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“Today, we will be discussing voice, person, tense. You know, the semantics.” I stopped. Something was off. “Where’s Ruby?”
Claire shrugged, “I don’t know. Haven’t seen her.”
Immediately, I turned to Jennie. If something sketchy was up, she was my culprit. She picked at her lip ring and shrugged.
“She’s your partner.”
“So?”
“Ant, go find her.”
Ant saluted and gave me the typical “yes, sir.”
I hated that he called me that, but Virginia had insisted upon it. Ever of the belief that I didn’t command the respect I deserved, she said it was the right thing to do and Ant had never objected. Though, sometimes when he said it, he did it with a smirk. In a way, it was like a friendly nickname now.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Don’s naked chested flinch. Then, I watched as his pectoral muscles clenched.
“Don? Where’s Ruby?”
“No idea. That girl’s hardly ever here. After workshops, she disappears into her room.”
“Too good for us,” Brian mumbled. “It’s how some women are. Not my Karen.”
The fuck we were listening to Captain Ninja Turtles prattle on about his wife. For a guy who insisted he only liked one of his kids and was honest enough to admit he hated his life, he sure did talk a lot. He could take a hint from Ruby.
I remembered what Virginia had always said about the quiet ones. In spite of her history of being right on such matters, this was one of those times I had to disagree with her. Ruby had never done or said anything like the others to make me think she’d be a problem. Quiet, sure. But the way she presented herself on the application and her true self? They were completely different. I generally enjoyed having her around and had from the beginning. Funny, as she was the one I dreaded most, expecting some Silicone Valley accent and entitlements. But emerging scarlet she was not. In fact, she’d faded so far into the distance I wondered if she wanted to write at all.
Later, in the bathroom, I brought it up to Virginia.
“You know, maybe she’s the tribute.”
“What do you mean?”
“Based on her behavior, well, think about it. She’s an actress. They say actors are like authors. They play the role they want.”
“She’s playing dead.”
“And my point is made,” Virginia said.
“Oh.”
***
AN HOUR LATER, IT WAS the same: “Maybe she’s volunteering as a tribute,” Claire said.
I could only imagine Claire killing Ruby herself when she decided Ruby had stolen her vibrator.
“Yeah. We could just go with that. Final four,” Brian said.
“No. That’s cheap. I’ll go find her,” Jennie said. “She’s my partner and I refuse to win like that. I can win this on my own, thanks.” With that, the ever assuming but likely not wrong Jennie left. I did nothing to stop her.
***
“SHE LEFT. WALKED RIGHT out through the basement,” Virginia said, matter of fact.
It was my fourth trip to the bathroom today and, to be honest, getting a little ridiculous. But I wasn’t above admitting that me and my love were codependent. A missing student was hardly something we’d planned for. I needed help.
“What? She just took off like that? Not a word to anyone?”
“Well, she’s an actress. They live for dramatics.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of Virginia’s blasé attitude. Ruby Vincent had shown up with a plan to take over the world and simply forfeited? For what? What was her secret? Was there a man? It made no sense.
“Stop worrying about it. It’s perfect.”
“How so?” It was hard to forget how Virginia had championed for her and insisted her valley girl talk had to have only been for show.
“Fours. Life works in fours. The elements.”
“Jesus, not that again.”
“Jennie is fire. Don’s wind. Claire’s earth. Brian’s water.”
I refused to listen to it. I refused to mention that she was forever encased in a tub of fake water herself. And Virginia was nothing like itchy Mr. Tide. The elements had nothing to do with it. I wanted to go after Ruby and ask her why. At the same time, I knew I couldn’t. Anyone who didn’t even have the heart to finish it out after all they’d agreed to risk had never had their heart in it in the first place. It made me sad. But I also knew that, to win it, you had to be strong. Talent alone would never be enough.
“I thought Alice sealed the basement up.”
“She was off payroll when you asked her.”
“Oh.” That explains that then. Lovely.
It was my own fault. By now, I knew, the only way I could be sure things got done was to do them myself. It was a hard lesson to learn but one I’d never forget now. Even with only a few months of my life left, I was grateful for it. Alice had done me a favor. It wasn’t like I didn’t know how to stand on my own. I had taught her everything she knew. Leaving the bathroom without so much as a goodbye, I limped down the hall toward the main part of the house. I had to get back to the workshop. But first, it was time to lock up the basement. Three was not a number I could depend on.
Minutes later, I stared at the open cage. Lucifer was gone.