“So, that’s what that call was before,” Taylor said with realization. He, Isaac, and Zac were all sitting in the hallway between Jessie, Avie, and Mackie’s bedroom and their own.
Zac nodded slowly. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner . . . I just didn’t want to upset anybody -”
“It’s past that now,” Ike muttered. Zac looked up at him with wide brown eyes, so Isaac added, “Don’t worry about it, Zackey.”
“So, Zac, what exactly did the person say to you?” Taylor asked.
Just then, Tracy walked out of the guys’ bedroom. “What’re you talking about?” she asked, sitting on the floor beside Taylor.
“Phone calls,” Ike said succinctly.
“They said they were my worst nightmare - a barber.” Zac gave a wry smile before continuing. “Then they got scary - saying they had long, sharp scissors - and razor blades. And that they were going to -” Zac swallowed hard.
“When was this?” Tracy asked him when it was evident he could no longer go on.
“After you left,” he said slowly. “Ike was taking a shower and Tay was on his computer. I heard the phone ring at, like, just before seven. I picked it up and . . .”
Tracy reached over and squeezed his hand. Who did this? she wondered. A barber? That’s not . . .
“Tay,” Tracy said quickly, turning to him.
He looked at her. “Yeah, Missy?”
She took her hand from Zac and touched it to Taylor’s. “Could I talk to you?” She cast a sideways glance at Zac and Isaac before adding, “In there.” She motioned with her head to the guys’ bedroom.
“Oh,” Taylor said quietly, blue eyes widening slightly. “Yeah.” He stood up and the two of them walked into the room, Taylor receiving a sideways glance from Isaac as he shut the door.
He looked at Missy. She was staring down at her hands. “Uh, Missy?” When she looked up at him, he asked, “What did you want to talk about?”
She looked at him for a moment before letting out a pent-up breath. “I . . .” She reached a hand out to him. When he took it, she led him to the mattress the laptop laid on. She pushed the computer toward him. “Taylor, who is this?”
He looked at the screen. The image of Ally was still on it. Taylor passed his gaze between the computer screen and Missy’s face. “I . . .” He touched the side of her face gently with his fingertips. “Ally Field. That’s what she told me,” he said softly. “But -” He swallowed hard. “Missy - were you lying to me then, or are you lying to me now?”
Tracy gaped at him. How did he know she was lying . . .
Then he continued. “I’m TJ. RedJellybean in the chat room.”
She just stared at him. “Who?” she asked, confused.
Taylor’s blue eyes dropped. “You’re not her,” he whispered. “You’re not Ally.”
She put her index finger under his chin and made him look up. “No, I’m not,” she told him quietly. “And . . .” She paused. “I’m not Missy Sheffield either.”
Taylor’s eyes snapped and locked on her face. “What do you mean -”
He didn’t have a chance to finish. Isaac cut him off, yelling, “Taylor, Missy, get out here!”
