Everything about the Bluestone House was beautiful. Even though the upstairs seemed more antiqued, it was clear that someone had put time and effort into modernizing the downstairs portion of the mansion as much as possible without losing the antique ambiance. The pillars along each side of the room were adorned with lush greenery. It smelled real as I passed by. It must have been expensive or hard to keep up.

Marv spoke quietly in low tones. Somewhere, Texas and Bellamy were sequestered in one of the cars with a couple of Texas’ laptops and headsets. Both Marv and Knix wore their earpieces tonight. Now, more than ever before, I felt left out, and I was angry. Knix had tried to explain to me that it was because they didn’t want me drawing the attention of whoever we were tracking. We weren’t sure yet if these girls were really being raped, but if they were – I understood where the guys were coming from. Didn’t they see, though, that with a little risk, we could catch this guy and get him before he could hurt anyone else?

I stood off to the side as Marv observed the room and relayed what he was seeing to whoever was on the headset with him. I rolled my eyes. I could have at least done that much. Knix twirled a blushing Delilah across the dance floor, and I could see it in her eyes; Delilah was absolutely taken with him. It made me want to punch her out and that made me feel even worse about my situation with the guys.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Isador left her date – escort, I reminded myself… Marv was not my date either – and approached me. “Hey,” she said, “what’s up with him?” she motioned towards Marv as he stood by one of the pillars.

I shrugged. “I don’t think he’s feeling very well,” I lied. It kind of amazed me how easily lying was starting to come to me now. I didn’t even have to think about it.

“Oh, that sucks,” she said. “Well, do you want to dance with my escort?” she offered. “My feet are so sore. It was such a bad idea to wear these shoes tonight.” She stuck her foot out and showed me the startlingly beautiful, gem encrusted heels. Despite their beauty I could tell that the back of her heel looked red.

“New?” I guessed.

She nodded. “First time wearing them too,” she admitted. “It was stupid, but they were so pretty.” She sighed. “That’s what I get for falling in love with pretty things.” I could say the same, but I wouldn’t mean shoes.

“So, dancing?” she asked.

I shook my head, but smiled. “No,” I said. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m okay right here.”

She looked at me for a moment before flicking a glance over at Marv. “Okay,” she said, though the way she said it made it sound like she thought it was anything but. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She drifted off just as Marv came back around the pillar and put a hand on my waist.

He dipped close to my ear and whispered, "Knix just saw Wallace heading upstairs."

My head jerked up and I looked around. I hadn't realized it, but Knix and Delilah were both missing. "Where–"

"Hold on, let's dance." He grabbed my hand and led me to the dance floor. I wouldn't have minded so much – we had danced together before on Sweratt Island – but just as our feet touched the dance floor the quartet struck up the waltz. I could have freaking died right then and there.

"No," I hissed. "I'm not good at this."

Marv looked down at me like I was crazy as he positioned his hands on my waist and raised my hand in his. "We've danced before," he said. "You'll be fine."

"No, you don't understand, I–" Before I could finish my sentence, Marv had yanked me into the twirling masses of dancing couples on the floor. I whimpered and nearly head-butted him as I tried to stare down at my feet. What had Mr. Giovanni taught us? One. Two. One. Two. Step. Step. One of my heels jabbed Marv's foot and he winced looking down at me.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"I'm counting," I snapped. "I told you. This is the waltz. I can't waltz."

More of that Harlow's crazy look. He rolled his eyes. "You're fine," he assured me. "You're just over thinking it. Here, let me–" Marv wrapped one of his arms fully around my back and his muscles flexed as he lifted me fully onto his feet. The toes of both my heels were pressed firmly to each of his shoes.

"Won't that hurt?" I asked hesitantly.

He shook his head. "No, if there's just a constant pressure, it's much easier to manage than you stabbing me with the point of your heel every time we turn." He grinned as he looked down at me before his face sobered and he looked up and over my shoulder. "Knix took your friend out on the balcony. We're gonna cross the dance floor – make sure we're seen and then we're going to head upstairs."

"Do you really think Mr. Wallace is the one we're after?" I asked.

Thunder gray eyes met mine. "I do," he said. "Why?"

I shook my head and clung to him as we whirled around. My feet stayed firmly planted on his. It really wasn't so bad like this, I realized. In fact, it was quite nice. We weren't really waltzing, but no one was paying attention to our feet.

"Har-ley?" Marv grunted and corrected himself before he finished with my real name. I smirked and looked up at him, meeting his gaze. "Why did you ask that?"

I frowned and then my nails dug into his shoulder as he took several steps that ended with us on the side of the dance floor. "Because I'm not too sure," I admitted.

"About Wallace?" Marv clarified. I nodded. Marv was quiet for several moments as he moved us towards a back door. It looked like it led toward the kitchens. I could smell food and hear the clanking of dishes.

"Come on." Marv had me step off of his feet and then took my hand. Together, we hurried through the doors that had caught my eye before. I was right, it was a kitchen. No one paid us any mind though. Either the workers were too busy to notice, or they just didn't get paid enough to care that two people in formal wear were running through their kitchens in the middle of a big party. Whatever the case, Marv and I managed to get to the hallway without anyone stopping us.

"Okay," Marv said, stopping and pushing me up against the wall. I blinked at him in confusion. "Tell me why you think Mr. Wallace is innocent?" he asked, placing a hand on either side of my head.

"Um..." I gulped. "Well..." Why did he have to stand so close? "Doesn't it seem a little too easy?" I asked.

His eyes lit up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we originally considered Ms. Enders," I stated. "We were giving in to the rumors. But then we got here and you and Knix interviewed her and I kinda interviewed Delilah I guess. I don't think it is Ms. Enders. She puts too much pride in her work. Then with what we found out about Mr. Wallace's daughter – Kayla..."

Marv nodded. "You don't think his daughter's suicide could have put him over the edge?"

I shook my head. "Maybe, it could have," I admitted. "But his whereabouts have been fairly easily tracked, right?" Marv's eyes widened and he nodded again. "Well, I've also been thinking," I continued. "There was a rumor that another girl committed suicide because of what happened. Did you ever confirm that?" I asked.

Marv was quiet for a moment. "There were attempts," he confessed. "Some of the family members that I interviewed wouldn't admit to anything more. The only true suicide we know about is Kayla's."

"What if the goal is to get these girls to commit suicide?" I asked. I had put some thought into this. If I was right, though, then I didn't think the true villain was Mr. Wallace.

"Why would that be?" he seemed shocked, but Marv didn't immediately discard the idea.

"I think Kayla's suicide is the key," I said. "I think it started everything. Whoever is doing this wants Ms. Enders to be ruined, but not just that, they want the whole program to be ruined – the girls included. I think they're all targets, as well as Ms. Enders. To be honest, Mr. Wallace might even be a target."

"Mr. Wallace?" His face scrunched up and he backed up. "Why would he–" There was a sharp shriek and he yelped, reached up and jerked his earpiece out, throwing it to the ground. "Fuck!" he snapped, sticking a finger in his ear. "What the fuck?!"

I blinked at him, confused. "Are you okay?" Marv was bent over, wiggling his finger back and forth in his ear.

He nodded but remained bent over. "Yea," he coughed, wiggling his fingers some more. "Shit, I can't fucking hear out of this ear now."

"What happened?" I could guess, though.

"Something with the system probably," Marv guessed, slowly standing up again. His eyes were a little unfocused. I could tell that he was off balance as he reached out and put a hand back on the wall. Marv's phone buzzed and he grimaced as he fished it out. "Here," he said, handing it over, "can you answer it."

"Sure," I said, swiping across the screen and putting the phone to my ear. "Yea?" I answered.

"Harlow?" Texas' voice was confused, but he quickly adjusted. "Where's Marv?"

"He's right here," I said. "But he can't hear very well, something happened to the earpiece."

"Yea," Texas replied. I heard keys clicking in the background. "I don't know what the hell happened, but Knix's and Bellamy's are out too."

"I thought Bellamy was with you?" I frowned.

"He was," Texas said, "but I sent him in. Something doesn't feel right. He's in there looking for you right now."

"Marv and I are in the back hallway behind the kitchens," I said. "Knix is out on the balcony with Delilah. We're about to head upstairs."

"Okay," Marv said. "Give me the phone." I raised my eyebrows but didn't resist when he took the phone. He quickly put it to his uninjured ear. "Texas," he said. He paused for a moment as Texas spoke on the other side. Marv nodded but didn't respond for a few more moments. "Yea," he finally said. "Yea, listen, do me a favor. Look into something for me." Marv relayed the information I had just brought up. "Just double check which girls have been checked into hospitals for any reason. Cross-reference that with the amount they've been blackmailed with and the pictures they were sent."

"You can get that information?" I asked.

Marv grimaced. "Yea, message me though." He was still talking to Texas. "We might have a situation. I'm gonna put my cell on silent. Okay, thanks, man." Marv ended the call and took my arm, motioning me towards the back stairwell we had come up before.

"Marv?" I prompted.

He shook his head, sighing. "Yea, we can get that information," he answered.

But he didn't answer my real question and that was an answer within itself. They would get the information, but it probably wouldn't be completely legal. We ascended the stairs.