My Psycho Roommates Tried to Kill Me, So I Turned Them Against Each Other

The shower steam couldn't hide the red light inside the ventilation grate. It blinked every few seconds. For the past week, whoever watched the feed had seen me flinch at hallway noises, cover myself too quickly, and avoid looking straight at the vent. I gave the camera one more shiver before I shut off the water. The water was warm, but I wrapped both arms around myself anyway. That was the version of Chloe they had interviewed: nervous, grateful for cheap rent, and eager not to cause trouble. Liam and Maya liked frightened women. When I stepped into the hall clutching my towel, Liam was already against the wall. He wore the warm, concerned smile from his roommate interview. “Hey, Chloe. Everything okay in there? The water pressure good?” His eyes traveled from my bare feet to my wet hair. He wasn't checking the plumbing. “It’s perfect, thank you,” I murmured, keeping my gaze fixed on the floor like a startled mouse. Maya watched from the sofa with her legs tucked under her. She said nothing, but her stare followed Liam's. “Good,” Liam said. “We want you to feel at home.” I gave him a nervous smile and hurried into my room. Once the door closed, I checked my watch. My pulse was steady. The hallway encounter had gone the way Liam wanted. He had crowded me, watched me retreat, and walked away certain that I wouldn't challenge him. A few minutes later, I came back in sweatpants and an old T-shirt. Maya looked up from her phone. “Oh, Chloe,” she said, her voice syrupy sweet. “Can you fluff these pillows? Liam’s so picky about them.” I nodded and moved to the far end of the couch. While I straightened a worn velvet cushion, I pressed a magnetic disk beneath the frame. Detective Reed's team had obtained a court order for the transmitter after matching Ruby's last location with Liam's false statements and property from two missing women sold through Maya's account. I was there as a cooperating witness, not running my own illegal wiretap. Officers were listening from the apartment across the courtyard, and a panic button sat beneath my watchband. One press would report the drug. Holding it down would bring the tactical unit through the door. I finished the pillows, wished them goodnight, and went back to my room. I left the lights off, sat on the bed, and connected one earbud to my phone. The apartment sounded different through the transmitter. Every rustle from the sofa was close to my ear, while I sat behind a locked door pretending I knew nothing. For a while, the transmitter picked up only television noise and someone scrolling. Then Liam chuckled. “She’s even more timid than the last one,” he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction. “Barely makes eye contact.” “She’s perfect,” Maya said. Fabric rustled near the microphone. “Quiet. No friends in the city. No one will even notice she's gone for weeks.” My grip tightened around the phone. It had taken a year of public reports, saved messages from Ruby, and lawful record requests to give Reed enough for the warrant. Until that night, the trail had always ended in paperwork. Hearing them discuss a woman who was supposed to be missing made the case real in a way no report had. Liam lowered his voice. “Tomorrow night. The milk. I'll double the dose. I don't want to wait anymore.” “Fine. But I'm claiming her things this time. I want that silk scarf she wears. It would look perfect with Ruby's necklace.” *Ruby.* My best friend's name, tossed out as if she were a closet they had divided between them. I stared at the red recording bar on my phone. Reed's team had heard it too.