"Just so we're clear, this is your third, and final, request." I strode into Jake's apartment and put my phone, laptop, and notebook on the dining table.
"Yes, thank you." Jake picked up the purple leash on the table and handed it to me, making me frown in confusion. "I need you to take Princess Tortie for a walk. She'll lead the way."
The black-and-orange cat bumped her head against my leg and gazed up at me, looking extremely adorable in a pink vest with a pair of angel wings on its back.
"I've written down everything you need to do for tonight." Jake grabbed the piece of paper stuck on the refrigerator with a magnet and gave it to me. "If you need more toys for her playtime, there are more in my room."
What kind of a ten-year-old cat needs regular play time? I glanced at the stack of toys in the living room and spotted a pink teaser stick next to the cat tunnel. Unlike the other toys, the rainbow-colored furry feather on the end of the stick was in a pristine condition. Narrowing my eyes, I pointed at the toy and asked, "That's new, isn't it?"
Jake's eyes widened, almost as if screaming, "How the heck did she know that?"
I put my fists on my hips. "I thought I told you to stop buying new toys for Princess Tortie."
"Yes, but it was on sale. Can't miss out on a good deal, right?" As I opened my mouth to protest, he cleared his throat. "Where was I? Ah. For dinner, she needs to be spoonfed—"
"Did you just say spoonfed?" I furrowed my brow.
"Just read my notes. I'll be home as soon as I can." He picked up his backpack and strode toward the door.
Following him, I squinted to read the terrible handwriting on the paper.
7 p.m. – 8 p.m. Walk in the park
8 p.m. – 8.15 p.m. Dinner
Tonight's dinner: 1 can of Cat Royale's Smooth Salmon Paté for 7yrs+ (I've put the can, her bowl, and her spoon on the dining table)
Snack: MIAO! Tuna with scallops – 1 TUBE ONLY (she'll ask for more, but DON'T give it to her)
8.15 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. Playtime
9.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m. Watching Super Bestie on TweetyFlix
"Hey," Jake said, stopping before the door, "I don't have any spare bed, so you can just sleep in mine."
The thought of sleeping in his bed sent a rush of heat across my cheeks. Don't be ridiculous, Lindsey. It's not like you're going to sleep in his bed with him in it.
"Or the sofa," Jake quickly added with an awkward smile. "Take your pick."
Avoiding his gaze, I swallowed and gave him a thumbs-up. "Got it."
Just as I was about to close the door, he stopped and spun to face me. "Oh, I almost forgot. My grandma's coming to L.A. this weekend. Are you free this Friday?"
"Yeah."
He tilted his head to look over my shoulder. "Princess Tortie, you be good, okay? Daddy will be back as soon as possible. Love you." Switching his gaze back to me, he said, "Thanks, Shrimp. I owe you one."
I waited until he disappeared down the stairs before I closed the door. Leaning back against the door, I blew out a long sigh. Geez, Lindsey. What is wrong with you?
"Meow." Princess Tortie stared up at me, her head tilted to one side and eyes wide with anticipation.
"Looks like someone's excited to go for a walk, huh?"
"Meee-ow." As weird as it sounded, I could detect a level of excitement in her voice.
I chuckled. "Let me get my phone, okay?"
As I strode toward the kitchen, the sight of my laptop reminded me of something important. Zoe had asked me to e-mail her the Farmers Market article tomorrow morning. If I didn't start working now, I might not be able to finish it on time.
Biting my lower lip, I crouched in front of the chubby cat and blew out a breath. "I'm sorry, Princess Tortie. But I have to work. Why don't you just play at home? I mean, you have lots of toys. I'll play with you when I'm finished working." I stroked the top of her head and gave her an apologetic smile before I stood up.
"Alright." I settled on one of the chairs by the dining table, opened my laptop, and flipped my notebook to the latest entry. "Time to work."
As I started typing the article title, I felt a pair of eyes watching me. Princess Tortie stood next to my chair and stared up at me. Her round yellow eyes looked almost twice as big as usual, and her pupils dilated. It was almost as if she was pleading for me—or rather threatening me—to take her for a walk.
"Go play." I gestured to the scattered toys in the living room before returning my attention to my notes. "Ice cream roll. Looks good, tastes good, but still ice cream—"
I gasped when Princess Tortie jumped onto my laptop.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Princess Tortie, you can't do that." I gently set her on the floor. "Now, go play."
Instead of doing as told, she stood her ground and started whining.
Her whine grew louder and louder, and after a while, I gave in. "Alright, alright, alright!"
Princess Tortie and I walked around the quiet park for an hour, enjoying the view and stopping occasionally when she noticed a bird or bugs. Her hunting skills were superb for a cat her age. If only the leash hadn't limited her movements, she would've caught one of the birds.
We returned to Jake's apartment a few minutes later than scheduled, and by then, Princess Tortie was starving. Although I had no idea why she refused to eat directly from her bowl, she devoured spoonful after spoonful of her dinner in record time. Like the cats at Purrever Home, she went a little crazy after dinner. She raced around the living room, ran in and out of the tunnels, and chewed the furry feather on the end of the new pink stick as if it were the most delicious bird on the planet.
Princess Tortie might be ten years old, but she had the heart and energy of a ten-month-old kitten, and spending the evening with her turned out to be exactly what I needed.
By the time the clock struck nine, I'd never felt more invigorated. While Princess Tortie sat on the couch watching her favorite TV show, I used the time to write my article.
"Delphine's Muffins offered the best blueberry muffin in town. Their muffins are—"
My phone dinged. Suspicion tingled along my spine when I saw I had a new message from Charity.
What does she want now?
My thumb hovered over the notification. Curiosity told me to check the message, but the sensible part of me knew whatever it was would distract me. After a moment of consideration, I decided to ignore it and went back to work.
I finished the article around the same time Princess Tortie finished watching Super Bestie. Closing my laptop, I said, "Alright, Princess Tortie. Time for bed."
The chubby cat arched her back and stretched her legs before hopping off the sofa and sauntering toward the master bedroom. She pushed the door open with her head, and I followed her into the room.
Jake's bedroom was a mess, and I had a feeling it wasn't just because he'd left in a hurry. A yellow blanket was crumpled at the foot of the queen-size bed, draping to the floor. His clothes and Princess Tortie's toys were scattered all over the room; a rumpled T-shirt and a pair of running shorts on the bed, a damp towel on the back of the chair behind the desk, and a plush fish on the floor, to name a few.
Well, at least he didn't leave his underwear in plain sight.
I tidied up the room for the night. Once I was done, I flung myself onto the bed and released a tired breath.
Jake's bedroom might be similar to mine, but it was much more cozy. Unlike my bed, his bed was perfect, not too hard yet not too soft. The scent of his minty shampoo puffing up from the fluffy pillow was calming. And the best part? There was a working air conditioner in the room.
Hmm. This is nice.
Just as I was about to go to sleep, the mattress dipped. For a moment, I thought Jake had returned and decided to jump onto the bed with me; and the thought sent a strange excitement through me. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you crazy—
Something nudged my hip. "What the—"
I released the breath I'd been holding when I saw Princess Tortie flopping on her side next to me.
Right. What was I thinking?
Embarrassment heated my face. I glanced around to find anything to distract me, and my eyes fell onto the velvet cat bed near the nightstand.
"Hey." I nudged Princess Tortie with my leg. "Aren't you supposed to sleep in your own bed?"
She ignored me and started to lick her paws and wipe her face with them instead.
I chuckled. "Alright. You win."
I rubbed her head with my knuckles before shutting my eyes again. About ten seconds later, my phone buzzed.
"Great. Now what?" I reached for my phone on the nightstand and checked my notifications.
@NatalieWinterss sent you a message
I dragged my body into a sitting position and opened my TweetyGram inbox.
OMG! You're transferring to RBA?
I went to RBA too!
The Wolf quoted my latest post, which was a photo of Louise in my old Rietveld-Beaumont Academy uniform; a white polo shirt with the school's logo embroidered on the left chest, a navy blue skirt, and knee-high socks. I'd had a hunch it would get the Wolf's attention, and boy, did I love it when I was right.
NO WAY
PICS OR IT DIDN'T HAPPEN
I smirked. Alright, Malibu Wolf. Time to see how well you know Nat.
Haha 😂
Hold on.
I crossed my legs and chewed my lips, fingers tapping the edge of my phone.
Almost three minutes later, the Wolf sent me a picture of Nat with her classmates. They were photographed at the schoolyard wearing the private school's uniform. Sera, Charity, Harriet, and even Paris were in the picture with Nat, so it didn't narrow down the suspect pool.
OMG!!! WHAT A COINCIDENCE!!!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GOING TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS NATALIE WINTERS
*DIES*
Lol 😂😂😂
I'm super nervous tbh
I don't know anyone in RBA
Any advice?
The typing ellipses blinked for a while.
Just be yourself!
I'm sure everyone will love you 😉
It was great advice, and it sounded like something Nat would say. But no matter how much they tried to pretend to be Nat, they weren't her. Sooner or later, they were bound to slip.
Noted!
Speaking of Rietveld-Beaumont Academy, what extracurricular activities did you participate in back in high school?
They offer so many interesting ones. I'm having trouble choosing 😫
She replied right away.
Well, I was captain of the cheer team and I was in the drama club once too.
I had to quit the drama club because my schedule was too packed though.
A few days ago, I'd asked Nat the same question, and she gave me the same answer as the Wolf just did. It still didn't narrow down the suspect pool, but the next question might do the trick.
OMG. I'm thinking of joining the cheer team too!
I was the head cheerleader back in Maccheronia High, and I want to try out for the team here too.
Any tips?
My messages were left on read for a moment. Then, the speech bubble ellipses blinked. And disappeared. And blinked. And disappeared. My curiosity heightened every time the typing indicator appeared.
Well, being a cheerleader in Rietveld-Beaumont is all about appearance.
So make sure you look your best on your tryout! 😊
Although some would argue otherwise, cheerleading wasn't a beauty contest. It was about discipline, team spirit, confidence, and so much more than just about looking good. The Wolf's answer sounded like something Charity would say, considering she only joined the cheer team to get the boys' attention, and it also reminded me of what Sera had once said.
Nat and I had gone to great lengths to convince Sera otherwise. I thought we'd succeeded, but I might be wrong.
Got it.
My mom insists I also join something more academic-related for my college application though
But tbh academic-related clubs sound so boring
The Wolf's reply arrived faster than I'd expected.
You should join the Model UN Club!
You'll get to learn about different countries, debate global issues, and develop your public speaking skills too.
The best part is each year you can join the National High School Model UN Conference in NYC, where you can meet students from all across the country!
It's a wonderful way to learn and make friends at the same time!
The Wolf sounded like a spokesperson for the Model UN club, which meant they might've been a former member of Rietveld-Beaumont Academy's Model UN Club.
Well, well. Your sheep's clothing is slipping a little, Wolf.
It seemed like the Wolf realized this too because they quickly sent me more messages.
I have friends who joined the Model UN Club and they tell me it's super fun.
If I weren't so busy, I would've joined it.
Nat was never interested in debate or anything related to politics. It was unlikely she would've joined a political simulation.
That's a great idea!
I'm planning on studying political science at Harvard so that'd be perfect
TYSM!!!
The Wolf excused herself, promising to talk to me again tomorrow, and went offline.
I leaned against the headboard, stretched my legs out, and re-read my conversation with the Wolf.
Between their comment about cheerleaders and the fact that all of their victims were cheerleaders, I suspected the Wolf harbored a grudge against cheerleaders, perhaps because they'd been mistreated by one.
Like Sera had been.
My head pounded at the possibility of Sera being the Malibu Wolf. A part of me didn't want to believe it, so I searched for another clue to prove that I was wrong.
The Wolf's excitement went they talked about the Model UN club led me to believe they were a former member of the prestigious club. If I could find out who was and wasn't in Rietveld-Beaumont's Model UN Club, I would be able to cross some names from the suspect pool.
Hopefully Sera's.
I browsed the internet for more information on the National High School Model UN Conference the Wolf had mentioned. The conference's official website didn't offer much information about its past participants, but lucky for me, the conference also had a TweetyGram page. I scrolled past tons of pictures of the latest event until I found a familiar face.
Almond had participated in the latest edition of the prestigious conference.
Hmm. Could Almond be the Wolf?
I continued scrolling through the photos, hoping to find another familiar face. Unfortunately, the earliest post was dated three years ago, a year after the other suspects had graduated. I couldn't find any photos of the other suspects, but that didn't mean they were innocent.
Curiosity prompted me to call Nat, who answered on the first ring.
"Hey! Have you caught the wolf already?" Nat asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
"No, not yet. But I have a new lead."
"Great. What is it?"
"Do you know if any of the suspects were in the Model UN Club back in high school?"
"Hmm . . ."
I pressed my phone to my ear and yanked the dead skin off my lips.
"Sera was," Nat said. As I bit back a curse, she continued, "I think she and Paris once went to New York for a conference or something. I remember being so jealous because they were having a fun field trip while I was stuck in LA, filming from dusk to dawn. I'm not sure about the others though. You should talk to Paris."
I thanked her, hung up the phone, and sat back against the headboard.
Sera just moved to the top spot of my suspect list. A part of me still refused to believe she committed the ultimate crime of betraying a friend's trust, but the other part of me wanted to quickly unmask the Wolf for the sake of my best friend—and myself.
I checked the time. It was 9.45 p.m. in L.A., which meant it was 6.45 a.m. in Paris. Paris—my friend, not the city—was unlikely to be awake so early, so I decided to leave her a text instead of calling.
Hey
Were Harriet and Charity in Rietveld-Beaumont's Model UN Club?
To my surprise, Paris replied to my message right away.
OFC!
Harriet was an honorary member of Rietveld-Beaumont's MUN Club.
Like Sera and me!
Harriet, huh? Back in 8th grade, Harriet had once tried out for the cheerleading team. She didn't make the cut because she couldn't even do the basic tumbling routine, but Charity started a rumor that Harriet failed to make the team because she wasn't pretty enough. Harriet might think that was true, and she might have the same view on cheerleaders as the Wolf.
What about Charity?
As if Charity's ever interested in anything that requires her to use her brain 🙄
Not that I do either, but you know what I mean.
Paris had a good point. Charity wasn't the type of person who would join an academic-related club such as the Model UN Club, let alone speak so fondly about it. Although I hated to do it, I had no choice but to put Charity at the bottom of my suspect list.
You know, when Mom told me to join MUN, I thought it was gonna be boring, but it totally wasn't.
The whole club went to the MUN Conference in New York once, and it was super fun!
Medusa Lindsey peeked out of her cave, once again reminding me how different my life was compared to my friends. Paris had an enjoyable experience in high school, whereas my high school experience was a nightmare. A wave of discontent swirled in my stomach. Medusa Lindsey was working her poison on me, but this time, I fought back.
My high school experience might've been a nightmare, but it shaped me into the person I was.
And I liked who I was.
A fresh bolt of energy rushed through my veins. I rolled a boulder against the entrance of Medusa Lindsey's cave, trapping her inside.
Ooh, ooh, ooh! And guess what?
Sera actually won the Best Delegate Award back then!
Can you believe it?
It's, like, the most prestigious award in the conference, and she won!
The new information made my head hurt. Sera seemed to have had a wonderful time at the conference, just like the Wolf. She also had the same view on cheerleaders as the Wolf. At this point, I was beginning to think Sera really was the Malibu Wolf.
I sank my head into the pillow and heaved out a sigh. Before I could even close my eyes, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Olivia.
Curious, I quickly opened it.
Hey, Linds.
Sorry to bother you this late.
I've talked to Trish, and she agrees to meet you.
Are you free this Friday?
I bolted upright in the bed. Considering how the Wolf had humiliated Trish Nash, I believed they had a personal vendetta against her—and that meant the Wolf might be someone she knew.
Trish Nash held the key to the identity of the Malibu Wolf, and with her help, I might finally be able to unmask the Wolf and stop them once and for all.
Author's Note:
Thoughts about this chapter?
We're going to meet Trish Nash in the next chapter! Get ready for more clues 😁
I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you do, please vote and/or comment. Thanks for reading!