Lies Twist The Way We Think

Chapter 20 - Faust

"Of course I'm coming," Aisha says on the phone. "Your friend here, Alisa, has been the nicest. She's helping me pack everything."

"My lawyer," I correct with an amused smile. "I'm so glad you're coming, though."

A laugh. "Of course you are. How have you been surviving without me, anyway?"

It's not a serious question, but I answer it in my mind. Barely. She's like the angel sitting on my shoulder, and without her I would most certainly make a ton of bad decisions. Not that I don't make them either way, but we even each other out.

"I have to go," I tell her. "I'll meet you later today. I..." I pause, unsure how to continue. "There's something wrong here. And I need to find out what it is."

She stays silent for a long time. I'm about to check if she's still on the phone when she speaks again. "I'm worried about you, jaan. I want to help you but I know you can do this without me. Only trust your gut. Don't trust these Hawthornes. I don't like them."

Trust your gut. How often has she told me this? But I thank her anyway.

My plan for today is easy. I need to find Avery, and her letter, and then I will figure out what the letters mean. What the riddle means.

C. R. D. - M. L. T.

"Camille." Her voice is light, as though she hasn't been expecting me. "I was going to look for you."

"Hey," I murmur and step closer to hug her. I inhale and smell the sweet scent of my sister's hair. She may be seventeen now, but she will forever be my baby sister. "How are you?"

Avery pulls back and her eyes are full of excitement. "Look at this," she says instead. "The letters, right?"

Ah. So she has been on the same track as me and Grayson. It doesn't take an idiot to guess that Jameson is involved, too. "I know. Riddle?"

"Riddle," she agrees. "Jameson told me that this place is full of them. Apparently, Tobias Hawthorne loved games and riddles."

That's funny, I think. "Mum raised us to love them, too. Coincidence?"

"I don't know. But here, read mine first." She hands me her letter immediately, like she has been expecting me.

I open it, but the message is almost as short as mine.

Dear Avery,
I'm sorry. Trust your sister.
— T. T. H.

"You see that?" I chuckle. "Trust your sister, Avery." She rolls her eyes, but I'm not looking at her anymore. My eyes rush over the lines, craving more. I don't know why, but I need this. I need the information, but that's not all. I need the adrenaline, the rush I feel in the few seconds between figuring it out and tapping in complete darkness.

"What do you think?" She asks. "I also have Jameson's letter—"

"I've read that one already. Grayson gave it to me," I murmur, and frown at the thought. Why would he do that? Avery wiggles with her eyebrows and I snort.

She walks up and down and only now I take in her room. It reflects her a lot. It's in somewhat bright but neutral colours, but her favourite tones stand out a lot. Blue, beige, that sort. It seems she's taken her time to settle already. In contrast to that, my room doesn't look like my room at all. It's dark and has been stripped of almost all personality. I need Aisha to help me with that. "Jameson and I have started to search in the libraries already, but it seems impossible to find anything."

So she has been on the same track as me. "Grayson didn't even bother. He calls it a waste of time." I roll my eyes and she giggles.

"Maybe it's in the letters," she suggests. "I couldn't find anything else, but maybe there's a clue. Let's go over Jameson's letter again."