I had no idea what I’d tell them.
But more than that, I had no idea what I was going to say to Dani the next time I saw her. How did I call her on this stuff? Did I just come out and say it? The angry part of me wanted to rage, but another part still didn’t want to push her away.
Swallowing down the last of my coffee, I placed the white mug on the table and toyed with the idea of ordering another one. My notes were now neatly concise. I didn’t have a perfect timeline, but I had a rough guide of how she may have moved. She seemed to work in six to eight week stints then disappear for a few months, returning with a new identity and persona. I thought it was strange that she was taking so long with this con. She’d been at Monte Vista High for ten weeks now, why hadn’t she made her move yet? From what I could tell, she wasn’t really conning anyone. Lying through her teeth — yes, but swindling us for money?
I shook my head as I remembered all those times I’d offered to pay for her meals…but that was chump change really. Where was the big con? Who was she secretly playing?
My forehead was starting to hurt from frowning so much. I ran my pen over the names Riley and Peyton, making them bold as I assessed the timeline.
There were still big gaps in it, schools she probably attended that I knew nothing about. Maybe she’d done longer stints at those schools?
I pressed so hard on the P of Peyton that I ended up ripping the paper.
What did it matter anyway?
I still had a picture…and it was pretty damn clear.
Danielle Harrison was a con artist. She studied her prey, figured out their weaknesses and played on them.
The idea of her using her sexuality to rope those suckers in made me sick, because it made me a sucker too. She had captured me. She had wound her way into my heart and clutched it tightly. Her sweet smile, her soft lips. She’d never been overly flirtatious. She’d known exactly what I needed in order to fall for her.
I felt like such an idiot.
Yet again, Zach Schultz strikes out.
I dropped my pen on the pad and slumped back in my seat. Looking out the window, I took in the quiet street and spotted a short-haired brunette ambling across the road. Her familiar gait made me sit forward, my eyes narrowing as I studied her.
That was the girl I saw weeks ago, the one I thought may have pulled a fast one on that rich guy. But that had just been me imaging things, right?
I flinched.
Dani.
No way. That couldn’t be right. She—
I snaffled up my pad and pen, shoving them into my bag as I jumped from the seat. I shoved a twenty on the counter as I left, knowing it was way too much, but not caring. Leaping down the stairs, I turned around the edge of the diner and spotted the girl disappearing around the next corner. I sprinted along the street, slowing as I reached the edge of the building. Ducking my head around, I felt like a secret agent as I saw her cross the road and head down an alleyway.
I waited until she’d checked my way before sliding along the wall and following her. I kept this up for about ten minutes, sneaking behind her as she worked her way through a rabbit warren of alleyways. Eventually she stopped outside a dilapidated apartment building that looked like it hadn’t been lived in for years. Windows were smashed, the door was boarded up. From behind a dumpster, I watched her wiggle the bottom board free and climb in through the broken door. Once she was inside, she reached back out and slotted the piece of wood back into place.
What the hell was she doing?
I waited two minutes. I didn’t want to give her too much of a head start, but I also didn’t want her knowing I was following her. This somehow felt like her final destination. Creeping towards the door, I wiggled the board free and slithered inside. I rose up into a musky room that was an empty bar with a broken table in the corner. Soft light filtered in through the cracks between the boards, highlighting the dancing dust. I felt like I was on the set of some murder mystery show. Any second now I’d trip over a corpse and start yelling.
Pulling in much needed air through my nose, I gripped my bag strap and stepped forward. I saw a trail through the dust and followed the tracks, which lead me to a dark stairwell around the corner.
Hesitating for only a moment, I took the stairs, praying they didn’t creak as I ascended. I paused at the top, listening for noises. A quiet shuffling came from a door down the passageway. I eased towards it. Placing my hand against the wood, I pressed my ear to the door and listened.
Someone was definitely in there. It had to be her.
I tried to calm my racing heart as I wrapped my fingers around the knob. The door squeaked as I pushed it open. The brunette was standing with her back to me, but I heard her gasp then grab something off the counter as she spun to face me.
A knife hurtled through the air and I ducked just in time. It embedded into the wood above my head, vibrating from the force of the throw.