Chapter 10: Blackmail

He sounded panicked, voice cracking like a kid who’d seen a ghost.

"Caleb, that guy contacted me."

The mystery man gave him three days to turn himself in, or the evidence would go to the cops.

I tried to calm him:

"Don’t freak out. That guy doesn’t have anything real."

I told him about Derek, about the letter, hoping it would help. But it didn’t.

"He has evidence!"

Right as he said that, my phone buzzed. New message from Jason.

It was a photo. As soon as I saw it, my blood froze, muscles tensing.

I knew that spot—the school rooftop where Rachel fell. The place we tried to forget.

The photo was blurry, but you could just make out a boy’s hands around a girl’s neck, her face pale and terrified. In the dark, the boy’s glow-in-the-dark ring shone green.

It was Jason.

That night, Jason really did threaten Rachel—said if she kept talking, he’d strangle her.

I wasn’t there in that moment, so I wasn’t in the picture. Later, worried about fingerprints, Jason even wiped her neck with a wet tissue, face white as chalk.

Looking back, maybe Jason planned to kill Rachel from the start. Maybe I was just the fall guy.

I swallowed hard, mouth dry as sandpaper.

"Is it possible…"

"Impossible," Jason cut me off. "Even if the photo was taken now, that person must’ve seen my ring back then. He knows it’s me."

He let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"Caleb, we’re screwed."

Only then did I realize I’d underestimated this person—whoever he was, he was smart, careful, always one step ahead.

But why play games? Why string Derek along?

Was he afraid Derek would lose control?

Or did he know Derek was close to me and wanted to test me?

No, maybe he saw there were two people on the roof, but couldn’t identify the second in the dark.

So he had Derek act out that scene at the reunion, just to see how Jason would react.

When you hear something that hits too close, your first instinct is to look at your accomplice—just like I did tonight.

Damn!

Exposed!