Wicked Games (Hartley Grace Featherstone Mysteries Book 3) by Gemma Halliday (books for students to read TXT) 📕

think he knew about Connor's arrangement with Phoebe?" Chase asked. "That Connor never actually coded anything?"

I shrugged. "It's possible. He did work at Peak."

"Let's go ask him," Chase said, hiking his backpack onto his shoulder and leading the way down the hall.

We caught up to him just as he was parting ways with his friend, doing a complicated-looking handshake before turning away. Though as soon as he saw us, his eyes widened, and he did a quick 180, changing course back toward the end of the hall.

"Tyler!" I called after him.

Which did nothing to slow the freshman's pace.

"Hey, wait up, buddy," Chase called, jogging until he was close enough to grab Tyler by the arm and halt his progress.

"I have to get to geometry," Tyler protested.

"We have a minute before the tardy bell," Chase said. "We just wanted to talk to you about—"

But Tyler shook his head. "No, way. I'm done talking to you guys."

"Really? Because we just had a very interesting chat with Connor Simon's manager," I said, dangling the carrot.

Tyler pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at me. "What kind of conversation?"

"About how he knew Connor didn't create Athena's Quest."

Tyler's face scrunched up in disbelief. "He knew?"

I nodded. "If I had to guess, he even helped Connor cover it up."

"He helped Connor scam me?" Tyler asked, his voice cracking a little on the last word.

I nodded. "Pretty low, right?"

Tyler shook his head, his eyes on the floor, his jaw moving with an urge to voice the dirty words I could almost see screaming through his brain.

"In fact," Chase said slowly, "his manager knew this wasn't the first time Connor had claimed credit for a game he didn't create."

Tyler's head snapped up. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Chase said, "someone else created all of the games Connor worked on at Peak."

Tyler frowned. "Who?"

"Phoebe Lyons," I told him, watching his reaction.

Either he really hadn't known about Phoebe before now or he was an excellent actor. The shock in his eyes was clearly visible. He blinked a couple of times, then shook his head.

"I can't talk about this."

"I know it's upsetting—" I started.

But he cut me off. "No, I mean I can't talk about it. I…I kinda signed something saying I wouldn't."

"You wouldn't what?" I asked, feeling a frown pull between my eyebrows.

"Wouldn't talk about Connor Simon. Or Athena's Quest. Or anything having to do with Peak Games and Phoebe Lyons." He licked his lips. "It's in my contract."

Chase and I shared a look.

"Contract?" I asked. "What contract?"

"The one I signed to create content for Peak Games."

"Wait—what?" I shook my head. "When did you sign that?"

"This morning." He did more lip licking. "Before school. Phoebe Lyons called me last night and had it drawn up and messengered over this morning."

I blinked at him. "She just called you out of the blue?"

He nodded. "Crazy, right?"

Crazy was one word for it. Suspicious was another. "And the contract says you can't talk to us?" I asked.

"Can't talk to anyone. There was an NDA clause." He paused. "Nondisclosure agreement?" he explained. "It means I have to keep quiet. You know, to protect our intellectual property."

Or Connor's image.

I was about to say as much when the bell rang, echoing off the hallways.

"Now I'm gonna be late," Tyler mumbled, rushing off toward the end of the hallway before I could stop him.

I shoved my other arm through my backpack and turned to go to trig.

"Just a minute," Chase said, grabbing into the straps of my bag.

"I have math," I said, spinning to face him.

"How did Phoebe know about Tyler?" Chase pinned me with a hard look, his dark eyebrows pulled down, his lips set in a grim line.

I shook my head. "I don't know. I mean he worked at Peak Games." But even as I said the words out loud, they didn't ring true. Phoebe had suspected Connor didn't create Athena's Quest. Maybe even known he hadn't, based on the fact she'd done all the heavy lifting at Peak. But she'd given no indication that she'd known who had created it. How had she magically stumbled upon Tyler? And just after we had?

Chase was still staring at me, his eyes hard and dark. "What did you do?"

"M-me?" I stammered as the last latecomers ran past me toward their classrooms.

"Someone had to have told Phoebe about Tyler."

"Well, it wasn't me!" I said, my voice rising.

"You sure?"

"Yes!" I shook free from his grip. "How could you even think that?" I hated how the hurt collecting behind my eyelids was so apparent in my voice.

"Someone led her to Tyler. She didn't just find him on her own."

"Maybe she figured it out just the same way we did," I countered.

"So you're going with the coincidence theory again." He crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his shoulders.

I shook my head. "I don't have a theory. I don't know how she found out. But I know I didn't tell her. The last time I talked to her was in the Marriot's lobby."

"Did you tell anyone else?" Chase pressed.

"No!" I was almost shouting now, and was sure some teacher would pop their head out of a classroom and assign us detention any second. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my voice down. I crossed my arms over my own chest, mirroring Chase's combative stance. "How do I know you didn't tip her off?"

"Me?" His voice rose, though the scowl stayed in place.

"That's right. You're the one who was so chummy with her."

He shook his head, blowing a breath of air through his teeth. "You know I wouldn't do that."

"And you know I wouldn't!" I shot back.

His eyes met