“Yeah?” My forehead creased. “How?”
“Think about it. The Dirt app probably receives hundreds of messages per day. Tips that people send in about all sorts of stuff.” Erin’s brows lifted. “I mean, there’s always someone around to see or hear things they aren’t supposed to. That’s half the reason the app exists.”
“True.”
“So I was thinking—we could ask RXorcist to put up a post asking for information on Kinsey’s whereabouts. That way, if anyone saw or heard anything unusual tonight, they’ll send it in as a tip.”
I drummed my fingertips on the steering wheel as I mulled it over. “The Dirt app has a huge reach, so that could work. But what if RXorcist says no? Or what if they don’t see our message for a week?” I asked. “Like you said, they probably get hundreds of messages every day. So we could be stuck for ages waiting for a reply. Or we might never get one at all.”
“I already thought of that, and I have a solution,” Erin replied. “We figure out RXorcist’s true identity. Then we threaten to expose him or her to everyone at CPA unless they agree to help us.”
“Blackmail, huh?” I said, looking to the left as I turned onto another street. “I like it. But how can we actually do it? Tons of people have tried to unmask RXorcist before, and no one has ever succeeded. Not even you.”
Erin’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I know. That’s where I lost steam with the idea,” she said, rubbing the side of her face. “I was kinda hoping you’d have a suggestion.”
“Are you sure you can’t track them down?” I asked. “You’ve always been great at tech stuff. That’s why we suspected you for RXorcist.”
“Trust me, I’m notthatgood. RXorcist is leagues ahead of me,” she said, rolling her eyes upward. “Anyway, I’ve tried to figure out who they are a couple times, but that sort of stuff isn’t really in my skillset. I guess I’m just not experienced enough.” She paused to let out a sigh. Then she sat up straight again. “Wait, what about that guy? The one you mentioned earlier.”
“What guy?”
“The one you paid to help Kinsey break into the school security system.”
“Oh. Remy.” I nodded slowly. “He could probably help us, but we won’t be able to get hold of him for a while.”
“Why?”
“He’s based somewhere in northern Africa. It’s eight o’clock in the morning there right now.”
Erin frowned. “So?”
“He’s one of those chronically-online nocturnal people. He stays up on his computer until three or four in the morning, and then he crashes until sometime after lunch. At least that’s what he made it sound like when we chatted.” I glanced at the time on the dash. “So we can contact him, but we probably won’t hear back from him for a long time.”
Erin sighed. “Dammit. I want to do somethingnow.”
“Yeah. Me too. Are you sure you can’t think of anyone else who might be able to help us?”
Erin’s mouth tugged down at the corners, and she fell silent for a moment. Then her face brightened. “Do you remember Adam Levitt? He was a senior at CPA last year.”
“Nope, never met him.”
“Figures. He was a huge nerd. Like, even more of a nerd than me,” she said with a wry smile. “We were in Robotics Club together. He’s super smart, and he taught me a ton of stuff.”
“Do you think he’d be able to track down RXorcist?”
“Probably.” Erin hesitated. “There’s just one problem. We fell out of touch because he asked me out and I said no. He didn’t react badly. It was just awkward. So we haven’t spoken in a whole year.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind hearing from you. Especially if it’s an emergency.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and took a deep breath. “I’ll text him now.”
While she composed the message to Adam, I pulled over on the edge of the road and checked my own phone. A message from Anna was waiting in my inbox.
I went to the police and told them what was happening. They checked Kinsey’s ankle monitor and told me the battery is dead, so they can’t locate her. Have you and Erin found anything yet?
I sighed and messaged her back.Not yet, but we’re still looking.
Anna:This is a nightmare. The police said they’ll send out a team to look for her, but she could be anywhere by now. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m losing my mind.