Page 108 of Missing White Woman

Putting her feet up, she started scrolling through her phone. I resisted making a crack about TikTok. We stayed like this for a while, stretches of silence that Calloway occasionally interrupted to ask one simple question: What was in the house?

I ignored her each and every time, too focused on Billie. She’d visited me only to stall until the police came to arrest me. But why? Payback for ruining Janelle’s stolen identity? Or was it because she knew I might have taken something from the Airbnb? It would explain why she was trying to look around the suite.

But she hadn’t taken anything. I was with her the entire time except when she went to the bathroom and there was nothing in there for her to take.

It just didn’t make sense. I was replaying Billie’s and my conversation for the millionth time when the knock came. Both Calloway and I looked up as Randle poked his head in. “We need to talk,” he said.

Calloway didn’t look at me as she left, but I didn’t want her to—still focused on trying to figure out Billie’s visit. I replayed it over and over again. I didn’t know when Calloway eventually came back, but she looked grim when she did. “Stand up,” she said.

I didn’t rush, taking my time, until I saw her pull out what had to be the handcuffs key. “What’s going on?” They were the first words I had spoken in at least an hour.

“Someone confessed to the break-in.”

You’d think she would sound more excited about solving a case.

I managed to hide my surprise. My first thought was someone from TikTok claiming it as some sick bid for attention. But it didn’t matter. I’d take it if it meant getting out of here.

“You need a ride back to your hotel?” Calloway said.

“I’ll walk.”

I had nothing with me. Calloway hadn’t even let me take my cell. But I didn’t care. I’d rather walk to the ends of the earth than get into another squad car. Besides, I wasn’t going back to the hotel. At least not mine.

Calloway opened the door. I didn’t look at her as I walked into the hallway and toward the exit. I had to pass Randle to do it. He held the door open for what had to be Interrogation Room 2. The one I’d been so desperately wanting Billie to be in.

I couldn’t help it. My head turned as I passed the door, twisting to look beyond Randle’s burly frame to see who was sitting inside. Who’d confessed.

It was Adore.

She was staring at her manicured, cuffed hands, but she must’ve sensed me because she looked up just then.

I hesitated when we made eye contact. Time seemed to once again stand still as we just stared. She gave me a single nod. I gave her one back. Then I kept going.

@ABrushWithBillie TikTok

534 Following 4.1M Followers 14.3M Likes

The screen is just a black image with words on them.

I’m taking some much needed time off.

—Billie

THIRTY-THREE

Billie was gone. I went straight to the Regency as soon as I left the police station. It wasn’t hard to find. Just walk toward the skyline and look for the orange blob. But when I got there, I was too late. The front desk attendant told me she’d checked out that morning.

She’d disappeared. Probably heading home.

I needed to finally do the same. Adore had given me a literal get-out-of-jail-free card. I needed to stop being hung up on the past—be it twelve years or twelve days. I needed to be like her: use this as an opportunity to stop being scared to follow my dreams. I owed it to Adore. I owed it to Ty. And I owed it to myself.

Let Calloway find Janelle—do her job.

I was going home.

I went back to my hotel. It didn’t take long, and when I got there, the first-floor entrance was empty. Not that it mattered. I was over hiding behind my mask. Since I didn’t have my key, I was only able to get to the hotel lobby on the top floor.

It was there that my solitary confinement ended. An older blond white lady in short shorts and a hot-pink tank that matched her manicure was saying something to yet another in a long line of front-desk attendants.