Chapter 32: Thanksgiving Dinner

The smell of turkey and pumpkin pie filled Jamie's house. His mom had been cooking since dawn, making everything perfect for their special guests.

"Jamie, they're here!" his mom called from the kitchen.

Jamie's heart raced as he ran down the stairs. It had been three days since that scary night at Megan's house. Three days since they'd seen the message on the screens. Three days since they chose not to go to the bridge.

Instead, they had called Detective Rivera, the one police officer they still trusted. She had put guards at all their houses and started hunting for the person in the smiling mask.

No one had been hurt. Yet.

The doorbell rang, and Jamie took a deep breath before opening it.

Elliot stood there with their parents, holding a dish of green beans. Their smile helped calm Jamie's fears.

"Happy Thanksgiving," Elliot said, eyes sparkling.

Jamie's mom appeared behind him, wiping her hands on her apron. "Welcome! Please come in! I'm so glad you could join us."

As everyone moved to the living room, Jamie whispered to Elliot, "Any news?"

Elliot shook their head. "Nothing. Detective Rivera said the phone left at Megan's was a dead end."

Jamie's dad came in from the dining room. "So these are Elliot's parents! We've heard so much about your family."

The adults shook hands and started talking like old friends. Soon, they were laughing about embarrassing stories from Jamie and Elliot's youth.

"Did Jamie tell you about the time he tried to fly off the garage roof with cardboard wings?" Jamie's dad asked, making everyone laugh.

Despite the warm scene, Jamie couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He kept staring at the windows, expecting to see a smiling mask looking back.

"Dinner's ready!" Jamie's mom stated.

The dinner table was beautiful, covered with a feast. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and three different pies waited for them.

As they settled around the table, Jamie's dad raised his glass. "To new friends and family. We're so thankful you're all here safe with us today."

Everyone clinked glasses. Jamie caught Elliot's eye across the table and saw the same worry there.

Safe. For now.

Dinner was delicious, and the conversation moved easily between their parents. They talked about school, sports, and the upcoming winter break. No one mentioned Coach Wilson, the bridge, or the masked person.

It felt almost normal.

Until Jamie's phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out under the table and nearly dropped it when he saw the message:

"Enjoying your turkey? Look outside."

Jamie's eyes darted to the window. Nothing. But his breathing quickened.

"Jamie? Everything okay?" his mom asked.

"Yeah, just... bathroom," he mumbled, standing up quickly.

In the hallway, he texted Elliot: "Got a text. Meet me in the kitchen."

A minute later, Elliot joined him. "What's going on?"

Jamie showed them the text.

"We need to tell Detective Rivera," Elliot said.

"I will, but first I want to check outside. If someone's watching us, we might catch them."

Elliot grabbed Jamie's arm. "Are you crazy? After what happened at Megan's?"

"We'll be careful. Just a quick look from the back door. If we see anything suspicious, we'll call Rivera right away."

Elliot paused, then nodded. "Fine. But we stay together."

They slipped through the kitchen to the back door. Jamie looked through the curtains first, scanning the yard.

"I don't see anything," he whispered.

Carefully, he opened the door a crack. The cold November air rushed in, making them both shiver.

The backyard was empty and dark except for the stars twinkling above. The same stars they used to watch together, before everything went wrong.

"Maybe it was just to scare us," Elliot said.

Then they saw it – a small package sitting on the porch steps, wrapped in blue paper. The same blue paper as Elliot's notebook gift.

"That wasn't there before," Jamie whispered.

"Don't touch it," Elliot warned. "It could be a trap."

Jamie took his phone out to call Detective Rivera, but it buzzed again with another message:

"Open it. Or tomorrow's headlines will feature your families."

Jamie showed Elliot the text. Their face went pale.

"We have to open it," Jamie said, his voice shaking.

"At least let me do it," Elliot offered, grabbing for the package.

"No way. If it's dangerous..." Jamie couldn't finish the thought. He couldn't bear the idea of Elliot getting hurt.

Together, they crouched by the package. Jamie slowly unwrapped it, holding his breath.

Inside was a flash drive and a note that read: "The truth about who killed Coach Wilson. Watch it alone or not at all."

"This makes no sense," Elliot whispered. "Coach Wilson isn't dead. He's in jail waiting for trial."

Jamie's phone buzzed a third time:

"Not anymore. Check the news."

With shaky fingers, Jamie opened a news site. The title made his blood freeze:

BREAKING: HIGH SCHOOL COACH FOUND DEAD IN JAIL CELL

"This can't be happening," Elliot gasped, reading over Jamie's shoulder.

The story said Coach Wilson had been found strangled in his cell just hours ago. No suspects yet.

"We need to tell Detective Rivera about this right now," Elliot said.

"Tell me what?"

They both jumped at the voice behind them. Detective Rivera stood in the doorway to the kitchen, her face serious.

"What are you two doing out here? And what's that?" She pointed to the flash drive.

Jamie and Elliot shared a glance before Jamie handed over the package. "Someone left this for us. They've been sending me texts too."

Detective Rivera's face darkened as she read the note. "Inside, both of you. Now."

Back in the house, they could hear their parents still talking happily in the dining room, unaware of what was happening.

"You should have called me immediately," Detective Rivera scolded in a whisper.

"We were about to," Elliot said. "We just found it."

The officer pocketed the flash drive. "I'll have my team analyze this. Don't tell your parents yet – I don't want to ruin their evening. I'll post officers outside both your houses tonight."

"Did you know about Coach Wilson?" Jamie asked.

Detective Rivera nodded sadly. "It just happened. We're investigating."

"Is it connected to the person who broke into Megan's house?" Elliot asked.

"I don't know yet. But I intend to find out." She put a hand on each of their shoulders. "Go back to dinner. Act normal. I'll be in touch tomorrow."

When they returned to the dining room, their parents were serving pie.

"Everything okay?" Jamie's mom asked.

"Yeah, just showing Elliot my new video game," Jamie lied, feeling sick to his stomach.

Later that night, after Elliot's family had gone home with a police car following them, Jamie stood at his bedroom window looking at the stars. His phone buzzed one last time.

"The detective won't find anything on that drive. It's empty. The real one is under your bed. Watch it alone. You have until midnight tomorrow to make a choice."

Jamie's hand shook as he knelt and looked under his bed. There, in the darkness, was another flash drive – this one red instead of black.

He held it, heart beating, as his computer screen suddenly turned on by itself.

A message appeared:

"Play me, Jamie. See who really killed Coach Wilson. Then decide: Will you be a hero, or will you run?"