The Devil In Disguise

The Last Message

The tension in Mary's living room was thick, the air heavy with the weight of Jamie's brutal murder. The group sat scattered around, their faces etched with fear, confusion, and suspicion. Mary sat curled up on the couch, her tear-streaked face pale, barely able to hold herself together. Gianina felt her chest tighten as she prepared to tell the group what she had been keeping from them.

She had been with Marcus when Jamie messaged her. She should have told everyone right away, but the message felt cryptic at the time, and now... Jamie was gone. The truth hung heavily on her, and she knew it was time to let it out.

"I need to tell you guys something," Gianina said softly, her voice cutting through the thick silence. She could feel Marcus shift beside her, his body tense. They both knew this moment was coming, and they could no longer delay it.

Everyone turned to look at her. Rufus raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. Cal, who had been pacing moments earlier, stopped and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Mary, her grief still raw, barely lifted her head.

"What is it?" Rufus asked, his voice tinged with suspicion. "You've been keeping something from us, haven't you?"

Gianina nodded, the guilt pressing down on her. She swallows deeply before speaking, "Jamie messaged me right before he died."

The room went still. The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous.

Mary sat up straighter, her eyes wide with shock. "What? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Gianina looked down at her phone, avoiding their accusing eyes. "I didn't know what to think. He said he knew who the killer was and told me to meet him at the old warehouse by the lake."

"You didn't go, did you?" Cal asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

"No," Gianina said quickly, shaking her head. "Marcus was with me when I got the message. He convinced me not to go."

Rufus's eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a sharper edge. "Convenient, don't you think? You and Marcus were together the whole time, and then Jamie ends up dead?"

Marcus's jaw clenched, and he took a step forward. "What are you trying to say, Rufus?"

Rufus didn't back down, his gaze locked onto Marcus. "I'm saying it's suspicious that you were the one telling Gianina not to meet Jamie, and now Jamie's dead. How do we know you weren't involved?"

Gianina felt her heart race, panic bubbling up inside her. "That's not true," she said firmly, stepping closer to Marcus. "Marcus had nothing to do with it. We were together all night. I slept at his house."

The room fell silent again, the weight of her words hanging in the air. Everyone stared at her, processing what she had just said. The group knew that Gianina wasn't physical with Marcus. They knew she wanted to be out of high school before becoming sexually active. Gianina could feel the tension between them, as if a line had been drawn.

Rufus scoffed, his face twisting with disbelief. "You're defending him because he's your boyfriend, G. But that doesn't mean he's innocent. Why would you stay the night at his house? You two aren't sleeping together."

"I know he's innocent because I was with him," Gianina snapped, her voice rising. "We were together the whole night. There's no way Marcus could've left and killed Jamie. I was too scared to stay at my place by myself. You know that I live alone." Rufus' face softens with her words he knows that her parents had left her the home and she got her inheritance when she turned 18 last November. Gianina's parents died shortly after she turned 18 in a car accident.

They had been trying to save a small family who went off the bridge and into the lake. Her dad had managed to help the father but the little girl had passed with Gianina's mother. Her mother who had died trying to protect the little girl as her own. They both had drowned in the lake. Her father apparently died as he saved the father who didn't want to leave his daughter. Apparently the guy had been drinking and went off the bridge. Her parents died saving him and after the autopsy's were performed it had been revealed that he had sexually abused his daughter. The Howards were the opposing lawyers on the case and wanted to help put him behind bars. Justice was served and he was given 30 years for manslaughter and sexual abuse of a minor.

Marcus wrapped his arm around Gianina drawing her from her thoughts. Rufus's expression quickly darkened as if he was almost jealous, his suspicion deepening. "You don't know what people are capable of, G. You're trusting him blindly."

"Enough!" Marcus's voice boomed, cutting through the tension. "I had nothing to do with Jamie's death. You want to accuse someone? Look at yourself before you start pointing fingers at me."

Mary let out a shaky breath, her voice soft but pleading. "We shouldn't be doing this. Accusing each other isn't going to bring Jamie back. We're supposed to be friends."

Cal, who had been watching the exchange with narrowed eyes, finally spoke up. "Gianina's right. If she and Marcus were together all night, then he's not the one we should be focusing on. We need to figure out who Jamie thought the killer was."

Rufus hesitated for a moment, his eyes still locked on Marcus. But eventually, he backed off, his expression unreadable. "Fine. But we can't trust anyone until we know the truth."

Jordan, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, her voice trembling. She was holding on to Cal's arm to feel safe. "So what do we do? If Jamie knew who the killer was, then we're all in danger."

Gianina took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "We need to figure out what Jamie knew. He messaged me because he had something important to say, but he never got the chance to tell me."

"Did he leave any other clues?" Mary asked, her voice trembling as she wiped away fresh tears. "Anything we could use to find out what he knew?"

Gianina shook her head. "No. He didn't respond after I told him I wasn't going to meet him."

"So we're back to square one," Cal muttered, frustration evident in his tone. "We have no idea who the killer is, and now Jamie's dead."

Rufus crossed his arms, his face hardening. "The killer is close. Jamie wouldn't have risked everything if he didn't know for sure."

Marcus nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We need to look into everything. Jamie might've been digging around before he died. Maybe there's something in his messages or social media that can point us in the right direction."

Jordan shuddered. "I can't believe we're doing this. It's like something out of a nightmare."

"It is a nightmare," Gianina whispered, her voice barely audible. "But we don't have a choice. Jamie knew something, and whoever killed him is still out there."

The group fell into a heavy silence once again. Gianina's mind raced as she thought about Jamie's cryptic message, about the danger they were all in. She could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her, threatening to crush her under the fear and uncertainty. But she had to push forward. They all did.

"Mary can I talk to you alone for a minute in your room"? , Gianina asked quietly. "Of course" , Mary said as they both got up to head to the bedroom.

As they entered Gianina closed the door. "Mary did Jamie tell you anything? Normally, he would have messaged or called to tell you and not just me." Mary looks up at Gianina as she is shorter than her. "He didn't say anything. I wish he had, I don't understand why he messaged you instead of me." Mary looks down upset.

"I would have went to him if he messaged me. I don't even care if the killer was there. I would have went to him. I would have rather died with him," she says sobbing. "No, Mary you don't mean that," Gianina says crying as well. Gianina reaches out and pulls Mary into a hug. They cry into each other. Gianina cries for everyone including her parents. Mary cries for her murdered friend and the boy she has loved since middle school.

The girls take some time to calm themselves as they prepare to walk back into the living room. As they enter they hear Marcus' voice. "We'll figure it out," Marcus said firmly, his voice cutting through the quiet. "We'll find out who did this. For Jamie. And for Destiny." The group looks up at Mary and Gianina who just entered.

Gianina nodded, her heart heavy with determination. She had to believe they could solve this, had to believe that they could stop the killer before anyone else got hurt.

But as she looked around the room, at the faces of her friends—some filled with fear, others with doubt—she couldn't shake the feeling that the worst was yet to come.