PART 5

Elena woke to complete darkness, her head throbbing as she tried to remember where she was. She shifted, then froze when she felt the ropes around her wrists. She pulled against them, but they only tightened.

“Hello?”

Silence answered.

The last thing she remembered was sitting in her car. Then a voice came from behind her.

“You really thought you could keep lying to him?”

Elena’s heart stopped. She knew that voice.

“Maya?”

A quiet laugh came from the darkness.

“No.”

“Then who are you?”

Footsteps moved closer. A figure stopped just outside the faint light.

“You’re asking the wrong question.”

“What do you want?”

“To know how long you planned to keep pretending.”

“Pretending what?”

“That you don’t know what happened to Maya.”

Elena went still. “I don’t.”

A pause.

“You’re still lying.”

She looked away, hiding the fear in her eyes. There was something she had never told Jason something about Maya, and about the night everything changed. If Jason ever discovered the truth, she wasn’t sure he would forgive her.

Across town, Jason sat alone, staring at Maya’s photograph. Every clue led back to the same year: 2008.

Then he noticed a faint name written in the corner.

His father’s name.

Jason’s blood ran cold. Beneath it was a date three days before Maya disappeared.

His father had known Maya.

But why?

His phone suddenly rang. Unknown number.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Then a woman whispered, “Jason…”

“Who is this?”

“You need to stop looking for Maya.”

“Why?”

“Because the person you’re looking for isn’t the only one who’s been lying.”

The call ended.

Jason lowered the phone and looked back at the photograph.

Maya. His father. Elena.

For the first time, he didn’t know who he was trying to save or fear.

Then another message appeared.

ASK ELENA WHAT SHE DID THAT NIGHT.

Jason stared at the words his expression hardening.

Far away, Elena heard the lock turn.

The door opened.

A figure stood there.

“It’s time to tell him the truth.”