Page 74 of Fatal Fame

"Sure."

As soon as Ethan left the room, Mia grabbed his phone. It was locked, but she tried several combinations before entering his birthday. The screen opened, revealing his Facebook app was already active. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the account name: Ivy Rivers.

The messages were all there, weeks of communication with her through the mysterious Facebook account that had been monitoring her investigation. Even a couple of voicemails she had received. What girl had he convinced to say those? Mia set the phone down carefully, her mind racing with implications she didn't want to accept.

She got out of bed despite her injuries and emptied her purse onto the hospital blanket, searching through every pocket and compartment until the bag was completely empty. That's when she felt a suspicious lump in the bag's lining. Tearing back a Velcro strip that held the fabric in place, she discovered a small electronic device hidden in the bag's construction: a GPS tracker.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway made her quickly stuff everything back into the purse and return to bed just as Ethan entered with drinks and a candy bar.

"Not sure the vending machine is much good, but a drink is a drink. I got you a Snickers too." He set the items down and looked at her with growing concern. "You okay, sis? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Mia accepted the hot chocolate and took a sip before speaking. "Thanks." She paused, studying her brother's face. "Ivy."

Ethan's eyes widened, and for a moment something like a smile danced across his features before disappearing. "What?"

"Ivy Rivers. That's the name you used on that fake Facebook profile, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"It's on your phone, Ethan. Don't lie to me."

Ethan said nothing, his head dropping as the pretense became impossible to maintain.

"Why? Why would you send those messages? Why would you track my movements?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Ethan, you knew where I was because you were tracking me." She produced the GPS device she'd found. "This was hidden in my purse. Answer me. Why would you do this?"

"You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

It took several moments for Ethan to compose himself enough to speak. "We lost Mom to her investigating. I didn't want to lose you too."

"That's it?"

He shrugged. "And there's your plan to pursue a career in law enforcement. You're going to leave High Peaks eventually. I’m going to be stuck here alone."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? Mia, look at my grades compared to yours. Yours keep going up, mine keep going down. I saw your computer, heard you talking about the FBI. You're planning to join, which means leaving."

"Sure, but that's not for a long while. I have years before I can even apply."

"Still, eventually you'll go."

"We all leave home eventually. You will too."

"No. Leaving isn't in the cards for me."

"Of course it is. You get to choose what you do with your life."

"Do we, sis?"

"I know you're smart enough to do anything you want."

"You think you know me. When was the last time we actually spent time together?"