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“Am I right?” Tempest stood in front of Detective Blackburn in his office, her hands balled into fists. “You’re not tailing Sanjay because you think he’s a killer, but because you’re worried he’s the intended victim?”

“Why did you all think otherwise?” Blackburn shook his head. “Were you part of helping him disappear this morning? If you know where he is—”

“I have no idea where he is. Truly. He’s angry at me, so he’s not returning my texts.” She sank into a chair and put her head in her hands. “We were right that first night when we thought Lucas was dead?”

Blackburn gave a curt nod. “I didn’t know for certain last night, which is why I admit I might have been a little bit vague with Sanjay. Last night, what I knew was that if Mr. Cruz was killed while you were trapped inside that escape room, Sanjay was looking like my main suspect—yes, in spite of his connection with you. But if the ME’s initial assessment that he was killed the day before was correct… The two men do look very much alike.”

“Especially in the dark,” she whispered.

“Exactly. If the killer failed in their first attempt, it was prudent to keep an eye on Sanjay. He was either the prime suspect or the intended victim. A good person to keep an eye on.”

Tempest gripped the edge of the desk. Where was Sanjay now? Gideon had gone in search of him while Tempest talked with Blackburn.

“I got confirmation just a few minutes ago,” he continued. “Mr. Cruz was indeed dead long before you were all trapped in the escape room. That’s why I’m back at the station. I need to take new statements. Mr. Cruz was killed the previous day, like you and your friends initially thought. I need statements about that night.”

“So it couldn’t have been Lucas who trapped us in that escape room before his partner turned on him.” She’d been hoping she was wrong, because it would mean Sanjay wasn’t in grave danger. “But that prop gun couldn’t have—”

“Why do you think he was shot?”

“Because of the bullet hole.” She blinked at him. She’d seen Lucas’s dead eyes and the bullet hole in his chest.

“That wasn’t a bullet hole, Tempest. Lucas Cruz wasn’t shot. He was stabbed.”