The Rose Ransom (Girls Wearing Black: Book Three) Read online

  “But I’m sure you agree with the sentiments in her pep talk.”

  “I…yes, I suppose I do,” said Jill.

  “Well I don’t,” Karmela said. “Josh doesn’t either. Do you?”

  Josh obediently shook his head.

  “See, here’s the thing,” Karmela said. “Whoever finds the princess and wins the ransom money shouldn’t donate it for Nicky. You know where that money should go?”

  “Really, I didn’t come over here to talk about the contest.”

  “It should go to Samantha Kwan,” said Karmela.

  “I know you guys are tight with Samantha. You should know that I don’t have a problem with her. She plays fair and I respect that.”

  “You should have been supporting Samantha this whole time,” Karmela snapped. “When you and Annika got behind this new girl it mixed everything up.”

  “Nicky’s a good person,” Jill said. “You should get to know her.”

  “We have no interest in getting to know her. You think you’re so smart with your secret club that got the new girl into school and pushed her to the top. But there was already a plan to defeat Kim. A better plan. One that wasn’t nearly as risky or expensive as whatever you and Ryan Jenson are trying to pull. You didn’t know about that, did you?”

  Yes, I did, Jill thought. I know all about your cockamamie plan.

  Karmela lifted her glass to take a sip of champagne, and Jill got her first good look at the ring on Karmela’s finger. A small gold band with an oval garnet held by ten prongs. A pattern of swirls was engraved on either side of the garnet, one set of swirls forming an S, the other set making an O.

  Karmela Sweet was the third girl from her family to come to Thorndike. Her sister, mother, and aunt were all graduates. As was often the case with these legacy students, strange bits of superstition and ritual infected their family’s relationship with the school. In Karmela’s case, the family believed this gold and garnet ring was their key to getting not one, but three, girls into Thorndike. Like her mother and sister before her, Karmela wore the ring every day, and intended to continue wearing it until graduation.

  Jill had an exact replica of Karmela’s ring tucked in her palm. Patrick Hall had made it for her in his lab in Philly. The only difference between the ring in Jill’s hand and the one on Karmela’s finger was the stone.

  On Karmela’s ring, the stone was a garnet that had been cut and mounted in the 19th century. On the replica, the stone was an imitation with a tracking device embedded in its center.

  “Karmela, I don’t want to step on any toes,” Jill said. “The reason I came over here is--”

  “Just tell me this, Jill. What would it mean if the Rose Ransom money went into the pot for Samantha instead?”

  “I guess it depends on how much the ransom is this year.”

  “And what if I told you the ransom money was a sum so big it would put Samantha in front and instantly make her a player in this contest?”

  What if you told me the ransom was sixteen million dollars? Jill thought. What if you told me your parents and Samantha’s parents already have the money set aside? What if you told me you’ve been angling to be the princess since freshman year, and you’re convinced that when the Board of Regents selects a girl for the honor, they’re selecting you?

  What if I told you I know everything you and the Kwans are scheming? What if I told you I think your plan is foolish and reckless, but I’ve been helping you execute it anyway?

  “Karmela, how could you possibly know the size of the ransom money?” Jill said. “We don’t even know who’s been selected to be the princess?”

  “But we know what kind of girl the Regents like to pick,” Karmela said. “We know they want someone from one of the richer families in school, someone who can afford to put up a nice sum for the ransom. We know they only choose a girl from a family they can trust, perhaps a family with a long history at Thorndike.”

  “Oh Karmela, you’re not saying you think--”

  “We know they like safe choices,” Karmela interrupted, speaking loudly to make sure Jill didn’t try to talk over her. It was like she was giving a speech she’d said many times in her mind. Jill decided it was best to just shut up and listen.

  “We know they like a girl who will smile and be happy when Renata calls her up to the stage,” Karmela continued. “They don’t want anyone who is too popular or too tight with one of the girls wearing black. They want the princess to be someone who will appreciate the honor, who won’t feel put out for missing a few weeks of school while she’s holed up somewhere. They want someone whose family will be thrilled when they’re told their daughter has been selected. Now tell me, Jill. There are forty-six girls in this room. Which one fits that description best?”

  It was interesting to hear Karmela make this argument. Last summer, Jill had intercepted the emails and text messages where Karmela’s parents and the Kwan family hatched this scheme. Jill knew they were banking on Karmela getting selected to be the princess for the Rose Ransom. Now she knew why they were so certain.

  And it wasn’t a bad argument. Karmela was a fine candidate for the role. No doubt her name would have come up when the Board discussed their options, but it was hardly the sure thing Karmela made it out to be. The Regents were a finicky, unpredictable group.

  “It sounds like you’ve really thought this through,” Jill said. “I would agree. If anyone would make a good princess, it’s you.”

  Karmela shook her head in disgust.

  “Jill, we should have been talking about this a long time ago. We could have been working together. Maybe there’s still time. How attached are you to this new girl anyway?”

  “I hitched my wagon to her star a long time ago,” Jill said. “There’s no turning back now.”

  “Figured as much. But now you’ve been warned. Not everything is as it seems, Jill. I know everyone is talking about Samantha like she’s going to lose this contest, but mark my words, the Rose Ransom will change everything.”

  “Fair enough,” said Jill.

  “So what is it you really want?”

  Jill smiled. “I actually came over here to admire your ring. Jenny was telling me about it the other day. Has it really been in your family for four generations?”

  Karmela looked skeptical at first, but then vanity took over and she couldn’t help herself.

  “Yes, four generations,” she said with a smile. She held out her hand.

  “Wow,” Jill said. “The garnet. The color is so deep.”

  “Warm is actually how a gemologist would describe it,” Karmela said.

  Jill was leaning over Karmela’s hand now, looking closely at the ring.

  “I want to know the whole story,” she said.

  Beaming with pride, Karmela jumped into a tale about how her great, great grandfather tricked the Duke of Argyll into playing poker with him on a riverboat.

  “My family has a history of that kind of shrewdness,” she said. “It was a good old fashioned hustle.”

  Karmela was really into the story now, and for the next ten minutes, she droned on, first about the poker game, then about the ring her grandfather won, then how an appraiser in New York determined that the garnet was “a uniquely warm shade of red,” making the stone very valuable.

  “The engraving on the sides represents the two houses of Argyll,” Karmela said, pointing at the letters on either side of the stone.

  “What about inside the band?” Jill said. “Is there some stamping from the Duke?”

  “There is!” Karmela squealed. She leaned closer and whispered, “Would you like to see?”

  “Yes please,” Jill said with as much excitement as she could muster.

  Karmela handed her champagne flute to Josh, then she pulled the ring off her finger. Jill took it with care. Holding it up close to her eyes, she scanned the inside of the band. Even though she was looking right at the Duke’s signature stamping and could make out every detail, she said, “I can’t see
anything. It’s so dark in here. Let me take it to the window.”

  Jill felt her heart rate quicken as she stepped away from Karmela. Everything was going according to plan, and the next part was simple. Still, she was nervous. This sort of subterfuge was Nicky’s game, not hers.

  “The stamp is a lion standing on two feet,” Karmela said. “You really need a jeweler’s loupe to appreciate the excellent craftsmanship.”

  Jill was right at the window now, holding the ring up to catch the light from the streetlamp outside.

  “Oh yeah,” she said. “There it is. A lion. I see two paws down, two paws—whoops!”

  Her stomach lurched as she dropped the ring, and she cringed when it clattered on the floor.

  “What the hell?” Karmela said, rushing over.

  Quickly, Jill bent down to where the ring had fallen, and picked it up with her left hand. By the time Karmela arrived, Jill was holding the replica up to the light. The real ring was hidden in the palm of her hand.

  “You’ll be glad to know it’s a tough ring,” Jill said.

  Karmela snatched the ring from her finger, saying, “Give me that!”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to drop--”

  “That’s the last time I take this ring off for anyone,” Karmela said.

  Jill held back a smile. Mission accomplished.

  “I’ll see you around, Karmela. Thanks for showing me your ring. It really is incredible.”

  “Think about what I told you, Jill. Nicky doesn’t have to win this contest. All that matters is that Kim loses.”

  “I’ll give it some thought. Have a good night.”

  Chapter 3

  With the ring on Karmela’s finger, Jill felt no need to stay at the party. On the elevator ride down to the parking garage, she sent a text to Zack.

  You up for company tonight? I need a place to crash.

  Zack’s response was immediate.

  I can’t wait. When do you arrive?

  Leaving the Hamilton now, she wrote back.

  Once in her car, Jill sent one more text, this one to Alvin Green.

  Mission accomplished. The ring is in place. I’m done for the night.

  She hit send, listened to the message whoosh away, and closed her eyes. Between the Date Auction, the treasure trove of data she’d stolen from Tremblay Property Management, and the Network’s recent run-ins with Melissa Mayhew, she’d had no down time for the past two weeks. Sitting in her car, in the quiet of the parking garage underneath the Hamilton, she felt like she could go to sleep right here. Just put the seat back, close her eyes, and let it all fade away.

  She shook herself awake and started the car. An empty parking garage was the last place she wanted to be right now. Alone in a car with no one else around—it was the exact setting where Melissa Mayhew found Annika and looked in her mind.

  “Get to Zack’s,” she said to herself. “Just get to Zack’s and you can rest.”

  She drove in silence, heading north on the highway, enjoying the empty streets. She was only two blocks from Zack’s apartment when her phone rang. Alvin Green was the name on the screen.

  Her first thought was to let it go to voicemail. She had already told Alvin she was done for the night. But she knew how Alvin worked. He wouldn’t leave a message. He would keep calling, and calling, and calling…

  “What can I do for you?” she answered.

  “Everything looks good with the ring,” he said. “I’m watching Karmela’s movements on my screen right now. Top floor of the Hamilton hotel. She’s on the south end, overlooking K Street. I’ll send you an app you can use to track her on your phone.”

  “Thanks Alvin. Have a good night.”

  “I’ve been reading your briefing notes on this Rose Ransom contest,” Alvin said, ignoring Jill’s plea to end the conversation. “It seems like the Regents at the school choose whoever they want. How are you going to make sure this Karmela girl is the one who gets kidnapped?”

  “I’ve taken care of it,” Jill said.

  “How could you take care of the Regents?” Alvin asked.

  “I finished the hack a long time ago. When the Regents sit down to choose the princess, the data in front of them will be crystal clear. They will choose Karmela. I guarantee it. And when they do, this ring will lead us right to her.”

  “But what if she isn’t wearing the ring? You wrote in your notes that, wait a second, I’ve got them right here.”

  Jill heard papers shuffling in the background.

  “Here we go,” Alvin said. “The Board of Regents meets on the Sunday after the Date Auction to choose a princess for the Rose Ransom.”

  “Alvin, please. It’s late. I’m tired. Why are you reading me my own notes?”

  “After the Rose Ransom performance, Renata calls the princess up to the stage and takes her away,” Alvin continued. “Whatever the princess has on her person at that moment is all she brings with her during the abduction.”

  “Trust me, she’ll be wearing the ring,” Jill said. “Is there anything else, Alvin? I’m ready to be done working.”

  “Yeah, just one more thing.”

  “Is it short? It’s almost three in the morning out here.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. It’s just, earlier in the night I got an alert on my phone that the servers are down at the mansion. Do you know what that’s about?”

  “The mansion? You mean Nicky’s house?”

  “Yes, Gia asked me to put a monitor on the computer system we installed in the attic. It’s programmed to shut itself down if--”

  “I know when the servers shut down. I wrote the routine myself.”

  “So what would make them shut off? Do you know what’s happening there tonight?”

  Jill stopped the car in the middle of the street, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

  “No, Alvin. I don’t know what’s happening. I…”

  She pinched the skin between her eyes. Her night had been such a success until now. Alvin’s call was ruining everything.

  “Can you pull up the feed from the security cameras and have a look at what’s going on there?”

  “There are no security cameras!” Alvin said. “Without the servers, nothing’s being recorded!”

  “But what about the backups?”

  A pause.

  “The backups,” Alvin said. “Didn’t think of that.”

  Jill bit her tongue. She reminded herself that none of this was Alvin’s fault. He was doing his job. It wasn’t his problem that Jill was so tired.

  “Okay hang on,” Alvin said. “I’m bringing up the backups now….just one more second….just a bit…”

  “Take all the time you need,” Jill said, forcing calm into her voice.

  “Got it,” Alvin said. “Last backup was an hour ago. I’ll start rewinding from….”

  “From what?”

  Silence on the other end of the line.

  “What is it Alvin? What do you see?”

  She could hear him breathing, but he wasn’t saying anything.

  “Talk to me Alvin. Please.”

  “We’ll need to get this footage in front of you,” he said. His voice was shaky. “Are you someplace safe? Can I send you a link?”

  Zack’s apartment was just outside her window. All she had to do was park the car.

  “Tell me what you see,” she said. “What’s on the video?”

  “I see a bunch of people in the mansion,” Alvin said. “They’re cleaning the place out. Boxes of papers. I don’t know any of these people. It’s like I’m looking at a robbery. There are four…no, five…maybe six of them. They’re taking everything. Where is everybody? How come nobody’s home?”

  Somebody was home, Jill thought.

  “This isn’t good,” she said. “This isn’t good at all. Upload all the footage going back six hours and send me the link.”

  “Okay, I’m scrolling back to grab the last six hours from the backups,” Alvin said. “It’s uploading now. I’ll hav
e a link to you in a few minutes.”

  “Thank you Alvin. I’ll be in touch with you after I’ve watched it.”

  “Jill, what’s happening out there? How could all these people break into the mansion and steal everything? Why wasn’t anyone home?”

  “We had three agents in the mansion tonight,” said Jill. “Gia, Dante, and Kendall were all there. The Bloom mansion has been on high alert ever since Nicky had her run-in with Melissa Mayhew...”

  “Oh no. You don’t think--oh this could be really bad, couldn’t it?”

  “I need you to call Phillip and Helena for me. Tell them they need to meet me at the safe house in Arlington.”

  “But Phillip and Helena are at that gala with--”

  “Yes, I know. They’re not going to want to leave. Tell them to sneak out if they have to. Our covers might be blown any minute now.”

  “Got it. The safe house in Arlington. What are you going to do when you get there?”

  “We’re going to watch this video footage and figure out what the hell is going on.”

  Thirty minutes later, Jill was sitting on a grungy sofa in the Network’s safe house, texting with Zack.

  Zack:

  Where are you?

  Jill:

  Something came up and I can’t come over tonight. Sorry.

  Zack:

  So are you at home?

  Jill:

  I’m someplace safe.

  Zack:

  Are there any crazy people chasing after you with syringes?

  Jill:

  No crazy people here.

  Zack:

  Can I come to you?

  Jill:

  It’s late. Go to sleep. Let’s talk tomorrow.

  Zack:

  Promise me you’re safe.

  Jill:

  I promise. You don’t need to worry about me.

  Zack:

  Okay. Buzz me anytime. Phone is by the bed.

  Jill:

  Good night, Zack.

  The safe house was an old brick home that could have had character and class if anyone took care of it. The Network chose to leave it in a shabby condition to better blend in with its surroundings.