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ch19

I was running on 6 energy drinks, 3 cups of coffee, and 4 hours of sleep.  Since returning from Seattle, I'd found enough pieces to connect the Pattie Cake puzzle, and was close to figuring out who it was.  It felt like I was inside one of those lame crime shows that Jason watches.  Every second of research brought me another step closer to finding out who had conned Winters.

"Why are you so rigid and uptight?"  The adrenaline overload had me more curious than normal, and Izaak didn't seem to mind.

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ch20

On our way up to his apartment, Izaak checked the mail, passing a letter to me.  I instantly recognized the handwriting from the labels on the little boxes in Sage’s desk and smiled.  Finally!

Upon arriving upstairs, I fell onto my bed and ripped the envelope open.  A penciled drawing fell out with a letter.

Hello friend!

I was just remembering our Vacation Time to France.  The HOME we stayed in with Alpha :)  He’s expecting your call.

It was really cool to see you at my place last week.  I hope you took back good memories with you.  The enclosed drawing should help it pass.

Take care,

Rosemary

I re-read the message a few times before figuring out the clues.  It seemed like she was offering me a safehouse in Vermont with her friend Ralph, a previous anonymous Hacktivist she’d known for years who now only helped people stay off the grid, who would then take me to Montreal.  The only problem was that I didn't know how to get in touch with him.

I flipped the paper over to look for any clues of his phone number, but nothing.  Then glancing at the envelope I saw that she had drawn the phone number into the return address.  

Now looking at the drawing I realized that she’d also drawn in the passwords to the memory cards.  Finally!  

Digging out my laptop, I winced at the burning sensation still present in my posterior from the spanking.  Even through the pain was a tiny bit of comfort.  Our ‘family’ had only become closer lately… even the get-together was less awkward than the previous.  It kind of felt like they all genuinely cared about me.

What am I going to do?  Safehouse?  On the run forever?  

Stay here?  Chance getting caught?  Trust that they won’t abandon me?

I swallowed a hard lump in my throat at that thought.  My ‘plan’ with Sage had always been to escape to Canada because neither of us wanted our grandmothers involved and didn’t have anyone else to rescue us.  But I'd never expected it to actually happen.  I’m supposed to be smarter than the cops.

I am smarter than them.

Memory card in hand, I inserted it into my computer, inspecting the drawing for the right code.  It took a few tries, but I finally got in.  There were three different folder:  one with documents of all the conversations we’d had and photos we’d exchanged, another with the dirt I’d gotten on him (and eventual blackmail videos), and finally the documents I’d forged.

Wow, Sage kept everything.

I curiously dug through the folder with our conversations, swallowing back disgust as I read some of the slutty conversations I had.  My nose was scrunched up when Izaak pushed open my “door” and poked his head inside, now having changed into his pjs — a black shirt and navy sweatpants.  "Can I come in?"

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