as the message on the Deprivation Chamber wall and the piece of paper I’d found on the floor of the billiard room—the one that read HOUSE OF DEATH.

  “That wasn’t there when we set the table,” Gail said.

  “You looked at the bottom of each bowl?” Joe asked.

  Gail frowned. “No,” she admitted.

  “I took the bowls out of the dish drainer,” Hal told the group. “I would have seen the note then if it was there. The bowls were drying bottoms up.” He stood. “I’m using the intercom to get Veronica.”

  “You’re dropping out?” James asked. “Sweet.”

  “No. But I want to see the film of the kitchen and the dining room. From when I took the dishes out of the drainer until right now,” Hal said.

  “I want to see it too,” Gail agreed.

  “I’m going.” Hal strode out of the room.

  I studied the faces of everyone around the table, trying to decide if anyone looked nervous. Like they were about to be exposed. The thing was, everyone did look kind of nervous. Joe did. I probably did too. Nervous was getting to be the usual state for everyone in the house. Brynn was so pale even her lips had mostly drained of color. She had her eyes locked on the note.

  “Hey, Ann, you’d know the answer to this. Can you see demons on film?” James asked. “Or are they like vampires?”

  Ann let out a shriek of rage and hurtled out of the room.

  “Just leave her alone, all right?” Joe said.

  “No. It’s not all right,” James answered. “I don’t like being told what to do by you.”

  It looked like another fight might be about to start up, but Hal interrupted by walking back into the dining room, followed by George and Georgina.

  “Well?” Olivia asked.

  “She said they weren’t taping,” Hal answered. “It was part of the off hours.”

  “Uh-uh. No way.” Ripley shook her head. “Veronica would have to know we’d be talking about those two.” She jerked her chin toward George and Georgina. “She’d want to get all that on film.”

  “Yeah. Why would she choose now to kill the cameras?” Joe asked. “There’s plenty of time when we’re all sitting around staring at the walls. I watch a ton of reality shows. They never leave out the part where the whole group is hating on a few people.”

  “You were bad-mouthing us?” George demanded.

  “Ya think?” asked Gail.

  “This proves Veronica and the producers did the drawing and the notes. Has to be,” Olivia said. “That’s why she said there was no film. The film would have shown a PA sticking that piece of paper on the cereal bowl. I’m positive. They’re using the scary history of the house as part of the show.”

  “Half the time they lie to people about what the reality show they’re on really is,” Joe added. “Maybe we’re in Demon House, not Deprivation House.”

  “If that’s true, I’m suing. I’ll get more than a million,” said James. “Brynn, hand me the rice puffs. I’m ready for seconds.”

  “I guess it does make sense that Veronica is behind the drawing and note,” Hal commented. “It’s way too coincidental that they weren’t filming at the exact time when we knew something had happened.”

  “Brynn! Cereal!” James commanded.

  I looked over at her. She was still staring at the note. I leaned across Gail, took the cereal box that was in front of Brynn, and handed it to James. “Hey, want to go outside, Brynn? Are you finished?” I asked.

  She blinked a couple of times but didn’t answer.

  Gail touched her arm, and Brynn gave a jerk. “Frank asked you something,” Gail said. “And James issued an order, which you were right to ignore.”

  Brynn turned to me. “Sorry. What did you say?”

  “I was just thinking if you’re finished we could take a walk or something,” I told her.

  “Awww,” James cooed.

  “Sure.” Brynn grabbed her light blue jacket off the back of her chair and hurried out of the room. I followed her. We ended up sitting next to the fountain in the courtyard.

  “Getting intense, huh?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” Her voice was flat, her eyes glassy.

  “Should we make this a no demon, no murder zone?” I suggested. “No talking about any house stuff.”

  Brynn nodded.

  I wanted to tell her right then how I felt about her. I’d been wanting to for a while. But the time never seemed right. And it still didn’t. Brynn needed to chill. She was seriously stressed.

  She pulled off her shoes and socks and stuck her feet in the fountain. “Get yours in here!”

  “It’s not exactly hot out,” I said. “You’re wearing your jacket.” The light blue material made her hair look even blonder.

  “That’s the price of hanging with me. Feet in or walk your feet somewhere else.”

  I got my shoes and socks off fast, sat down next to her on the edge of the fountain, and plopped my feet into the water. Brynn kicked up and gave me a little splash. “I love this. This was my favorite place.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Oh, I was just remembering this park. When I was little I used to go there with my mom. It had a big fountain like this. It was my favorite place,” Brynn explained. “We used to splash around in it.”

  Her mood seemed to have completely turned around. Getting outside away from everybody for a while had been a good idea.

  Brynn reached down into the fountain and flicked some water at me. Some of it landed in her blond hair and sparkled in the sun. Maybe this was the right time. Maybe I should tell Brynn everything I was feeling about her. . . .

  Yeah, she’s been feeling better for a whole minute, I thought. I decided not to say anything. Instead I splashed her back.

  I woke up before daybreak the next morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I kept thinking about Brynn. My mind kept jumping back and forth between fun thoughts, like hanging out with her at the fountain, and worries. Was Brynn being specifically targeted by whoever had done that drawing and ripped up her bear?

  It’s not like the crayon drawing had really looked like her. The blond hair reminded me—and clearly Olivia—of Brynn. But George had thought it looked as much like his sister. And really, it was pretty generic.

  I rolled over on my side and told myself to take some deep breaths and let myself drift back off. Sleep’s important for a sharp mind, and I was going to need one to figure out the rest of the case with Joe.

  How many people knew that bear was Brynn’s?

  The deep breathing didn’t work. I definitely wasn’t going to fall back to sleep. A run. That’s what I needed. Sometimes a change of scene will give me new ideas. New angles to investigate.

  I got dressed fast and headed out of my room. As I started down the main staircase, I heard footsteps behind me. I didn’t think anybody else was up. I jerked my head around—and saw Joe. Wearing sneakers and sweats.

  “Run?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “Think Olivia and Gail will try to off you if you’re seen with me?” Joe said. “We said we only teamed up to find the saboteur. We’re not supposed to like hanging out together or anything.”

  “I’ll just tell them I was trying to find a way to off you while we were jogging,” I answered.

  “Gotta say, I’m glad you’re my brother and not George,” Joe told me as we headed outside.

  “Aww, that’s so sweet. You prefer me to a deranged attempted murderer.” I started to run. Joe matched me step for step. Neither of us likes to come in last.

  “I couldn’t sleep,” said Joe. “I kept thinking about the notes and the drawing and the teddy bear incident. I actually believed the Twisted Twins w
hen they said they didn’t do that stuff.”

  “Me too. You go with the group theory that the producers are behind everything that plays on the history of the house? The old murder and the demon story?” I asked.

  “Makes sense. Hal was right about the timing. It’s a big coincidence that they weren’t filming during the time we know that last note was put in place,” Joe answered.

  We left the path and entered the orchard. A few beams of light were just starting to filter through the trees. “Would that mean it was the producers who sent everybody the death threats to begin with? To get everybody scared before we even showed up?”

  “We were thinking Mary had done that,” Joe reminded me. “But since she’s probably in a juvenile detention somewhere and the demon is still playing with us, I guess not. Maybe the—”

  Joe grabbed my arm and yanked me to a sudden stop.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “Over there,” he said, his voice coming out choked.

  Then I saw what Joe had seen.

  Brynn lying facedown in the dirt. Her light blue jacket red with blood. So much blood.

  So Much Blood

  “Brynn!” Frank shouted. I’ve never heard that much fear and pain in my brother’s voice. Never.

  We both tore over to the body. There was no way she could be alive—was there? Not with so much blood.

  “She’s been stabbed,” Frank cried as he dropped to his knees next to Brynn.

  He gently laid his fingers against Brynn’s neck. Her head shifted, turning sideways. He let out a long breath.

  It wasn’t Brynn. It was Georgina. They had that same blond hair, and Georgina must have borrowed Brynn’s jacket.

  “She’s alive,” Frank said. “Her pulse is thready, but she’s alive. I need to get a pressure bandage on her.”

  “You stay with Georgina,” I told Frank. “I’ll run back to the house and get the medic and call an ambulance.” I turned and dashed off. “Cell phones,” I muttered, thinking of the seconds ticking by, seconds that could save Georgina’s life. “They had to take away our cell phones.”

  “Georgina’s been stabbed!” I shouted as I pounded back into the mansion. My eyes darted back and forth as I searched for a PA. “I need somebody with phone access! We need an ambulance!”