Evie did all she could to not get caught. She had purposely worn clothing that made her look younger—denim shorts and a vibrant crop top that complemented her slender figure—and put her hair into a loose ponytail. She felt ridiculous, but the endgame to this exercise was far too important to pass up. Like it or not, she had to be there.
She started by asking a few people for the right dorm number. Most of the girls were kind enough to help, some being sensible enough to ask a couple of questions first. Like why did Evie want the girl? Had she done something wrong? Was Evie a cop? They were oddly suspicious, but in this day and age, Evie thought a little paranoia went a long way.
Good for them, she thought.
The building was a maze of badly marked dorm rooms. Evie made her way through, squeezing between the tipsy young women that stank of alcohol and cheap perfume. The scents took her back some years, but she kept her focus on the task at hand. It was a big deal, after all. Maybe one of the biggest moments of her life. It was impossible not to shake.
Finally, she found room ninety-four. Loud, heavy-bass music blasted against the wood, pounding like it was trying to get out. Evie took a deep breath, prepared herself for the worst, then knocked on the door as hard as she could.
“Hello?” she said. “I’m looking for Amelia Hart.”
She stepped back and waited. Waited. It felt like an eternity before the music was turned down. The door finally swung open. A slim young woman appeared. She frowned, her face covered in just enough makeup to not call it “too much.” Her little nose wriggled as she contorted her lips.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
Evie had to dig deep to find the words. She had rehearsed her speech a thousand times, but never did she think she would actually get to be here, standing face-to-face with the girl. How long had it been now, she wondered? Seven, maybe eight years since the last fleeting exchange? Even longer since she had said goodbye forever. Or at least until now.
“Amelia?” Evie asked softly.
The girl looked at her as if she recognized her. Her eyes rolled up and down Evie’s body. She had the same skeptical expression as the kids downstairs, only this time it came with a squinting of the eyes. “Who’s asking?”
“My name is Evie Black. I have reason to believe your life might be in danger.” Evie let out a long, stress-filled breath. Her heart was thumping the whole time. “Is there somewhere we can go to talk? Somewhere… quieter?”
“Er…” Amelia stepped outside and pulled the door to a close, drowning out the sound. She did this so delicately, like she didn’t want to disrupt whoever else was in that dorm room. “I’m not sure I understand. What’s the danger?”
“It’s complicated. There’s a serial killer on the loose.”
“And what does that have to do with me?”
Evie realized how stupid this sounded. However much she elaborated on it, it would sound like some kind of dumb prank or scam. It quickly became clear that there was only one way to deal with this, and that was to hit her with the truth. To blurt it out before she could talk herself out of it. All it took was a little courage.
“Because the killer is after me,” she said. “And I’m your real mother.”
Amelia’s jaw dropped. She had no words, and Evie couldn’t blame her. Not one bit.