Page 143 of Illicit Games

My eyes catch on the name at the top, causing my heart to lurch.

Vicky.

What the fuck?

I tap on her name and read their texts. They are a year old. Terror grips me, nausea climbing up my throat as one of the missing girl’s names pops out to me. It’s the girl Vicky said she was hanging out with. The message mentions the three of them meeting up on the weekend, which is when the girl went missing.

The truth slams into me like a truck.

How did I not piece this together? It was her I talked to about the girls in the cafeteria. She had to have been working with Arjun. None of it can be a coincidence.

I need to tell Detective Rishi.

Right now.

The problem is that I’ve hidden his business card at the apartment. Scrambling up from my desk, I compose myself and knock on Kian’s office door.

His deep voice invites me in.

I cross the threshold, finding him in the conference room with an earpiece in. I walk up to the head of the table where he’s sitting, noticing he’s turned off his camera and is on mute.

“Did you need something, Rainbow?” he asks, pulling me in for a kiss.

I come up with the lamest excuse in history. “I’m not feeling so well. Can I ask Seth to take me home?”

Concern etches on his face as his hands roam all over me, checking my pulse and laying a palm on my forehead to see if I have a fever. “Do you want me to take you to the doctor? I’ll take you home.”

“No, love. You stay here.” Caressing his shoulder and bicep, I murmur, “I’m not that sick. I just need to sleep it off.”

“Okay,” he says reluctantly. “You go home. I’ll be there as soon as I’m done with this call.”

“You don’t have to take the day off.”

“I wasn’t asking, baby.”

Shaking my head, I kiss him once more. “Okay. Don’t drive fast.”

“Eat something before you sleep.”

Exiting his office, I meet Seth, who’s waiting for me with the car ready. I’m jittery the whole ride, but I hide it well. Otherwise, he will report it to Kian.

An hour later, I’m entering the apartment and running into the guest room. Lifting the mattress, I take out the small card. Plopping my ass down on the bed, I dial the number.

“Hello.”

“Rishi? It’s me, Iris.”

“Iris,” he says in recognition. “How may I help you?”

“I think I know who is behind the kidnapping.”

“Who are you suspecting?” His tone turns sharp and alert.

“Arjun Patel. He was Kian’s assistant. And a girl named Vicky. They were both friends with a missing girl from last year. Arjun had been dating Rhea. While Vicky was a close friend of Yukta.” I explain what I read in the chats and how Arjun could be my attacker. My voice turns hysteric as I insist, “You need to check their houses, Rishi. Maybe they haven’t shipped off Rhea and Yukta.”

“Calm down, Iris.”

“You have to catch them before either Arjun or Vicky disappear.”