Page 129 of Grown

Fourth floor.

My knee is throbbing. Still no key. Desperate to pry the door open, I grab a pair of scissors.

Fifth floor.

The bloodred light on floor five almost makes my heart stop. I rush into the dark studio, the place reeking of our memories. More drawers. Nothing but papers.

Sixth floor.

“Come on, come on,” I whimper, clawing through stacks of music sheets. I rip the drawers out, tossing them onto the floor.

Eighth floor.

Stuck to the bottom of the last drawer is a gray key fob.

Tenth Floor.

Swipe.

I burst into the penthouse, release the breath I’ve beenholding just as keys jingle at the front door. More walkie static.

“Shit...” I gasp, and slice through the caution tape, jumping over police markers... Melissa still on the floor where I left her.

The front door flies open.

“Freeze!”

“She’s got a knife!”

I slam the bedroom door behind me, clutching the scissors to my chest. Throat burning, lungs fried.

“All units, suspect has locked herself in her room!”

The room smells stale. The blood has dried light pink on the walls. The largest puddle near the bed, spilled buckets of beet juice.

Pounding on the door. More voices.

Flounder is on the dresser, the exact spot Korey placed him, untouched and unbothered.

I flip him over and stab his underbelly, but there’s already a hole. One I never noticed before.

The door flings open right as I grab a handful of Flounder guts.

“On the ground! On the ground now!”

“Drop your weapon!”

And inside the fluff of fish guts... is a camera.

Chapter 88

State Your Name for the Record

Transcript–June 10

Gabriela Garcia:Am I free to go yet?

Detective Fletcher:Hang on, now. Why doesn’t anyone at your school remember you?