Lillyanne Plume's Arc

Chapter 21 of 22

Scott's hand closed around Lillyanne's arm before she could step into the nook. He pulled her back a half step and put himself between her and the girl on the floor. "What are you doing?" he said. His voice was low and flat. Lillyanne pried his fingers off. "Working." She crouched at the edge of the panel so her eyes were level with the girl's. The girl held the notebook tighter. Green glasses caught the lamplight. Up close she looked younger than Lillyanne, maybe nineteen, with ink on her thumb and a jean cuff turned up over a scuffed boot. "You're not here to win," Lillyanne said. "Are you?” The girl's mouth opened, then closed. She looked at the notebook. "No." "Then why." "I can't say." She pressed the pages flat against her chest. Lillyanne believed her. The fear was too specific. "Okay," Lillyanne said. "Then don't say. Trade instead." She kept her voice soft, the way she talked to a bad hand at her poker table. "You've been watching. You know which teams found what, who's talking to who, who's moving. You give that to me. Every night. Anything you see." "And what do I get." "Him." Lillyanne tipped her head back at Scott. "He's won this game twice. Anything you want to know about how it works, the rooms, the clues, the rules nobody tells you—he answers." Scott's head turned. "Lilly." "Any question," Lillyanne said, holding the girl's eyes. "Right, Scott." A long beat. She could hear him breathing through his nose. Then a short, tight nod. "Any question. Once a night." The girl studied them both. Her pencil tapped the notebook twice. "Emmy," she said. "I'm Emmy." "Lilly." "I know." Emmy almost smiled. "Deal." Lillyanne exhaled. "First question's mine. The postwoman. Someone took her from our room and hung her in the bar. Did you see who moved her?” Emmy's smile faded. She shook her head. "I was in the west stair when it happened. By the time I came back, she was already up. I'm sorry." "Anyone missing from the crowd after." "Did you see anyone strange around here?" She patted the notebook. "No. I mean…I don’t know. I thought I saw…I mean it couldn’t be, but earlier I thought I saw the Game Master’s butler." Lillyanne’s blood ran cold and her breathing stalled. She didn’t bother asking if she was sure. “Okay. Anyone else.” Emmy shook her head. "Good." Lillyanne stood. Her knees ached. "We're in one-oh-three. Come at first light. Knock twice, wait, knock once." "I know your room," Emmy said. Quiet. Matter-of-fact. Lillyanne's stomach dropped a half inch. She kept her face still. "Of course you do." She stepped back and let Scott push the panel closed. The hallway went dim again. She started toward the stair without waiting to see if he followed. She had a source now. She also had someone else who knew exactly where she slept. She would count that as a win until morning proved otherwise.