
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
IF MEMORY SERVES...
What if, all of a sudden, you could remember every single second of your entire life? And not
just the major events everyone rememberslittle things, too. Like that you and your best friend first bonded over hating the smell of rubber cement in thirdgrade art class. Or that the very first time you saw your eighthgrade crush, he was walking through the school courtyard, palming a soccer ball in one hand and an iPod Touch in the other.
But with every blessing comes a curse. With your spankingnew flawless memory, youd also have to remember every fight with your BFF. Youd relive each time your soccerloving crush sat next to someone else at lunch. With 20/20 memory, the past could suddenly get a whole lot uglier. Someone who seems like an ally now? Look againcould be they werent as nice as you thought. A friend you remember as always having your back? Oops! On closer inspection, not so much.
If four pretty girls in Rosewood were suddenly given perfect memories, they might know better who to trust and who to stay away from. Then again, maybe their pasts would make even less sense than before.
Memorys a fickle thing. And sometimes were doomed to repeat the things weve forgotten.
There it was. The big Victorian house at the corner of the culdesac, the one with the rose trellises along the fence and the tiered teak deck in the back. Only a select few had ever been inside, but everyone knew who lived there. She was the most popular girl in school. A girl who set trends, inspired passionate crushes, and made or broke reputations. A girl who every guy wanted to date and every girl wanted to be.
Alison DiLaurentis, of course.
It was a peaceful early September Saturday morning in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, an idyllic Main Line town about twenty miles from Philadelphia. Mr. Cavanaugh, who lived across the street from Alisons family, strolled out to his yard to get the newspaper. The tawny golden retriever that belonged to the Vanderwaals a few doors down loped around the fencedin backyard, barking at squirrels. Not a flower or a leaf was out of place...except for the four sixthgrade girls who all happened to be stealthily creeping into the DiLaurentises backyard at the same time.
Emily Fields hid among the tall tomato plants, tugging nervously on the strings of her Rosewood Long Course Swimming sweatshirt. Shed never trespassed on anyones property, let alone the backyard of the prettiest, most popular girl in school. Aria Montgomery ducked behind an oak tree, picking at the embroidery on the tunic her dad had brought back from yet another lastminute art history conference in Germany. Hanna Marin abandoned her bike by a boulder near the familys shed, devising her plan of attack. Spencer Hastings crossed from her neighboring backyard and crouched behind a carefully pruned raspberry bush, inhaling the berries slightly sweet, slightly tangy smell.
Quietly, each girl stared into the DiLaurentises rear bay window. Shadows passed through the kitchen. There was a shout from the upstairs bathroom. A tree branch snapped. Someone coughed.
The girls realized they werent alone at exactly the same moment. Spencer noticed Emily fumbling by the woods. Emily spied Hanna squatting by the rock. Hanna glimpsed Aria behind the tree. Everyone marched to the center of Alis backyard and gathered in a tight circle.
What are you guys doing here? Spencer demanded. Shed known Emily, Hanna, and Aria since the Rosewood Public Library firstgrade reading contestSpencer had won, but all of them had participated. They werent friends. Emily was the type of girl who blushed when a teacher called on her in class. Hanna, who was now tugging at the waistband of her slightly toosmall black Paper Denim jeans, never seemed comfortable with herself. And Ariawell, it looked like Aria was wearing lederhosen today. Spencer was pretty sure Arias only friends were imaginary.
Uh, nothing, Hanna shot back. Yeah, nothing, Aria said, looking suspiciously at all of them. Emily shrugged. What are you doing? Hanna asked Spencer. Spencer sighed. It was obvious they were here for the same reason. Two afternoons ago, Rosewood Day, the elite prep school they attended, had announced the kickoff of its much anticipated Time Capsule game. Each year, Principal Appleton cut a bright blue Rosewood Day flag into many pieces, upperclassmen hid them around town, and the teachers posted scavenger huntstyle clues to the whereabouts of each piece in the upperand lowerschool lobbies. Whoever found a piece
got to decorate it however he or she wanted, and once every piece was found, the staff sewed the flag together again, held a big assembly honoring the winners, and buried it in a Time Capsule behind the soccer fields. Students who found Time Capsule pieces were legendstheir legacies lived on forever.
It was hard to stand out at a school like Rosewood Day, and it was even harder to snag a piece of the Time Capsule flag. Only one loophole gave everyone a glimmer of hope: the stealing clause, which stated that it was legal to steal a piece from someone, right up until the pieces time of burial. Two days ago, a certain beautiful somebody had bragged that one of the pieces was as good as hers. Now, four nobodies were hoping to take advantage of the stealing clause when she least expected it.
The thought of stealing Alisons piece was intoxicating. On one hand, it was a chance to get close to her. On the other, it was an opportunity to show the prettiest girl at Rosewood Day that she might not always get everything she wanted. Alison DiLaurentis definitely deserved a reality check.
Spencer glared at the three other girls. I was here first. That flags mine.
I was here before you, Hanna whispered. I saw you come out of your house only a few min utes ago.
Aria stomped her purple suede boot, gawking at Hanna. You just got here too. I was here before both of you.
Hanna squared her shoulders and looked at Arias messy braids and chunky layered necklaces. And whos going to believe you?
Guys. Emily jutted her pointy chin toward the DiLaurentis house and held a finger to her lips. There were voices coming from the kitchen.
Dont. It sounded like Ali. The girls tensed. Dont, imitated a second highpitched voice. Stop it! Ali screeched. Stop it! the second voice echoed.
Emily winced. Her older sister, Carolyn, used to squeakily imitate Emilys voice the same exact way, and Emily hated it. She wondered if the second voice belonged to Alis older brother, Jason, a junior at Rosewood Day.
Enough! called a deeper voice. There was a wallshaking thud and shattering glass. Seconds later, the patio door opened, and Jason stormed out, his sweatshirt flapping open, his shoes untied, and his cheeks flushed.
Shit, Spencer whispered. The girls scurried behind the bushes. Jason walked diagonally across the yard toward the woods, then stopped, noticing something to his left. An enraged expression slowly slithered across his face.
The girls followed his gaze. Jason was looking into Spencers backyard. Spencers sister, Melissa, and her new boyfriend, Ian Thomas, were sitting on the edge of the familys hot tub. When they saw Jason staring, Ian and Melissa dropped hands. A few pregnant seconds crept by. Two days before, right after Ali bragged about the flag she was about to find, Ian and Jason had gotten in a fight over Ali in front of the entire sixthgrade class. Maybe the fight hadnt ended.
Jason pivoted stiffly and marched into the woods. The patio door slammed again, and the girls ducked. Ali stood on the deck, looking around. Her long blond hair rippled down her shoulders, and her deep pink Tshirt made her skin look extra glowing and fresh.
You can come out, Ali yelled.
Emily widened her brown eyes. Aria ducked down further. Spencer and Hanna clamped their mouths shut.
Seriously. Ali walked down the deck steps, balancing perfectly on her wedge heels. She was the only sixth grader ballsy enough to wear high heels to classRosewood Day didnt technically allow them until high school. I know someones there. But if youve come for my flag, its gone. Someone already stole it.
Spencer pushed through the bushes, unable to contain her curiosity. What? Who? Aria emerged next. Emily and Hanna followed. Someone else had gotten to Ali before they did? Ali sighed, plopping down on the stone bench next to the familys small koi pond. The girls hesitated, but Ali gestured them over. Up close, she smelled like vanilla hand soap and had the longest eyelashes any of them had ever seen. Ali slid off her wedges and sank her petite feet into the soft green grass. Her toenails were painted bright red.
I dont know who, Ali answered. One minute, the piece was in my bag. The next minute, it
was gone. Id decorated it already and everything. I drew this really cool manga frog, the Chanel logo, and a girl playing field hockey. And I worked forever on the Louis Vuitton initials and pattern, copying the design straight from my moms handbag. I got it perfect. She pouted at them, her sapphire blue eyes round. The loser who took it is going to ruin it, I just know it.
The girls murmured their condolences, each suddenly grateful that she hadnt been the one to steal Alis flagthen she would be the loser she was complaining about.
Ali?
Everyone whipped around. Mrs. DiLaurentis stepped onto the deck. She looked as if she was on her way to a fancy brunch, dressed in a gray Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress and heels. Her gaze lingered on the girls for a moment, confused. It wasnt as if theyd ever been in Alis backyard before. Were going now, okay?
Okay, Ali said, smiling sweetly and waving. Bye!
Mrs. DiLaurentis paused, as if she wanted to say something else. Ali turned around, ignoring her. She pointed to Spencer. Youre Spencer, right?
Spencer nodded sheepishly. Ali looked searchingly at the others. Aria, Aria reminded Ali. Hanna and Emily introduced themselves too, and Ali nodded perfunctorily. It was a total Ali moveshe obviously knew their names, but she was subtly saying that in the grand hierarchy of the Rosewood Day sixthgrade class, their names didnt matter. They didnt know whether to be humiliated or flatteredafter all, Ali was asking their names now.
So where were you when your flag was stolen? Spencer asked, grappling for a question to keep Alis attention.
Ali blinked dazedly. Uh, the mall. She brought her pinkie finger to her mouth and started to chew.
What store? Hanna pressed. Tiffany? Sephora? Maybe Ali would be impressed that Hanna knew the names of the malls upscale shops.
Maybe, Ali murmured. Her gaze shifted to the woods. It seemed like she was looking for somethingor someone. Behind them, the patio door slammed. Mrs. DiLaurentis had gone back inside the house.
You know, the stealing clause shouldnt even be permitted, Aria said, rolling her eyes. Its just...mean.
Ali pushed her hair behind her ears, shrugging. An upstairs light in the DiLaurentis house snapped off.
So where had Jason hidden the piece, anyway? Emily tried. Ali snapped out of her funk and stiffened. Huh? Emily flinched, worried shed accidentally said something upsetting. You said a few days ago
that Jason had told you where hed hidden his piece. Thats the one you found, right? Really, Emily was more interested in the thud shed heard inside the house minutes ago. Had Ali and Jason been fighting? Did Jason imitate Alis voice a lot? But she didnt dare ask.
Oh. Ali spun the silver ring she always wore on her right pointer finger faster and faster. Right. Yeah. Thats the piece I found. She swiveled to face the street. The champagnecolored Mercedes the girls often saw picking Ali up after school slowly emerged down the driveway and rolled to the corner. It paused at the stop sign, put on its blinker, and turned right.
Then Ali let out a breath and regarded the girls almost unfamiliarly, as if she was surprised they were there. So...bye, she said. She turned and marched back into the house. Moments later, the same upstairs light that had just gone dark snapped on again.
The wind chimes on the DiLaurentises back porch clanged together. A chipmunk skittered across the lawn. At first, the girls were too baffled to move. When it was clear Ali wasnt coming back, everyone said awkward goodbyes and went their separate ways. Emily cut through Spencers yard and followed the trail to the road, trying to see the bright sideshe was thankful Ali had even spoken to them at all. Aria started for the woods, annoyed shed come. Spencer trudged back to her house, embarrassed that Ali had snubbed her as much as the others. Ian and Melissa had gone inside, probably to make out on her familys living room coucheww. And Hanna retrieved her bike from behind the rock in Alis front yard, noticing a sputtering black car sitting at the curb right in front of Alis house. She squinted, perplexed. Had she seen it before? Shrugging, she turned away, biking around the culdesac and down the road.
Each girl felt the same heavy, hopeless sense of humiliation. Who did they think they were, trying to steal a Time Capsule piece from the most popular girl at Rosewood Day? Why had they even
dared to believe they could do it? Ali had probably gone inside, called her BFFs Naomi Zeigler and Riley Wolfe, and laughed about the losers whod just shown up in her backyard. For a fleeting moment, it had seemed like Ali was going to give Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer a chance at friendship, but now, that chance was most definitely gone.
Or...was it?
The following Monday, a rumor swirled that Alis piece of the flag had been stolen. There was a second rumor, too: Ali had gotten into a vicious fight with Naomi and Riley. No one knew what the argument was about. No one knew how it had started. All anyone knew was that the most coveted clique in sixth grade was now missing a few members.
When Ali made conversation with Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Aria at the Rosewood Day Charity Drive the following Saturday, the four girls thought it was just a nasty prank. But Ali remembered their names. She complimented the way Spencer had flawlessly spelled knickknacks and chandeliers. She ogled Hannas brandnew boots from Anthropologie and the peacockfeather earrings Arias dad had brought her from Morocco. She marveled at how Emily could easily lift a whole box of last seasons winter coats. Before the girls knew it, Ali had invited them to her house for a sleepover. Which led to another sleepover, and then another. By the end of September, when the Time Capsule game ended and everyone turned in their decorated pieces of the flag, a new rumor was swirling around school: Ali had four new best friends.
They sat together at the Time Capsule burial ceremony in the Rosewood Day auditorium, watching as Principal Appleton called each person whod found a piece of the flag to the stage. When Appleton announced that one of the pieces previously found by Alison DiLaurentis had never been turned in and would now be considered invalid, the girls squeezed Alis hands hard. It isnt fair, they whispered. That piece was yours. You worked so hard on it.
But the girl at the end of the row, one of Alis brandnew best friends, was shaking so badly she had to hold her knees steady with the heels of her palms. Aria knew where Alis piece of the flag was. Sometimes, after the fiveway prebedtime phone call with her new best friends ended, Arias gaze would lock on the shoe box on the very top shelf of her closet, a hollow, sour pain quickly forming in the pit of her stomach. It was better that she hadnt told anyone that she had Alis flag piece, though. And it was better that she hadnt turned it in. For once, her life was going great. She had friends. She had people to sit next to at lunch, people to hang out with on the weekends. The best thing to do was forget about what had happened that day...forever.
But maybe Aria shouldnt have forgotten so quickly. Maybe she shouldve pulled the box down, taken the lid off, and given Alis longlost piece a thorough look. This was Rosewood, and everything meant something. What Aria might have found on that flag might have given her a clue about something that was coming in Alis notsodistant future.
Her murder. Killer
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
1
THE GIRL WHO CRIED DEAD BODY
Spencer Hastings shivered in the frigid, lateevening air, ducking to avoid a thorny briar branch. This way, she called over her shoulder, pushing into the woods behind her familys large, converted farmhouse. This was where we saw him.
Her old best friends Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, and Hanna Marin followed quickly behind. All of the girls teetered haphazardly in their high heels, holding the hems of their party dressesit was Saturday night, and before this, theyd been at a Rosewood Day benefit at Spencers house. Emily was whimpering, her face streaked with tears. Arias teeth were chattering, the way they always did when she was afraid. Hanna wasnt making any sounds, but her eyes were huge and she was brandishing a large silver candlestick shed grabbed from the Hastingses dining room. Officer Darren Wilden, the towns youngest cop, trailed after them, beaming a flashlight at the wroughtiron fence that separated Spencers yard from the one that had once belonged to Alison DiLaurentis.
Hes in this clearing, right down this trail, Spencer called. It had started to snow, first wispy flurries, but harder nowfat, wet flakes. To Spencers left was her familys barn, the very last place Spencer and her friends had seen Ali alive three and a half years ago. To her right was the halfdug
hole where Alis body had been found in September. Straight ahead was the clearing where shed just discovered the dead body of Ian Thomas, her sisters old boyfriend, Alis secret love, and Alis killer.
Well, maybe Alis killer.
Spencer had been so relieved when the cops arrested Ian for Alis murder. It all made sense: the last day of seventh grade, Ali had given him an ultimatum that either he break up with Melissa, Spencers sister, or Ali was going to tell the world they were together. Fed up with her games, Ian had met up with Ali that night. His fury and frustration had gotten the best of him...and hed killed her. Spencer had even seen Ali and Ian in the woods the night she died, a traumatic memory she had suppressed for three and a half long years.
But the day before Ians trial was set to start, Ian had broken his house arrest and sneaked onto Spencers patio, begging her not to testify against him. Someone else had killed Ali, he insisted, and he was on the verge of uncovering a disturbing, mindblowing secret that would prove his innocence.
The problem was, Ian never got to tell Spencer what the big secret washe vanished before the opening statements of his trial last Friday. As the entire Rosewood Police Department sprang into action, combing the county to find out where he might have gone, everything Spencer thought was true was thrown into question. Had Ian done it...or hadnt he? Had Spencer seen him out there with Ali...or had she seen someone else? Then, just minutes ago at the party, someone by the name of Ian\_T had sent Spencer a text. Meet me in the woods where she died, it said. I have something to show you.
Spencer had run through the woods, anxious to figure it all out. When she came to a clearing, she looked down and screamed. Ian was lying there, bloated and blue, his eyes glassy and lifeless. Aria, Hanna, and Emily had shown up just then, and moments later theyd all received the same exact text message from the new A. He had to go.
Theyd run back into Spencers to find Wilden, but he hadnt been anywhere in the house. When Spencer went out to the circular driveway to check one more time, Wilden was suddenly there, standing near the valetparked cars. When he saw her, he gave her a startled look, as if shed caught him doing something illicit. Before Spencer could demand where Wilden had been, the others ran up in hysterics, breathlessly urging him to follow them into the woods. And now, here they were.
Spencer stopped, recognizing a familiar gnarled tree. There was the old stump. There was the tampeddown grass. The air had an eerie static, oxygenless quality. This is it, she called over her shoulder. She looked down at the ground, bracing herself for what she was about to see.
Oh my God, Spencer whispered. Ians body was...gone. She took a dizzy step back, clutching her hand to her head. She blinked hard and looked again.
Ians body had been here a half hour ago, but now the spot was bare except for a fine layer of snow. But...how was that possible?
Emily clapped her hands over her mouth and made a gurgling sound. Spencer, she whispered urgently.
Aria let out a cross between a moan and a shriek. Where is he? she cried, looking around the woods frantically. He was just here.
Hannas face was pale. She didnt say a word.
Behind them was an eerie, highpitched squawking sound. Everyone jumped, and Hanna gripped the candlestick tightly. It was only Wildens walkietalkie, which was attached to his belt. He gazed at the girls expressions, and then at the empty spot on the ground.
Maybe you have the wrong place, Wilden said.
Spencer shook her head, feeling pressure rising up into her chest. No. He was here. She staggered crookedly down the shallow slope and knelt on the halfthawed grass. Some of it seemed flattened, as if something weighty had recently been lying there. She reached out her fingers to touch the ground, but then pulled back, afraid. She couldnt bring herself to touch a place where a dead body had just been.
Maybe Ian was hurt, not dead. Wilden fidgeted with one of the metal snaps on his jacket. Maybe he ran away after you left.
Spencer widened her eyes, daring to consider the possibility. Emily shook her head fast. There was no way he was just hurt.
He was definitely dead, Hanna agreed shakily. He was...blue.
Maybe someone moved the body, Aria piped up. Weve been gone from the woods for over a half hour. That wouldve given someone time.
There was someone else out here, Hanna whispered. They stood over me when I fell.
Spencer whirled around and stared at her. What? Sure, the last half hour had been crazed, but Hanna should have said something.
Emily gaped at Hanna too. Did you see who it was?
Hanna gulped loudly. Whoever it was had a hood on. I think it was a guy, but I guess I dont know. Maybe he dragged Ians body somewhere else.
Maybe it was A, Spencer said, her heart thudding in her chest. She reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out her Sidekick, and showed As menacing text to Wilden. He had to go.
Wilden glanced at Spencers phone, then handed it back to her. His mouth was taut. I dont know how many ways I have to say this. Mona is dead. This A is a copycat. Ian escaping is hardly a secretthe whole country knows about it.
Spencer exchanged an uneasy glance with the others. This past fall, Mona Vanderwaal, a classmate and Hannas best friend, had sent the girls twisted, torturous messages signed A. Mona had ruined their lives in countless ways, and shed even plotted to kill them, hitting Hanna with her SUV and almost pushing Spencer off the cliff at Floating Man Quarry. After Mona slipped off the cliff herself, they thought they were safe...but last week they began receiving sinister messages from a new A. Originally, they thought the A notes were from Ian, as theyd started getting them only after hed been released from prison on temporary bail. But Wilden was skeptical. He kept telling them that was impossibleIan didnt have access to a cell phone, nor could he have freely skulked around while under house arrest, watching the girls every move.
A is real, Emily protested, shaking her head desperately. What if A is Ians killer? And what if A dragged Ian away?
Maybe A is Alis killer too, Hanna added, still holding the candlestick tightly.
Wilden licked his lips, looking unsettled. Big flakes of snow were landing on the top of his head, but he didnt wipe them away. Girls, youre getting hysterical. Ian is Alis killer. You of all people should know that. We arrested him on the evidence you gave us.
What if Ian was framed? Spencer pressed. What if A killed Ali and Ian found out? And what if thats something the cops are covering up? she almost added. It was a theory Ian had suggested.
Wilden traced his fingers around the Rosewood PD badge embroidered on his coat. Did Ian feed you that load of crap during his visit to your porch on Thursday, Spencer?
Spencers stomach dropped. How did you know?
Wilden glared at her. I just got a phone call from the station. We got a tip. Someone saw you two talking.
Who? It was anonymous. Spencer felt dizzy. She looked at her friendsshed told them and only them that she and Ian
had secretly metbut they looked clueless and shocked. There was only one other person who knew she and Ian had met. A.
Why didnt you come to us as soon as it happened? Wilden leaned closer to Spencer. His breath smelled like coffee. We wouldve dragged Ian back to jail. He never wouldve escaped.
A threatened me, Spencer protested. She searched through her phones inbox and showed Wilden that note from A, too. If poor little Miss NotSoPerfect suddenly vanished, would anyone even care?
Wilden rocked back and forth on his heels. He stared hard at the ground where Ian had been not an hour ago and sighed. Look, Ill go back to the house and get a team together. But you cant blame everything on A.
Spencer glanced at the walkie on his hip. Why dont you radio them from here? she pressured. You can have them meet you in the woods and start looking right now.
An uncomfortable look came over Wildens face, as if he hadnt anticipated this question. Just let me do my job, girls. We have to follow...procedure.
Procedure? Emily echoed. Oh my God, Aria breathed. He doesnt believe us. I believe you, I believe you. Wilden ducked around a few lowhanging branches. But the best
thing you girls can do is go home and get some rest. Ill handle this from here.
The wind gusted, fluttering the ends of the gray wool scarf Spencer had looped around her neck before running out here. A sliver of moon peeked out from the fog. In seconds, none of them could see Wildens flashlight anymore. Was it just Spencers imagination, or had he seemed eager to get away from them? Was he just worried about Ians body being somewhere in the woods...or was it because of something else?
She turned and stared hard at the empty ravine, willing Ians body to return from wherever it had gone. Shed never forget how one eye bugged open, and the other seemed glued shut. His neck was twisted at an unnatural angle. And hed still been wearing his platinum Rosewood Day class ring on his right hand, its blue stone glinting in the moonlight.
The other girls were looking at the empty space too. Then, there was a crack, far off in the woods. Hanna grabbed Spencers arm. Emily let out an eep. They all froze, waiting. Spencer could hear her heart thudding in her ears.
I want to go home, Emily cried.
Everyone immediately noddedtheyd all been thinking the same thing. Until the Rosewood po lice started searching, they werent safe out here alone.
They followed their footsteps back to Spencers house. Once they were out of the ravine, Spencer spotted the thin golden beam of Wildens flashlight far ahead, bouncing off the tree trunks. She stopped, her heart jumping to her throat all over again. Guys, she whispered, pointing.
Wildens flashlight snapped off fast, as if he sensed they had seen him. His footsteps grew more and more muffled and distant, until the sound vanished altogether. He wasnt heading back toward Spencers house to get a search team, like hed said he was going to do. No, he was quickly creeping deeper into the woods...in exactly the opposite direction.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
2
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
The following morning, Aria sat at the yellow Formica table in her fathers tiny kitchen in Old Hollis, the college town next to Rosewood, eating a bowl of Kashi GoLean doused in soy milk and attempting to read the Philadelphia Sentinel. Her father, Byron, had already completed the crossword puzzle, and there were inky smudges on the pages.
Meredith, Byrons exstudent and current fiancŽe, was in the living room, which was right next to the kitchen. Shed lit a few sticks of patchouli incense, making the whole apartment smell like a head shop. The soothing strains of crashing waves and cawing seagulls tinkled from the living room TV. Take a cleansing breath through your nose at the start of each contraction, a womans voice instructed. When you breathe out, chant the sounds hee, hee, hee. Lets try it together.
Hee, hee, hee, Meredith chanted.
Aria stifled a groan. Meredith was five months pregnant, and shed been watching Lamaze videos for the last hour, which meant Aria had learned about breathing techniques, birthing balls, and the evils of epidurals by osmosis.
After a mostly sleepless night, Aria had called her father early that morning and asked if she could stay with them for a while. Then, before her mother, Ella, woke up, Aria packed some things in her floralupholstered duffel from Norway and left. Aria wanted to avoid a confrontation. She knew her mother would be puzzled that Aria was choosing to live with her dad and his marriagewrecking girlfriend, especially since Ella and Aria had finally repaired their relationship after Mona Vanderwaal (as A) had nearly destroyed it forever. Plus, Aria hated to lie, and it wasnt like she could tell Ella the truth about why she was here. Your new boyfriend is kind of into me, and hes convinced I want him, too, she imagined saying. Ella would probably never speak to her again.
Meredith turned up the TV volumeapparently she couldnt hear over her own hee breathing. More waves crashed. A gong sounded. You and your partner will learn ways to lessen the pain of natural childbirth and hasten the labor process, the woman instructor said. Some techniques include water immersion, visualization exercises, and letting your partner bring you to orgasm.
Oh my God. Aria clapped her hands over her ears. It was a wonder she hadnt spontaneously gone deaf.
She looked down at the paper again. A headline was splashed across the front page. Where Is Ian Thomas? it asked.
Good question, Aria thought.
The events of last night throbbed in her mind. How could Ians dead body be in the woods one minute and gone the next? Had someone killed him and dragged his body away when theyd gone inside to find Wilden? Had Ians killer silenced him because hed uncovered the huge secret hed told Spencer about?
Or maybe Wilden was rightIan was injured, not dead, and had crawled away when they ran back to the house. But if that was what happened, then Ian was still...out there. She shivered. Ian despised Aria and her friends for getting him arrested. He might want revenge.
Aria snapped on the little TV on the kitchen counter, eager for a distraction. Channel 6 was showing the cobbledtogether reenactment of Alis murderAria had already seen it twice. She pressed the remote. On the next channel, the Rosewood chief of police was talking to some reporters. He wore a heavy, furlined navy blue jacket, and there were pine trees behind him. It looked as if he was giving an interview from the edge of Spencers woods. There was a big caption at the bottom of the screen that said, Ian Thomas Dead? Aria leaned forward, her heart speeding up.
There are unsubstantiated reports that Mr. Thomass dead body was seen in these woods last night, the chief was saying. We have a great team assembled, and we began searching the woods at ten A.M. this morning. However, with all this snow...
Kashi burbled in Arias stomach. She grabbed her cell phone off the little kitchen table and dialed Emilys number. She answered immediately. Are you watching the news? Aria barked, in lieu of a hello.
I just turned it on, Emily answered, her voice worried.
Why do you think they waited until this morning to start searching? Wilden said he was going to get a squad together last night.
Wilden also said something about procedure, Emily suggested in a small voice. Maybe it has something to do with that.
Aria snorted. Wilden never seemed to care about procedure before. Wait, what are you saying? Emily sounded incredulous. Aria picked at a place mat one of Merediths friends had woven out of hemp. Almost twelve hours
had passed since theyd seen Ians body, and a lot could happen in those woods between then and now. Someone could have cleared away evidence...or planted false leads. But the policeWilden had been careless with this entire case. Wilden hadnt even had a suspect for Alis murder until Aria, Spencer, and the others handed them Ians head on a platter. Hed also somehow missed both when Ian broke out to visit Spencer and when he escaped on the day of his trial. According to Hanna, Wilden wanted Ian to fry as much as they did, but he hadnt done a very good job of keeping him under lock and key.
I dont know, Aria finally answered. But it is weird theyre just getting around to it now. Have you gotten any more A notes? Emily asked. Aria stiffened. No. You? No, but I keep thinking Im going to get one at any minute.
Who do you think the new A is? Aria asked. She had no theories whatsoever. Was it someone who wanted Ian dead, Ian himself, or someone else entirely? Wilden believed the texts were pranks from some random person in a whole other state. But A had taken incriminating photos of Aria and Xavier together last week, meaning A was here in Rosewood. A also knew about Ians body in the woodsall of them had gotten a note urging them to go find him. Why was A so desperate to show them Ians bodyto scare them? To warn them? And when Hanna fell, shed seen someone looming over her. What was the likelihood that someone else happened to be in those woods the exact same time as Ians body? There had to be a connection.
I dont know, Emily concluded. But I dont want to find out. Maybe A is gone, Aria said, in the most hopeful voice she could manage. Emily sighed and said she had to go. Aria got up, poured a glass of acai berry juice Meredith had
bought at the health food store, and rubbed her temples. Could Wilden have delayed the search on purpose? If so, why? Hed seemed so fidgety and uncomfortable last night, and then hed walked off in the opposite direction of Spencers house. Maybe he was hiding something. Or maybe Emily was rightthe delay was due to procedure. He was just a cop dutifully playing by the rules.
It still baffled Aria that Wilden had become a cop, let alone a dutiful one. Wilden had been in Jason DiLaurentis and Ians year at Rosewood Day, and back then hed been a troublemaker. The year Aria was in sixth and they were in eleventh, she often sneaked into the Upper School during her free
periods to spy on Jasonshed had such a painful crush on him, and sought him out every chance she got. For just a moment, she would gaze through the window of the woodshop cottage as he sanded his homemade bookends, or swoon at his muscular legs as he ran up and down the soccer practice fields. Aria was always careful never to let anyone see her.
But once, someone did.
It was about a week into the school year. Aria had been watching Jason checking out books at the library from the hallway when she heard a click behind her. There was Darren Wilden, his ear pressed to the door of the lockers, slowly turning the dial. The locker opened, and Aria saw a heartshaped mirror on the inside of the door and a box of Always maxi pads on the upper shelf. Wildens hand closed around a twentydollar bill wedged between two textbooks. Aria frowned, slowly processing what Wilden was doing.
Wilden stood up and noticed her. He stared back, unapologetic. Youre not supposed to be here, he sneered. But I wont tell...this time.
When Aria looked at the TV again, there was a commercial on for a local furniture outlet store called The Dump. She stared at her phone on the table, realizing there was another phone call she had to make. It was almost elevenElla would certainly be awake.
She dialed the number to her house. The phone rang once, then twice. There was a click, and someone said, Hello?
Arias words got stuck in her throat. It was Xavier, her mothers new boyfriend. Xavier sounded chipper and comfortable, completely at ease with answering the Montgomerys phone. Had he stayed overnight last night after the benefit? Ew.
Hello? Xavier said again.
Aria felt tonguetied and skeeved out. When Xavier had approached Aria at the Rosewood Day benefit last night and asked if they could talk, Aria had assumed that he was going to apologize for kissing her a few days before. Only, apparently, in Xavierspeak, talk meant grope.
After a few seconds of silence, Xavier breathed out. Is this Aria? he said, his voice slimy. Aria made a small squeak. Theres no need to hide, he teased. I thought we had an understanding.
Aria hung up fast. The only understanding she and Xavier had was that if she warned Ella what kind of person Xavier was, Xavier would tell Ella that Aria had liked Xavier for a nanosecond. And that would ruin Aria and Ellas relationship for good.
Aria?
Aria jumped and looked up. Her father, Byron, was standing above her, wearing a ratty Hollis Tshirt and sporting his typical justrolledoutof bed hairstyle.
He sat down at the table next to her. Meredith, wearing a saristyle maternity dress and Birkenstocks, waddled in and leaned against the counter. We wanted to talk to you, Byron said.
Aria folded her hands in her lap. They both looked so serious.
First off, were going to have a baby shower for Meredith Wednesday night, Byron said. Its going to be a little thing with some of our friends.
Aria blinked. They had joint friends? That seemed impossible. Meredith was in her twenties, barely out of college. And Byron was...old.
You can bring a friend if you want, Meredith added. And dont worry about getting me a gift. I totally dont expect it.
Aria wondered if Meredith was registered at Sunshine, the eco baby store in Rosewood that sold organic baby booties made out of recycled soda bottles for a hundred dollars.
And as for where this shower is going to be... Byron tugged at the cuffs of his white cableknit sweater. Were going to have it at our new house.
The words took a moment to sink in. Aria opened her mouth, then shut it fast.
We didnt want to tell you until we were sure, Byron rushed on. But our loan went through today, and were closing on it tomorrow. We want to move right away, and wed love it if youd join us there.
A...house, Aria repeated. She wasnt sure whether to laugh or cry. Here in this student friendly, shabbychic, drippy little 650-squarefoot apartment in Old Hollis, Byron and Merediths relationship seemed sort of...pretend. A house, on the other hand, was grownup. Real.
Where is it? Aria finally asked.
Meredith ran her fingers along the pink spiderweb tattoo on the inside of her wrist. On Coventry Lane. Its really beautiful, AriaI think youll love it. Theres a spiral staircase leading to a big loft bedroom in the attic. That can be yours, if you want. The light up there is great for painting.
Aria stared at a small stain on Byrons sweater. Coventry Lane had a familiar ring to it, but she wasnt sure why.
You can start moving your stuff over anytime after tomorrow, Byron said, eyeing Aria warily, as if he wasnt sure how she was going to react.
She turned absently to the TV. The news was showing Ians mug shot. Then, Ians mother came on the screen, looking pale and sleepless. We havent heard from Ian since Thursday night, Mrs. Thomas cried. If anyone knows what has happened to him, please come forward.
Wait, Aria said slowly, a thought congealing in her mind. Isnt Coventry Lane in the neighborhood right behind Spencers house?
Thats right! Byron brightened. Youll be closer to her. Aria shook her head. Her dad didnt get it. Thats Ian Thomass old street. Byron and Meredith glanced at each other, their faces paling. It...is? Byron asked. Arias heart thumped. This was one of the reasons she loved her dadhe was so hopelessly
oblivious to gossip. At the same time, how on earth could he not know this? Great. Not only would she be right next to the woods where theyd found Ians body, but where
Ali had died, too. And what if Ian was still alive, stalking those very woods? She faced her father. Dont you think that streets going to have some seriously bad karma? Byron crossed his arms over his chest. Im sorry, Aria. But we got an amazing deal on a house,
one we couldnt pass up. It has tons of space, and Im sure youll find it more comfortable than living in...this. He waved his arms around, pointing specifically to the apartments one tiny bathroom, which they had to share.
Aria glared at the birdfaced totem pole in the corner of the kitchen that Meredith had dragged home from a flea market about a month ago. It wasnt like she could go back to her moms. Xaviers teasing voice rattled through her head. Theres no need to hide. I thought we had an understanding.Okay. Ill move on Tuesday, Aria mumbled. She gathered her books and cell phone and retreated to her tiny bedroom at the back of Merediths studio, feeling exhausted and defeated.
As she dropped her stuff on her bed, something outside the window caught her eye. The studio was at the back of the apartment, facing an alleyway and a dilapidated wooden garage. A filmy shadow moved behind the garages murky windows. Then a pair of unblinking eyes peered through the glass, straight at Aria.
Aria shrieked and pressed herself against the back wall, her heart rocketing. But in a flash, the eyes vanished, as if theyd never been there at all.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
3
FLY ME TO THE MOON
Sunday evening, Emily Fields curled her legs underneath her in a cozy booth at Penelopes, a homey diner not far from her house. Her new boyfriend, Isaac, sat across the booth, the two slices of peanut butterladen bread hed ordered in front of him. He was demonstrating how to make his worldfamous, lifechanging peanut butter sandwich.
The trick, Isaac said, is to use honey instead of jelly. He picked up a bearshaped bottle from the middle of the table. The bear made a farting noise as Isaac squeezed honey onto one of the slices. I promise this will take all of your stress away. He handed her the sandwich. Emily took a big bite, chewed, and smiled.
Gooh, she said, her mouth full. Isaac squeezed her hand, and Emily swooned. Isaac had soft, expressive blue eyes, and there was something about his mouth that made him look like he was smiling even when he wasnt. If Emily didnt know him, shed assume he was too goodlooking to be going out with someone like her.
Isaac pointed at the television over the diner counter. Hey, isnt that your friends house?
Emily turned in time to see Mrs. McClellan, Spencers neighbor from down the street, paused in front of the Hastings estate, her white standard poodle on a retractable leash. I havent been able to sleep since Saturday, she was saying. The idea that theres a dead body lying there in the woods behind my house is too much to bear. I just hope they find it fast.
Emily slid down in her seat, acid rising to her throat. She was happy the police were searching
for Ian, but she didnt want to hear about it right now. A cop from the Rosewood police force appeared next. The Rosewood PD has produced all the
necessary warrants, and theyve started their search of the woods today. Flashbulbs popped in the cops face. We are taking this matter seriously and moving as fast as we can.
The reporters began bombarding the cop with questions. Why did the officer on the scene delay the search? Is there something the cops are covering up? Is it true that Ian broke house arrest earlier in the week and met with one of the girls who found his body?
Emily bit her pinkie nail, surprised that the press had found out that Ian had staked out Spencer on her back patio. Who told them that? Wilden? One of the other cops? A?
The cop raised his hand, silencing them. Like I just explained, Officer Wilden did not delay the search. We had to obtain the proper permits to get access to those woodstheyre private property. As for Mr. Thomas breaking house arrest, thats not something Im prepared to comment on right now.
The waitress made a tsk sound and flipped channels to another newscast. Rosewood Reacts, said the big yellow caption. There was a girl on the screen. Emily immediately recognized her raven black hair and wraparound Gucci sunglasses. Jenna Cavanaugh.
Emilys stomach flipped. Jenna Cavanaugh. The girl Emily and her friends had accidentally blinded in sixth grade. The girl whod told Aria, just over two months ago, that Ali had troubling sibling problems with her brother, Jason, problems Emily didnt even want to think about.
She jumped up from the table. Lets go, she blurted out, averting her eyes from the TV. Isaac stood too, looking concerned. Ill have them turn the TV off. Emily shook her head. I want to leave. Okay, okay, Isaac said gently, pulling out a few limp bills and setting them on his coffee cup.
Emily staggered for the front door. When she reached the little area by the hostess stand, she felt Isaacs hand close over hers.
Im sorry, she said guiltily, her eyes filling with tears. You didnt even get to eat your sandwich.
Isaac touched her arm. Dont worry about it. I cant imagine what youre going through.
Emily leaned her head into his shoulder. Whenever she shut her eyes, she pictured Ians prone and swollen body. Shed never seen a dead person before, not at a funeral, not in a hospital bed, and certainly not in the woods, murdered. She wished she could delete the memory with the press of a button, as easily as trashing unwanted spam from her email inbox. Being with Isaac was the only thing that took some of her pain and fear away.
I bet you didnt bargain for this when you asked me to be your girlfriend, huh? she mumbled. Please, Isaac said softly, kissing her forehead. Id help you through anything. The coffeemaker at the counter burbled. Outside the window, a grumbling snowplow barreled
down the street. For the millionth time, Emily thought about how lucky she was to have found someone as wonderful as Isaac. He had accepted her even after she told him that shed fallen in love with Ali in seventh grade, and then with Maya St. Germain this fall. Hed patiently listened when she explained how her family struggled with her sexuality, sending her to Tree Tops, a gayaway program. Hed held her hand when she told him that she still thought about Ali constantly, even though Ali had kept a lot of secrets from them. And now he was helping her through this.
It was growing dark outside, and the air smelled like the diners scrambled eggs and coffee. They walked hand in hand to Emilys moms Volvo station wagon, which was parallel parked at the curb. Big drifts of snow were piled on the sidewalk, and a couple of kids were sledding down a tiny hill behind the vacant lot across the street.
As they reached the car, a person wearing a heavy gray jacket with the furry hood tight over his head barreled toward them. His eyes blazed. Is this your car? He pointed at the Volvo.
Emily stopped, startled. Yyeah...
Look what you did! The guy stomped through the snow and pointed at a BMW parked in front of the Volvo. There was a ding right under the license plate. You parked here after me, the guy growled. Did you even look before you pulled in?
I-Im sorry, Emily stammered. She couldnt recall bumping anything when she parked, but she had been in a daze all day.
Isaac faced the guy. It might have been there before. Maybe you just didnt notice it.
It wasnt, the guy sneered. As he staggered closer to them, his hood fell off. He had tousled blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a familiar, heartshaped face. Emily sucked in her stomach. It
was Alis brother, Jason DiLaurentis. She waited, sure Jason would recognize her tooEmily had been at Alis house practically every
day in sixth and seventh grade, and Jason had also just seen her at Ians trial on Friday. But Jasons face was red, and his eyes werent looking directly at anything; it seemed like he had worked himself into an enraged trance. Emily sniffed the air in front of him, wondering if he was drunk. But she couldnt smell alcohol on his breath.
Are you guys even old enough to drive? Jason roared. He took another threatening step toward Emily.
Isaac stepped between them, shielding Emily from him. Whoa. You dont need to yell.
Jasons nostrils flared. He clenched his fists, and for a moment, Emily thought he was going to throw a punch. Then, a couple stepped out of the diner onto the street, and Jason turned his head. He let out a frustrated groan, smacked the trunk of his car hard, wheeled around, and climbed into the drivers seat. The BMW growled to life, and Jason peeled away into traffic, cutting off an oncoming car. Horns honked. Tires squealed. Emily watched the taillights disappear around a corner, her hands pressed to the sides of her face.
Isaac faced Emily. Are you okay? Emily nodded mutely, too stunned to speak. What was his deal? It was hardly a dent. I dont even remember you bumping him. Emily swallowed hard. That was Alison DiLaurentiss brother. Just saying the words out loud
made her burst into scared, troubled tears. Isaac hesitated for a moment, and then he wrapped his arms around Emily, holding her close.
Shhh, he whispered. Lets get you in the car. Ill drive.
Emily handed him the keys and got into the passenger seat. Isaac pulled out of the spot and started down the road. Tears rolled down Emilys cheeks faster and faster. She wasnt even sure what she was crying aboutJasons odd outburst, yes, but also just seeing Jason in front of her. He looked so startlingly like Ali.
Isaac looked over again, his face crumpling. Hey, he said softly. He turned onto a road that led to a row of office buildings, pulled into a dark, empty parking lot, and shifted into park. Its okay. He stroked Emilys arm.
They sat there for a while, saying nothing. The only sound was the Volvos rattling heater. After a while, Emily wiped her eyes, leaned forward, and kissed him, so happy he was here. He kissed her back, and they paused, looking longingly at each other. Emily dove back in, kissing more hungrily. Suddenly, all her problems blew away, like ashes in a breeze.
The cars windows fogged up. Wordlessly, Isaac picked up the bottom hem of his long sleeved Tshirt and pulled it over his head. His chest was smooth and muscular, and he had a small, shiny scar on the inside of his right arm. Emily reached out and touched it. Whats that from?
Falling off a BMX ramp in second grade, he answered.
He tilted his head and nudged toward Emilys longsleeved Tshirt. She lifted her arms. Isaac pulled it off. Though the heat was on full blast, Emilys arms were still covered in goose bumps. She looked down, embarrassed at the navy sports bra shed dug out of her drawer that morning. It was printed with moons, stars, and planets. If only shed put on something a little more feminine and sexybut then, it wasnt as if shed planned on taking her clothes off.
Isaac pointed at her belly button. You have an outie.
Emily covered it up. Everyone makes fun of it. Mostly, she meant Ali, who had caught a peek at Emilys belly button once when they were changing at the Rosewood Country Club. I thought only chubby boys had belly buttons like those, shed teased. Emily had worn one piece bathing suits ever since.
Isaac pried her hands away. I think its great. His fingers grazed the bottom edge of the bra, sliding his hand inside. Emilys heart pounded. Isaac leaned into her, kissing her neck. His bare skin touched hers. He tugged at her sports bra, urging her to pull it off. Emily yanked it over her head, and a goofy smile appeared on Isaacs face. Emily giggled, amused at how serious they were being. Yet, she didnt feel selfconscious. This felt...right.
They embraced tightly, pressing their warm bodies together. Are you sure youre okay? Isaac murmured.
I think so, Emily said into his shoulder. Im sorry my life seems so crazy.
Dont apologize. Isaac caressed her hair with his hands. Like I said, Id help you through anything. I...love you.
Emily leaned back, agape. Isaac had such a sincere and vulnerable look on his face, and Emily wondered if she was the first person hed ever said he loved. She felt so grateful to have him in her life. He was the only person who made her feel even remotely safe.
I love you too, she decided.
They embraced again, tighter this time. But after a few blissful seconds, Jasons twisted, furious face swam into Emilys mind. She squeezed her eyes tight, and her stomach swirled with dread.
Calm down, said a little voice inside her. There was probably a logical explanation for Jasons outburst. Everyone was devastated by Alis death and Ians disappearance, and it wasnt unusual for someoneespecially a family memberto go a little crazy out of grief. it. But a second voice prodded at her, too. Thats not the whole story, the voice said, and you know
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
4
THAT BOY IS MINE
Later that night, Hanna Marin sat at a gleaming white cafŽ table at the Pinkberry at the King James Mall. Her soontobe stepsister Kate Randall, Naomi Zeigler, and Riley Wolfe surrounded her, little cups of frozen yogurt in front of each of them. A snappy Japanese pop song thudded out of the speakers, and a line of girls from St. Augustus Prep stood at the counter, musing over the choices.
Dont you think Pinkberry is a much better hangout than Rive Gauche? Hanna said, referring to the Frenchstyle bistro at the other end of the mall. She gestured out the door, into the mall atrium. Were right across from Armani Exchange and Cartier. We can ogle hot guys and gorgeous diamonds without getting up.
She dipped her spoon into her cup of Pinkberry and shoved an enormous bite in her mouth, letting out a little mmm to emphasize how good an idea she thought this was. Then she fed a little bite to Dot, her miniature Doberman, whom shed brought along in her brand new Juicy Couture doggie carrier. The Pinkberry workers kept shooting daggers in Hannas direction. Some lame rule said that dogs werent allowed in here, but surely they meant dirty dogs, like labs and Saint Bernards and hideous little shih tzus. Dot was the cleanest dog in Rosewood. Hanna gave him weekly bubble baths in lavenderscented dog shampoo imported from Paris.
Riley twirled a piece of coppery hair around her fingers. But you cant sneak wine here like you can at Rive Gauche.
Yes, but you cant bring dogs to Rive Gauche, Hanna said, cupping Dots little face in her hands. She gave him another tiny bite of Pinkberry.
Naomi took a bite of yogurt and immediately reapplied a coat of Guerlain KissKiss lipstick. And the lighting in here is so...unflattering. She peered into the round mirrors that lined Pinkberrys walls. I feel like my pores are magnified.
Hanna slammed her Pinkberry cup on the table, making the little plastic spoon jump. Okay, I didnt want to resort to this, but before we broke up, Lucas told me that Rive Gauche has rats in the kitchen. Do you really want to hang out somewhere with a rodent problem? There could be rat poop in your frites.
Or do you not want to hang out there because of a Lucas problem? Naomi snickered, tossing her pale blond hair over her bony shoulder. Kate giggled and raised the cup of mint tea shed bought earlier at Starbucks in a toast. Who drank mint tea besides old ladies, anyway? Freak.
Hanna glowered at her quasistepsisters turned head, unable to read her. Earlier the week before, Kate and Hanna had almost bonded, sharing some secrets over breakfast. Kate alluded that she had a gynecological problem but didnt explain what it was, and Hanna confessed to bingeing and purging. But when A started hinting to Hanna that Kate was less of a new BFF and more of an evil stepsis, Hanna fretted that trusting Kate had been a huge mistake. So at the Rosewood Day benefit, Hanna blurted out to the entire school that Kate had herpes. If Hanna hadnt, she was certain that Kate would have spilled Hannas secret instead.
Naomi and Riley had recognized the herpes incident as a big power play immediately, calling both Hanna and Kate this Sunday morning to see if they wanted to go to the King James like it never even happened. Kate seemed to brush it off, too, turning to Hanna in the car on the way to the
mall and saying in a cool and unbothered voice, Lets just forget about last night, okay? Unfortunately, not everyone saw the herpes trick as the queen bee move it really was. Right after Hanna said it, Lucas, Hannas thenboyfriend, said it was over between themhe didnt want to be with someone who was so obsessed with popularity. And when Hannas dad had found out, he mandated that Hanna must spend every spare minute with Kate so they could bond. So far, he was taking the punishment seriously. This morning, when Kate wanted to go to Wawa for a Diet Coke, Hanna went along. Then, when Hanna wanted to take a Bikram yoga class, Kate ran upstairs and changed into her Lululemon yoga capris. And this afternoon, the press had shown up to Hannas door to ask her questions about Ian breaking house arrest last week to meet with Spencer. What were they talking about? the reporters crowed. Why didnt you tell the police Ian had busted out? Are you girls keeping something from us? As Hanna explained that she hadnt known that Ian showed up on Spencers porch until long after Ian had escaped, Kate was right there at her side, applying a fresh coat of Smashbox lip gloss in case the reporters needed an extra Rosewood girls opinion. No matter that shed only been a Rosewood girl for a week and a half. Shed moved into Hannas house after Hannas mother took a highpaying job in Singapore. Kates mother, Isabel,
and Hannas father had moved into the house too, and the two planned to marry. Yecch. Now, a pitying smile formed on Kates lips. Do you want to talk about Lucas? She touched Hannas hand. Theres nothing to talk about, Hanna snapped, drawing her hand away. She wasnt about to
open up to Katethat was so last week. She was sad about Lucas and had already started to miss him, but maybe they werent right for each other.
But you seem pretty upset yourself, Kate, Hanna shot back, matching Kates sweetiepie voice. You havent heard from Eric, huh? Poor thing. Are you heartbroken?
Kate lowered her eyes. Eric Kahn, Noels hot older brother, was interested in Kate...well, he had been until the herpes remark, anyway.
Its probably for the best, Hanna said airily. I heard Erics a big player. And he only likes girls with big boobs.
Kates boobs are fine, Riley jumped in quickly. Naomi wrinkled her nose. I never heard Eric was a player. Hanna balled up her napkin, annoyed that Naomi and Riley were so quick to jump to Kates defense. You guys dont have the same kind of inside info that I do, I guess. They all turned back to their Pinkberries, saying nothing. Suddenly, a flash of blond hair in the
atrium caught Hannas eye, and she whirled around. A group of girls in their twenties passed, swinging Saks shopping bags. They were all brunettes.
Hanna had been seeing a lot of phantom flashes of blond hair lately, and was constantly haunted by the eerie feeling that it could be Mona Vanderwaal, her old best friend. Mona had died almost two months earlier, but Hanna still thought of her many times a dayall the sleepovers theyd had, all the shopping trips theyd gone on, all the drunken nights at Monas house, giggling over boys who had crushes on them. Now that Mona was gone, there was a huge hole in Hannas life. At the same time, she felt like an idiot. Mona hadnt really been her friendMona had been A. Shed ruined Hannas relationships, aired her dirty laundry, and tortured her for months. And BFFs definitely didnt hit BFFs with Daddys SUV.
After the shoppers passed, Hanna noticed a familiar darkhaired figure just outside Pinkberry, talking on a cell phone. She squinted. It was Officer Wilden.
Just calm down, Wilden murmured into the phone, his voice urgent and distressed. His brow furrowed as he listened to the person on the other end. Okay, okay. Sit tight. Ill be there soon.
Hanna frowned. Had he found out something about Ians body? She also wanted to ask him about the spooky hooded figure shed seen in the woods the night of the party. Whoever it was had loomed over Hanna so threateningly, and, after a moment, the person had raised a finger to his lips and whispered shhh. Why would someone shush Hanna unless hed done something awfuland didnt want to be seen? Hanna wondered if the person had something to do with Ians death. Maybe he was A too.
Hanna started to stand, but before she could push her chair away from the table, Wilden jogged off. She sank back into her seat, figuring he was just busy and flustered. Unlike Spencer, Hanna didnt think Wilden was hiding anything. Wilden had dated Hannas mom before she moved to Singapore to take a new job, and Hanna felt that she knew Wilden a little more intimately than the others. Okay, so finding him fresh from her shower wrapped in her favorite Pottery Barn towel was
more awkward than intimate, but he was essentially a good guy who was looking out for them, right? If he thought A was a copycat, maybe A really was. Why would he mislead them?
Still, Hanna wasnt taking any chances. With that in mind, she pulled her brandnew iPhone out of its calf leather Dior case and turned back to the girls. So. I changed cell numbers, but Im not giving it out to just anyone. You guys have to promise not to pass it around. If you do, Ill know. She eyed them seriously.
We promise, Riley said, eagerly pulling out her BlackBerry. Hanna sent them each a text with her new number. Really, she shouldve thought about getting a new phone number much soonerit was a perfect way to Aproof her life. Besides, getting rid of her old number was a way of freeing herself from everything that had happened last semester. Voilˆ! All those shitty memories were gone for good.
So anyway, Kate said loudly after the girls finished texting, bringing the attention back to herself. Back to Eric. Im over him. There are plenty of other cute guys right under our noses.
She jutted her chin in the direction of the atrium. A group of Rosewood Day lacrosse players, including Noel Kahn, Mason Byers, and Arias younger brother, Mike, were lingering by the fountain. Mike was gesticulating wildly with his hands as he told a story. He was too far away for them to hear what he was saying, but the other lacrosse boys were hanging on his every word.
Lax boys? Hanna made a face. Tell me youre joking. She and Mona once made a pact never to date anyone on the lacrosse team. They did everything together, from studying to working out at Philly Sports Club, the grimy gym at the back of the King James, to eating nasty ChickfilA. Hanna and Mona used to joke that they also secretly had group sleepovers and styled each others hair.
Kate took another sip of her mint tea. Some of them are seriously hot. Like who? Hanna challenged. Kate watched the boys as they passed M.A.C., David Yurman, and Lush, the store that sold a million different types of handmade candles and soaps. Him. She pointed at one of the boys on the end.
Who, Noel? Hanna shrugged. Noel Kahn was okay, if you liked rich boys who had no inner censor and were obsessed with jokes about testicles, third nipples, and animals having sex.
Kate chewed on the stirrer in her mint tea. Not Noel. The other one. With the dark hair. Hanna blinked. Mike? Hes gorgeous, isnt he? Hannas eyes boggled. Mike, gorgeous? He was loud and annoying and uncouth. Okay, so maybe
he wasnt a total doghe had the same blueblack hair, lanky body, and ice blue eyes as Aria did. But...still.
Suddenly, a possessive feeling began to course through Hannas veins. The thing was, Mike had been following Hanna around like a lost puppy for years. One weekend in sixth grade when Hanna, Ali, and the others were sleeping over at Arias house, Hanna had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. In the dark hall, a pair of hands reached out and groped her boobs. Hanna yelped, and Mike, then in fifth grade, stepped back. Sorry. I thought you were Ali, he said. After a pause, he leaned in and kissed Hanna anyway. Hanna let him, secretly flatteredshe was chubby, ugly, and lame back then, and it wasnt like she had tons of guys fighting over her. Mike was technically her first kiss.
Hanna faced Kate. She felt like a pot bubbling over. Hate to break it to you, sweetie, but Mike likes me. Havent you noticed the way he ogles me at Steam every morning?
Kate ran her fingers through her chestnut hair. Im at Steam every morning, too, Han. Its hard to know who hes looking at.
Its true, Naomi interjected, brushing some wisps of her growingout severe blond haircut. Mike looks at all of us.
Yeah, Riley said.
Hanna pressed her Frenchmanicured nails into her thigh. What the hell was going on here? Why were those two so solidly on Team Kate? Hanna was the queen bee.
Well just have to see about that, Hanna said, puffing up her chest. Kate cocked her head, as if to say, Oh yeah?
Then Kate rose. You know, girls, I suddenly got a major craving for some red wine. Wanna swing by Rive Gauche?
Naomi and Rileys eyes lit up. Totally, they both said in unison, and stood up too. Hanna let out an indignant squeak, and everyone stopped. Kate stuck out her lip in a fauxcon
cerned pout. Oh, Han! Are you really...upset about Lucas? I seriously thought you didnt care. No, Hanna snapped, her voice irritatingly shaky. I dont care about him. I...I just dont want to
go somewhere with rats. Dont worry, Kate said gently. I wont tell your dad if you dont want to come along. She slung her Michael Kors bag over her shoulder. Naomi and Riley looked back and forth from
Hanna to Kate, trying to decide what to do. Finally, Naomi shrugged, fiddling with her blond hair. Red wine does sound really good. She glanced at Hanna. Sorry. And Riley followed behind saying nothing. Traitors, Hanna thought.
Watch out for rat tails in your wineglasses, Hanna yelled after them. But the girls didnt turn, traipsing into the courtyard, linking elbows and laughing. Hanna watched them for a moment, her cheeks blazing with fury, and then turned back to Dot, took a few deep breaths, and wrapped her cashmere poncho around her shoulders.
Kate might have won the queen bee battle today, but the war was far from over. She was the fabulous Hanna Marin, after all. That silly little bitch had no idea who she was dealing with.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
5
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
Early Monday evening, Spencer and Andrew Campbell sat in her familys sunroom, their AP econ notes spread before them. A lock of Andrews long blond hair fell into his eyes as he leaned over the textbook and pointed to a drawing of a man. This is Alfred Marshall. He covered up the paragraph under his picture. Quick. What was his philosophy?
Spencer pressed her fingers to her temples. She could add columns of numbers in her head and supply seven synonyms for the word assiduous, but when it came to AP econ, her brain went... mushy. But she had to learn this. Her teacher, Mr. McAdam, said Spencer would be out of his class unless she aced this semesterhe was still pissed that shed stolen her older sisters AP econ paper and hadnt confessed to it until after shed won the prestigious Golden Orchid essay prize. So now Andrew, who did naturally get econ, was her tutor.
Suddenly, Spencer brightened. The theory of supply and demand, she recited.
Very good. Andrew beamed. He flipped a page of the book, his fingers accidentally brushing against hers. Spencers heart quickened, but then Andrew pulled away fast.
Spencer had never been so confused. The house was empty right nowSpencers parents and her sister, Melissa, had all gone out to dinner, not inviting Spencer along, as usualwhich meant Andrew could make a move if he wanted. Hed certainly seemed interested in kissing her Saturday night at the Rosewood Day benefit, but since then...nothing. True, Spencer had been preoccupied with Ians Disappearing Body late on Saturday, and on Sunday shed made a quick trip to Florida to attend her grandmothers funeral. She and Andrew had been friendly in class today, but Andrew didnt mention what had happened at the party, and Spencer certainly wasnt going to bring it up first. Spencer had been so anxious before Andrew came over that shed dusted every one of her trophies for spelling bees, drama club, and field hockey MVPs just for something to do. Maybe Saturdays kiss had been just a kiss, nothing more. And anyway, Andrew had been her nemesis for years theyd been competing for the top spot in the class ever since their kindergarten teacher held a contest to see who could make the best paper bag puppet. She couldnt seriously like him.
But she wasnt fooling anyone.
A bright light shone through the sunrooms floortoceiling windows, and Spencer jumped. When Spencer returned from Florida last night, there were four media vans on her front lawn and a camera crew near the familys converted barn apartment at the back of the property. Now, a police officer and a German shepherd from the K-9 unit were prowling around the pine trees at the corner of the lot with an enormous flashlight, puzzling over something. Spencer had a feeling theyd found the bag of Ali memories the girls grief counselor, Marion, had urged them to bury last week. A reporter would probably ring her doorbell any minute, asking her what the objects meant.
A fearful, nervous feeling throbbed deep in her bones. Last night, she hadnt been able to sleep a wink, terrified that not one but two people had now died in the woods behind her house, just steps from her bedroom. Every time she heard a twig snap or a whoosh of the wind, she sat up in horror, certain Ians killer was still roaming the woods. She couldnt help but think that the murderer had
killed him because hed gotten too close to the truth. What if Spencer was too close to the truth too, simply from the vague hints that Ian had given her when they talked on the porchthat the cops were covering something up and that there was an even bigger secret about Alis murder that all of Rosewood had yet to uncover?
Andrew cleared his throat, gesturing to Spencers nails, which were digging into the surface of the desk. Are you okay?
Uhhuh, Spencer snapped. Im fine.
Andrew pointed to the cops out the window. Think of it this way. At least you have twenty fourhour police protection.
Spencer swallowed hard. That was probably a good thingSpencer needed all the protection she could get. She glanced at her econ notes, shoving her fears down deep. Back to studying?
Of course, Andrew said, suddenly businesslike. He turned to his notes.
Spencer felt a mix of disappointment and apprehension. Or we dont have to study, she blurted, hoping Andrew got her drift.
Andrew paused. I dont want to study. His voice cracked.
Spencer touched his hand. Slowly, he inched toward her. She moved closer too. After a few long moments, their lips touched. It was a thrilling relief. She wrapped her arms around Andrew. He smelled like a mix of a woodstove and the pineappleshaped, citrussmelling air freshener that dangled from the rearview mirror of his Mini Cooper. They broke apart, then kissed again, longer this time. Spencers heart thudded fast.
Then, Spencers phone let out a loud ping. As she reached for it, her heart sped up, worried it was from A. But the email was titled News About Your Mom Match!
Oh my God, Spencer whispered. Andrew leaned over to look. I was just about to ask you if anything happened with that. Last week, Nana Hastings had willed her naturalborn grandchildren Melissa and Spencers
cousins two million dollars each. Spencer, on the other hand, got nothing. Melissa had raised a theory about whyperhaps Spencer had been adopted.
As much as Spencer wanted to believe it was just another one of Melissas ploys to humiliate her they were constantly trying to oneup each other, with Melissa usually winningthe idea nagged at her. Was that why her parents treated Spencer like shit and Melissa like gold, barely acknowledging Spencers accomplishments, reneging on their promise to let Spencer live in the backyard barn for her junior and senior years, and even canceling Spencers credit cards? Was that why Melissa looked like a clone of her mother, and Spencer didnt?
Shed confessed the theory to Andrew, and Andrew told Spencer about a biological mom matching service a friend had used. Curious, Spencer registered her personal informationthings like her birth date, the hospital where she was born, and the color of her eyes and other genetic traits. When she received an email at the Rosewood Day benefit on Saturday that the site had matched her data with that of a potential mother, she hadnt known what to think. It had to be a mistake. Certainly theyd contact the woman and shed say Spencer couldnt possibly be her child.
With trembling hands, Spencer opened the email. Hello Spencer, My name is Olivia Caldwell. Im so excited, because I think were a match. If youre up for it, I would love to meet you. With sincere fondness, O.
Spencer stared at it for a long time, her hand clapped to her mouth. Olivia Caldwell. Could that be her real mothers name? Andrew poked her in the side. Are you going to respond?
I dont know, Spencer said uneasily, wincing as a police car outside turned on its shrill, piercing siren. She gazed at her Sidekick screen so hard, the letters began to blur. I mean...its hard to believe this is even real. How could my parents keep this from me? It means my whole life has been... a lie. Lately, shed discovered that so much of her lifeespecially the stuff with Aliwas built on lies. She wasnt sure if she could stomach anything more.
Why dont we see if we can prove it? Andrew stood up and offered his hand. Maybe theres something in this house that explains it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Spencer considered for a moment. All right, she conceded slowly. It was probably a good time to snoop aroundher parents and sister wouldnt be home for hours. She clasped Andrews hand and led him into her fathers office. The room smelled like cognac and cigarsher dad sometimes entertained his law clients at homeand when she flipped the switch on the wall, a bunch of soft lights flickered on above her fathers massive Warhol print of a banana.
She sank down in the Aeron chair at her dads tiger maple desk and gazed at the computer
screen. There was a slide show of family pictures as the screen saver. First was a photo of Melissa graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, the caps tassel in her eyes. Then there was a photo of Melissa standing on the stoop of her brandnew Philadelphia brownstone their parents had bought for her when she got into the Wharton School. Then, a photo of Spencer popped up on the screen. It was a snapshot of Ali, Spencer, and the others crowded on a giant inner tube in the middle of a lake. Alis brother, Jason, was swimming next to them, his longish hair sopping wet. This had been taken at Alis familys lake house in the Poconos. By the looks of how young everyone was, it must have been one of the first times Ali had invited them there, a few weeks after theyd become friends.
Spencer sat back, startled to see herself in the family montage. After Spencer admitted shed cheated to win the Golden Orchid, her parents had pretty much disowned her. And it was eerie to see such an early photo of Ali. Nothing bad had happened between Ali, Spencer, and the others yet not The Jenna Thing, not Alis clandestine relationship with Ian, not the secrets Spencer and the others tried to keep from Ali, not the secrets Ali kept from them. If only it had remained that way forever.
Spencer shuddered, trying to shake her jumble of uneasy feelings. My dad used to keep everything in file cabinets, she explained, wiggling the mouse to make the screen saver disappear. But my moms such a neat freak and hates piles of papers, so she made him scan everything. If theres something about me being adopted, its on this computer.
Her dad had a few Internet Explorer windows open from the last time hed been on the computer. One was the front page of the Philadelphia Sentinel. The top headline was Search for Thomass Body Rages On. Right below it was an opinion piece that said Rosewood PD Should Be Hanged for Negligence. Below that was yet another story that read, Kansas Teenager Receives Text from A.
Spencer scowled and minimized the screen.
She gazed at the folder icons on the right side of the desktop. Taxes, she read out loud. Old. Work. Stuff. She groaned. My mom would kill him if she knew he organized the files like this.
What about that one? Andrew pointed at the screen. Spencer, College.
Spencer frowned and clicked on it. There was only one PDF file inside the folder. The little hourglass icon whirled as the PDF slowly loaded on the screen. She and Andrew leaned forward. It was a recent statement from a savings account.
Whoa. Andrew pointed to the total. There was a two, and more than a few zeroes. Spencer noticed the name on the account. Spencer Hastings. Her eyes widened. Maybe her parents hadnt cut her off entirely.
She shut the PDF and kept looking. They opened a few more documents, but most of the files were spreadsheets Spencer didnt understand. There were tons of folders that had no classifications whatsoever. Spencer fluffed the feathery end of the quill pen her father had purchased at a 1776themed auction at Christies. Going through this will take forever.
Just copy the hard drive onto a disc and go through it all later, Andrew suggested. He opened a big box of blank CDs on her dads bookshelf and popped one into her dads hard drive. Spencer looked at him nervously. She didnt want to add breaking into her dads computer to the long list of grievances her parents had against her.
Your dad will never know, Andrew said, noting her look. I promise. He clicked a few direc tives on the screen. Thisll take a few minutes to run, he said.
Spencer gazed at the rotating hourglass on the monitor, a nervous chill rushing through her. It was very possible that the truth about her past was on this computer. It had probably been right under her nose for years, and she hadnt had the slightest idea.
She pulled out her phone and opened the email from Olivia Caldwell again. I would love to meet you. With sincere fondness. Suddenly, Spencers brain turned over, and she felt cleareyed and sure. What were the odds that a woman had given up a baby on the very same day Spencer was born at the very same hospital? A woman with emerald green eyes and dirty blond hair? What if this wasnt a theory...but the truth?
Spencer looked at Andrew. It wouldnt kill me to meet with her, I guess.
A surprised and excited smile appeared on Andrews face. Spencer turned back to her Sidekick and hit reply, a giddy feeling spreading in her stomach. Squeezing Andrews hand, she took a deep breath, composed her message, and hit send. Just like that, the email was gone.
STRANGERS NOT ON A TRAIN
The following morning, Arias brother, Mike, turned up the stereo in the familys Subaru Outback. Aria winced as Led Zeppelins Black Dog snarled out of the speakers. Can you turn it down a little? she whined.
Mike kept bobbing his head. Its best to listen to Zeppelin at maximum volume. Thats what Noel and I do. Did you know the guys in the band were serious badasses? Jimmy Page rode his motorcycle down hotel hallways. Robert Plant threw TVs out windows onto the Sunset Strip.
Nope, cant say I knew that, Aria said dryly. Today, Aria had the unfortunate chore of driving Mike to school. Mike usually rode with his Typical Rosewood mentor, Noel Kahn, but Noels Range Rover was in the shop getting an even larger stereo installed. God forbid Mike take the bus.
Mike absentmindedly fiddled with the yellow rubber Rosewood Day lacrosse bracelet he wore nonstop on his right wrist. So why are you living with Dad again?
I thought I should spend equal time with Ella and Byron, Aria mumbled. She made a left hand turn onto the long drive that led to the school, narrowly missing a fat squirrel darting across the road. And we should get to know Meredith, dont you think?
But shes a puke machine. Mike made a face.
Shes not that bad. And theyre moving into that bigger house today. Aria had overheard Byron breaking the news to Ella on the phone the night before, and she assumed Ella had told Mike and Xavier. Ill have a whole floor to myself.
Mike gave her a suspicious look, but Aria stuck to her story.
Arias cell phone, which was nestled in her yakfur bag, beeped. She glanced at it nervously. She hadnt received a text from whoever this new A was since theyd discovered Ians body Saturday night, but like Emily had said the other day, Aria had the distinct feeling that she was going to get a text from A any second.
Taking a deep breath, she reached into her purse. The text was from Emily. Pull around back. School is mobbed with news vans again.
Aria groaned. The news vans had clogged up the schools front drive the day before, too. Every media outlet in the tristate area had sunk their teeth into the Ian Dead Body story. On the 7 A.M. news, reporters had canvassed the Rosewood Starbucks, random mothers waiting with their kids at school bus stops, and some people in the local DMV line, asking if they thought the cops had bungled the case. Most people said yes. Many were outraged that the police might be hiding something about Alis murder. Some of the more tabloidy newspapers concocted elaborate conspiracy theories that Ian had used a body double in the woods, or that Ali had a longlost crossdressing cousin who was responsible not only for her murder, but also a string of killings in Connecticut.
Aria craned her neck over the line of Audis and BMWs that jammed the driveway to the school. Sure enough, there were five news vans parked in the bus lane, blocking traffic.
Sweet! Mike exclaimed, his eyes on the vans too. Let me off here. That Cynthia Hewleys hot. Think shed do me? Cynthia Hewley was the curvy blond reporter relentlessly covering Ians trial. Every guy at Rosewood Day hoped shed do him.
Aria didnt stop the car. What would Savannah say about that? She poked Mikes arm. Or have you forgotten you have a girlfriend?
Mike flicked a toggle on his navy duffel coat. I kind of dont anymore.
What? Aria had met Savannah at the Rosewood Day benefit, and thrillingly, shed been normal and nice. Aria had always worried that Mikes first real girlfriend would be a skanky, brainless Barbie on loan from Turbulence, the local strip club.
Mike shrugged. If you must know, she broke up with me.
What did you do? Aria demanded. Then she held up her hand, silencing him. Actually, dont tell me. Mike had probably suggested Savannah start wearing crotchless panties or begged her to hook up with a girl and let him watch.
Aria drove around to the back of the school, past the soccer fields and the art barn. As she pulled into one of the last spaces in the back lot, she noticed a flapping sign on one of the lots tall, metal floodlights. time capsule, THE WINTER EDITION, STARTS TODAY! HERES YOUR CHANCE TO BE IMMORTALIZED! said big block letters.
Youre kidding me, Aria whispered. The school held the Time Capsule contest every year, al
though Aria had missed the last three because her family had been living in Reykjav'k, Iceland. The game usually took place in the fall, but Rosewood Day had been tactful enough to suspend it this year after construction workers found Alison DiLaurentiss dead body in the halfdug hole in her old backyard. But Rosewood wouldnt dare skip out on their most venerable tradition entirely. What would the donors think?
Mike sat up straighter, spying the sign. Nice. I have the perfect idea of how to decorate it. He rubbed his palms together eagerly.
Aria rolled her eyes. Are you going to draw unicorns on it? Write a poem about your bromance with Noel?
Mike raised his nose in the air. Its way better than that. But if I told you, Id have to kill you. He waved to Noel Kahn, who was climbing out of James Freeds Hummer, and dashed out of the car without saying goodbye.
Aria sighed, peering again at the Time Capsule sign. In sixth grade, the first year Aria had been able to play, Time Capsule had been a huge deal. But when Aria, Spencer, and the others had sneaked into Alis yard hoping to steal her piece, everything had gone so wrong. Aria pictured the shoe box at the back of her closet. She hadnt been brave enough to look inside it for years. Maybe Alis piece of the flag had decomposed by now, just like her body.
Ms. Montgomery?
Aria jumped. A darkhaired woman with a microphone stood outside her car. Behind her was a guy holding a TV camera.
The womans eyes lit up when she saw Arias face. Ms. Montgomery! she cried, banging on Arias window. Can I ask you a few questions?
Aria gritted her teeth, feeling like a monkey in a zoo. She waved the woman off, started the car again, and backed out of the lot. The reporter ran alongside her. The cameraman kept his lens on Aria as she zoomed to the main road.
She had to get out of here. Now.
By the time Aria arrived at the Rosewood SEPTA station, the parking lot was almost full with the regular commuters Saabs, Volvos, and BMWs. She finally found a space, shoved a bunch of change into the meter, and stood on the edge of the platform. The train tracks were under a rusty trestle bridge. Across the road was a pet store that sold homemade dog food and costumes for cats.
There wasnt a train in sight. Then again, Aria had been so frantic to leave Rosewood Day, it hadnt occurred to her to check the SEPTA schedule. Sighing, she pushed into the little station house, which consisted of a ticket window, an ATM machine, and a small coffee counter that also sold books about train travel along the historic Main Line. A few people sat on the wooden benches that lined the room, languidly staring at the flatscreen television in the corner that was tuned to Regis & Kelly. Aria walked over to the posted train schedules on the far wall and discovered that the next train wouldnt be leaving here for a half hour. Resigned, she plopped down on a bench. A few people gawked at her. She wondered if they recognized her from TV. Reporters had been dogging her since Sunday, after all.
Hey, a voice said. I know you.
Aria groaned, anticipating what was coming next. Youre that murdered girls best friend! Youre that girl who was being stalked! Youre that girl who saw the dead body! When she looked one bench over, her heart stopped. A familiar blond guy was sitting on a bench across the aisle, staring at her. Aria recognized his long fingers, his bowshaped mouth, even the little mole on his cheekbone. She felt hot, then cold.
It was Jason DiLaurentis.
Hhi, Aria stammered. Lately, shed been thinking a lot about Jasonespecially the crush she used to have on him. It was weird to suddenly have him here, right in front of her.
Its Aria, right? Jason closed the paperback book hed been reading.
Thats right. Arias insides shimmered. She wasnt sure if shed ever heard Jason say her name before. Jason used to refer to Aria and the others as simply the Alis.
Youre the one who made movies. Jasons blue eyes were steady on her.
Yeah. Aria felt herself blushing. They used to screen Arias pseudoartsy movies in Alis den, and sometimes Jason would pause in the doorway to watch. Aria used to feel so self conscious about him being there, but at the same time, she longed for him to comment on her movies. To say they were brilliant, maybe, or at the very least thought provoking.
You were the only one with substance, Jason added, giving her a kind, alluring smile. Arias insides turned over. Substance was good...right?
Are you going into Philadelphia? Aria blurted, groping for something to say. She instantly wanted to smack her forehead. Duh. Of course he was going into Philadelphia. This train line didnt go anywhere else.
Jason nodded. To Penn. I just transferred. I used to go to Yale.
Aria refrained from saying I know. The day Ali told them Jason had gotten into Yale, his topchoice school, Aria had considered drawing him a Congratulations card. But she decided against it, afraid Ali would tease her.
Its great, Jason went on. I only have classes Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and I get out early enough to take the three P.M. bullet train back to Yarmouth.
Yarmouth? Aria repeated.
My parents moved there for the trial. Jason shrugged and riffled his paperbacks pages through his fingers. I moved into the apartment above the garage. I figured they needed me to help them through this...stuff.
Right. Arias stomach started to ache. She couldnt imagine how Jason was dealing with Alis murdernot only had his old classmate killed her, but that hed then vanished. She licked her lips, thinking of answers for what she guessed would be his next questions: What was it like seeing Ians body in the woods? Where do you think it is now? Do you think someone moved it?
But Jason just sighed. I usually get on at Yarmouth, but today I had something to do in Rosewood. So here I am.
Outside, an Amtrak bullet train roared into the station. The other people who had been waiting stood up and clattered through the door to the platform. After the train roared away, Jason walked across the aisle and sat down right next to Aria. So...dont you have school? he asked.
Aria opened her mouth, fumbling for an answer. Jason was suddenly so close to her, she could easily smell his nutty, spicy soap. It was intoxicating. Uh, nope. Its parent teacher conference day.
Do you always wear your uniform on days off? Jason pointed to the bottom hem of Arias plaid Rosewood Day skirt. It was peeking out under her long wool coat.
Aria felt her cheeks blaze. I dont usually ditch, I swear.
I wont tell, Jason teased. He leaned forward, making the bench creak. You know the go kart place on Wembley Road? Once I went there for the whole day. Drove that little car around and around for hours.
Aria chuckled. Was the lanky guy there? The one who wears headtotoe NASCAR gear? Mike used to be obsessed with that gokart trackbefore he became obsessed with strippers and lacrosse.
Jimmy? Jasons eyes sparkled. Totally.
And he didnt ask why you werent in school? Aria asked, curling her hand over the benchs armrest. Hes usually so nosy.
Nope. Jason poked her shoulder. But I had sense enough to change out of my uniform so it wouldnt be so obvious. Then again, the girls uniforms are way cuter than the guys.
Aria suddenly felt so bashful, she turned her head and stared fixedly at the row of potato chips and pretzels in the vending machine. Was Jason flirting?
Jasons eyes gleamed. He breathed in, maybe about to say something else. Aria hoped he was about to ask her on a dateor maybe even for her phone number. Then the conductors voice blared over the loudspeaker, announcing that the eastbound train to Philadelphia would arrive in three minutes.
I guess thats us, Aria said, zipping up her jacket. Want to ride together?
But Jason didnt answer. When Aria looked over, he was staring at the television. His skin had turned pale and his mouth was a taut, distressed line. I...uh...I just realized. I have to go. He stood up sloppily, pulling his books into his chest.
Wwhat? Why? Aria cried.
Jason maneuvered around the benches, not answering. He bumped against Aria as he passed, upending her purse. Oops, she mumbled, wincing as a superplus tampon and her lucky Beanie Baby cow spilled to the sticky concrete floor. Sorry, Jason muttered, pushing out the door to the parking lot.
Aria gazed after him, astonished. What the hell just happened? And why was Jason going back to
his car...and not into the city? Her cheeks burned with sudden awareness. Jason had probably realized how Aria felt about him.
And maybe, because he didnt mean to lead her on, hed decided to drive into Philadelphia by himself instead of ride the train with her. How could she have been so stupid to think Jason was flirting? So what if hed said she was the only one with substance, or that she looked cute in a skirt. So what that hed given her Alis Time Capsule flag way back in the day. None of that necessarily meant anything. In the end, Aria was nothing more than one of the nameless Alis.
Humiliated, Aria slowly turned back to the TV. To her surprise, a news broadcast had interrupted Regis & Kelly. The headline caught Arias eye. Thomass Body a Hoax.
The blood drained from Arias face. She whirled around and scanned the line of cars in the parking lot. Or was this why Jason ran off so quickly?
On television, the Rosewood chief of police was speaking to a bevy of microphones. Weve been searching those woods for two days straight and cant find a single trace of Mr. Thomass body, he said. Maybe we need to step back and consider other...possibilities.
Aria frowned. What other possibilities?
The feed cut to Ians mother. A bunch of microphones were shoved under her chin. Ian e mailed us yesterday, she said. He didnt say where he was, just that he was safe...and that he didnt do it. She paused to wipe her eyes. Were still verifying if it really was from him or not. I pray that it wasnt someone using his account to play a trick on us.
Then Officer Wilden popped onto the screen. I wanted to believe the girls when they told me they saw Ian in the woods, he said, looking contrite. But even from the start, I wasnt really sure. I had a terrible feeling this might be a ploy for our attention.
Arias mouth dropped open. What?
And finally, the camera focused on a bearded man in thick glasses and a gray sweater. Dr. Henry Warren, Psychiatrist, Rosewood Hospital, the caption below him said. Being the center of attention is an addictive feeling, the doctor explained. If the focus has been on someone for long enough, they begin to...crave it. Sometimes, people take any measure possible to keep all eyes on them, even if that means embellishing the truth. Making up false realities.
An anchor came on again, saying theyd have more on this story at the top of the hour. As the broadcast broke for a commercial, Aria placed her palms flat on the bench and took heaping breaths. What. The. Hell?
Outside, the eastbound SEPTA roared into the station and screeched to a halt. Suddenly, Aria didnt feel like going into Philly anymore. What was the point? No matter where she went, baggage from Rosewood would always follow her.
She walked back to the parking lot, scanning for Jasons tall frame and blond hair. There wasnt a person in sight. The road in front of the station was empty, too, the traffic lights silently swinging. For just a moment, Aria felt like she was the only human left in the world. She swallowed hard, a peculiar feeling creeping down her neck to her tailbone. Jason had been here just now, hadnt he? And they had seen Ians body in the woods...right? For a moment, she felt like she really was going crazy, just like the psychiatrist had insinuated.
But she quickly shook off the thought. As the train pulled out of the station, Aria walked back to her car. Not having anywhere better to go, she finally drove back to school.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
7
KATE 1, HANNA 1
Hanna set her venti skim latte on the sugar and milk counter at Steam, the coffee bar adjacent to the Rosewood Day cafeteria. It was lunchtime that Tuesday, and Kate, Naomi, and Riley were still in line. One by one, Hanna heard each of them order an extralarge mint tea. Hanna had missed the memo, but apparently, mint tea was the drink du jour.
She ripped open a second Splenda packet with her teeth. If only she had a Percocet to go with her latteor, better yet, a gun. So far, lunch had been a disaster. First, Naomi and Riley had fawned over Kates Frye boots, saying nothing about Hannas farcuter Chie Mihara slingbacks. Then theyd babbled on about how much fun theyd had at Rive Gauche yesterdayone of the collegeage waiters had sneaked the girls tons of pinot noir. After theyd drunk their fill, they popped
into Sephora, and Kate bought Naomi and Riley gelfilled eye masks to ease their hangovers. The girls brought the masks to school today and put them on during an extra long bathroom break during secondperiod study hall. The only thing that lifted Hannas spirits was seeing that the cold mask had turned the area around Rileys brown eyes a harsh, chapped red.
Hmph, Hanna sniffed quietly. She tossed the empty Splenda packet into the little chrome trash can, vowing to buy Naomi and Riley something far better than a stupid mask. Then she noticed the flatscreen TV above the big jug of lemon water. Usually, the TV was tuned to the closedcircuit Rosewood Day channel, which showed recaps of school sporting events, choral concerts, and onthespot interviews, but today, someone had turned it to the news. No Thomas Body in Woods, said the headline.
Her stomach churned. Aria had told her about this story earlier this morning in AP English. How could the Thomases have received a note from Ian? How could there be no trace of Ian in those woods, no blood, no hair, nothing? Did that mean they hadnt seen him? Did that mean he was still...alive?
And why were the cops saying Hanna and the others had made it up? Wilden hadnt seemed to think theyd made it up the night of the party. In fact, if Wilden hadnt been so damn hard to find that night, they couldve gotten back to the woods faster. Maybe they couldve even caught Ian before he got awayor got dragged away. But no, the Rosewood PD couldnt look like screwups...so they had to make Hanna and the others look crazy instead. And all this time, shed thought Wilden had her back.
Hanna quickly turned away from the TV, wanting to put the story out of her mind. Then something behind the cinnamon sifter caught her eye. It looked like...fabric. And it was the exact same color as the Rosewood Day flag.
Hanna swallowed hard, yanked the fabric free, spread it out, and gasped. It was a piece of cloth, cut into a jagged square. The very edge of the Rosewood Day crest was in the upper righthand corner. Safetypinned to the back was a piece of paper with the number 16 on it. Rosewood Day always numbered each piece so theyd know how to sew the flag back together.
Whats that? said a voice. Hanna jumped, startled. Kate had slunk up behind her.
Hanna took a second to react, her mind still reeling from the Ian news. Its for this stupid game, she muttered.
Kate pursed her lips. The game that started today? Time Warp? Hanna rolled her eyes. Time Capsule. Kate took a long sip of her tea. Once all twenty pieces of the flag have been found, they will be
sewn back together and buried in a Time Capsule behind the soccer fields, she recited from the posters that had appeared all over school. Leave it to goodygoody Kate to have memorized the Time Capsule rules, as if she were going to be tested on them later. And then youll get your name immortalized on a bronze plaque. Thats a big deal, right?
Whatev, Hanna mumbled. Talk about ironicwhen she didnt give a shit about Time Capsule anymore, she found a piece without even looking at the clues posted in the school lobby. In sixth grade, the first year shed been allowed to play, Hanna had fantasized about how shed decorate a piece if she were lucky enough to find one. Some kids drew pointless things on their pieces, like a flower or a smiley face ordumbest of allthe Rosewood Day crest, but Hanna understood that a welldecorated Time Capsule flag was as important as carrying the right handbag or getting highlights from the Henri Flaubert salon in the King James. When Hanna, Spencer, and the others confronted Ali in her backyard the day after the game started, Ali had described in detail what shed drawn on her stolen piece. A Chanel logo. The Louis Vuitton pattern. A manga frog. A girl playing field hockey. As soon as Hanna got home that day, she wrote down everything Ali said shed drawn on her flag, not wanting to forget. It sounded so glamorous and exactly right.
Then, in eighth grade, Hanna and Mona found a Time Capsule piece together. Hanna wanted to incorporate Alis elements into the design, but she was afraid Mona might ask her what they meant she hated bringing up Ali to Mona, since Mona had been one of the girls Ali loved to tease. Hanna thought she was being a good friendlittle did she know Mona was slowly masterminding a way to ruin Hannas life.
Naomi and Riley bounded over, both of them immediately noticing Hannas flag. Rileys brown eyes boggled. She reached a pale, freckly arm out to touch the piece, but Hanna snapped it back, feeling protective. It would be just like one of these bitches to steal Hannas flag when she wasnt looking. All of a sudden, she understood what Ali meant when she told Ian she was going to guard
her piece with her life. And she understood, too, why Ali had been furious the day someone had stolen it from her.
Then again, Ali had been furious, but not exactly devastated. In fact, Ali had been more distracted that day than anything else. Hanna distinctly remembered how Ali kept looking over at the woods and her house, as if she thought someone was listening. Then, after whining about her missing piece for a while, Ali suddenly snapped back to her bitchy, frosty self, walking away from Hanna and the others without another word, like there was something more important on her mind than talking to four losers.
When it was clear Ali wasnt coming back outside, Hanna had walked to the front yard and retrieved her bike. Alis street had seemed so pleasant. The Cavanaughs had a pretty red tree house in their side yard. Spencers family had a big windmill spinning at the back of the property. There was a house down the street that had a humungous sixcar garage and a water fountain in the front yard. Later, Hanna would learn it was where Mona lived.
And then shed heard an engine backfiring. A sleek, vintage black car with tinted windows chugged at Alis curb, as if waiting...or watching. Something about it made the hair on the back of Hannas neck stand up. Maybe thats who stole Alis flag, shed thought. Not that she ever found out for sure.
Hanna gazed at Naomi, who was adding Splenda to her mint tea. Naomi and Riley used to be Alis best friends in sixth grade, but right after Time Capsule started, Ali ditched them both. She never explained why. Maybe Naomi and Riley had been the ones whod stolen Alis flagmaybe theyd been inside that black car Hanna had seen at the curb. And maybe that was why Ali dropped them maybe Ali asked them for her flag back, and when they denied theyd taken it, she cut them off. But if that was what happened, why didnt Naomi or Riley turn in the flag as their own? Why did the flag stay lost?
There was a commotion at the front of Steam, and the crowd parted. Eight Rosewood Day lacrosse boys strutted by in a cocky, confident herd. Mike Montgomery was wedged between Noel Kahn and James Freed. is.Riley jostled Kates arm, making the gold bangle bracelets around Kates wrist jingle. There he
You should totally go talk to him, Naomi murmured, her blue eyes widening. At that, the three of them stood up and strolled over. Naomi ogled Noel. Riley tossed her long red hair at Mason. Now that lax boys were permitted, it was a freeforall.
Rosewood Day is really picky about people drawing inappropriate stuff on the Time Capsule flag, Mike was saying to his friends. But if the lax team found every single piece and made one huge inappropriate drawingof like, a penisAppleton wouldnt be able to do a thing. He wouldnt even know it was a penis until he unveiled the flag at the assembly.
Noel Kahn slapped him on the back. Nice. I cant wait for the look on Appletons face.
Mike pantomimed Principal Appleton, who was getting up there in years, shakily unfolding the reconstructed flag for the school to see. Now, whats this? he said in a craggy old man voice, holding an invisible magnifying glass to his eye. Is this what you young whippersnappers call...a schlong?
Kate burst out laughing. Hanna glanced at her, astonished. There was no way Kate could honestly think these cretins were funny. Mike noticed her laughing and smiled.
That imitation of Appleton is perfect, Kate cooed. Hanna clenched her jaw. As if Kate had even met Principal Appleton yet. Shed only been a Rosewood Day student for a week.
Thanks, Mike said, running his eyes up and down Kates body, from her boots to her slender legs to her Rosewood Day blazer, which fit Kates willowy frame perfectly. Hanna noted with annoyance that Mike didnt look at her once. I do a pretty good impression of Lance the shop teacher, too.
Id love to hear it sometime, Kate gushed.
Hanna gritted her teeth. That was it. There was no way her soontobe stepsister was snagging the guy who was supposed to worship her. She marched over to the boys, nudged Kate out of the way, and ran her fingers over the Time Capsule flag she had just found.
I couldnt help but overhear your brilliant idea, Hanna said loudly, but Im sorry to say your schlong is going to be incomplete. She waved her flag under Mikes nose.
Mikes eyes widened. He reached out for it, but Hanna yanked it away. Mike stuck out his bottom lip. Come on. Whatll it take for you to give that piece to me?
Hanna had to hand it to himmost sophomore guys were so nervous in Hannas presence, they started quivering and stuttering. She pressed the flag to her chest. Im not letting this baby out of my sight.
Theres gotta be something I can do for you, Mike pleaded. Your history homework? Hand wash your bras? Fondle your nipples?
Kate let out another girlish titter, trying to bring the attention back to her, but Hanna quickly grabbed Mikes arm and pulled him back toward the condiments table, away from the crowd. I can give you something way better than this flag, she murmured.
What? Mike asked. Me, silly, Hanna said flirtatiously. Maybe you and I could go out sometime. Okay, Mike said to Hanna emphatically. When? Hanna peeked over her shoulder. Kates mouth had dropped open. Ha, Hanna thought, feeling
triumphant. That was easy. How about tomorrow? she asked Mike. Hmm. My dads throwing his mistress a baby shower. Mike stuffed his hands in his blazer pockets. Hanna flinchedAria had told her about her dad running off with his student, but Hanna hadnt been aware that they were talking about it so candidly. Id blow it off, but my dad would kill me.
Oh, but I love showers, Hanna exclaimed, even though she sort of hated them. I love showers toothe kind I take with a couple of hot girls, Mike said, winking. Hanna fought the urge to roll her eyes. Seriously, what did Kate see in him? She peeked over
Mikes shoulder again. Now, Kate, Naomi, and Riley were whispering to Noel and Mason. They were probably just trying to act secretive to throw Hanna offbut she wasnt falling for it.
Anyway, if you really want to come, awesome, Mike said, and Hanna turned back to him. Give me your number and Ill text you the deets. Oh, and you dont have to bring a gift or anything. But if you do, Merediths really eco and shit. So, like, dont get her disposable diapers. And dont get her a breast pumpI already got that department covered. He crossed his arms over his chest, as if terribly pleased with his idea.
Got it, Hanna said. Then, she stepped forward until she was just inches from Mikes mouth. She could see flecks of gray in his blue eyes. He had that sweaty boy smell, probably from a morning gym class. Surprisingly, it was kind of hot. Ill see you tomorrow, she whispered, her lips touching his cheek.
Definitely, Mike breathed. He walked back to Noel and Mason, who were watching, and did that shoulderpunching thing all the lax boys loved.
Hanna dusted off her hands. Done and done. When she turned around, Kate was standing right behind her.
Oh! Hanna simpered. Hi, Kate! Sorry, I had something I had to ask Mike. Kate crossed her arms over her chest. Hanna! I told you I wanted to go for Mike. Hanna wanted to laugh at Kates wounded tone of voice. Had Little Miss Perfect never fought for
a guy before? Mmmm, Hanna answered. Seems like he likes me. Kates pale eyes darkened. A serene look came over her face. Well, I guess well have to see
about that, she said. I guess we will, Hanna chirped, her voice ice. They stared each other down. The song over Steams speakers changed from an emopunk ballad to a throbbing, African dance beat. It reminded Hanna of a song a tribe might play before they went off to battle.
Game on, bitch, Hanna mouthed to Kate. Then she daintily pulled her bag into her chest and waltzed around her stepsistertobe into the Rosewood Day hallway, waggling her fingers at Mike, Noel, and the others. But as she was passing the cafeteria, she heard a sarcastic cackle reverberate off the walls. She stopped, the hair on the back of her neck rising. The laugh wasnt coming from Steam, but from the cafeteria.
All the tables in the lunchroom were full. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Hanna saw a figure behind the rotating pretzel oven slither out the back door. The person was tall and lanky and had blond, curly hair. Hannas heart stopped. Ian?
But no. Ian was dead. The person who had sent his parents that text earlier today was an impostor. Shaking off the thought, Hanna pulled her school blazer around her shoulders, drained the last of her latte, and continued down the corridor, trying her best to strut like the fearless, gorgeous, unflappable girl she was.
IF THE DOLLS COULD TALK...
As soon as Emily finished swim practice Tuesday afternoon, she drove to Isaacs house and parked at the curb. Isaac opened the front door of his house, grabbed Emily tight, and inhaled deeply. Mmm. I just love it when you smell like chlorine.
Emily giggled. Despite the fact that she always washed her hair twice in the locker room showers after every practice, the distinct pool smell stubbornly clung to her hair.
Isaac stepped aside, and Emily walked into the house. The living room smelled like apple and peach potpourri. There was the picture on the mantel of Isaac, his mom, and Minnie Mouse at Disney World. The floral couch was covered with lacy pillows Mrs. Colbert had embroidered, bearing messages like Hugging Is Healthy and Prayer Changes Everything.
Isaac pulled at one of the sleeves of Emilys coat, then the other. When he turned to open the closet door, she heard a creak coming from the mudroom. Emily froze, her eyes round. Isaac turned to her and touched her hand. Why so jumpy? The press isnt here, I promise.
Emily licked her lips. The press had been hounding her and her friends constantly, and earlier that day, shed heard the latest: that the Thomas family had received an email from Ian, and that Emily and the others had made up seeing Ians body in the woods. That obviously wasnt truebut what was? Where had Ian gone? Was he really alive...or did someone just want them to think he was?
More than that, Emily couldnt stop thinking about the Jason DiLaurentis incident on Sunday night. She had no idea what she wouldve done if Isaac hadnt been with her. Every time she considered the possibility of facing Jason alone, she shuddered with fear.
Sorry, she said to Isaac, trying to snap out of her mood. Im okay.
Good, Isaac said. He took her hand. Since we have the place to ourselves, I thought Id show you my bedroom.
Are you sure? Emily glanced at the photo of Isaac, his mom, and Minnie Mouse again. Mrs. Colbert had a policy that Isaac wasnt allowed to bring any girls into his roomever.
Sure Im sure, Isaac answered. My mom will never know.
Emily smiled. She had been curious about his bedroom. Isaac squeezed her hand and led her up the stairs. Each stair riser was decorated with a different doll. Some of them were yarnhaired rag dolls in calico dresses, and others were baby dolls with hard china heads and eyes that closed when they were laid flat. Emily averted her eyes. Shed never been one to play with dolls like other girls theyd always kind of freaked her out.
Isaac pushed through a door at the end of the hall. Voilˆ. There was a striped spread on the double bed in the corner, three guitars on stands, and a small desk with a new iMac. Very nice, Emily said.
Then she noticed a large white object on top of the dresser. You have a phrenology head! She walked over to the big mold of a skull and traced her fingers over the words that were written across the head. Guile. Forethought. Avarice. Victorian doctors thought they could determine a persons character simply by the way his or her skull was shaped. If he had a lump in a particular spot on his head, he was a good poet. If the lump was elsewhere, he was very religious. Emily wondered what her head bumps said about her.
She grinned at Isaac. Where did you get this?
Isaac walked over to her. Remember that aunt I told you about when we got Chinese last week? The one whos into horoscopes and stuff? She got this for me at a flea market. He touched a spot on Emilys skull. Hmm, you feel very bumpy. He glanced at the phrenology head. According to this, youre really good at giving affection...or you make others want to give you affection. I can never remember which.
Very scientific, Emily teased. She touched the top of his head, feeling for a bump. And youre... She leaned back, searching the ceramic head for an appropriate quality. The thief. The mimic. The murderer. Rosewood PD needed one of these headsthey could massage every cranium in town and find Alis murderer right away. Youre wise, she concluded.
Youre beautiful, Isaac said. He slowly steered her over to the bed and pulled her down. She
felt flushed and short of breath. She hadnt anticipated lying down on Isaacs bed, but she didnt want to get up. They kissed for a while longer, easing down until they were lying flat on the pillows. Emily thrust her hand underneath his Tshirt to feel his warm, bare chest. Then she giggled, astonished at her behavior.
What? Isaac asked, pulling away. Do you want to stop?
Emily lowered her eyes. The truth was, whenever she was around Isaac, a calmness came over her. All of her anxieties and worries flew out the window. Being with him, she felt safe and secure... and in love.
I dont want to stop, she whispered, her heart fluttering. Do you?
Isaac shook his head. Then, he pulled off his Tshirt. His skin was pale and soft. He unbuttoned Emilys blouse, one button at a time, until her shirt gaped open. The only sound was their breathing. Isaac touched the edge of Emilys pink scalloped bra. Ever since he had taken off her shirt two days ago in the car, shed worn her prettier bras to school. Nicer underwear, too, not the comfy boy shorts she usually wore. Maybe she hadnt anticipated this, exactly, but maybe, just maybe, it was exactly what shed been hoping for.
When the digital clock on Isaacs nightstand turned from 5:59 to 6:00, Emily sat up and pulled the flannel sheets around her. The streetlights up and down Isaacs block were now lit, and a woman across the street was calling her kids in from the front yard for dinner.
I should probably go soon, Emily said, giving Isaac another kiss. They both giggled. Isaac pulled her back down and started kissing her again. Eventually, they both stood up and got dressed, sneaking notsocovert peeks at each other. A lot had happened...but Emily felt right about it. Isaac had gone achingly slow, kissing every inch of her body, admitting that this was his first time too. It couldnt have been more perfect.
They started down the stairs, straightening their clothes. Halfway down, Emily heard someone let out a phlegmfilled cough.
They both froze. Emily widened her eyes at Isaac. His parents werent supposed to be back until after seven.
A creaky footstep sounded from the kitchen. A set of car keys jangled, then dropped into a ceramic bowl. Emilys stomach swooped. She gazed at the mute, glassyeyed dolls on the steps. They seemed to be smirking at her.
Emily and Isaac scrambled down the stairs and flung themselves on the couch. As soon as their butts hit the cushions, Mrs. Colbert walked into the room. She was dressed in a long red wool skirt and a white cableknit sweater. Because of the way the light reflected off her glasses, Emily couldnt tell where she was looking. There was a stern, disapproving look on her face. For an agonizing second, Emily became panicked that Mrs. Colbert had heard everything that had just happened.
Then, she turned and flattened her palm to her chest. Guys! I didnt see you there!
Isaac leapt up, awkwardly knocking the stack of photo albums on the coffee table to the floor. Mom, you remember Emily, right?
Emily stood up, too, hoping her hair wasnt a complete mess and that she didnt have a rapidly growing hickey on her neck. Hhi, she stammered. Nice to see you again.
Hello, Emily. There was a pleasant enough smile on Mrs. Colberts face, but Emilys heart continued to gallop all the same. Was she really surprised to see them, or was she just waiting until Emily left to yell at Isaac in private?
She gazed at Isaac, who looked uncomfortable. He placed his hand on top of his head, matting down his mussed hair. Uh, Emily, do you want to stay for dinner? Isaac blurted. Thats okay, right, Mom?
Mrs. Colbert hesitated, drawing her lips together until they practically disappeared. II shouldnt, Emily stammered, before Mrs. Colbert could answer. My mom is expecting me home.
Mrs. Colbert breathed out. Emily swore she looked relieved. Well. Perhaps another time, she said.
How about tomorrow? Isaac pressed.
Emily shot an uneasy glance at Isaac, wondering if he should just let the dinner thing drop. But Mrs. Colbert brushed her hands together and said, Tomorrow would be fine. Wednesday is pot roast night.
Uh, okay, Emily answered. I guess I could do that. Thanks.
Good. Mrs. Colbert gave her a tight smile. Bring your appetite!
She glided back to the kitchen. Emily sank back onto the couch and covered her face with her hands. Just kill me now, she whispered.
Isaac touched her arm. Were safe. She doesnt know we were upstairs.
But as Emily glanced through the arched doorway to the kitchen, she saw Isaacs mom standing at the sink, rinsing off the breakfast dishes. Although her hands continued to manically scrub the plates, Mrs. Colberts dark eyes were fixed steadily on them. Her lips puckered, her cheeks flushed, and the cords in her neck bulged with fury.
Emily flinched, aghast. Mrs. Colbert noticed Emily was watching, but her expression didnt falter. She stared unblinkingly at Emily, as if cognizant of exactly what she and Isaac had done. And maybe even blaming Emilyand only Emilyfor all of it.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
9
SURPRISE! HES STILL HERE..
As the sun was sinking beneath the horizon, turning all of Rosewood pitchblack, Spencer watched out her bedroom window as the remaining Rosewood PD squad cars and news vans pulled away from her street. The cops had abruptly called off the search for Ians body, having found nothing in the woods. And a lot of people had bought into the new theory that the girls had made up seeing Ians body, thereby allowing him to easily escape Rosewood forever.
Such bullshit. And it didnt seem possible that the cops hadnt found a single piece of evidence. There had to be something out there. A footprint. Tree bark rubbed off from someones nails.
Her desktop computer at the other corner of the room made an angry buzz. Spencer looked up, eyeing the CD she and Andrew had made of her dads hard drive yesterday. It was where shed left it after it finished loading last night, sitting in a paper sleeve on top of her antique Tiffany blotter. She hadnt looked through the files yet, but there was no good time like the present. She walked to her desk and slid the CD into her computer.
Instantly, the computer made a farting noise, and every single icon on Spencers desktop turned into a question mark. She tried to click on one, but it wouldnt open. Then the screen went black. She tried to reboot, but the computer wouldnt turn on.
Shit, she whispered, ejecting the CD. She had backups of everything on her hard drive, like her old papers, tons of pictures and videos, and her journal, which shed kept since before Ali disappeared, but without a functional computer, she couldnt look through her dads files for evidence.
A door slammed downstairs. Her father spoke in a muffled voice, then her mother. Spencer looked up, her stomach burbling. She hadnt really spoken to them since theyd all returned from Nanas funeral. She glanced at her computer again, then stood and walked downstairs.
The air smelled like the baked brie her parents always bought at the Fresh Fields deli counter, and the familys two labradoodles, Rufus and Beatrice, were lazing on the big round rug by the breakfast nook. Spencers sister, Melissa, was in the kitchen, too, scuttling around, piling the design magazines and books shed scattered around the room into a paper shopping bag. Spencers mom was rifling through the drawer that held all the phone books and numbers for the various people who helped around the houselandscapers, driveway sealers, electricians. Mr. Hastings was pacing from the kitchen to the dining room, his cell phone to his ear.
Uh, my computer has a virus, Spencer said.
Her dad stopped pacing. Melissa looked up. Her mother jumped and whirled around. The corners of her mouth turned down. She turned back to the drawer.
Mom? Spencer tried again. My computer. Its...dead. Mrs. Hastings didnt turn. And? Spencer ran her fingers along the slightly wilted floral arrangement on the island until she realized where shed seen the flowers laston Nanas casket. She pulled her hand away fast. Well, I need it to do my homework. Can I call Geek Squad?
Her mother turned and examined Spencer for a few long beats. When Spencer gazed back help lessly, Mrs. Hastings began to laugh.
What? Spencer asked, confused. Beatrice raised her head, then put it down again. Why should I pay for someone to come fix your computer when I should make you pay for what
happened to the garage? Mrs. Hastings crowed. Spencer blinked fast. The...garage? Her mother snorted. Dont tell me you didnt see it. Spencer looked back and forth from one parent to the other, clueless. Then she ran to the front
door and stepped out into the yard in her socks, even though the ground was frosty and soggy. A light had been turned on over the garage. When Spencer saw what was there, she clapped her hand over her mouth.
Across both garage doors, in bloodred paint, was the word KILLER.
It hadnt been here when shed come home from school today. Spencer looked around, gripped with the distinct feeling that someone was watching from the woods. Did a tree branch just move? Did someone just duck behind a shrub? Was it...A?
She faced her mother, who had marched up beside her. Did you call the police?
Mrs. Hastings barked out another laugh. Do you think the police really want to speak to us right now? Do you think theyre going to care that someone did this to our house?
Spencer widened her eyes. Wait, you believe what the cops are saying? Her mom sank onto one hip. We both know there wasnt ever anything in those woods. The world started to spin. Spencers mouth felt dry. Mom, I saw Ian. I really did. Her mother brought her face inches from Spencers. Do you know how much its going to cost to
refinish those doors? Theyre one of a kindwe got them off an old barn in Maine. Spencers eyes filled with tears. Im sorry to be such a liability. She whirled around, stomped onto the porch, and marched up the stairs without bothering to wipe her muddy socks on the doormat. Her eyes stung with hot tears as she walked up the stairs and flung open the door to her bedroom. Why did it surprise her that her mother was siding with the cops? Why should she have expected anything different?
Spence?
Melissa poked her head into the room. She was wearing a pale yellow cashmere twinset and dark, bootcut jeans. Her hair was held back by a velvet ribbon, and her eyes looked tired and puffy, as if shed been crying.
Go away, Spencer mumbled.
Melissa sighed. I just wanted to let you know that you can use my old laptop if you need it. Its in the barn. I have a new computer at the town house. Im moving there tonight.
Spencer turned slightly, frowning. The renovations are done? Melissas Philadelphia town house overhaul seemed to have no endshe kept tweaking the designs.
Melissa stared at the creamy Berber carpet that spread across Spencers bedroom floor. I have to get out of here. Her voice cracked.
Is everything...okay? Spencer asked. Melissa pulled her sleeves over her hands. Yeah. Fine. Spencer shifted in her seat. Shed tried to talk to Melissa about Ians body at Nanas funeral on
Sunday, but Melissa kept waving her away. Her sister had to have some thoughts about itwhen Ian was released on house arrest, Melissa had seemed sympathetic to his plight. Shed even tried to convince Spencer that Ian was innocent. Maybe, like the police, she believed that Ians body had never been there. It would be just like Melissa to trust a bunch of possibly crooked cops over her sister, all because she didnt want to accept that her beloved might be dead.
Really, Im fine, Melissa urged, as if she could read Spencers thoughts. I just dont want to be here if there are going to be search parties and news vans.
But the cops arent searching here anymore, Spencer told her. They just called it off.
A startled look crossed Melissas face. Then she shrugged and turned around without answering. Spencer listened to her padding down the stairs.
The front door slammed, and Spencer could hear Mrs. Hastings murmuring quietly and kindly to Melissa in the foyer. Her real daughter. Spencer winced, gathered up her books, shrugged into her coat and boots, and walked out the back door to Melissas barn. As she crossed the cold, vast yard, she noticed something to the left and stopped. Someone had sprayed LIAR on the windmill in the same red paint as the graffiti on the garage. A glob of red dripped from the bottom edge of the L to the dead grass. It looked as if it were bleeding.
Spencer glanced back at the house, considering, then pulled her books into her chest and pressed on. Her parents would see it soon enough. She certainly didnt want to be the one to break the news.
Melissa had left the barn in a hurry. There was a halfdrunk bottle of wine on the counter, and a halffilled water glass her normally anal sister hadnt washed out. A lot of her clothes were still in the closet, and there was a big book called The Principles of Mergers and Acquisitions flung on the bed, a University of Pennsylvania bookmark wedged between the pages.
Spencer hefted her creamcolored Mulberry tote onto the brown leather couch, pulled the CD of her dads computer from the front pocket, sat down at Melissas desk, and slid the CD into the drive of her sisters laptop.
The disc took a while to load, and Spencer clicked on her email while she waited. At the top of her inbox was a message from Olivia Caldwell. Her potential mother.
Spencer raised her hand to her mouth and opened the message. It was a link to a prepaid ticket on Amtraks Acela line, the bullet train to New York City. Spencer, Im thrilled youve agreed to meet me! said the accompanying note. Can you come to New York tomorrow night? We have so much to talk about. Much love, Olivia.
She peered out the window to the main house, not sure what to do. The lights in the kitchen were still on, and her mother passed from the fridge to the table, saying something to Melissa. Despite how pissed her mom had been just moments before, there was now a loving, comforting smile on her mothers face. When was the last time she had smiled like that at Spencer?
Tears welled in Spencers eyes. Shed been trying so hard for her parents for so long...for what? She turned back to the computer. The Acela ticket was for 4 P.M. tomorrow. That sounds great, she wrote back. See you then. She hit send.
Almost immediately, a little bloop sound filled the room. Spencer closed her inbox and checked to see if the CD had finished loading, but the program was still running. Then, she noticed a flashing IM window. Instant Messenger must have automatically logged on to Melissas account when Spencer had turned on the computer. Hey Mel, a new message said. You there?
Spencer was ready to type, Sorry, not Melissa, when a second message came in. Its me. Ian. Her stomach flipped. Right. Whoever wrote this didnt have a very good sense of humor. Another bloop. You there? Spencer looked at the unfamiliar IM screen name. USCMidfielderRoxx. Ian had gone to USC, and
he played midfield in soccer. But that didnt mean anything. Right? The bloops kept coming. Im sorry I left without telling you...but they hated me. You know that.
They found out that I knew. Thats why I had to run. Spencers hands began to shake. Someone was messing with her, just like theyd messed with Ians parents. Ian didnt run. He was dead.
But why was there no trace of his remains in the woods? Why hadnt the cops found a single thing?
Spencer waved her fingers over the keys. Prove its really you, she typed, not bothering to explain that it wasnt Melissa. She shut her eyes, trying to think of something personal about Ian. Something that Melissa and Spencer would know. Something that wasnt in Alis diary, either. The press had done an exposŽ of everything Ali had written in her diary about Ian, like how theyd gotten together after a soccer game the fall of seventh grade, how Ian had crammed for the SATs using a Ritalin pill a friend had given him, and how he hadnt been sure if he really deserved being named the Rosewood Day varsity soccer teams MVPAlis brother, Jason, was far more talented. Whoever was pretending to be Ian would know all that. If only she could think of something super private.
Then the perfect thing came to her. Something she was pretty sure that even Ali didnt know. Whats your real middle name? she typed.
There was a pause. Spencer leaned back, waiting. When Melissa was a senior in high school, shed gotten drunk on eggnog on Christmas Day and confessed that Ians parents wanted him to be a girl. When Mrs. Thomas popped out a boy, they decided his middle name would be the girls name theyd chosen for him. Ian never, ever used itin old Rosewood Day yearbooks Spencer had leafed through when she was yearbook editor, he hadnt even listed a middle initial.
There was a bloop. Elizabeth, said the message. Spencer blinked hard. This wasnt possible. The light in the kitchen in the main house snapped off, enveloping the backyard in darkness. A
car slid down the culdesac, schussing loudly over the wet pavement. Then Spencer began to hear noises. A sigh. A snort. A giggle. She jumped up and pressed her forehead to the cold, thick windowpane. The porch was bare. There were no shadows by the pool, the hot tub, or the deck. There
was no one creeping around the windmill, although the newly painted word LIAR seemed to glow. Her Sidekick buzzed. Spencer jumped, her heart hammering. She glanced at the computer again.
Ian had signed off Instant Messenger. One new text message. With shaking hands, Spencer pressed Read. Dear Spence, When I told you that he had to go, I didnt mean he had to die. Still, theres something really sketchy in this case...and its up to you to figure out what it is. So better get searching, or the next one gone is you. Au revoir!A
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
10
SOMETHINGS SKETCHY, INDEED
The following morning, Emily cinched the hood of her pale blue anorak tight and ran across the icy blacktop to the Rosewood Day Elementary School swings, her friends special meeting spot. For the first time all week, the long driveway was free of news vans. Since everyone now thought Emily and the others had made up seeing Ians body in the woods, the press had no reason to interview students.
Across the courtyard, Emilys friends were gathered around Spencer, staring at a sheet of computer paper and her cell phone. Last night, Spencer had called Emily to tell her that Ian had IMed her and that A had sent a text. Afterward, Emily hadnt been able to sleep a wink. So A was back. And Ian...maybe...wasnt dead.
Something hard hit her shoulder, and Emily whirled around, her heart leaping to her throat. It was only an elementaryschool boy pushing past her, running for the ball field. She placed one hand in the other, trying to stop it from trembling. Her hands had been shaking like crazy all morning.How could Ian have faked his death? Emily blurted when she reached the circle. We all saw him. He looked...blue.
Hanna, bundled in a white wool coat and fauxfur scarf, raised her shoulders. The only color in her face was her redrimmed eyes; it looked like she hadnt slept much last night, either. Aria, wearing a thin, trendylooking gray leather jacket and green fingerless gloves, shook her head, saying nothing. She wasnt wearing her usual sparkly makeup. Even neatasapin Spencer looked disheveledher hair was in a greasy, lumpy ponytail.
It fits, Spencer croaked. Ian pretended to be dead, and he called us to the woods because he knew wed go to the police and tell them we saw him.
Aria sank down onto one of the swings. But why wouldnt Ian just run? Why would he put on a show for us?
When the cops found out he was missing, they started searching for him immediately, Spencer explained. But then when we saw his body, they turned their attention to the woods instead. We distracted them for a few days, long enough so Ian could really escape. We probably did exactly what he wanted us to. She gazed up at the clouds, a helpless expression on her face.
Hanna sank onto her left hip. What do you think A has to do with this? A lured us into the woods so wed see Ian. A is obviously working with him.
This text makes it pretty obvious that Ian and A were in cahoots, Spencer said, shoving her phone at them. Emily read the first two lines again. When I said he had to go, I didnt mean he had to die. Still, theres something really sketchy in this case...and its up to you to figure out what it is. She bit her lip hard, then gazed at the dragonshaped slide behind them. Years ago, whenever something or someone at school scared her, she would hide inside the dragons head at the top until she felt better. She felt an overwhelming urge to do that now.
It seems like A helped Ian bust out, Spencer went on. They worked togetherwhen Ian met me on my back porch last week, A threatened that if I told the cops, Id get hurt. If I wouldve told them, they wouldve rearrested Ian...and he couldnt have escaped.
A was worried about any of us saying anything, Emily piped up. All of my notes said that if I didnt tell As secret, A wouldnt tell mine.
Hanna looked at Emily, a curious smile on her lips. This A knows some secrets about you?
Emily shrugged. For a while, A was taunting Emily about how shed kept her sexuality from Isaac. Not anymore, she said.
What if Ian is A? Aria suggested. It still makes a lot of sense. Emily shook her head. The texts werent from Ian. The cops checked his phone. Just because the A notes werent coming from Ians phone doesnt mean they werent coming
from Ian, Hanna reminded her. He could have had someone else send them. Or he could have gotten a disposable cell or a phone in another name.
Emily put her finger to her lips. She hadnt thought of that.
And all those tricks he pulled the night we allegedly saw his body are pretty easy if you know how to use a computer, Hanna went on. Ian probably figured out how to delay sending a text so that wed get it the moment we saw what looked like his dead body. Remember how Mona sent herself an email from A to throw us off? Its probably not that hard.
Spencer pointed at the piece of computer paper. It was a printout of the IM exchange between her and Ian. Look at this, she said, pointing to the lines that said, They hated me. They found out that I knew. That was why I had to run. Ian signed off before I could ask who they were. But what if this is much bigger than Ian planning an escape? What if Ian really did find out something huge about Alis murder? What if he thought that if he went on trial, explaining what he knew, hed be killed? Faking his own death wouldnt just get the cops off his back, itd get whoever wanted to hurt him off his back too.
Aria stopped swinging. Do you think whoever was after Ian might come after us if we figure out too much?
Thats what it sounds like, Spencer said. But theres something else. She pointed to a few lines of text at the bottom of the computer printout. It was the IP address of where the Instant Messages were from. It says Ian IMed us from somewhere in Rosewood.
Rosewood? Aria shrieked. You mean hes still...here? Hannas face paled. Why would Ian stay here? Why wouldnt he skip town? Maybe hes not done searching for the truth, Spencer suggested. Or maybe hes not done with us...for turning him in, Aria said. Emily heard a whoop behind her and jumped. A crow was slowly circling the playground. When
she turned back to her friends, their eyes were wide, and their jaws were tense. Arias right, Hanna said, picking back up on the conversation. If Ians alive, we dont know
what hes up to. He still might be after us. And he still might be guilty. I dont know, Spencer protested. Emily faced Spencer, confused. But you told the cops it was him! What about that memory you
had of seeing Ian with Ali on the night she died? Spencer shoved her hands in her coat pockets. Im not sure if I really remember that...or if it
was just what I wanted to believe. Emilys stomach burned. What was true...and what wasnt? She stared across the playground. A
group of students were marching down the sidewalk into the sixthgrade wing. More students passed in front of the long line of classroom windows, walking to the coat closet. Emily had forgotten that sixth graders didnt have proper lockers; they had to put their stuff in cubbies in that tiny coatroom. The coatroom used to get so stinky by midmorning, smelling like everyones bagged lunches.
When Ian talked to me on my back porch, he told me that we had it wronghe didnt kill Ali, Spencer went on. He wouldnt have hurt a hair on Alis head. He and Ali always flirted, but she was the one who escalated it to the next level. Ian thought for a while that she was doing it to make someone angry. At first I thought she meant mebecause I kind of liked him. But Ian didnt seem to buy that theory. And the night she died, he saw two blondes in the woodsone was Ali, one was someone else. At the time, I thought he meant me. But he said maybe it was someone else.
Emily sighed, frustrated. Were going by Ians word again.
Yeah, Spence. Hanna wrinkled her nose. Ian killed Ali. Then he tricked us. We should go to Wilden with the IMs. Let him deal with it.
Spencer snorted. Wilden? Hes done a good job convincing all of Rosewood that were crazy. Even if by some miracle he does believe us, no one else on the police force would.
What about Ians parents? Emily suggested. They got a note from him too. Theyd believe us.
Spencer pointed to another line on the IM exchange. Yeah, but what would that do? His parents would have yet more proof that Ians alive, but they might tell the cops that his IMs came from a computer in Rosewood. And then the cops would track him down and rearrest him.
Which would be a good thing, Emily reminded her.
Spencer gave her a helpless look. What if this is a test? Suppose we do tell the cops or his parents...and something happens to one of us? Or what if something happens to Melissa? Ian thought he was IMing her, after all. Spencer rubbed her gloved hands together. Melissa and I dont get along, but I dont want to put her in danger.
Aria stepped off the swing, grabbed Spencers phone, and looked at As text. This note says now its up to us to figure it out...or well be next.
Meaning? Emily stuck her boot into a patch of snow. We have to prove who Alis real killer is, Aria answered matteroffactly. Or else. Do you think the killer is the personor peoplein Ians IMs? Spencer asked. The people who
hated him? The ones who found out he knew? Who hated Ian? Emily scratched her head. Everyone at Rosewood adored him. Hanna snorted. Guys, this is retarded. I dont really feel like playing Veronica Mars. She unzipped her bag, pulled out an iPhone from the inside pocket, and turned it on. The best way to stay away from A is to do what I did: get a new phone and an unlisted number. Voilˆ, A cant find us. She started jabbing at the phones screen.
Emily exchanged a wary look with the others. A has gotten in touch with us in other ways, Hanna.Hanna pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, still texting. This A hasnt. It doesnt mean that this A wont, Spencer said firmly. Hanna clamped her lips together, looking annoyed. Well, if Ian is A, I guess we wont have to
worry. Because Ian has no way of getting my new phone number. Emily gazed at Hanna, not quite sure how Hanna could be so certain...especially if Ian really was
still here in Rosewood. So do we search, or not? Aria said after a moment. The girls stared at each other. Emily had no idea how they could even attempt to search for Alis
real killer. They werent cops. They didnt have forensic experience. But she understood why they couldnt turn to the copsafter the Dead Ian Scandal, the cops would just laugh at them and tell them to stop wasting their time.
She stared across the courtyard. More sixth graders paraded toward the classrooms. A few gathered around a sign hanging outside the door, talking giddily. Im going to find a piece, said a brunette girl with sparkly clips in her hair. Yeah, right, said her friend, a petite Asian girl with a high ponytail. Youll never figure out those clues.
Emily squinted at the signs block letters. TIME CAPSULE IS HERE! HAVE YOU STARTED SEARCH ING YET?
Remember how excited everyone was for Time Capsule the first year we were able to play? Hanna murmured, watching the girls too.
Aria pointed to the bike racks near the sixthgrade entrance. That was where Ali announced that she knew where one of the pieces was.
That was so annoying. Spencer groaned, making a face. She cheatedJason told her where it was. She didnt even have to solve the clues. Thats why I wanted to steal Alis pieceI didnt think she deserved it.
Except you didnt get to steal it, Hanna singsonged. Because someone stole it first. And well never find out who.
Aria coughed loudly. Bottled water spewed out of her mouth. Everyone turned to look at her. Im fine, she assured them, wheezing.
The high school bell rang, and the girls broke apart. Spencer walked off quickly, barely saying goodbye. Hanna lingered, tapping her iPhone. Emily fell in step with Aria. For a while, the only sound was their shoes crunching through the icy crust of snow on the commons. Emily wondered if Aria was thinking about the same thing she wascould Ian be telling the truth? Was someone else behind Alis murder?
So youll never believe who I ran into yesterday, Aria said. Jason DiLaurentis. Emily stopped short. Her heart started to pound. Where? Aria knotted her scarf tighter, seemingly nonchalant. I cut school. Jason was waiting for the
train to Philly. A gust of wind kicked up, sneaking down the collar of Emilys shirt. I saw Jason the other day
too, she mustered, her voice raspy. I parallelparked in back of him, and he accused me of denting his car. He was kind of...angry.
Aria gave her a sidelong glance. What do you mean?
Emily fiddled with the ski lift ticket that was affixed to her jackets zipper. She suspected that Aria used to like Jason, and she hated badmouthing people. Then again, Aria needed to know. Well, he kind of screamed for a while. And then he lunged at me, like he was going to punch me.
Did you dent his car? Even if I did, it was tiny. Definitely not worth freaking out about. Aria shoved her hands in her pockets. Jasons probably really sensitive right now. I cant imagine what this must be like for him. Thats what I thought, too, but... Emily trailed off, gazing concernedly at Aria. Just be careful,
okay? Remember what Jenna said to you. Ali said she had problems with Jason. He couldve been abusing Ali, just like Toby was abusing Jenna.
We dont know if thats true, Aria barked, her eyes darkening. Ali wanted to find out Jennas secret about Toby. She wouldve told Jenna anything to get her to talk. Jason was nothing but sweet to Ali.
Emily looked away, staring blankly at the flagpole at the end of the school commons. She wasnt so sure about that. She remembered the shouts coming from inside Alis house the day theyd sneaked into Alis backyard to steal her Time Capsule flag. Someone kept imitating Alis voice. And then there was a shattering sound and a thud, as if someone had been pushed. Jason stormed out of the house moments later, his face fiery red.
In fact, now that she thought about it, the very first time Emily had ever seen Ali, Jason had been teasing her. It was a few days before she started third grade, and Emily and her mom were at the grocery store, picking out juice boxes and mini bags of Doritos for school lunches. A pretty blond girl about Emilys age bounded right past them, skipping up the cereal aisle. There was something intoxicating about her, probably because she was everything plain, introverted Emily wasnt.
They saw the girl again in the frozen foods section, peering into every case, trying to decide what she wanted. Her mother trailed behind with a cart, and a boy, probably about fourteen, followed, staring at a Game Boy. Mom, can we get Eggos? the girl cried, opening up a freezer door, her smile big and gaptoothed. The teenage boy rolled his eyes. Mom, can we get Eggos? he imitated, his voice sharp and mean.
And just like that, the girl wilted. Her bottom lip wobbled, and she shut the door with a disheartened thud. The mother grabbed the boys arm. You know better. The boy shrugged and slumped down, but Emily thought he deserved being yelled at. He ruined the girls fun, simply because he could. A few days later, when third grade began, Emily realized that the girl in the store had been Ali. She was new to Rosewood Day, but she was so pretty and bubbly that everyone instantly wanted to sit next to her on the rug during showand tell. It was hard to believe anything would make her sad.
Emily kicked an icy ball of snow down the sidewalk, quietly debating whether she should tell Aria this. But before she could, Aria mumbled a terse goodbye and walked briskly toward the science wing, the tassels at the ends of her earflap hat bouncing.
Sighing, Emily slowly climbed the stairs to her locker, ducking out of the way of a bunch of younger boys from the wrestling team who were bounding down the stairs in the other direction. Yes, shed learned that Ali had a way of manipulating people to get their secrets. And yes, she could admit that Ali had a nasty streakEmily had been the victim of it too, especially when Ali teased Emily in front of the others about the time she kissed her in the tree house. But Jenna wasnt popular, she wasnt Alis friend, and she didnt have anything Ali needed. Sure Ali was mean, but there was usually a grain of truth in what she said.
Emily stopped in front of her locker. As she was hanging up her coat, she heard a small snicker behind her. She whirled around, gazing into the flood of students walking down the hall to homeroom. A familiar girl swam into view. It was none other than Jenna Cavanaugh. She was standing in the doorway of the Chem II room, her golden retriever guide dog at her side. Emilys skin crawled. It was as though by just thinking about Jenna, Emily had conjured her up.
A shadow moved behind Jenna, and Emilys exgirlfriend, Maya St. Germain, appeared in the doorway too. Emily had barely spoken to Maya since theyd broken up when Maya caught her kissing Trista, a girl shed met when her parents sent her to live with her aunt and uncle in Iowa. By the livid look on Mayas face, it didnt seem like shed forgiven Emily yet.
Maya whispered something in Jennas ear before gazing across the busy hallway at Emily. Her mouth curled into a nasty sneer. Jennas eyes were hidden behind her dark Gucci sunglasses, but
her face was drawn and unsmiling. Slamming her locker door hard, Emily scampered down the hall without even retrieving the books
she needed for her morning classes. When she looked over her shoulder, Maya was waggling her fingers. Bye, Maya mouthed overdramatically, her eyes sparkling with mischief and amusement, as if she knew precisely how much she was making Emily squirm.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
11
THE MOST DECKEDOUT BABY IN ROSEWOOD
On Wednesday afternoon, Aria stood in the foyer of the new house Byron and Meredith just purchased. She had to admit that the place was really charming. It was an old Craftsman style bungalow on a secluded corner of the street with walnutcolored hardwood floors and quirky brass chandeliers and sconces. As Meredith had promised, there was a little attic bedroom with great light for painting.
The only glitch was that she could see the weather vane on top of Ians house from her bedroom window. She also had a view of the barren woods where theyd found Ians apparently fake dead body. The police vehicles and search equipment were gone, but the ground was torn up in spots, and there were lots of boot tracks in the mud. Now that she knew Ian was probably still aliveand still hanging out in Rosewoodshe couldnt even look into the woods without feeling queasy. And when shed stood on the front porch earlier, waiting for Meredith to unlock the door, Aria had sworn shed caught a flash of someone disappearing behind a house at the end of the culdesac. But when she stepped back to get a better look, no one was there.
Byron had sent a moving crew to Ellas house this morning to pick up some things from Arias bedroom. Last night, Aria had finally called Ella and broken the news that she was going to move in with Byron for a while to get to know Meredith better. Ella paused, probably remembering the time Aria had painted a hateful, adulteress A on Merediths blouse, and then asked if Aria was upset about something. Of course not! Aria cried quickly. Ella replied that shed really like Aria to stay; was there something she could do to make Aria happier? Yeah, you could get rid of Xavier, Aria wished she could suggest.
In the end, Aria backpedaled, telling Ella shed leave some of her furniture and clothes in her old bedroom and shuttle between Ellas and Byrons houses instead. She didnt want Ella to think that Aria was abandoning her, specifically. Anyway, how difficult could it be to avoid Xavier? Aria would stay at Ellas on the days she was certain he wouldnt be therelike when he was out of town for an art exhibition.
The movers had left the lighter boxes in the front foyer, and Aria was in the process of bringing them upstairs. As she was bending down to pick up a box marked Fragile, Meredith slipped a white envelope into the back pocket of Arias skinny jeans. Mail for you, she sang, and then flitted down the hall, dust mop in hand.
Aria pulled out the envelope. Her name was printed on an anonymous green address label. She shuddered, thinking about what Emily had said to Hanna today. A has gotten in touch with us in other ways. She wasnt ready for a new barrage of notes.
Inside, she found an invitation and two orange tickets for a party at a new hotel called the Radley. A Postit was attached. Aria, I miss you already! When will you be back with us? Anyway, one of my paintings was chosen to hang in the lobby! Here are two invitations to the opening. Please join Xavier and me there! Love, Ella.
Aria stuffed the papers back in the envelope, her heart sinking. Maybe avoiding Xavier was going to be harder than she thought.
She climbed the stairs and ducked into her small, cozy bedroom. It was the bedroom shed always wanted, with skylights over her bed, a cushy window seat, and slightly slanted wood floors, the kind where she could place a pencil at one end of the room and it would roll slowly to the other end all on its own. Boxes from her old bedroom were stacked to the ceiling, and Arias stuffed animal puppets were strewn out on the platform bed her parents had bought for her at a warehouse in Denmark. Shed hung up most of her clothes in an old armoire Byron had bought off Craigslist, putting her Tshirts, bras, undies, and socks in the bottom drawers. She still had to find a place for the boxes of yarn, extra blankets, toosmall shoes, and board games from her old closet.
But she didnt feel like doing any of that right now. All she wanted to do was flop down on her bed and puzzle over yesterdays encounter with Jason DiLaurentis. Had he been flirting with her? Why had his mood changed so quickly? Was it because of the Ian Dead Body news report on TV?
She wondered if Jason had friends in the area anymore. In high school, he used to spend a lot of time by himself, listening to music, reading, or brooding. Ali had gone missing the last day of Jasons senior year, and Aria had barely seen him since. After the summer, hed hightailed it to Yale, and she had no idea if he ever came home to visit after that.
So how was he handling this Ali stuff now? Did he have anyone he could talk to about it? She thought about what Emily had said this morning at the swingsthat Jason had screamed at her for denting his car. Emily had seemed worried about it, but Aria couldnt imagine what she might do if someone murdered Mike. Shed probably fly off the handle about dented bumpers too.
Then, a familiar Puma shoe box on the floor caught her eye. Old Book Reports, said the label. Aria breathed in sharply. The box was dented, the lettering on the sides faded. The last time Aria looked inside this box was the Saturday she and the others had sneaked into Alis yard to steal her flag.
Aria had buried the memory of what happened that day for so long, but now that she was allowing herself to think about it, every sensory detail flooded back to her, crystal clear. She remembered Ali wheeling around and walking back into her house, the smell of her vanilla hand soap wafting behind her. She remembered stomping through the woods to get home, the ground still wet from the rain a few days before. She remembered how the leaves on the trees were still very green and thick, providing ample shade from the late summer sun. The woods smelled like pine and something else...perhaps a cigarette. Far off in the distance, a lawnmower snarled.
Then twigs cracked. Bushes rustled. Aria saw Jasons black Tshirt and blond hair and held her breath. Shed fantasized about seeing Jason that day...and there he was. She didnt know what made her eyes go to the piece of the flag hanging out of his pocket. When Jason saw what she was looking at, he shoved the piece at her, saying nothing.
One minute it was in my bag, the next minute it was gone, Ali had told them. Why had Jason taken it from Ali? Aria wanted to think it had been for a practical and ethical reason, not just to be mean. There was no way Jason abused Ali, as Jenna implied and as Emily wanted to believe. In fact, Jason had always seemed fiercely protective of Ali. Hed jumped out of nowhere to intervene when Ali and Ian were talking in the courtyard the day Time Capsule was announced. Even the day theyd tried to steal Alis flag and Emily had shushed them to listen to a fight taking place inside Alis house, Jason had stormed out moments later, upset about something. When Ali came out to talk to them, she still seemed worried, nervously peeking over her shoulder toward the house. If shed had issues with Jason, wouldnt she have been relieved that he was gone?
This morning, Spencer had said she wanted to steal Alis flag because she thought Ali had cheated her way to winning. Maybe Jason felt guilty about cheating too. Maybe hed told Ali to keep quiet that hed told her where hed hidden his piece, and had gotten annoyed when he heard Ali bragging about it to everyone in the courtyard.
Aria crouched next to the shoe box, her body tingling. It had been so long since shed looked at Alis piece of the Time Capsule flag, shed nearly forgotten what Ali had drawn on it. The lid bent as she pulled it off. A cloud of dust dispersed into the air.
Aria? Byrons voice floated from downstairs. Come down for Merediths shower!
Aria paused. The very edge of the shiny blue flag poked out from underneath a bunch of old papers. Im coming, she called, a little relieved shed been interrupted.
Meredith, Byron, a bunch of scruffy men Aria recognized as Byrons colleagues at Hollis, and a few twentysomething girls in yoga pants or paintspattered jeans were milling around in the living room. A French press coffeemaker, bottles of wine and sparkling water, and a large plate of cucumberhummus sandwiches sat on the table, and there was a big pile of gifts next to the sofa. Then someone to Arias left coughed. Mike was sitting in the corner of the sectional, a pretty brunette by his side. Aria blinked, temporarily speechless. It was Hannas soontobe stepsister, Kate.
Um, hi? Aria said cautiously. Kate smiled smugly. Mike smiled even more smugly. He put his hand on Kates thigh, and Kate let him. Aria frowned, wondering if her brain had been damaged from the dust in her new attic bedroom.
Heels clacked down the foyer, and Aria turned just in time to see Hanna enter. She wore a green silk halterneck dress with her decorated Time Capsule flag looped around her waist as a belt. She carried a box wrapped in storkprinted paper. Aria was about to say hello, but Hanna wasnt looking
in her direction. She was staring at Kate. Her mouth tightened. Oh. Hi, Hanna! Kate waved. Glad you made it! You werent invited, Hanna blurted. Yes, I was. Kates smile didnt falter.
A muscle beneath Hannas right eye twitched. A bloom of red traveled from her neck to her cheeks. Aria swiveled back and forth between the girls, feeling both confused and fascinated at the same time.
Meredith looked amused. Mike, you brought two dates? Hey, its a party, Mike said, shrugging. The more the merrier, right? Thats what I say! Kate crowed. When superthin Kate smiled a certain way, she reminded Aria
of the screeching gibbon on her National Geographic Animals of the World poster that still hung on her old bedroom door. Hanna was definitely the prettier of the two.
Hanna rolled her shoulders back, strutted over to Meredith, and stuck out her hand. Hanna Marin. Im an old friend of the family. She proffered her gift to Meredith, and Meredith put it in the pile with the other things. Hanna glowered at Kate, then settled on the other side of Mike, squishing in so that their butts shared a couch cushion.
Kate ogled Hannas Time Capsule flag belt. Whats that thing? She pointed at a black blob Hanna had drawn.
Hanna shot her a haughty look. Its a manga frog. Duh.
Aria sat down on the rocker, overwhelmingly weirded out. She caught Hannas eye, pointed to her cell phone, and started typing Hanna a textHanna had reluctantly given Aria and the others the number to her iPhone that morning. What R U doing here?
Hannas iPhone beeped. She read the text, glanced at Aria, and typed. Seconds later, Arias phone buzzed. Y didnt U tell us U were moving 4 drs down from Ian?
Aria opened up a reply text. Hanna couldnt dodge the question that easily. I just found out myself, she wrote back. So do U like Mike?
Maybe, Hanna wrote. Hes the one guy you cant steal from me.
Aria gritted her teeth. Hanna was referring to the time last fall when Aria had dated her ex, Sean Ackard. To this day, Hanna seemed certain that Aria had stolen Sean from her.
Meredith began unwrapping her large pile of gifts, displaying everything on the coffee table. So far, shed received a bunch of baby toys, a receiving blanket, and a breast pump from Mike. When she got to a gift wrapped in striped paper, Kate sat up straighter. Oh, that ones mine! She rubbed her hands together gleefully. Hannas scowl deepened.
Meredith sat back down on the couch and unwrapped the box. Oh my God, she breathed, lifting a creamcolored onesie from a layer of pink tissue paper.
Its organic Mongolian cashmere, Kate recited. Completely fair trade.
Thank you so much. Meredith pressed the onesie to her face. Byron felt it between his fingers, nodding sagely as if he were a cashmere connoisseur. Frayed cotton Tshirts and flannel pajama pants were usually more his thing.
Hanna abruptly stood up, letting out a small squeak. Did you snoop in my room? Excuse me? Kate asked, widening her eyes. You knew, Hanna shrieked. I searched for hours for the perfect thing. I dont know what youre talking about. Kate shrugged.
At that moment, Meredith was unwrapping the storkwrapped gift that Hanna had brought. Inside was another box from Sunshine. Oh, Meredith said pleasantly, lifting an identical cashmere onesie out of identical pink tissue paper. Its beautiful. Again.
One can never have too many of those, Tate, one of Byrons Hollis colleagues, guffawed, a glob of hummus falling into his scraggly beard.
Kate tittered goodnaturedly too. Great minds think alike, I guess, she said, which made Hannas face contort with rage. Mikes head swiveled from one girl to the other; he was obviously lapping up the catfight drama.
Suddenly, Aria noticed a dark shape moving outside the front window. Goose bumps rose on her arms. Someone was standing in the yard, watching the party.
She looked around the room, but no one else seemed to notice. Clearing her throat, she rose from the couch and crept down the hall. Her heart pounded as she turned the doorknob and stepped outside. The neighborhood was deathly quiet, and the air smelled like a woodstove. The sky was getting dark, and the lamp at the end of Arias new driveway cast a pale gold circle on the grass.
When she saw the figure again by the mailbox, she jumped back. Thankfully, it wasnt Ian. It was... Jenna? Aria cried softly. Jenna Cavanaugh was wearing a heavy quilted black coat, black mittens, and a gray hat with
earflaps. Her golden retrievers tongue dangled from his mouth. She cocked her head toward the sound of Arias voice. Her lips parted.
Its Aria, Aria explained. I moved here with my dad yesterday. Jenna nodded faintly. I know. She didnt move. There was a guilty look on her face. Are you...okay? Aria asked after a moment, her heart pounding. Do you need something? Jenna pushed her big Gucci sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. It was strange, seeing someone wearing sunglasses at dusk. She looked as if she was about to say something, but then she turned, waving her hand. No.
Wait! Aria called, but Jenna kept walking. Her dogs tags jingled. Her shoes made no sound. After a moment, all Aria could see of her was her glowing white cane, slowly drifting from side to side to the end of the street.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
12
OFF WITH HER HEAD!
Wednesday evening, Emily placed four creamcolored dinner plates around the square farm house table in the Colberts dining room. When she got to the silverware, she paused, puzzled. Did knives go next to forks, or spoons? Her own familys dinners were casual free foralls. Emily and her sister Carolyn often ate later than their parents because of swim practice.
Isaac strolled in from the kitchen, his eyes looking extra blue in his shrunken Vneck sweater and dark denim jeans. He took Emilys hand and pressed something smooth and round into it. She stared into her palm. It was a teal blue ceramic ring. Whats this for?
Isaacs eyes were bright. No reason. Because I love you.
Emily pressed her lips together tightly, overcome. No one shed dated had given her a gift before. I love you too, she said, and slid the ring onto her pointer finger, where it fit best. She couldnt stop thinking about what had happened between them yesterday. It felt surreal...but wonderful, tooa great distraction from thinking about As return. All day at school, she kept sneaking into the girls bathroom, inspecting herself in the mirror, looking for changes. It was always the same Emily staring back at her, with the same sprinkling of freckles, the same wide brown eyes, the same slightly upturned nose. She kept waiting to see a special glow or a knowing smile, something to indicate a transformation. She wished she could grab Isaacs shoulders, kiss him hard, and whisper that she wanted to do it again. Soon.
A loud crash in the kitchen shattered Emilys thoughts into a million pieces. Not that shed dare tell Isaac now, of course. Not with his parents around.
Isaac took the silverware from Emily and started placing it next to the platesspoons next to knives on the right, forks alone on the left. You look nervous, he said. Dont worry. I told my parents not to bring up Alis trial.
Thanks. Emily tried to smile. Prying questions about Alis trial were the least of her problems tonightshe was more worried about what exactly Mrs. Colbert had heard about yesterday. When shed arrived at the door, Mrs. Colbert had greeted her stiffly, as if she wasnt pleased to see her. And after Emily came out of the powder room just now, she swore Mrs. Colbert was watching her judgingly, as if she thought Emily had forgotten to wash her hands.
Emily scurried into the kitchen to help Isaacs mom carry the pot roast and casserole dishes of broccoli, garlic mashed potatoes, and rolls to the table. Mr. Colbert blustered into the dining room, loosening his tie. After the family said grace, Mrs. Colbert passed the pot roast in Emilys direction, looking at her squarely for the first time of the evening.
Here you go, dear. The corners of Mrs. Colberts mouth curled up. You like meat, dont you?
Emily blinked. Was it her, or did that statement seem...loaded? She checked Isaac for his reaction, but he was innocently selecting a roll from a wicker basket. Uh, thanks, Emily said, pulling the platter toward her. She did like meat. The kind you, um, eat.
So, Emily. Mr. Colbert dug a large spoon into the bowl of potatoes. I asked some of my catering employees about you. Apparently, you have a reputation.
Mrs. Colbert snorted quietly. Emilys fork clattered to her plate. The only sound in the room was the vent fan over the stove. I-I do?
Everyone says youre a great swimmer, Mr. Colbert finished. Nationally ranked in butterfly? Thats amazingits a tough stroke, right?
Oh. Emily took a long, shaky drink from her glass of water. Yeah. What had she expected, that Mr. Colbert was going to ask her what it was like to make out with girls? It is a tough stroke, but for some reason Im naturally fast at it.
And then Mrs. Colbert murmured something else under her breath. Emily could have sworn it was, Youre naturally fast, all right.
Emily lowered her glass. Mrs. Colbert chewed calmly, watching Emily. It felt like her eyes were beaming into Emilys skull. What was that, Mom? Isaac asked, squinting.
Mrs. Colberts expression morphed into a sweet smile. I said Emilys naturally modest. Im sure shes worked very hard to become such a good swimmer.
Totally. Isaac smiled. Emily stared at her pile of mashed potatoes, feeling a little like she was going insane. Was that what Mrs. Colbert had said?
For dessert, Mrs. Colbert brought out an apple pie and a pot of coffee. Mr. Colbert looked at his wife. By the way, were set for the opening this Saturday. I thought we werent going to have enough people to work it, since the party is so big, but weve got enough.
Thats great, Mrs. Colbert said. That partys going to be sweet, Isaac murmured. Emily grabbed a plate of pie. Party? My dads catering the opening of a new hotel outside town, Isaac explained. He took her hand
under the table. It used to be a school or something, right? A mental institution, Mrs. Colbert interjected, wrinkling her nose. Not exactly, Mr. Colbert corrected her. It was a facility for troubled kids called the Radley. The
hotels going to be called that too. The owners are kicking themselves for scheduling the opening party for this weekendrenovations arent all done. But the rooms they havent gotten to yet are all on the upper levelsthe guests wont even see them. But you know hotel peopleeverythings gotta be perfect.
The hotel is really gorgeous, Isaac said to Emily. Its like an old castle. Theres even a labyrinth maze in the garden. Id love it if you would come with me.
Sure, Emily said, beaming. She popped a bite of pie in her mouth. So its a dinner, Isaac explained. But there will also be drinks and dancing. But theyll only serve you virgin drinks, Emily, Mrs. Colbert clarified. Emilys skin prickled. Virgin? She glanced at Isaac, unable to control the muscles around her
mouth. She knows, she thought. She definitely knows. Isaac smiled appeasingly. Dont worry. We wont drink. Good, Mrs. Colbert said. I worry about you guys going to these adult functions. A lot of the
bartenders dont even ask for IDs. She sighed dramatically. I thought youd be more excited about the church trip to Boston next week than the Radley opening, Isaac. You were never interested in going to fancy adult parties until a few weeks ago. She glanced pointedly at Emily, as if to say that Emilys partying ways had corrupted him.
Ive always liked parties, Isaac defended quickly. Oh, let them have some fun, Margaret, Mr. Colbert said gently. Theyll be good. The phone rang, and Mrs. Colbert jumped up to get it. Isaac excused himself to go to the bathroom, and Mr. Colbert disappeared to his office. Emily sliced her pie into tinier and tinier pieces, her hands slick and her cheeks hot. What was wrong with her? Was she being unreasonably sensitive? This had to be all in her head. Mrs. Colbert didnt have it in for Emily and wasnt trying to mess with her mind. She wasnt A.
She gathered the plates and carried them to the sink, hoping shed seem helpful. After a few minutes of scrubbing, she felt in her pocket for her cell phone. This would be an opportune time for A to write a snarky message about Mommy Dearests behavior. In fact, maybe Mrs. Colbert hadnt known about Emily and Isaac yesterday...but A had tipped her off just in time for tonights dinner. Just like the old A, New A always seemed to know everything, after all.
But the little screen on Emilys Nokia was blank. Suddenly, Emily realized she actually wanted a text from A. If A was behind this, then at least Isaacs mom would be a victim of As manipulative wrath instead of simply being a passiveaggressive ogre.
As Mrs. Colbert let out a peal of laughter in the other room, Emily looked around the kitchen. Isaacs mom collected cow stuff in the same way Emilys mom collected chickens. They had the exact same refrigerator magnets of a thatchedroof French cottage, a tall steepled church, and a boulangerie. Mrs. Colbert was a regular mom with a regular kitchen, just like Mrs. Fields. Maybe Emily was overreacting.
Emily gathered the washed forks, spoons, and knives and dried them on a dish towel, wondering where the silverware drawer was. She tried the one nearest the sink. A doubleA battery rolled to the front. There were scissors, scattered paper clips, a cowprint oven mitt, and a bunch of takeout menus held together by a purple rubber band. Emily started to close it, but a picture shoved to the back of the drawer caught her eye.
She slid it forward. Isaac was standing in the familys front foyer, wearing the slightly oversize suit that belonged to his father. He had his arm around Emily, who was wearing a pink satin dress shed swiped from Carolyns closet. This had been taken the week before when they were on their way to the Rosewood Day benefit. Mrs. Colbert had flitted around them, her cheeks pink, her eyes shining. You two look so cute! shed crowed. Shed adjusted Emilys corsage, reknotted Isaacs tie, and then offered both of them freshbaked chocolate chip cookies.
The photo told that happy story...except for one thing. Emily no longer had a head. It had been cut out of the picture entirely, the scissors cleanly removing every last strand of her hair.
Emily shut the drawer fast. She ran her fingers over her neck, then up her jaw, then around her ears, cheeks, and forehead. Her head was still attached. As she stared out the kitchen window, trying to figure out what to do, her cell phone chimed.
Emilys heart sank. So A was involved. She reached for the phone, her fingers trembling. One new picture message.
An image appeared on the screen. It was an old photo of someones backyard. Alis backyard Emily recognized the tree house in the big oak off to the side. And there was Ali, her face young and smiling and bright. She was wearing a field hockey uniform from Rosewood Youth League, meaning the photo was from fifth or sixth gradeafter that, Ali played JV for Rosewood Day. There were two other girls in the picture too. One had blond hair and was mostly concealed by a treeit had to be Naomi Zeigler, one of Alis best friends at the time. The other girl was in profile. She had dark hair, pale skin, and naturally red lips.
Jenna Cavanaugh.
Emily held the phone outstretched, puzzled. Where was the blackmail about her? Where was the gleeful, Gotcha! Mommy thinks youre a big dirty slut! message? Why wasnt A behaving like...A?
Then she noticed the accompanying text at the bottom of the photo. Emily read it four times, trying to understand.
One of these things doesnt belong. Figure it out quickly...or else.A
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
13
THAT MOTHERDAUGHTER BOND
That same Wednesday evening, Spencer boarded the Amtrak Acela bullet train at the 30th Street Station, settled into a plushy seat by the window, adjusted the belt of her gray wool wrap dress, and brushed a piece of dried grass off the pointy toe of her Loeffler Randall boots. Shed spent over an hour choosing her outfit, and hoped the dress said young fashionista, serious young woman, and Im an awesome biodaughter, really! It was a hard balance to strike.
The conductor, a grayhaired, kindly looking man in a jaunty blue Amtrak uniform, examined her ticket. Going to New York?
Uhhuh. Spencer gulped. Business or pleasure? Spencer licked her lips. Im visiting my mom, she blurted. The conductor smiled. An older woman across the aisle clucked approvingly. Spencer hoped none
of her mothers friends or her fathers business associates were coincidentally on this train. It wasnt like she wanted her parents to know what she was doing.
Shed tried to confront her family about being adopted one last time before she left. Her dad was working from home, and Spencer had stood in the doorway of his office, watching as he read the
New York Times on his computer. When she cleared her throat, Mr. Hastings turned. His face softened. Spencer? he said, concern in his voice. It was as if hed temporarily forgotten he was supposed to hate her.
Tons of words had welled in Spencers head. She wanted to ask her dad if any of this could be real. She wanted to ask him why hed never told her. She wanted to ask him if this was why they treated her like shit a good deal of the timebecause she wasnt really theirs. But then she lost her nerve.
Now her cell phone beeped. Spencer pulled it out of the front pocket of her tote. It was from Andrew. Want to come over?
An Amtrak train going in the other direction thundered past. Spencer opened a reply text. Having dinner with my family, sorry, she typed back. It wasnt a complete lie. She wanted to tell Andrew about Olivia, but she was afraid; if she told him, hed be waiting in anticipation tonight, dying to know how her meeting had gone. But what if it went badly? What if Spencer and Olivia hated each other? She already felt vulnerable enough.
The train clicketyclacked on. A man in front of Spencer laid down a section of newspaper, and Spencer spied yet another story about Rosewood. Was Initial Investigation of DiLaurentis Disappearance Flawed? squawked a headline. Is the DiLaurentis Family Hiding Something? said another.
Spencer pulled her Eugenia Kim handknitted newsboy cap over her eyes and slumped lower in her seat. These crazy news stories were relentless. Still, what if the cops whod initially investigated Alis disappearance over three years ago did miss something huge? She thought of Ians IMs. They found out I knew. Do you see why I had to run? They hated me. You know that.
It was puzzling. First, Ian assumed he was IMing Melissa, not Spencer. So did Melissa know who hated Ian...and why? Had Ian shared his suspicions about Alis murder with her? But if Melissa knew an alternate story about what happened to Ali the night she died, why hadnt she come forward with
it? Unless...someone was scaring Melissa into silence. Spencer had called her sister repeatedly over the past fortyeight hours, eager to ask Melissa if there was anything more that she knew. But Melissa hadnt returned any of her calls.
The door that connected two train cars clatered open, and a woman in a navy business suit teetered down the aisle, carrying a cardboard container of burntsmelling coffees and bottled waters. Spencer leaned her head against the window, watching the bare trees and weathered telephone poles slide by. And what did Ian mean when he wrote they hated me? Did it have anything to do with the picture message Emily had forwarded to Spencer about a half hour ago, the old photo of Ali, a partially concealed Naomi Zeigler, and Jenna Cavanaugh in Alis yard? As accompanying text implied that the photo was a clue...but to what? Okay, it was weird that Ali was hanging out with dorky Jenna Cavanaugh, but Jenna herself had told Aria that she and Ali were covert friends. And what did that have to do with Ian?
Only one incident of anyone hating Ian stuck out in Spencers mind. When Spencer and the others sneaked into Alis backyard to steal her Time Capsule piece, Jason DiLaurentis had stormed out of the house and frozen in the middle of the yard, glaring at Melissa and Ian, who were sitting at the edge of the hot tub. Theyd just started datingSpencer remembered how Melissa had agonized over choosing the perfect firstdayofschool bag and shoes a few days before, eager to impress her new boyfriend. After Ali ditched them and Spencer returned home, she heard the new couple whispering in the living room. Hell get over it, Melissa was saying. Its not him Im worried about, Ian answered. Then he mumbled something Spencer didnt catch.
Were they talking about Jason...or someone else? From what Spencer understood, Jason and Melissa werent really friends. They had some classes togethersometimes when Melissa was sick, Spencer had to go next door and collect her class assignments from Jasonbut Jason was never part of the big clique that rented stretch Hummer limos for school formals or spent spring breaks in Cannes, Cabo San Lucas, or Marthas Vineyard. Jason ran around with some of the other soccer boys they were famous for making up the Not It game that Ali, Spencer, and the others playedbut Alis brother also seemed to need a lot of personal space. Half the time, Jason didnt even hang out with his family. The Hastings and the DiLaurentis families were both members of the Rosewood Country Club, and both faithfully attended the weekly Sunday jazz brunches...except for Jason, who faithfully didnt. Spencer recalled Ali mentioning that their parents let Jason go to their lake house in the Pocono Mountains alone on the weekends; was that where he was all those Sundays? Whatever the answer, the DiLaurentises didnt even seem to mind he was gone, going on about their brunch
happily, savoring their eggs Benedict, drinking mimosas, and doting on Ali. It was almost as if they only had one child, not two.
Spencer shut her eyes, listening as the train blew its whistle. She was so tired of thinking about this. Maybe the farther away she got from Rosewood, the less everything would matter.
After a while, the train slowed. Penn Station, the conductor called. Spencer grabbed her purse and stood, her knees quivering. This was really happening. She followed the line of passengers down the narrow aisle, onto the platform, and up the escalator to the main hall.
The station smelled like soft pretzels, beer, and perfume. An anonymous announcer blared over the PA system that the train to Boston had pulled into gate 14 East. A crush of people ran for 14 East at the same time, nearly knocking Spencer over. She looked around fretfully. How could she find Olivia in this crowd? How would Olivia know it was her? What on earth were they going to say to each other?
Somewhere in the throng of people, Spencer heard a familiar, highpitched giggle. And then she considered the worst of the possibilities: What if Olivia didnt exist? What if this was some cruel joke orchestrated by A?
Spencer? cried a voice.
Spencer whirled around. A young blond woman in a gray J. Crew cashmere sweater and brown riding boots was walking toward her. She carried a petite snakeskin clutch and a large accordion folder stuffed with papers.
When Spencer raised her hand, the woman grinned. Spencers heart stopped. The woman had the same broad smile Spencer saw whenever she looked in a mirror.
Im Olivia, the woman announced, taking Spencers hands. Even her fingers were similar to Spencers, small and slender. And Olivia had her same green eyes and a familiar clear, mid range voice. I knew it was you as soon as you stepped off the train. I just knew it.
Spencers eyes filled with giddy tears. Just like that, her fears began to melt away. Something about this seemed so...right.
Come on. Olivia pulled Spencer toward one of the exits, skirting a bunch of NYPD officers and a drugsniffing dog. I have lots of things planned for us.
Spencer beamed. It suddenly felt like her life was beginning.
It was an unusually warm January night, and the streets teemed with people. They took a cab to the West Village, where Olivia had just moved, and stopped into Diane von Furstenberg, one of Oliviasand Spencersfavorite stores. As they sifted through the racks, Spencer learned that Olivia was an art director at a new magazine dedicated to New York City nightlife. She was born and raised in New York City, and had gone to school at NYU.
Im going to apply to NYU, Spencer chirped. Admittedly, it was her safety schoolor it had been, back when she was first in the class.
I loved it there, Olivia gushed. Then, she let out a small ooh of delight and pulled out a sage green sweaterdress. Spencer laughedshed just selected the same thing. Olivia blushed. I always pick things that are this color green, she admitted.
Because it matches our eyes, Spencer concluded.
Exactly. Olivia gazed at Spencer gratefully. Her expression seemed to say, Im so glad I found you.
After shopping, they strolled slowly up Fifth Avenue. Olivia told Spencer that shed recently married a wealthy man named Morgan Frick in a private ceremony in the Hamptons. Were leaving for a honeymoon to Paris tonight, in fact, she said. I have to catch a helicopter to his plane later. Its at a private airport in Connecticut.
Tonight? Spencer stopped, surprised. Wheres your luggage? Morgans driver is bringing it to the airport, Olivia explained. Spencer nodded, impressed. Morgan must be loaded if he had a driver and a private plane. Thats why it was so important that we meet today, Olivia went on. Im going away for two
weeks, and I couldnt stand the idea of putting it off until I got back. Spencer nodded. She wasnt sure if she wouldve been able to bear the suspense for two extra
weeks either. The accordion file under Olivias arm started to slip, and she stuck out her hip to catch it from
spilling to the sidewalk. Do you want me to take that for you? Spencer asked. The folder would fit easily into Spencers oversize tote.
Would you? Olivia pushed it toward her gratefully. Thanks. Its driving me nuts. Morgan wanted me to bring the information about our new apartment so he could look it over.
They turned down a side street, passing a row of beautiful brownstones. The parlor levels were lit up in golden light, and Spencer locked eyes with a big calico cat lazing in one of the front bay windows. She and Olivia fell silent, the only sound their clicking heels on the sidewalk. Gaps in conversation always made Spencer uneasyshe always worried that the awkwardness was some fault of hersso she started to babble about her accomplishments. Shed scored a total of twelve goals this hockey season. Shed gotten the lead role in every school play since seventh grade. And I have As in almost all my classes, she boasted, and then realized her mistake. She winced and braced herself, certain of what was coming.
Olivia grinned. Thats fantastic, Spencer! Im so impressed.
Spencer cautiously opened one eye. Shed expected Olivia to react the same way her mom would. Almost all your classes? she could practically hear Mrs. Hastings sneer. Which class do you not have an A in? And why are they just As? Why arent they Apluses? And then Spencer would feel like shit for the rest of the day.
But Olivia wasnt doing that. Who knew, if Olivia had kept Spencer, maybe she wouldve turned out differently. Maybe she wouldnt be so OCD about her grades or feel so inferior around other people, always desperate to prove that she was good enough, worthy enough, lovable enough. She wouldve never met Ali. Alis murder would simply be another story in the newspaper.
Why did you give me up? Spencer blurted out.
Olivia stopped at the crosswalk, staring contemplatively at the tall buildings across the street. Well...I was eighteen when I had you. Far too young to have a babyId just started college. I agonized about my decision. When I found out that a wealthy family in suburban Philadelphia was adopting you, I felt like that was the right choice. But Ive always wondered about you.
The light changed. Spencer skirted around a woman walking a pug dressed in a white cable knit sweater as they crossed. Do my parents know who you are?
Olivia shook her head. I screened them on paper, but we didnt meet. I wanted everything to be anonymous, and so did they. I cried after I delivered you, though, knowing I had to give you up. She smiled sadly, then touched Spencers arm. I know I cant make up for sixteen years in one visit, Spencer. But Ive thought about you all your life. She rolled her eyes. Sorry. Thats cheesy, right?
Spencers eyes welled with tears. No, she said quickly. Not at all. How long had she been waiting for someone to say these things to her?
At the corner of Sixth Avenue and 12th Street, Olivia abruptly stopped. Theres my new apartment. She pointed to the top floor of a luxury apartment building. Beneath it was a quaint market and a home accessories store. A limo pulled up to the entrance, and a woman in a mink stole got out and whisked through the revolving doors.
Can we go up? Spencer squealed. The place seemed so glamorous, even from the outside.
Olivia checked the Rolex that dangled from her wrist. Im not sure we have enough time before our reservations. Next visit, though. I promise.
Spencer shrugged off her disappointment, not wanting Olivia to think she was bratty. Olivia hurried Spencer to a small, cozy restaurant a few blocks away. The room smelled of saffron, garlic, and mussels, and was packed with people. Spencer and Olivia sat down at a table, the candlelight flickering on their faces. Olivia immediately ordered a bottle of wine, instructing the waiter to pour some in Spencers glass too. A toast, she said, raising her glass to Spencers. To many more visits like this.
Spencer beamed and looked around. A young guy who looked a lot like Noel Kahnexcept prob ably less puerilewas sitting at the bar. A girl in nut brown boots tucked into her jeans sat next to him, laughing. Next to them was a handsome older couple, the woman in a silvery poncho, the man in a narrow, pinstriped suit. A French pop song was playing over the speakers. Everything in New York seemed a billion times more fashionable than Rosewood. I wish I could live here, she sighed.
Olivia tilted her head, her eyes lighting up. I know. I wish you could too. But it must be so nice out in Pennsylvania. All that space and clean air. She touched Spencers hand.
Rosewood is nice. Spencer swirled her wine and weighed her words carefully. But my family... isnt.
Olivia opened her mouth, a concerned look on her face. They just dont care about me, Spencer clarified. Id give anything not to live there anymore. They wouldnt even miss me.
There was a peppery feeling in her nose that she always got when she was about to cry. She
looked stubbornly into her lap, trying to harness her emotions. Olivia stroked Spencers arm. Id give anything for you to live here, she said. But I have a confession to make. Morgan has a hard time trusting peoplesome close friends have used him for his money in the past, and now hes very careful about people he doesnt know. I havent told him about you yethe knew I gave up a baby when I was young, but he didnt know I was searching for you. I wanted to make sure this was real first.
Spencer nodded. She certainly understood why Olivia hadnt told Morgan they were meetingit wasnt like shed told people either.
Im going to tell him about you in Paris, Olivia added. And once he meets you, I know hell adore you.
Spencer bit off a crust of bread, considering her options. If I moved here, I wouldnt even have to live with you guys, she sounded out. I could get my own place.
Olivia got a hopeful look on her face. Could you handle living on your own?
Spencer shrugged. Sure. Her parents were barely around these days; she was practically living on her own as it was.
I would love to have you here, Olivia admitted, her eyes bright. Just thinkyou could get a onebedroom in the Village near us. Im sure our Realtor, Michael, could find you something really special.
I could start college next year, a year early, Spencer added, her excitement beginning to build. I was thinking about doing that anyway. When shed secretly dated Wren, Melissas boyfriend, shed considered applying to Penn early to get out of the house and be with him. In fact, shed already spoken to the Rosewood Day administration about graduating as a junior. With all the AP classes shed taken, she was more than qualified.
Olivia breathed in, about to say something else, but then stopped, took a long sip of wine, and held out her palms, as if to say, Hold up. I shouldnt be getting so excited, she said. Im supposed to be the responsible one here. You should stay with your family, Spencer. Lets stick to visits for now at least, okay? She patted Spencers hand, probably noting Spencers disappointed look. Dont worry. Ive only just found you, and I dont want to lose you again.
After polishing off the bottle of wine and two orders of pasta puttanesca, they strolled to the helipad on the Hudson River, acting more like best friends than mother and daughter. When Spencer saw Olivias helicopter waiting, she clutched her arm. Im going to miss you.
Olivias bottom lip quivered. Ill be back soon. And well make plans to do this again. Maybe a Madison Avenue shopping trip next time? Youll die over the Louboutin store.
Its a deal. Spencer wrapped her arms around Olivia. She smelled like Narciso Rodriguez, one of Spencers favorite perfumes. Olivia blew a kiss and boarded the helicopter. The propeller began to whirl, and Spencer pivoted and looked back at the city. Cabs zoomed up the West Side Highway. People jogged down the West Side path, even though it was past 10 P.M. Lights twinkled in the apartment windows. A party boat on the Hudson drifted by, guests dressed in elegant suits and gowns clearly visible on the deck.
She was dying to live here. Now she had a reason to.
The helicopter lifted off the ground. Olivia slid big headphones over her ears, leaned out the window, and waved enthusiastically at Spencer. Bon voyage! Spencer cried. When she hefted her bag higher on her shoulder, something poked her arm. Olivias accordion folder.
She pulled it out and waved it over her head. You forgot this! But Olivia was saying something to the pilot, her eyes on the skyline. Spencer waved until the helicopter was a tiny dot on the horizon, finally lowering her arms and turning away. At least she had an excuse to see Olivia again.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
14
AND ON A WESTBOUND TRAIN THE NEXT DAY...
The following afternoon, Aria stood on the westbound SEPTA platform in Yarmouth, a town a few miles from Rosewood. The sun was still high in the sky, but the air was chilly, and Arias fingers had gone numb. She craned her neck and looked down the tracks. The train was a few stops away, glimmering in the distance. Her heart sped up.
After shed seen not one but two hot girls fawn over Mike yesterday, shed decided that life was
too short to brood. She distinctly remembered Jason telling her that he got out of Thursday classes early enough to catch the 3 P.M. bullet train back to Yarmouth. Which meant she knew just where to find him now.
She turned and looked at the houses across the tracks. Many had junk on their porches and peeling paint around the windows, and none had been converted into antique shops or upscale spas like the old houses around the Rosewood station. Nor was there a fancy Wawa or Starbucks nearby, just a dingy head shop that offered palm readings and other psychic serviceswhatever that meant and a bar called the YeeHaw Saloon, with a big placard out front that said CHUG ALL YOU CAN FOR $5! Even the spindly trees didnt seem as picturesque. Aria understood why the DiLaurentises wouldnt have wanted to move back to Rosewood for the duration of the trial, but why had they chosen Yarmouth?
She heard a snort behind her. As she turned, a shadow slipped behind the station on the other side of the tracks. Aria stood on her tiptoes, blinking hard, but she couldnt make out who it was. She thought about seeing Jenna Cavanaugh in her front yard yesterday. It had seemed as if Jenna was about to tell Aria something...but then decided against it. On top of that, Emily had forwarded Aria a text from A, a photo of Ali and Jenna together that Aria had never seen. See? said Emilys text. It looks like Ali and Jenna were friends. But wasnt it possible that Ali was pretending to be Jennas friend, in order to get Jenna to trust her? It was just like Ali to bring someone into her inner circle only to steal all her secrets.
The train roared into the station and screeched to a halt. The conductor banged the door open, and people slowly climbed down the metal stairs. When Aria saw Jasons blond hair and gray jacket, her mouth went dry. She ran to him and touched his elbow. Jason?
Jason turned around with a jerk, seemingly on guard. When he saw it was Aria, he relaxed. Oh, he said. Hey. His eyes flickered back and forth. What are you doing here?
Aria cleared her throat, resisting the urge to turn around, run back to her car, and drive away. Maybe Im making a fool out of myself, but I liked talking to you the other day. And...I wanted to know if we could hang out some time. But if not, thats cool too.
Jason grinned, looking impressed. He stepped out of the way of a crowd of businessmen. Youre not making a fool out of yourself, he said, meeting Arias eyes.
Im not? Arias heart flipped over. Jason checked his oversize watch. Do you want to get a drink right now? Ive got some time. Ssure, Aria stammered, her voice cracking. I know the perfect place in Hollis, Jason said. You can follow me there, okay? Aria nodded, grateful he hadnt suggested the YeeHaw Saloon down the street. Jason let her go
first up the narrow stairs that led to the station. As they walked to their cars, something flickered in Arias peripheral vision. The figure shed seen earlier was standing at the station window, looking out. Whoever it was wore big sunglasses and a puffy coat with the hood pulled tight, obscuring his or her facial features. Even so, Aria had the distinct sense that the person was staring right at her.
Aria followed Jasons black BMW into Hollis. She made a point to check his back bumper for any big dents, remembering what Emily had said about her and Jasons altercation the other day. But as far as she could tell, the bumper was flawless and dentfree.
After they both found parking spaces on the street, Jason led her down a narrow alley and up the stairs of an old Victorian house with the word BATES hanging on a sign over the front porch. There was a creaky black rocking chair off to the right, as spindly as a skeleton.
This is a bar? Aria looked around. The Holis bars she knew, like Snookers and the Victory Brewery, were dark, foulsmelling places that had no decoration besides a few neon Guinness and Budweiser signs. Bates, on the other hand, had stainedglass windows, a brass knocker on the front door, and a bunch of longdead hanging plants swinging from the porch ceiling. It reminded Aria of the creaky mansion her Reykjav'k piano teacher, Brynja, lived in.
The door swung open, leading to an enormous parquetfloored parlor. Red velvet couches lined the sides of the room, and dramatic curtains billowed over the windows. Supposedly the place is haunted, Jason whispered to her. Thats why they call it Bates, like the Bates Motel from Psycho. He walked up to the bar and sat on a stool.
Aria looked away. Back before Alis body had been found, shed thought A was Alior maybe her ghost. The blond flashes shed seen had probably been Mona, whod stalked each of them for their dirtiest secrets. But now that Mona was dead, Aria still sometimes swore she saw someone with
blond hair just like Alis duck behind trees and appear at windows, watching her from beyond the grave.
A shorthaired bartender dressed in black took their orders. Aria asked for pinot noirshe thought it seemed sophisticatedand Jason ordered a gimlet. When he noticed Arias confused expression, he said, Its vodka and lime juice. A girlfriend at Yale got me into it.
Oh. Aria ducked her head at the word girlfriend. Shes not my girlfriend anymore, Jason added, which made Aria blush more. They got their drinks, and Jason slid his gimlet over to her. Try it. She took a dainty sip. Its
good, she said. It tasted like Sprite, except way more fun. Jason folded his hands, a curious smile on his lips. You seem awfully comfortable drinking in a
bar. He dropped his voice to a whisper. You almost have me fooled that youre twentyone. Aria slid the gimlet back to him. I spent the last three years in Iceland. Theyre not as strict about drinking, and my parents were pretty lenient. Plus, I never had to drive home, eithermy house was a couple of blocks away from the main drag. The worst thing that happened was I once
tripped over the cobblestones after having too much Brenniv'n schnapps and skinned my knee. Europe seemed to really change you. Jason leaned back and appraised her. I remember you
as this awkward kid. Now, youre... He trailed off. Arias heart pounded. She was...what? I fit in better in Iceland, she admitted when it was clear
he wasnt going to finish his sentence. How so?
Well... Aria stared at the oil portraits around the room of old aristocratic women. Underneath each of their portraits were their birth and death dates. Guys, for one. In Iceland, they didnt care if I was popular. They cared about what music I listened to or what books I liked to read. In Rosewood, guys only like one kind of girl.
Jason propped his elbows on the bar. A girl like my sister, you mean.
Aria shrugged, looking away. That was what she meant, but she hadnt wanted to say Alis name out loud.
An expression Aria couldnt parse floated over Jasons face. She wondered if Jason knew the effect Ali had had on guyseven older ones. Had Jason known about Alis secret relationship with Ian at the time, or had that come as a surprise after he was arrested? How did Jason feel about it?
Jason sipped his gimlet, his serious look gone. So did you fall in love a lot in Iceland?
Aria shook her head. I had some boyfriends, but Ive only been in love once. She clumsily took another swig of wine. Shed hardly eaten anything today, and the wine was taking hold fast. It was with my AP English teacher. Maybe you heard about it.
A crease formed between Jasons eyes. Maybe he hadnt.
Its over now, she said. Honestly, it was a disaster. He was asked to leave his teaching position...because of me. He left town a couple of months ago and said hed keep in touch, but I havent heard from him.
Jason nodded sympathetically. Aria was surprised how comfortable it felt to tell him this. Something about him made her feel safe, like he wasnt going to judge her.
Have you ever been in love? she asked.
Only once. Jason tipped his head back and swallowed the rest of his drink. The ice rattled against the empty glass. She broke my heart.
Who was it? Jason shrugged. No one important. Not now, at least. The bartender brought Jason another gimlet. Then Jason poked Arias arm. You know, I thought
you were going to say the person you were in love with was me. Arias mouth fell open. Jason...knew? I guess it was really obvious. Jason smiled. Nah. Im just really perceptive. Aria signaled the bartender to refill her wine, too, her cheeks blazing. Shed always taken extra
precaution to hide her crush from Jason, certain shed die if he ever found out. Now she kind of wanted to crawl under the bar.
I remember this one time when you were waiting outside the journalism barn at Rosewood Day, Jason explained gently. I noticed you right away. You were looking around...and when you saw me, your eyes lit up.
Aria gripped the bulky wooden lip of the bar. For a second, shed almost thought Jason was going to bring up the time he gave her Alis Time Capsule flag. But he was referencing the day shed
waited outside his journalism class, wanting to show him her dads signed copy of SlaughterhouseFive. That had happened the Friday before they all sneaked into Alis backyard.
Then again, maybe Jason didnt want to bring up stealing Alis flag. Maybe he felt guilty about it.
Sure, I remember that day, Aria mustered. I really wanted to talk to you. Except the school secretary got to you first. She said you had a phone call from a girl.
Jason squinted, as if trying to see the memory. Really?
Aria nodded. The secretary had taken Jasons arm and guided him toward the office. And now that Aria thought about it, the secretary had also said, She says shes your sister. But hadnt Aria seen Ali earlier that day, heading into the gym locker room? Maybe it was Jasons secret girlfriend calling, knowing that the only way the Rosewood Day staff would page him was if she said she was a family member. I figured it was a beautiful and mature girl you actually wanted to speak to, not a crazy sixth grader, Aria added, blushing.
Jason nodded slowly, recognition flickering over his face. He muttered something under his breath, something that sounded a lot like, Not exactly.
Pardon? Aria asked.
Nothing. Jason downed the rest of his second gimlet. Then he eyed her coyly. Well. Im glad youre making your crush a little more obvious now.
A ripple cascaded down Arias back. Maybe its more than a crush, she whispered. I hope so, Jason said. They smiled shyly at each other. Arias heart thudded in her ears. The front door whooshed open, and a bunch of Hollis students paraded in. Someone in the corner lit a cigarette, blowing filmy smoke into the air. Jason checked his watch and reached into his pocket. Im really late. He pulled out his wallet and fished out a twenty, enough to cover both their drinks. Then he looked at Aria. So, he started.
So, Aria echoed. And then she leaned forward, grabbed his hand, and kissed him the way shed wanted him to kiss her years ago outside the journalism barn. His lips tasted like lime juice and vodka. Jason pulled her close, kneading his hands in her hair. After a moment, they broke apart, grinning. Aria thought she might faint.
So Ill see you later, Jason said. Definitely, Aria breathed. Jason strode across the room, opened the door, and was gone. Oh my God, Aria whispered, turning back to the bar. A huge part of her wanted to climb up on
the bar stool and scream to the whole room what just happened. She had to tell someone. But Ella was busy with Xavier. Mike wouldnt care. There was Emily, but Emily might be a buzzkill, determined to believe that Ali was truly good at heart and Jason wasnt.
Her phone began to bleat. Aria jumped and stared at it. One new text message, the little window said. The sender was Caller Unknown.
Arias excitement instantly dimmed. She looked around the packed bar. People sat on couches, deep in conversation. A collegeage guy with dreadlocks whispered to the bartender, every so often gazing in Arias direction. A draft wafted from the back of the room, making the candle flames bow to the right. It was as if an unseen back door had just open and shut.
One new text message. Aria ran her hands through her hair. Slowly, she pressed read.
Enjoy your gimlets? Well, sorry, darling, but the fantasys over. Big Brother is hiding something from you. And trust me...you dont want to know what it is.A
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
15
EN GARDE, KATE
An hour later that same night, Hanna idled outside the Montgomerys freaky modernist house, waiting for Mike to emerge. Earlier this afternoon, shed called her dad at work and asked if she could please go to the library tonight to study for a French test...without Kate. She needed to be alone to sufficiently memorize the long list of irregular verbs, she explained.
Fine, her father agreed gruffly. Thankfully, he was loosening up on his goeverywhere Kategoes ruleyesterday, hed let Hanna shop for Merediths baby shower present alone too. It appeared that hed also allowed Kate to do some private baby gift shopping...at the very same store. Immediately after Hanna had received her getoutofKatejailfree pass from her dad, shed texted Mike and told him she wanted him to take her on a date...oneonone. What her dad didnt
know wouldnt hurt him. She stared out the window at the small cubic lights over the Montgomerys front porch. It had
been ages since shed been to Arias house, and shed forgotten how strange it was. The front of the house had just one window, positioned offkilter above the stairwell. The back of the house, on the other hand, was nothing but windows, stretching from the first floor to the third. Once, when Hanna and the others were in Arias den watching a family of deer traipse through her backyard, Ali gazed at the huge windows and clucked her tongue. Dont you guys worry about people spying on you? She gave Aria a nudge. But then, I guess your parents dont have any secrets they dont want anyone to know about, huh? Aria had blushed and left the room. Hanna hadnt known why Aria had gotten so upset, but now she didAli had discovered that Arias dad was having an affair, and she was torturing Aria with the information, the same way she used to torture Hanna about binging and purging.
Such a bitch.
Mike appeared on the front porch. He wore dark jeans, a long wool coat with the collar turned up, and carried an enormous bouquet of roses. Hanna felt tingles in her stomach. Not that she was excited for this date or anything. It was simply nice to get flowers on such a gray winter day.
Those are gorgeous, she said as Mike opened the door. You shouldnt have.
Okay. Mike pulled the flowers back to his chest, the cellophane crinkling. Ill give them to my other girlfriend.
Hanna caught his arm. Dont you dare. That definitely wasnt funny, not after the stunt hed pulled with Hanna and Kate at the baby shower yesterday. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel of her Prius. So. Where are we going?
The King James, Mike quipped.
Hanna glanced at him warily. No Rive Gauche. With her luck, Lucas would be their waiter. Tr�s awkward.
I know, Mike said. Were going shopping. Hanna wrinkled her nose. Ha. Im serious. Mike held up his hands. I want you to shop all night. I know thats what girls love
to do, and Im all about making you happy. His earnest expression didnt waver. Hanna thrust the car into gear. Wed better get there, then,
before you change your mind. They took the back roads to the mall, Hanna slowing every time she saw a DEER CROSSING sign
they were relentless this time of year. Mike slipped a CD into the Priuss stereo. A throbbing bass filled the car, then a singers screechy voice. Mike immediately started singing. Hanna recognized the song, and sang along quietly, too. Mike stared at her. You know who this is?
Its Led Zeppelin, Hanna said matteroffactly. Sean Ackard, Hannas exexboyfriend, had tried to get into the band last summerit seemed to be a Rosewood Day soccer and lax boy thing but hed decided they were too dark and moody for his pure, virginal ears. Mikes brow was furrowed with disbelief. What, did you think I listened to Miley Cyrus? she snapped. The Jonas Brothers? Actually, Kate listened to the Jonas Brothers. That and Broadway show tunes.
By the time they were pulling into the King James Mall, both were belting out the lyrics to Dazed and Confused. Mike knew every verse by heart and even did a dramatic air guitar solo, which made Hanna buckle over in laughter.
The mall parking lot was packed. A Home Depot was off to their left, the Bloomingdales doors in the middle, and the haute sectionwith stores like Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choowas on the right. As they stepped out into the crisp night air, Hanna heard someone grunt. A man stood next to a white car in the Home Depot lot, struggling to lift a heavy barrel of what looked like propane into the trunk of his car. When he moved out of the way, she noticed the writing on the car doors. Rosewood Police Department. The guy had an angular chin and a pointy nose. A shock of dark hair stuck out from the bottom of his black wool hat.
Wilden?
Hanna watched as he lifted the second tub of propane, struggling to fit it in the trunk next to the other one. Did his house not have a normal heater? She considered waving, but then turned away. Wilden had told the press that theyd made up seeing Ians body in the woods. Hed turned all of Rosewood against them. Asshole.
Come on, she said to Mike, giving Wilden one last look. He had shut the trunk and was now holding his cell phone to his ear, his posture rigid, his shoulders square. It reminded Hanna of a
time a few months ago, back when Wilden and her mom had been dating. Hed spent the night, and early in the morning, Hanna had heard whispers in the hall. When she peeked out, she saw Wilden standing in front of the hall window, looking out into the yard, his body rigid and his voice hoarse and harsh. Who the hell was he talking to? Was he sleepwalking? Hanna had slunk back to bed before Wilden noticed her.
Really, what did Hannas mom ever see in that guy, anyway? Wilden was cute, but not that cute. When Hanna caught him getting out of the shower all those months ago, he didnt even look that fabulous halfnaked. Not that she was into him or anything, but Hanna had a feeling lacrosseobsessed Mike would look way hotter.
Otter, Hannas favorite boutique, was tucked next to Cartier and Louis Vuitton. She strode in, inhaling the Ceylonscented Diptyque candles. Fergie was on the stereo, and racks of Catherine Malandrino, Nanette Lepore, and Moschino spread out before her. She sighed, blissful. The leather jackets were glossy and lush. The silk dresses and diaphanous, oversize scarves looked spun from gold. Sasha, one of the salesgirls, noticed Hanna and waved. Hanna was one of Otters best customers.
Hanna immediately selected a few dresses, enjoying the noise the wooden hangers made when they clonked together. Would you like me to put those in your dressing room? said a fake highpitched voice. Hanna turned. Mike was standing next to her. Ive already started a room for you with some of my favorite selections, he added.
Hanna stepped back. You picked things out for me? This she had to see. She marched to the only dressing room that had its velvet curtain tied to the side. A few things hung on the knob next to the mirror. First was a pair of highwaisted, tight black leather pants. Then there was a slinky silver tunic with a deep V in the front and big, gaping side vents. Behind that were three string bikinis with Wonderbra tops and thong bottoms.
Hanna turned to Mike and rolled her eyes. Nice try, but hell has to freeze over before you get me into any of that stuff. She eyed the leather pants again. Interestingly, Mike thought she was a size zero.
Mikes expression wilted. You wont even try on the bikinis?
Not for you, Hanna teased. Youll have to use your imagination. Whipping the curtain closed, she couldnt help but smile. Mike deserved a few points for being so creative.
She put her plumcolored suede satchel on the little leather footstool and smoothed out her piece of the Time Capsule flag, which shed wrapped around the strap. After some consideration, Hanna had decided to decorate the piece in homage to Ali, incorporating Alis original designs from sixth grade. The Chanel logo was next to the manga frog. A field hockey girl swatted a ball into the Louis Vuitton initials. Hanna was quite pleased with the end result.
Turning, she peeled off her sweater, unhooked her bra, and unzipped her pants and kicked them off. Just as she was reaching for the first dress, the dressing room curtain parted. Mike poked his head in.
Hanna let out a yelp and covered up her boobs. What the hell? she squealed.
Oops! Mike brayed. Shit. Sorry, Hanna. I thought this was the bathroom. This place is like a maze! His eyes landed on Hannas cleavage. Then they moved down to her skimpy lace underwear.
Get out! Hanna roared, giving Mike a kick with her bare foot. A few minutes later, she emerged from the dressing room, one of the dresses draped over her arm. Mike was perched on the chaise by the threeway mirrors. He looked like a naughty puppy whod just chewed up his owners Ugg slippers. Are you mad? he asked.
Yes, Hanna said frostily. Truthfully, though, she wasnt that botheredit was kind of flattering that Mike was that eager to see Hannas body. But she did want to get revenge.
She paid for her dress, and Mike asked if she wanted to get some dinner. Not Rive Gauche, Hanna reminded him.
I know, I know, Mike said. But theres a place thats even better.
He led her to Year of the Rabbit, the Chinese place near Prada. Hanna wrinkled her nose. She could practically feel her butt expanding from simply being around the oil, fat, and sauce all Chinese restaurants seemed to use in their entrees.
Mike registered her look of disgust. Dont worry, he assured her. I got you covered.
A bonethin Asian woman with chopsticks in her bun led them to an intimate booth and poured them both cups of hot green tea. There was a gong in the corner and a large jade Buddha leering down at them from a high shelf. An elderly Chinese waiter appeared and handed them their menus.
To Hannas astonishment, Mike mumbled a few words in Mandarin. He pointed at Hanna, and the waiter nodded and turned away. Mike sat back, smugly flicking the center of the gong with his thumb and forefinger.
Hanna gawked. What the hell did you say?
I told him you were an underwear model and needed to keep your hot body in top shape, and wed like to see the special healthy lowfat menu, Mike explained nonchalantly. They hate giving that menu to people. You have to know how to ask for it.
You know how to say underwear model in Chinese? Hanna blurted.
Mike draped his arms over the back of the leather booth. I picked up a thing or two during that boringass time I spent in Europe. The term underwear model is the first thing I learn in every language.
Hanna shook her head, fascinated. Wow. So you dont mind that the waiter thinks youre an underwear model? Mike asked. Hanna shrugged. Not really. Underwear models were pretty, after all. And rail thin. Mike brightened. Sweet. I brought my last girlfriend here, but she didnt find the whole special
diet menu trick so funny. She thought I was objectifying her or some shit. Hanna took a slow sip of tea, unaware that Mike had had previous girlfriends. Was this...a recent girlfriend? The waiter handed them their menusthe regular one for him, the diet one for Hanna. After he
left, Mike nodded. We just broke up. She kept bitching about how I was too concerned with being popular.
Lucas said that too, Hanna squealed, before she could stop herself. He didnt like that I told everyone Kate had herpes. She flinched, annoyed shed said Kates name out loudMike would probably step in and defend her. But he just shrugged.
I had to do it, Hanna went on. I thought she was going to... She trailed off. Thought she was going to what? Mike asked. Hanna shook her head. I just thought she was going to say something nasty about me. Hanna
had thought Kate was going to tell everyone that she used to make herself throw up, something shed unfortunately admitted to Kate in a moment of weakness. And she was pretty sure Kate would have said it, if Hanna hadnt said the herpes thing first.
Mike smiled empathetically. Sometimes you have to play dirty.
Cheers to that. Hanna raised her water glass and clinked it with Mikes, thankful he hadnt pressed to know what the nasty thing was that Kate was going to spill.
They finished eating their dinners and sucked on the orange wedges that came with the check. Mike suggestively complimented Hanna on her sucking abilities and advised her to save some sucking power for later. Then he excused himself to the bathroom. Hanna watched him snake around the tables, realizing her chance to get him back. Slowly, she stood, laid her napkin on her plate, and crept down the hall. She waited until the mens room door swung closed, counted to ten, and burst inside. Oops! she called out. Her voice echoed throughout the shiny, empty room.
There was a line of urinals, but Mike wasnt at any of them. Nor did she see his Tods loafers underneath the stall doors. She heard a small noise coming from the walledoff sink area and walked over. Mike was standing at the sink, a comb, a can of deodorant, and a tube of toothpaste on the counter next to him. He held a toothbrush in his hand. When he saw Hanna in the mirror, the color drained from his face.
Hanna bleated out a laugh. Are you primping? What are you doing here? he croaked. Sorry, I thought this was a dressing room, Hanna recited. It didnt quite have the effect she
was going for. Mike blinked and quickly shoved his toiletries back into his Jack Spade messenger bag. Hanna felt
a little badhe didnt have to stop. She backed out of the sink area. Ill be outside, she muttered. She pushed her way out the door and returned to her seat, smiling to herself. Mike had been brushing his teeth. Did that mean he wanted to kiss her?
On the drive back to Mikes house, they listened to Whole Lotta Love, again belting out the lyrics. She pulled up to Mikes curb and turned off the ignition. Want to walk me to my door?
Sure, Hanna answered, realizing her heart was pounding. She followed Mike up the stone steps to the Montgomerys porch. There was a Zen rock garden to the left of the door, but it had frozen over by now, a thin crust of ice on the sand.
Mike faced her. Hanna liked that he was quite a bit tallerLucas had been about her height, and Sean, her exex, had been a tad shorter. So this was almost as fun as when I go out with my hookers, Mike announced.
Hanna rolled her eyes. Maybe you can give the hookers a night off this Saturday too. Come with me to the Radley opening.
Mike put his thumb to his chin, pretending to give it some thought. I think that could be arranged.
Hanna giggled. Mike touched the inside of her arm lightly. His breath smelled minty. Almost unconsciously, she leaned in a little more.
The door flung open. Bright light streamed out from the Montgomerys foyer, and Hanna shot back. A tall brunette stood inside. It wasnt Mikes mom, and it certainly wasnt Aria. Hannas heart plummeted.
Kate? she shrieked. Hi, Mike! Kate whooped at the same time. Hanna pointed at her. What are you doing here? Kate blinked innocently. I got here early, so Mikes mom let me in. She looked at Mike. Shes
super nice. And her artwork is amazing. She told me that she has a piece thats going to be in the lobby of the Radleyand that theres a big opening this Saturday. We should totally go together, dont you think?
What do you mean, you got here early? Hanna interrupted. Kate put her hand to her chest. Didnt Mike tell you? We have a date. Hanna faced Mike. No, Mike didnt tell me. Mike licked his lips, looking guilty. Well, thats strange! Kate bleated. We set it up yesterday. Mike gazed at Kate. But you told me not to say anyth Besides, Kate interrupted, using her innocent sweetiepie voice again. Arent you supposed to
be at the library, Han? When I didnt see you in the auditorium during Hamlet practice, I called Tom. He said you needed to study for a big French test.
She pushed around Hanna and took Mikes arm. You ready? Im taking you to this awesome place for dessert.
Mike nodded, then glanced back at Hanna, whose jaw was practically on the stoop. He apologetically raised his shoulders, as though to say, Were not exclusive, are we?
Dumbstruck, Hanna watched them walk back down the steps to the driveway, where the Audi that belonged to Isabel, Kates mother, was parked. Hanna had been so distracted about how to end her date with Mike, she hadnt even noticed it. Was this why Mike had been primping at the restaurant? To freshen up for date number two? After their fabulous date, why was Mike still keeping his options open? How could he not want to be exclusive?
The Audi growled to life, rolled down the driveway, and disappeared. In the ensuing silence, Hanna heard a sniff behind her. She whipped around, her body tense. Another sniff. It sounded like someone was stifling a laugh.
Hello? Hanna called quietly into the Montgomerys dark yard. No one answered, but Hanna still had the distinct feeling that someone was there. A? An eerie chill came over her, burrowing deep to her bones, and she scampered off the porch as fast as she could.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
16
SPENCER HASTINGS, FUTURE WAWA COUNTERPERSON
That same night, Spencer perched on the arm of the sofa in the media room, watching the news. A reporter was talking yet again about how the police had vacated the woods behind her house and were now searching the United States for Ian. Today, someone on the police force had received a hot tip about where he might be, but they werent disclosing any more details at this time.
Spencer groaned. Then, the news broke to yet another new commercial for the Elk Ridge Ski Resorttheyd opened six more runs and were introducing Girls Ski for Free Thursdays.
The doorbell rang, and Spencer bounded up, eager to focus her attention on more positive things. Andrew stood on the stoop, shivering. I have so much to tell you, Spencer squealed.
Really? Andrew walked in, carrying his AP econ textbook under his arm. Spencer sniffed ap athetically. AP econ hardly mattered anymore.
Spencer led him by the hand into the media room, shut the door, and turned off the TV. So you know how I emailed my biological mom on Monday? She emailed me back. And yesterday, I went to see her in New York.
Andrew blinked quickly. New York?
Spencer nodded. She sent me an Amtrak ticket and told me to meet her at Penn Station. And it was wonderful. She squeezed Andrews hands. Olivias young, shes smart, and shes...normal. We instantly clicked. Isnt that awesome? She pulled out her phone and showed him a text Olivia had written late last night, presumably when she reached the airport. Dear Spencer, I miss you already! See you soon! XX, O. Spencer had written Olivia back, saying she had her accordion folder, and Olivia had responded that she should just hold on to itshe and Morgan would look it over once they returned.
Andrew picked at a piece of dry skin on his thumb. When I asked you what you were doing yesterday, you said you were having dinner with your family. So...you lied?
Spencer lowered her shoulders. Why was Andrew quibbling about semantics? I didnt want to talk about it before I met her. I was afraid it would jinx things. I was going to tell you in school, but we had a busy day. She leaned back. Im seriously considering moving to New York to be with Olivia. Weve been separated for so long, and I dont want to spend another minute apart. She and her husband moved into this great neighborhood in the Village, and there are so many great schools in the city, and... She noticed Andrews dour expression and stopped. Are you okay?
Andrew stared at the floor. Sure, he mumbled. Thats great news. Im happy for you.
Spencer ran her hands over the back of her neck, suddenly feeling insecure. Shed expected Andrew to be thrilled that shed found her birth motherhe was the one whod pushed her to register for the bio mommatching site in the first place. You dont sound that happy, she said slowly.
No, I am. Andrew jumped up, bumping his knee hard on the coffee table. Um, I forgot. I...I left my calc book back at school. I should probably go get it. We have all those problem sets for homework. He grabbed his books and headed for the door.
Spencer grabbed his arm. He stopped, but he wouldnt look at her. Whats going on? she urged, her heart beating fast.
Andrew clutched his books tightly to his chest. Well...I mean...maybe youre moving a little fast with all this New York stuff. Shouldnt you discuss it with your parents?
Spencer frowned. Theyd probably be happy I was gone.
You dont know that, Andrew argued, glancing at her cagily, then quickly cutting his eyes away. Your parents are mad at you, but Im sure they dont hate you. Youre still their kid. They might not let you go to New York at all.
Spencer opened her mouth, then quickly shut it again. Her parents wouldnt stand in the way of this opportunity...would they?
And you just met your mom, Andrew mumbled, looking more and more pained. I mean, you barely know her. Dont you think youre moving a little too fast?
Yeah, but it felt right, Spencer urged, wishing that he could understand. And if Im closer to her, I can get to know her.
Andrew shrugged, then turned away again. I dont want to see you get hurt. What do you mean? Spencer pressed, frustrated. Olivia would never hurt me. Andrew mashed his lips together. In the kitchen, one of the familys labradoodles started drinking from his water bowl. The phone rang, but Spencer made no motion to get it, waiting for Andrew to explain himself. She looked at Andrews pile of books in his arms. On top of their AP econ text was a small, square invitation. Please join us for the opening of the Radley hotel, the invitation said in elegant script.
Whats that? Spencer pointed at it.
Andrew glanced at the invitation, then pushed it under his notebook. Just this thing I got in the mail. I must have picked it up by mistake.
Spencer stared at him. Andrews cheeks were blotchy, as though he was trying hard not to cry. Suddenly...she got it. She imagined Andrew receiving the Radley invitation and rushing over here, eager to ask her to be his date. This will make up for Foxy, he might have planned to say, referring to the disastrous benefit theyd attended together this fall. Maybe all this nonsense about Spencer taking things slow and not wanting her to get hurt was really because Andrew didnt want her to
leave. She touched his arm gently. Ill come back and visit you. And you can visit me too. A look of extreme embarrassment fluttered over Andrews face. He shook her off. I-I have to
go. He stumbled out the door and down the hall. Ill see you in school tomorrow. Andrew! Spencer protested, but he had already put on his jacket and was out the door. The wind slammed it shut so hard, the little wooden labradoodle statue that sat on the console table toppled over. Spencer walked to the window next to the front door and watched Andrew run down the path to
his Mini Cooper. She touched the doorknob, about to go after him, but a part of her didnt want to. Andrew peeled away fast, the tires squealing. And then he was gone.
A huge lump formed in her throat. What had just happened? Had they broken up? Now that Spencer might leave, did Andrew want nothing else to do with her? Why wasnt he happier for her? Why was he only thinking about himself and what he wanted?
Moments later, the back door slammed, and Spencer jumped. There were footsteps, then Mr. Hastingss voice. Spencer hadnt spoken to her parents since before her trip to New York, but she knew she had to. Only, what if Andrew was right? What if they prevented her from moving there?
She snatched her funnelneck tweed jacket off the back of the living room chair and grabbed her car keys, suddenly afraid. There was no way she could talk to them about this right now. She needed to leave the house for a while, have a cappuccino, and clear her head. As she walked down the front steps toward the driveway, she stopped short, looking right, then left. Something was wrong.
Her car was gone.
The spot where she normally parked the little Mercedes coupe was empty. But Spencer had parked it here a few hours ago after school. Had she forgotten to turn on the alarm? Had someone stolen it? A?
She sprinted back to the kitchen. Mrs. Hastings was standing by the stove, putting some veggies in a big soup pot. Mr. Hastings was pouring himself a glass of Malbec. My car is gone, Spencer bleated. I think someone stole it.
Mr. Hastings kept calmly pouring. Mrs. Hastings pulled out a plastic cutting board, not even flinching. No one stole it, she said.
Spencer stopped. She gripped the edge of the kitchen island. How do you know no one stole it?
Her mothers mouth was pursed, as if she was sucking on something sour. Her black Tshirt pulled tightly against her trim shoulders and chest. She held a paring knife tightly in her fist, wielding it like a weapon. Because. Your father turned it into the dealer this afternoon.
Spencers knees felt weak. She turned to her dad. What? Why?
It was a gas guzzler, Mrs. Hastings spoke for him. We have to start thinking about the economy and the environment. She shot Spencer a selfrighteous smile and turned back to her cutting board.
But... Spencers body felt electrified. You guys just inherited millions of dollars! And...that car is not a gas guzzler! Its way more efficient than Melissas SUV! She turned to her dad. He was still ignoring her, savoring his wine. Didnt he care at all?
Enraged, Spencer grabbed his wrist. Do you have anything to say?
Spencer, Mr. Hastings said in an even voice, wrenching his hand away. The spicy smell of red wine filled Spencers nose. Youre being dramatic. Weve been talking about turning in your car for a long time, remember? You dont need a car of your own.
But how am I supposed to get around? Spencer wailed.
Mrs. Hastings kept chopping the carrots into smaller and smaller bits. The knife made a gnawing sound against the cutting board. If you want to buy a new car, do what plenty of other kids your age do. She brushed the carrots into the pot. Get a job.
A job? Spencer sputtered. Her parents had never made her work before. She thought about the people at Rosewood Day who had jobs. They worked at the Gap at the King James. At Auntie Annes pretzels. At Wawa, making sandwiches.
Or borrow our car, Mrs. Hastings said. Or I hear theres a wonderful new invention that takes you places the same as a car does. She laid the knife on the cutting board. Its called the bus.
Spencer gaped at both of them, her ears ringing. Then, to her surprise, a peaceful feeling settled over her. She had her answer. Her parents truly didnt love her. If they did, they wouldnt be trying to take away everything from her.
Fine, she said tersely, whirling around. Its not like Ill be here much longer, anyway. As she
strode out of the kitchen, she heard her fathers glass clink against the granite countertop. Spencer, Mr. Hastings called. But it was too little, too late.
Spencer ran upstairs to her bedroom. Usually, after her parents dissed her, tears would stream down her face, and shed fling herself on the bed, wondering what shed done wrong. But not this time. She marched over to her desk and picked up the expandable file Olivia had been lugging around yesterday. Taking a deep breath, she peered inside. Just as Olivia said, it was filled with papers about the apartment Olivia and her husband had purchased, things like dimensions of rooms, floor and cabinet materials, and the amenities in the buildinga pet groomer, an indoor Olympiclength swimming pool, and an Elizabeth Arden salon. Clipped to the front of the file was a business card. Michael Hutchins, Real Estate.
Michael, our Realtor, could find you something really special, Olivia had said at dinner.
Spencer looked around the room, assessing its contents. All the furniture, from her four poster bed to her antique writing desk to the mahogany armoire and Chippendale vanity table, was hers. Shed inherited it from her greataunt Millicentapparently she didnt have the same animosity toward adopted children. Of course shed have to take her clothes, shoes, bags, and collection of books, too. It would probably fit in a UHaul. She could even drive the thing herself if she had to.
Her phone buzzed, and Spencer flinched. She eagerly reached for it, hoping Andrew was calling to make up, but when she saw it was a text from Caller Unknown, her heart plummeted to the floor.
Dear Little Miss SpencerWhateverYourNameIs,
Shouldnt you know by now what happens if you dont listen to me? Ill use small words this time, so even youll understand. Either give LongLost Mommy a rest and keep searching for what really happened...or pay my price. How does disappearing forever sound?A
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES.. 17
Later that night, after swimming practice ended, Emily slid into her favorite booth at Applebees, the one with the oldfashioned tandem bicycle suspended from the ceiling and the colorful license plates on the walls. Her sister Carolyn, Gemma Curran, and Lanie Ilertwo other Rosewood Day swimmerspiled in beside her. The dining room smelled like salty french fries and burgers, and an old Beatles song was playing loudly on the stereo. When Emily opened the menu, she was pleased to see that mozzarella sticks and hot wings were still featured appetizers. The southwest chicken salad still came with spicy ranch dressing. If Emily closed her eyes, she could almost pretend it was last year at this time, when she used to come to Applebees every Thursday nightback when nothing bad had happened yet.
Coach Lauren had to be smoking crack when she wrote that set of five hundreds, Gemma whined, flipping through the laminated menu.
Seriously, Carolyn echoed, shrugging out of her Rosewood Day Swim Team jacket. I can bare ly lift my arms!
Emily laughed with the others, then saw a flash of blond hair out of the corner of her eyes. She stiffened and glanced toward the bar, which was packed with people watching an Eagles game on the flatscreen TVs. There was a blond guy at the very end of the bar, talking animatedly to his date. Emilys heart slowed down. For a second, shed thought he was Jason DiLaurentis.
Emily couldnt get Jason off her mind. She hated that Aria had brushed off her warnings about him in the courtyard on Tuesday, making excuses for his anger. And she really didnt know what to make of the strange photo A had sent her yesterday, the one of Ali, Naomi, and Jenna all together, presumably friends. If Jenna was Alis friend, Ali mightve opened up to her truthfully, right? She mightve told Jenna a deep, dark secret about her brother, having no idea that Jenna was going to reveal something similar.
A few months ago, before the cops arrested Ian for Alis murder, Emily had seen an interview with Jason DiLaurentis on TV. Well, it was sort of an interviewa reporter had tracked him down at Yale, asking him what he thought of the investigation into his sisters murder, and hed waved them away, saying he didnt want to talk about it. He stayed away from his family as much as possible, he saidthey were too messed up. But what if Jason was the one who was messed up? The summer between sixth and seventh grade, Emily had been over at Alis house when the DiLaurentises were
packing up to go to their mountain house in the Poconos. While the whole family industriously carried suitcases to the car, Jason slumped on the recliner in the den, flipping through the TV channels. When Emily asked Ali why Jason wasnt helping, Ali just shrugged. Hes in one of his Elliott Smith moods. She rolled her eyes. They should put him in the mental ward, where he belongs.
A shiver traveled down Emilys back. Jason needs to be in a mental ward? Ali rolled her eyes again. It was a joke, she groaned. Youre so literal! But as she turned to carry another suitcase to the car, Alis mouth flickered slightly. It seemed
like something was going on deep beneath Alis cool exterior, something she wouldnt admit. Emily had forwarded As picture to each of her old friends. Both Spencer and Hanna had re sponded, saying they had no idea what it could mean, but Aria hadnt acknowledged it at all. What
if they should be worrying about Jason? There was a lot about him they didnt know. A blond waitress in a green Applebees buttondown and an Eagles baseball cap took their orders. Then the swimmers started talking about the party at the Radley. Topher managed to snag an invite, and he wants me to go, Carolyn was saying. But what do you wear to something like
that? Emily sipped her vanilla Coke. Topher was Carolyns boyfriend, but usually the two of them preferred Heroes marathons to fancy parties. What about the pink dress I wore to the Rosewood Day benefit? she suggested. Then she drummed her fingers on the table. You dont have to worry about me borrowing from your closet yet again. I already got a dress.
Carolyns eyes lit up. Youre going? Someone asked me, Emily blurted out. Lanie and Gemma leaned forward, intrigued. Carolyn squeezed Emilys arm. Let me guess, she whispered. Renee Jeffries from Tate? You
guys were so cute when you were talking before the two hundred fly last month. And someone told me shes...you know. Carolyn trailed off.
Emily fiddled with the red straw in her vanilla Coke. She hadnt told her family or swimming friends about Isaac yet.
She took a deep breath and looked at the others. Actually...its a guy.
Carolyn blinked hard. Lanie and Gemma smiled, puzzled. On TV, the Eagles scored a touchdown. The whole room cheered, but none of them turned.
I met him at church, Emily went on. He goes to Holy Trinity Academy. His names Isaac. Were sort of...dating.
Carolyn placed her palms flat on the table. Isaac Colbert? The hot guy in that band, Carpe Diem?
Emily nodded, pleased color rising to her cheeks.
I know him, Gemma said, swooning. We worked on the same Habitat for Humanity project last year. Hes gorgeous.
Is it serious? Carolyns eyes popped wider and wider.
Emily nodded again, gazing at her sister. I plan to tell Mom and Dad. Dont break the news to them first. I just needed to make sure it was...for real.
Carolyn picked up a piece of garlic bread that had just arrived. Go you. Gemma gave Emily a high five, and Lanie patted her on the back.
Emily breathed out, relieved. Shed worried about how that would go. And shed especially fretted that Carolyn would make a face and ask her why shed put the family through the lesbian stuff if she was going to eventually date guys again.
But now that her thoughts had turned to Isaac, she couldnt help but think about what had happened at dinner last night. All those awful, jabbing digs. All those bitter looks. And that photo in the drawer, the one of Emily beheaded. Would Emily and Isaac be able to go to the Radley party together, if Mrs. Colbert knew what theyd done?
Shed left Isaacs house soon after seeing the photo in the drawer, not telling Isaac a word about it. But she had to say something. They were a couple. They were in love. Surely he would understand. She could say, Are you sure your mom likes me? Does your mom like to haze your new girlfriends? Did you know your mom is a psychopath and beheaded me in a photo?
Their dinners came, and the swimmers scarfed them down. As the waitress cleared their plates, Emilys phone rang. Spencer Hastings, said the name in the Caller ID window. A flutter of nerves streaked through Emilys stomach. She glanced apologetically at her friends, slid out of the booth, and walked down the hall toward the bathrooms. It was way too loud in the bar area to even attempt a phone conversation.
Whats up? Emily said when she pushed through the bathroom door. I got another note, Spencer said. Emily placed a shaky hand on the marble sink and stared in the mirror. Her eyes were round, and
her face had gone very pale. Wwhat did it say? Basically that we have to keep searching or pay As price. Searching...for the killer? Emily whispered. I guess. I dont know what else it could mean. Do you think it has to do with that photo I got? The one of Ali and Jenna? I dont know. Spencer sounded hopeless. That doesnt make much sense either. A toilet flushed, and a pair of loafers shuffled behind one of the stall doors. Emily tensed. She
hadnt realized anyone else was in the bathroom. I have to go, she hissed into the phone. Okay, Spencer said. Be careful. Emily clapped her phone shut and stuffed it back into her pocket. When the stall door opened
and the woman emerged, Emilys blood went cold. Oh. Mrs. Colbert stopped short. She was dressed in a silk blouse and black pants, as if shed
come from work. The corners of her mouth turned sharply down. Hi, Emily chirped, her voice an octave higher than it normally was. Her hands shook. Hhow
are you? Mrs. Colbert whisked past her to the sink and turned on the hot tap. She plunged her hands underneath the stream of water, rubbing so vigorously it was a wonder her skin didnt peel off in curls. She was blocking the paper towel dispenser, but Emily didnt dare ask her to move.
Are you and Mr. Colbert having dinner here? Emily asked, mustering a smile. I love their burgers.
Mrs. Colbert whirled around and glared at her. Cut the sweet act. Its insulting. Emily sucked in her stomach. Another cheer erupted from the bar. Im...sorry? Mrs. Colbert turned off the tap and tore off a piece of paper towel violently, wadding it up in her
hands. I didnt want to say this in front of my son, which is why I tolerated you at dinner the other night. But youve disrespected me and my home. As far as Im concerned, youre trash. Dont you dare set foot in my house again.
Emily paled. All other sounds fell away. Dizzily, she backed out of the room buttfirst and sprinted back to her table. She snatched her coat off her chair and darted for the door. Emily? Carolyn called, standing halfway up. But Emily didnt answer. She had to get out of here. She had to get away from Isaacs mom before she could say anything else.
Bitter wind swept across her cheeks as she walked into the parking lot. Carolyn was right behind her, tugging at her sleeve. Whats wrong? her sister asked. What happened?
Emily didnt answer. She wasnt sure she could answer. Youve disrespected me and my home. Mrs. Colbert had said it all.
She stared at the bright Applebees sign, cursing her terrible luck. Why did Mrs. Colbert have to eat at Applebees tonight of all nights? And it was 8 P.M., not exactly the normal dinnertime hour. It was bitter cold out, too, a good night to stay indoors.
Then, from deep inside her purse, Emilys phone chimed. Suddenly, it hit her. Maybe it wasnt luck or coincidence that Mrs. Colbert was at Applebees tonight. Maybe someone had told her to come.
Just...give me a sec, she said to her sister. She walked over to the curb near the takeout door and lowered herself down. Her cell phones greenish window glowed in the darkness. One new photo message, the screen said.
A picture appeared on the Nokias screen. But it had nothing to do with Emily, Isaac, or Isaacs mom. Instead, it was of a big room with stainedglass windows, glossy wooden pews, and thick red carpeting. Emily frowned. It was Holy Trinity, her familys church. There was Father Tysons confessional, the little wooden alcove near the lobby. Someone was emerging from the confession booth, his head bowed. Emily brought the phone close to her face. The guy in the photo was tall, with short, dark hair. A Rosewood Police Department badge glowed on his jacket, and a pair of handcuffs dangled from his belt.
Wilden?
Then she noticed the text at the bottom of the photo. Even though she wasnt quite sure what it meant, an uneasy shiver rippled from the top of her head down to the soles of her feet.
I guess we all have stuff to feel guilty about, huh?A
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
18
SOMETHINGS ROTTEN IN ROSEWOOD...
Friday morning, as the sky was turning from dark blue to pale purple, Hanna zipped up her green Puma running jacket and did a couple of calf stretches against the big maple tree in her front yard. Then she set off running down her driveway, listening to music on her iPhone. Shed been an idiot not to get an iPhone soonerarmed with a new unlisted phone number, she hadnt received a single text from New A.
New A was certainly texting Emily up a storm, thoughHanna had received a forward from Emily early this morning, a photo of Darren Wilden skulking around a church. What do you think this means? Emily wrote, as if Hanna really would know. Lots of people went to church. She didnt buy that A was sending Emily texts as allimportant clues. More than likely, A was just messing with poor Emilys already addled mind.
But Hanna had received quite a few texts from Mike Montgomery. Like the one that came in right now: U awake?
Yes, Hanna typed back quickly. On a run. Sexy, Mike wrote back. What R U wearing? Hanna smirked. Spandex. Super tight. Mike: Run by my house!
You wish, Hanna answered, giggling.
Mike had even texted her last night, presumably after hed returned from his date with Kate. Hanna considered scolding him about double booking, but then she worried she might sound whiny and insecure. Did Mike think Kate was prettier? Thinner? Did he take her shopping and try and bust into her dressing room, too? What did Kate do? Laugh...or freak?
What time do U want me to pick U up for the Radley party 2morro? Hanna texted.
She was at the bottom of her street before Mike responded. Do U mind if we add a third? Hanna came to an abrupt stop at the corner. It was obvious who the third person Mike wanted to add was Kate.
She kicked the metal post of the stop sign hard. It made a loud clanging sound, startling a few birds from a nearby tree. Her dad might have relaxed the allKateallthetime punishment, but he was still trying to coerce Hanna and Kate into being BFFs. Like yesterday, when Kate had returned from her date with Mike, shed joined Hanna and Mr. Marin in the kitchen, where Hanna was proudly showing her father her decorated Time Capsule flag. Mr. Marin studied it, then Kate, and then gently asked Hanna if Kate could have some of the credit for finding the flag too. Maybe Hanna could let her draw a little decoration in one of the corners?
Hannas mouth had dropped open. Its my flag, she cried, astonished her dad could even sug gest such a thing. I found it. Her father looked at her disappointedly, then walked away. Kate didnt say a word the whole time, probably figuring that a silent, humble daughter was better than a screechy, bratty one. But Hanna knew Kate was thrilled that Hanna and her fathers relationship was dying a slow, painful death.
There was a swish behind her, and Hanna whirled around, suddenly struck with the distinct feeling that someone was on her tail. Only the narrow road was empty. She let out a long sigh and decided not to answer Mike at all, sliding her iPhone into her pocket and cranking up the music. She ran down the hill from her neighborhood, cut across a narrow footbridge between two yards, and found herself at a familiar intersection. There was an old gray farmhouse on the corner, set back from the street. Two cinnamoncolored horses and one spotted Shetland pony stood calmly next to the wood fence. This was the turn to Alis.
The first time Hanna stood at the crossroads was the day shed tried to steal Alis piece of the Time Capsule flag. Hanna remembered gazing into the ponys big, soft eyes, wishing she could ask its opinion about what she was about to do. Who did she think she was, assuming she could march in and snatch Alis flag? What if Naomi and Riley were there and they all laughed in Hannas face? Maybe I should face the fact that Ill never be popular, shed almost said out loud to the pony. But then a car had passed, and shed squared her shoulders and biked on.
Now she jogged into Alis neighborhood, breathing hard. Monas house was one of the first hous
es on the street, its grand circular driveway and gabled sixcar garage painfuly familiar. Hanna looked away. Next came Jennas house, the red colonial with the big tree off to the side, the one that had once held Tobys tree house. Then Spencers estate, which sat aloofly behind a large wroughtiron gate. Hints of the KILLER grafiti were visible through the repainted barn garage doors. Alis old house was last, looming at the end of the culdesac.
Hanna ran up to the Ali shrine, which was still assembled at the curb. A few of the candles had been replaced, and one was lit, dancing in the wind. There were a few hand lettered signs on poster board that said things like, WELL FIND HIM, ALI, and IAN WILL PAY FOR THIS!
She crouched down and looked at the photograph that had been part of the shrine ever since it was first assembled, back when Alis body had been recovered. The photo was warped and faded from months of rain and snow. It was a picture of sixthgrade Ali, wearing a blue Von Dutch Tshirt and Seven jeans, standing in Spencers grand foyer. The photo had been taken the night Melissa and Ian were going to the Rosewood Day Winter BallAli had been vehement about spying on them, giggling hysterically when Melissa tripped on the stairs during her grand entrance. Who knew, maybe Ali had something going on with Ian even back then.
Hanna frowned, looking closer at the photo. Behind Ali, the Hastingses front door was slightly open, offering a partial view of Spencers front yard. Standing in Spencers driveway next to Ian and Melissas Hummer limo was a lone figure in a down jacket and jeans. Hanna couldnt really make out who it was, his face a blur. Still, there was something intrusive and voyeuristic about the persons posture, as if whoever it was wanted to spy on Ian and Melissa too.
A door slammed. Hanna jumped, looking up. For a moment, she couldnt locate where the noise had come from. Then she saw Darren Wilden standing at the bottom of the Cavanaughs driveway. When he saw Hanna, he did a double take.
Hanna, Wilden said. What are you...doing?
Hannas heart started to beat faster, like shed just been caught shoplifting. Running. What are you doing?
Wilden looked shaken. He turned halfway, gesturing across the street to the woods behind Spencers house. I was, um, just, you know. Checking things out back there.
Hanna crossed her arms. The cops had abandoned the search in the woods a few days ago. And Wilden had come from Jennas house, which was across the street from the woods, not in the right direction at all. Did you find something?
Wilden rubbed his gloved hands together. You shouldnt be here, he blurted. Hanna stared at him. Its cold out, Wilden fumbled. Hanna extended her left leg. Thats what running tights are for. And mittens and hats. Still. Wilden slapped his right fist into his left palm. Id rather you were running somewhere
safer. Like the Marwyn trail. Hanna squirmed. Was Wilden truly concerned for her...or did he just want her to leave? He
glanced over his shoulder again toward Spencers woods. Hanna craned her neck too. Was there something there? Something he didnt want her to see? But hadnt he told the press that hed never believed anything was back there? Didnt he think Hanna and the others made it up?
As text about Wilden at confession flashed through her mind. We all have stuff to feel guilty about, huh?
Do you need a ride somewhere? Wilden asked loudly, making Hanna jump. Im finished here.
Truthfully, Hannas toes were going numb. Okay, she stammered, trying to stay calm. She gave the Ali shrine a final look, then followed Wilden to a car covered in a dirty layer of cakedon snow and ice. Thats your car? Hanna asked. There was something familiar about it.
Wilden nodded. My cruisers in the shop, so I had to resort to this old beater. He opened the passenger door. The inside of the car smelled like old McDonalds hamburger wrappers. He quickly tossed a bunch of file folders, shoe boxes, CDs, empty packs of cigarettes, unopened mail, and an extra pair of gloves to the backseat. Sorry for the mess.
An ovalshaped sticker in the frontseat foot well caught Hannas eye. There was a drawing of a fish on it, with a few initials and the words Day Pass. The sticker hadnt been pulled off the shiny backing, and the ink seemed bright and new.
Did you recently go ice fishing? Hanna teased, pointing at it. Back when her dad was Hannas friend instead of the soulless drone who only wanted to make Princess Kate happy, they used to go fishing at Keuka Lake in upstate New York. They always had to buy a similarlooking fishing pass at
the local bait shop in order to use the lake without getting fined. Wilden glanced at the sticker, an odd expression flickering over his face. He tweezed it between
his fingers and tossed it quickly to the back. I havent cleaned out this car in years. His words tumbled out in a rush. That things old.
The motor started up, and Wilden shifted into reverse so forcefully Hanna was knocked back. He swung around the culdesac, nearly running over the Ali shrine, then whipped past Spencers house, Jennas, and Monas. Hanna grasped the little handle above the window. This isnt a race, she joked shakily, growing more and more weirded out.
Wilden looked at her out of the corner of her eye, saying nothing. Hanna noticed he didnt have his Rosewood PD jacket on, but instead wore a simple, oversize gray hoodie and black jeans. An oversize hoodie, in fact, that looked a lot like the one the Grim Reaperish person whod stood over her in the woods Saturday night had worn. But that was just a coincidence...right?
Hanna ran her hand over the back of her neck and cleared her throat. So, um, hows the Ian investigation?
Wilden looked at her, his foot still pressed firmly on the gas pedal. They took the turn at the top of the hill fast, and the cars tires made a screeching noise. We have a pretty good lead that Ians in California.
Hanna opened her mouth, then closed it fast. The IP address from Ians IMs had said that he was still in Rosewood. Uh, how did you find out that? she asked.
A tip, Wilden growled. From who? He shot her a frozen glare. You know I cant tell you that. A gray Nissan Pathfinder was in front of them, slowly ascending the hill. Wilden revved the engine and veered into the lane of oncoming traffic, speeding to get around. The Pathfinder honked. Two hazy lights appeared in the distance, heading the opposite direction. What are you doing? Hanna screamed, growing nervous. Wilden didnt move back into the right lane. Stop! Hanna screamed. All at once, she was catapulted back to the night shed stood in the Rosewood Day parking lot, Monas SUV heading straight for her. By the time shed realized the SUV wasnt going to swerve, she couldnt move, petrified and helpless. It had felt as if there was nothing she could have done to stop what had happened.
Hanna shut her eyes, anxiety overpowering her. There was a loud, blaring horn, and Wildens car swerved. When Hanna opened her eyes again, they were back in their own lane.
What is wrong with you? Hanna demanded, her whole body trembling. Wilden glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He looked...amused. Calm down. Calm down? Hanna ran her hand down the length of her face, about to throw up. The incident
flashed through her mind again and again, on rapid fastforward. Ever since her accident, shed tried very, very hard not to think about that night, and here Wilden was, laughing at her for being scared. Maybe she shouldnt have been so quick to discount As texts about Wilden after all.
Hanna was about to tell him to pull over and let her out when she realized Wilden was zooming up her winding driveway. When they reached the top, she quickly unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car, never so grateful to see her house.
She slammed the door anyway, but Wilden didnt seem to notice. He just sped in reverse down the driveway, not even bothering to make the threepoint turn. Some of the snow had fallen off the nose of the car. Hanna could see that it had a pointed end and mean looking headlights.
A sense of dŽjˆ vu suddenly nagged at her. Something about what had just happened had hap pened beforeand not just the night of her accident. She had the same feeling as when she couldnt remember a vocabulary word in French class, the term on the tip of her tongue. Usually, the word came to her later at the weirdest time, like when she was surfing on iTunes or walking Dot. Soon enough, this would come back to her too.
But she wasnt exactly looking forward to finding it.
19
SPENCER WHEELS AND DEALS
After school on Friday, Spencers closest field hockey friend, Kirsten Cullen, pulled up to Spencers
curb and yanked up the parking brake. Thanks so much for the ride, Spencer said. Just because her parents had taken away her
wheels didnt mean she was about to climb aboard the smelly Rosewood Day school bus. No worries, Kirsten said. You need a ride on Monday, too? If its not too much trouble, Spencer mumbled. Shed tried calling Aria for a ride, since Aria now lived one neighborhood over, but Aria had said
she had something to do this afternoon, mysteriously not saying what it was. And it wasnt like she could ask Andrew. All day, shed thought he was going to apologizeif he had, she would have apologized to him too, and promised they would stay together if she moved. Andrew pointedly didnt say a word to her in any of their shared classes. That, Spencer figured, was that.
Kirsten gave Spencer a wave and pulled away from the curb onehanded. Turning, Spencer walked up the driveway. The neighborhood was still and silent, and the sky was a drab, purplishgray. The KILLER graffiti on the garage doors had been painted over, but the new color didnt quite match, and the word still showed through faintly. Spencer averted her eyes, not wanting to look at it. Who had put it there? A? But...why? To scare her, or to warn her?
The house was empty, smelling like Murphys Oil Soap and Windex, meaning the Hastingses cleaning lady, Candace, had just left. Spencer ran upstairs, grabbed Olivias expandable folder from the desk in her room, and exited the house through the back door. Even though her parents werent here, she didnt want to be in their house when she did this. She needed complete privacy.
She unlocked the barns front door and flipped on the kitchen and living room lights. Everything was as shed left it since the last time shed been in here, down to the half filled water glass by the computer. She plopped down on the couch and pulled out her Sidekick. As message was the last text shed received. How does disappearing forever sound?
At first, the note had scared her, but after a while, shed seen it another way. Disappearing forever sounded finedisappearing from Rosewood, that was. And Spencer knew just how she could.
She dumped Olivias file folder on the coffee table, its contents practically spilling out onto the throw rug. The Realtors card was right on top. With shaking hands, Spencer dialed his number. The phone rang once, then twice. Michael Hutchins, a mans voice squawked.
Spencer sat up and cleared her throat. Hi. My name is Spencer Hastings, she said, trying to sound older and professional. My mom is your client. Olivia Caldwell?
Of course, of course. Michael sounded overjoyed. I didnt realize she had a daughter. Have you seen their new place yet? Its going to be photographed for the New York Times Home section next month.
Spencer wound a piece of hair around her finger. Not yet. But...I will. Soon. So what can I do for you? She crossed and uncrossed her legs. Her heart thudded through her ears. Well...Id like an
apartment. In New York. Preferably somewhere near Olivia. Is that doable? She heard Michael flipping some papers. I believe so. Hang on. Let me pull up the database of
whats available. Spencer bit down hard on her thumbnail. This felt surreal. She stared out the window at the rocklined pool and hot tub, the tiered back deck, the two dogs frolicking near the fence. Then, she turned and gazed at the windmill. LIAR. It was still there, not yet painted over. Maybe her parents had left it for Spencer as a reminder, the equivalent of the big red A in The Scarlet Letter. Alis old house next door no longer had the Do Not Cross tape over the halfdug holethe new owners had finally had the sense to take it downbut the hole hadnt been filled yet. Behind the barn were the woods, thick and black and brimming with secrets.
Olivia had told her to take things slow, but moving out of Rosewood was the smartestand safestthing she could do.
You there? Michaels voice called. Spencer jumped. Theres a new listing at two twenty three Perry Street. It hasnt even gone on the market yetthe landlord is cleaning and paintingbut itll probably go up on our Web site on Monday. Its a onebedroom on the parlor level of a brownstone. Im looking at the pictures right now, and the place looks gorgeous. High ceilings, wood floors, crown molding, an eatin kitchen, a back deck, a clawfoot tub. Youd be near the subway and a block from Marc Jacobs. You sound like you might be a Marc Jacobs girl.
Youre right about that. Spencer smiled. You near a computer? Michael said. I can email you some pictures of the place right now. Sure, Spencer said, giving him her email address. She sprang up and walked to Melissas lap
top, which was sitting closed on the desk. In seconds, a new email appeared in her in box. The attached photos were of a quaint brownstone with slate stairs. The apartment had wide oak floors, two bay windows, exposed brick, marble countertops, and even a little washer and dryer.
It looks awesome, Spencer breathed, nearly swooning. Im in Philadelphia at the moment, but could I come to the city on Monday afternoon and check it out?
She heard a horn honk outside Michaels window. That could work, sure, he said, the hesitation in his voice practically palpable. But Ive gotta warn you. Apartments like this dont come up very often, and New York City real estate is insane. This is one of the best blocks in the Village, and people are going to jump on it. Its likely that on Monday morning someones going to show up at our office as soon as the place lists with a check, sight unseen. By the time you get here, the place might be gone. But I dont want to pressure you. There are other places I could show you in that neighborhood, too....
Spencer tensed her shoulders, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She suddenly felt as if she were running for the ball in field hockey or fighting for a teachers approval in class. This was her rightful apartment, not someone elses. She imagined her furniture in the bedroom. She pictured herself wearing her Chanel poncho on Saturday mornings while strolling to Starbucks. She could get a dog and hire one of those dog walkers that walked fifteen dogs at once. Earlier today, shed looked into private schools in New York City if she didnt opt to graduate early.
When she glanced down at the blank piece of paper next to the laptop, she realized that shed doodled 223 Perry Street over and over, in cursive and block letters and calligraphy. No other apartment would do.
Please dont list it, Spencer blurted out. I want it. I dont even have to look at it. What if I give you money now? Would that work?
Michael paused. We could do that. He sounded surprised. Believe me, you wont be disap pointed. Its a wonderful find. He clattered on his keyboard. Okay. Well need some cash up front, enough for the first months rent, security, and a broker fee. So we should get your mom on the phone. Shes going to be your guarantor for the lease and authorize the transfer of the deposit, right?
Spencer wiggled her fingers over the laptop keyboard. Olivia had made it clear that her husband, Morgan, was suspicious of people he didnt know. If she asked Olivia and Morgan for money, she risked losing his trust. She glanced at the screen. There was the folder in the righthand corner of the desktop. Spencer, College.
She slowly opened the folder and then the PDF. All the information she needed was there. The account was in her name. Olivia had said that once Morgan met her, hed love her. Hed probably reimburse this account ten times over.
We dont need my mother to be involved, Spencer said. I have an account in my name Id like to use.
Okay, Michael said, not missing a beat. He probably dealt with rich city kids with their own accounts all the time. Spencer read Michael the numbers on the screen, her voice quivering. Michael repeated them back to her, and then told her all he had to do was call the landlord and theyd be set. They made arrangements to meet in front of the building at 4 P.M. on Monday so Spencer could sign the lease and collect the keys. After that, the apartment would be hers.
Great, Spencer said. Then, she hung up her phone and stared blankly at the wall.
She had done it. She had really done it. In mere days, she wouldnt live here anymore. Shed be a New Yorker, away from Rosewood for good. Olivia would come home from Paris, and Spencer would be adjusted to city life. She imagined meeting Olivia and Morgan for casual dinners in their apartment and fancier dinners at the Gotham Bar and Grill and Le Bernardin. She pictured the group of new friends shed make, people who loved going to art exhibitions and benefits and didnt give a shit that she had once been pursued by a bunch of jealous losers who called themselves A. When she thought of the boys shed meet, she felt a twinge of sadnessnone of them would be Andrew. But then she thought of how hed treated her today and shook her head. She couldnt dwell on him right now. Her life was about to change.
Her head felt soft and hollow, as if she were drunk. Her limbs shook with glee. And it almost seemed like she was hallucinatingwhen she looked out the back window, she thought she saw sparkling beams of light bouncing off the trees, like a fireworks display just for her.
Wait a minute. Spencer stood. The beams were from a flashlight, crisscrossing over the tree trunks. A figure
crouched and started rummaging in the dirt. Whoever it was tried one spot, stopped, and then crabwalked a few paces to the left and tried another.
Her stomach dropped. It couldnt be a coptheyd abandoned these woods days ago. She hefted up the window, curious as to whether the person was making any noise. To her horror, the window made a loud scraping sound against the jamb. Spencer winced, curling away.
The figure stopped, turning toward the barn. The flashlight beamed erratically, first right, then left, and then, for a moment, on the figures face. Spencer saw the whites of two blue eyes. The edges of a black hooded sweatshirt. A few pale strands of familiar blond hair.
Spencer wrinkled her nose in disbelief. Was that...Melissa?
The figure flinched in the darkness, as if Spencer had spoken out loud. Before Spencer could determine if it really was her sister, the flashlight in the woods snapped off. A few twigs cracked. It appeared that whoever was out there was walking away. The footsteps grew fainter and fainter until Spencer couldnt distinguish them from the swishing trees.
When Spencer was certain the person was gone, she ran outside and crouched in the dirt. Sure enough, the soil was soft and loose. She felt around for a moment, touching only stones and sticks, but the ground still felt warm, as if someone elses hands had just been there. As she looked up, she heard a thin sound, far off in the trees. Goose bumps rose on her arms. It almost sounded like...a giggle.
But as Spencer cocked her head, the noise vanished, and she couldnt help but wonder if it had just been the wind.
That same afternoon, Aria met Jason outside Rocks and Ropes, an indoor rockclimbing facility a few miles outside Rosewood. After you, Jason said, holding the front door.
Thanks. Aria swooned. She hitched up the slightly toobig spandex yoga tights shed stolen from Merediths closet, hoping that Jason wouldnt notice how baggy they were in the butt. Jason, on the other hand, looked comfortable and sexy in a longsleeved gray Tshirt and Nike warmup pants, as though he climbed rock walls all the time. Maybe he did.
Once inside, the light was fluorescent and harsh. Aggressive guitar rock blared through the speakers, and the highceilinged, rubberysmelling room had thousands of colorful, plasticlooking outcroppings on the walls. Jason had asked Aria to Rocks and Ropes in a text message this morning, admitting he wasnt the type of guy to take girls to dinner and a movie. Really, Aria would have stood in line at the DMV with Jason if that was what he considered a date.
After signing in, they walked over to the big wall and looked around. Aria ogled a few girls as they scuttled up the side of the wall, harnesses tied tightly around their waists. How could they stand being up that high? Just craning her neck gave Aria vertigo. She shuddered.
Are you scared? Jason asked. Aria giggled nervously. Im not that athletic. Jason smiled and took her hand. Its fun, I promise. Aria flushed with pleasure, thrilled Jason was touching her. She still had to pinch herself to make
sure this was really happening. One of the instructors, a darkhaired guy with a scruffy beard, came over with their gear, which
included harnesses, helmets, and special climbing gloves. He asked which of them wanted to be hitched up first. Jason pointed to Aria. Madame.
Such a gentleman, she teased. My mom brought me up well, Jason answered. The instructor started to hook a harness around Arias torso. When he walked off to find a different clamp, Aria turned to Jason. So how is your family? she asked as casually as she could. Are they...okay?
Jason stared at a few climbers on the other side of the room for a long time. Theyre wrecked, he said after a while. He raised his blue eyes to her and smiled sadly. We all are. But what can we do?
Aria nodded, having no clue what to say. As note from yesterday popped into her mind. Big
Brother is hiding something from you. And trust me...you dont want to know what it is. Aria hadnt forwarded the note to any of her friends, for fear they would jump to conclusions about Jason. A had to be messing with themthat was Old and New As M.O., after all.
Aria assumed A was implying that Jasons secret had to do with his and Alis sibling problems, as Jenna put it, but she wasnt buying it. There was no way Jason and Ali had had anything but a loving sibling relationship. Aria had tried to mine her memories for times when Jason had been mean to Ali, but she couldnt come up with a single incident. Instead, Jason seemed fiercely protective of his sister. Once, not long after theyd become friends, Aria and the others had been over at Alis house for a sleepover. They were planning to give each other makeovers, and everyone had brought over their makeup bags to shareexcept for Emily, because she wasnt allowed to wear makeup yet. As they were oohing over Hannas Dior eye shadow, Mrs. DiLaurentis walked into the room. There was a frazzled look on her face.
Ali, did you feed the cat a whole can of wet food? Alis mom asked. Ali looked at her blankly. Mrs. DiLaurentis lowered her arms to her sides with a slap. Honey, youre supposed to mix dry food in, remember? And put a few drops of hairball medicine on top? Ali bit her lip. Mrs. DiLaurentis let out a groan and turned. You forgot that too? Shes going to have hairballs all over the new basement carpet!
Ali tossed Hannas blush brush on the table. Would you chill? Im in sixth grade now, and we have a lot of homework! Sorry if Im a little too distracted to remember how Im supposed to feed the cat!
Mrs. DiLaurentis had shaken her head, exasperated. Ali, youve been feeding the cat this way since third grade. Then she stormed away.
An instant later, Jason appeared from the kitchen, a bag of pretzels in his hand. Moms in a mood, huh? he said gently. I can feed the cat for you for a while, if that helps.
He touched Alis shoulder, but Ali shook him off. Stop it. Im fine.
Jason recoiled, a wounded look on his face. Aria had wanted to leap up and throw her arms around him. Ali had behaved the same way the day Time Capsule was announced, tooJason had approached Ali and Ian in front of the bike racks, telling Ian to leave Ali alone, and Ali had shooed him away, mocking him for caring so much. Maybe Jason had sensed that Ians feelings for Ali werent exactly innocent and wanted to protect her. Maybe Ali knew Jason had sensed it and wanted him off her back. If Ali and Jason had sibling problems, maybe Ali was the one creating them, not the other way around.
Or what if Jenna was lying? Maybe Jenna had made up Ali and Jason having sibling problems. Perhaps that was why Jenna was standing at the edge of Arias yard two days ago, a guilty look on her face. Maybe she wanted to tell Aria that what shed told her in the art room a few months ago hadnt been quite the truth.
But why would Jenna lie? Could Jenna have something against Jason, some reason to turn the girls against him? Could Jenna be A?
Youre all set, the instructor said to Aria, snapping her to the present. He was back, pointing to the large rope that was attached to both the ceiling and the middle of her waist. Do you need a lesson?
Ill teach her, Jason said. The instructor nodded and went to get the clamps for Jasons tethers. Then Jason crept closer to Aria and poked her side. Dont look now, he said in a low voice. But I think the old school nurse is here. I used to have nightmares about her.
Aria glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, a stumpy, bulldogfaced woman was standing in the lounge next to a neonlit Mountain Dew machine. Thats Mrs. Boot! Aria whispered.
Jasons eyes widened. She still works there?
Aria nodded. Whenever I see her in the halls, my scalp immediately itches. Ill never forget lining up in her office in elementary school for lice tests.
I hated that. Jason shuddered. They turned back to Mrs. Boot. She was scowling at the rock wall harshly, as if it were a Rosewood Day student feigning a fever. Then a little boy ran out of the locker room, straight into Mrs. Boots arms. The crusty old woman smiled slightly, and the two of them walked out of Rocks and Ropes together.
I had to spend a lot of time in the nurses office, Jason murmured. Whenever Id go in there, Mrs. Boot would glower at me with her good eye. I once heard a rumor that her gaze was a laser beam that could melt your brain.
Aria giggled. I heard that rumor too. Then she frowned. Why were you at the nurses office a
lot? She didnt recall Jason being particularly sicklyhe was a star soccer player in the fall and played baseball in the spring.
I wasnt sick, Jason corrected. He flicked the little zipper on the pocket of his warmup pants. I, um, went to the school psychologist. Dr. Atkinson. Well, he asked that I call him Dave.
Oh, Aria chirped, struggling to smile. Psychologists were fine, werent they? In fact, Aria herself had asked her parents to send her to one when they first moved to Reykjav'kAli had vanished just a few months before. Ella had suggested Aria do hatha yoga instead.
It was my parents idea. Jason shrugged his shoulders. I had a hard time adjusting to the move to Rosewood in eighth grade. He rolled his eyes. I was really shy, and my parents thought it would do me some good to talk to someone with an objective point of view. Dave wasnt so bad. Plus, talking to him got me out of class.
I know lots of people who went to Dave, Aria said fast, although truthfully, she didnt know anyone. Maybe this was the big secret Jason was hiding. It was hardly anything to get panicked about.
The instructor returned, hitched Jason up, and walked away. Jason faced Aria and asked what type of climb she wanted to start oneasy, medium, or hard. Aria snorted. Thats a pretty stupid question, dont you think? She giggled.
Just checking, Jason said, grinning. He led her to the easy section of the wall and showed her how to place her left foot on one rock and pull herself with her right hand to the rock above it, climbing up a few feet to demonstrate. When Jason climbed, it looked easy. Aria stepped onto the first rock, her muscles twitching. She reached for the rock above it and pulled herself up. Amazingly, she didnt fall. Jason had his eyes on her the whole time. Youre doing great! he cried, grinning.
Thats what you say to all the girls, Aria groaned. But she continued up a few more rocks. Dont look down, she repeated to herself. She used to get dizzy just standing on the edge of the low diving board at the local swimming pool.
So you told me the other day that you just moved in with your dad and his girlfriend, Jason called, keeping pace with her. Whats that about?
Aria reached for another rock. My parents separated when I moved back from Iceland, she started, wondering how to word this. My dad had an affair with his old student. Now theyre getting married. And shes pregnant.
Jason glanced at her. Whoa. Its weird. Shes not much older than you. Jason made a face. When did they start seeing each other? When I was in seventh grade, Aria admitted. She scanned the rocks above her, looking for the
best handhold. It was nice that they were talkingit took her mind off how hard climbing was. I caught them kissing in my dads car. And then, maybe because shed remembered the time Ali had snapped at Jason so heartlessly about the cat, she added, Your, um, sister...she was with me. And she wouldnt let me hear the end of it.
She peeked at Jason, wondering if shed overstepped her bounds. He had a neutral expression on his face, one she couldnt gauge. Im sorry, she called. I shouldnt have said that.
No...I get it. My sister was like that. She knew everyones precise button to push. Aria hung on to the wall, suddenly too tired to move. You had a button, too? Uhhuh. It was girls. Girls?
Jason nodded. Sometimes she used to tease me about girls. I could be...awkward, I guess. She used to needle me about it.
She knew all of our weaknesses, all right, Aria said. She looked up again, radiating with guilt. I still feel bad talking about her to you.
Suddenly, Jason pushed off the wall, swinging freely from the tether. Come down to the ground for a minute, he called. Slide down with your harness.
Aria slid down as he instructed, landing clumsily on the mat. Jason studied her very seriously, and Aria wondered if shed made a mistake bringing up Ali. But then he said, Maybe its good were talking about her. I mean, right now, Alisons this big elephant in the room that no one will discuss with me. When Im at home, my parents dont bring her up. When Im out with friends, they dont say a word. I know people are talking about her, but whenever they get around me, they shut up. I know my sister had faults. I know some people didnt like her. Some people more than... He mumbled something else and then trailed off, pressing his lips together tightly.
What was that? Aria asked, leaning forward.
Jason fluttered his hand, waving away what hed just said. Id like you to talk about Ali with me.
Aria smiled, comforted. Talking about Ali with Jason would give her a whole new perspective on who Ali really was. She wondered if she should tell Jason about how Ali had spread rumors about him to Jenna Cavanaughor how Jenna had spread rumors about Jason to Aria. Or how Ian had reached out on IM, saying someone had forced him to flee. Or how New A had helped Ian escape.
Something else took hold of her. This was why A was trying to seed the idea that Jason was hiding somethingA wanted to make Aria paranoid and scare her away. If Aria began dating Jason, it was pretty likely that shed tell him not just that A was sending them notes, but that A was in on Ians evil plan. The cops might not believe that A was real...but Jason probably would. This was his sisters murder they were talking about.
Aria curled her toes, furious that someone was yet again trying to manipulate her. Ian probably had done it, and now was crafting some elaborate game. She looked at Jason, ready to tell him everything.
You climbing here? a junior highage boy interrupted, making Aria jump. He gestured to the spot on the wall that Aria was leaning against. Aria shook her head and moved out of the way. Then three girls strolled past, gazing suspiciously at Jason and Aria, as if they recognized them from the news. Even the music seemed quieter, as if everyone sensed an important conversation was happening.
Aria shut her mouth. This didnt seem like the right place to talk about the Ali and Ian stuff. Maybe she could tell Jason about it in the car going home, when they were alone.
Then she remembered the invitation that was wedged into the front pocket of her yakfur bag, which shed left with her and Jasons coats at the side of the wall. Still tethered, she tottered over to her bag and pulled it out. Do you have plans tomorrow? she asked Jason.
I dont think so. Why?
My mom has one of her paintings in the lobby of this new hotel. She handed him the invita tion. Theres a fancy party tomorrow for the opening. My moms going to be there with her new boyfriend, and I dont really like him. You would be a lovely distraction. She tilted her head coquettishly.
Jason smiled back. I havent been to a fancy party in quite a while. He pulled the invitation closer and read it. Then his face clouded. His Adams apple bobbed up and down.
Is something wrong? Aria asked. Is this some kind of joke? Jasons voice was hoarse. Aria blinked. Wwhat do you mean? Because its not funny, Jason said, his eyes wide. He didnt look angry, exactly, more like...
scared. Whats the matter? Aria cried. I dont understand. Jason stared at her for a beat longer. His expression changed, becoming cagey and maybe even
a bit disgusted, as if Aria was covered head to toe in leeches. Then, to her horror, he unhooked the ropes from his harness, pulled it off, strode over to their stuff, and put on his coat. II have to
go.What? Aria tried to grab his arm, but she was still awkwardly tethered and couldnt figure out how to get the harness off. Jason wouldnt even look at her. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he breezed by the front desk, nearly bumping into a group of teenagers just coming in.
A few moments later, Aria finally managed to wriggle out of her harness. She struggled to put her coat on and then ran outside. There was a group of guys getting out of a Range Rover. A mother was holding a little girls hand, helping her inside. Aria looked right, then left. Jason! she called out. It was cold enough to see her breath. An SUV made a squealing left turn into the Wawa across the street. Jason was gone.
Aria stood under the lamp at the front of the facility and stared hard at the Radley invitation. It gave the address and time. A man named George Fritz had been the architect on the hotels redesign. There was a list of featured artists, Ellas name among them. What on this invitation had gotten Jason so spooked? What did he mean, Is this some kind of joke? Did he not want to meet her mom? Was he embarrassed to be seen with her?
Jason! she called again, more weakly this time. Just then, she heard a peal of laughter. Aria looked around, startled and frightened. She didnt see anyone, but the laughter continued, like
someone was laughing at her and her alone.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
21
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
That same Friday night, Emily idled at the curb of Isaacs house, watching nervously as he slipped out the front door and jogged to her car. Hey! he cried, then looked up at the sky. It looks like it might snow. Are you sure you want to go for a drive?
Emily nodded quickly. Isaac had texted her after school, asking if shed come over this evening. At first, Emily had thought it was a joke. But when he texted her again, asking why she hadnt answered him, she wondered if Mrs. Colbert hadnt told him that shed confronted Emily at Applebees last nightor that she knew theyd slept together. Maybe Isaac was still under the impression that everything was fine.
But there was no way Emily could set foot in the Colberts house, even if his parents were going to be at the Radley opening party runthrough all evening. Emily wasnt the type of girl who disobeyed adults orders, even if they seemed harsh and mean and unreasonable. Only, what was she supposed to do, never visit Isaac at his house again? Come up with crazy excuses every time he wanted her to stop in?
Last night, when Emily and Carolyn were settling into their beds in their shared bedroom, Carolyn asked her again why shed run out of Applebees crying. Emily broke down and told her what Mrs. Colbert had said. Carolyn sat up in bed, gaping in horror. Why would she say you disrespected her home? she asked. Is it because of the Maya stuff?
Emily shook her head. I doubt it. She felt ashamed. If her parents caught Emily and Isaac doing it in Emilys bedroom, theyd probably serve him with a restraining order. Maybe I deserved it, she mumbled.
They both fell silent, listening to the cornstalks in the field outside their house twisting in the wind. I dont know what Id do if Tophers mom hated me, Carolyn said into the darkness. Im not sure we could be together.
I know, Emily answered, a big lump in her throat. But you have to talk to Isaac about it, Carolyn told her. You have to be honest. Emily? She blinked. Isaac had buckled his seat belt and was ready to go. Her whole body throbbed.
Isaacs hair was pushed off his face, and he had a dark green scarf wrapped many times around his neck. When he smiled, his white teeth gleamed. He leaned forward to kiss her, but she stiffened, halfexpecting a siren to go off and Mrs. Colbert to pop out from behind a bush, ready to yank him away.
She turned her head, pretending to fumble with her car keys. Isaac pulled back. Even in the dark car, Emily could see the little parenthesis that formed at the corner of Isaacs right eye whenever he was worried. You okay? he asked.
Emily faced forward. Yep. She shifted the Volvo into drive and pulled away from the curb.
You excited for the Radley party tomorrow? Isaac asked. I rented a tux this time. Better than my dads old suit, right? He chuckled.
Emily pulled in her bottom lip, astonished. He still assumed they could go to the Radley party? Sure, she said.
My dads totally stressed about the catering, and he keeps ribbing me about how Im not helping yet again because Ive got a date. Isaac grinned and poked her in the ribs.
Emily squeezed the steering wheel, her eyes welling. She couldnt take this anymore. So...your parents havent said anything about us not going together? she blurted out.
Isaac looked at her curiously. Well, Ive barely seen them the past few days, theyve been so busy. But why would they have a problem with us going together? They were there when I asked you.
A car passed going the other direction, its xenon headlights blinding. She said nothing. Are you sure youre okay? Isaac asked again. Emily swallowed hard. She tasted peanut butter in her mouth, the sensation she always got
when she was about to have a fightorflight reaction. There was a Wawa off to the right, and be
fore she knew what she was doing, she was jerkily pulling into the parking lot and driving around to the back near a green Dumpster. After she shoved the car into park, she rested her head on the steering wheel and let out a pentup sob.
Emily? Isaac said, concerned. What is it?
Tears blurred her vision. As much as she didnt want to say this, she knew she had to. She turned the blue ring hed given her the other day around her finger. Its...your mom.
Isaac traced figure eights on her back. What about my mom?
Emily ran her palms along the legs of her jeans, heaving a sigh. Just be honest, Carolyn had said. She could be honest with Isaac, couldnt she?
She knows we...you know. Slept together, Emily moaned. And she said all these weird things to me at dinner. Like, she kept insinuating that I was...fast. Or loose. And then when I was doing the dishes later that night, I found a photo of you and me from the Rosewood Day benefit last week. Your mom had cut my head out of the picture. Only my head. She swallowed hard, not brave enough to look up. Still, I thought maybe I was overreacting. I didnt want to say anything. But then, last night, I was at Applebees with Carolyn. And...your mom was there. She came up to me and said I could never come over to your house ever again. Her voice broke on the word again.
The car was silent. Emily squeezed her eyes shut. She felt awful and relieved at the same time. It was a weight off her shoulders to say it out loud.
Finally, she looked at Isaac. His nose wrinkled, as if he had smelled something rancid from the Dumpster. A new worry filled her. What if this ruined Isaacs relationship with his mom for good?
He blew air out his cheeks. Emily, come on. Emily blinked. Sorry? Isaac shifted in his seat, facing her. His expression looked hurt and disappointed. My mom
wouldnt cut your head out of a picture. That sounds like something a kid would do. And she would never confront you at Applebees and say those things. Maybe you misunderstood.
Emilys blood began to pulse. I didnt misunderstand.
Isaac shook his head. My mom loves you. She told me so. Shes happy were together. She nev er said anything about banning you from the house. Dont you think shed tell me that?
Emily barked out a laugh. Maybe she didnt want to tell you because she wanted me to. She wanted me to be the bad guy. Which is exactly whats happening.
Isaac was quiet for a long time, staring at his hands. The tips of his fingers were callused from years of playing guitar. My girlfriend last year did this exact same thing, he said slowly. She said my family was telling her to stay away from me.
Maybe your mom was doing the same thing to her! Emily cried.
Isaac shook his head. She told me later that she made it all up. She did it to get attention. He gazed at her evenly, as if waiting for her to get his drift.
Emilys skin went from steaming hot to ice cold. What, like seeing Ians dead body in the woods was a way to get attention? she squeaked.
Isaac raised his hands, helpless. Im not saying that. Its just...I wanted to go out with someone who wasnt into drama. I thought you did too. Whoever I go out with has to like my family, not battle against them.
Thats not what Im doing! Emily pleaded.
Isaac shoved open the passenger door and stepped out. Icy air swirled in, harsh against her bare skin. What are you doing? Emily demanded.
He leaned over the open door, his mouth small and solemn. I should go home. No! Emily cried. She lurched out her own door and followed him across the parking lot. Come
on!Isaac was walking toward the little wooded path that led from the Wawa lot to the street. He glanced over his shoulder. This is my mom youre talking about. Think about what youre saying. Think really hard.
I have thought about it! Emily shouted. But Isaac kept going, not answering. She came to a stop in front of the store, going limp. Above her, the neon Wawa sign buzzed fiercely. There was a line of kids at the counter buying coffees and sodas and candy. She waited for Isaac to turn back, but he didnt. Finally, she walked back to her car and got in. The inside of the Volvo smelled like the Colberts detergent. The passenger seat was still warm from Isaacs butt. For at least ten minutes, she stared numbly at the Dumpster, not knowing what to make of what had happened.
A little chime went off inside her backpack. Emily swiveled around, reaching for her phone.
Maybe it was Isaac, writing to apologize. And maybe she should apologize too. He and his mom were close, and she certainly didnt want to hate his family. Maybe she shouldve found another way to break the news instead of blindsiding him with it.
Emily opened the new text, swallowing a sniffle. It wasnt from Isaac.
Too distracted to decipher my clues? Go to your first loves old house and maybe itll all make sense.A
Emily glowered at the screen. Shed had it with these vague clues. What did A want?
She slowly pulled out of the Wawa parking lot, braking to let a Jeep full of high school boys cut in front of her. Go to your first loves old house. A obviously meant Ali. Shed take the bait; Alis old neighborhood was only a few blocks away. What else did she have to do right now? It wasnt like she could bang on Isaacs door, begging for him to come back.
She turned onto a quiet road with acres of rolling farmland, tears still stinging her eyes. The stop sign to Alis street came up fast. There was a WATCH CHILDREN sign at the entrance to the neighborhood. Years ago on a warm, sticky summer night, Ali and Emily had decorated the sign with smileyface stickers theyd bought at a party store. They were all gone now.
Alis old house loomed at the end of the street, the Ali shrine a dark, shadowy lump at the curb. Mayas family lived in the house now. A few of the lights were on, including the one in Alis old bedroomMayas new bedroom. As Emily stared up at it, Maya appeared, almost as though shed known Emily was going to be there. Emily gasped, shrank away from the window, gripped the steering wheel, and peeled around the culdesac. Once she was in front of Spencers driveway, she pulled over, too overcome to go on.
Then she saw a flicker of something to her right. Someone in a white Tshirt was standing in the front window of the Cavanaughs house.
Emily turned off the headlights. Whoever was in the window was tall and somewhat broad, probably a guy. His face was obscured by a large, squareshaped floor lamp. Suddenly, Jenna appeared next to him. Emily sucked in her breath. Jennas dark hair cascaded down her shoulders. She wore a black Tshirt and plaid pajama pants. Her dog sat next to her, scratching his neck with his hind leg.
Jenna turned and spoke to the guy. She spoke for a long time, and then he said something back. Jenna nodded, listening. The guy waved his arms, as if Jenna could see his gestures. His face was still hidden. Jennas posture got defensive. The guy spoke again, and Jenna lowered her head, as if ashamed. She brushed a few strands of hair away from her big Gucci sunglasses. She said something else, her face contorted with an expression Emily couldnt rightly determine. Sorrow? Worry? Fear? Then Jenna walked away, her dog following.
The guy rubbed his hands through his hair, obviously flustered. Then the living room lamp snapped off. Emily leaned forward, squinting hard, but she couldnt see anything. She looked around at Jennas yard. There were still wood blocks fastened to the tree trunk, makeshift steps to get into Tobys old tree house. Mr. Cavanaugh had taken the tree house down shortly after the firework blinded Jenna. It was amazing that after all this time, the Cavanaughs still blamed Toby for blinding his sister. In truth, it had been Ali who had done it. And it had been Jenna who had wanted to set up the prank to get rid of Toby for good.
The Cavanaughs front door opened, and Emily ducked again. The guy from the living room stomped down the front steps to the dark front path. When the motionsensor light above the garage doors snapped on, he froze, startled. Emily saw him headon, flooded with light. He wore running sneakers and a heavy down parka. Both hands were curled into tight, angry fists. When Emilys eyes got to his face, her stomach dropped to the bottom of her boots. He was glaring right at her. She instantly realized who it was. Oh my God, she whispered. That shaggy blond hair, those bowshaped lips, those stark blue eyes, still locked with hers.
It was Jason DiLaurentis.
Emily shifted into drive and gunned down the street. Only at the corner did she turn her lights on again. And then she heard her cell phone beep. She rifled through her purse, grabbed it, and looked at the screen. One new text message.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
22
What do you think HES so angry about?A
NOTHING LIKE AN ULTIMATUM TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND
There it was. The big Victorian house at the corner of the culdesac, the one with the rose trellises along the fence and the wraparound teak deck in the back. Yellow Do Not Cross police tape was supposed to be around the halfdug hole in the backyard...only there was no tape anywhere. As a matter of fact, there wasnt a hole anywhere. The yard was a wide, flat expanse of freshly mown grass, untouched by backhoes or bulldozers.
Hanna looked down. She was on her old mountain bike, the one she hadnt touched since she got a drivers license. And her hands looked swollen. Her jeans strained across her butt. Her thighs bulged. A strand of poopbrown hair fell over her eyes. She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt rough, metal braces. When she gazed into Alis backyard, she saw Spencer crouched behind the raspberry bushes that bordered Alis house and hers. Spencers hair was shorter and a little lighter, the way it looked in sixth grade. There was skinny, babyfaced Emily behind the tomato vines, her eyes darting nervously back and forth. Aria, with big pink streaks in her hair and wearing a freaky German tunic, ducked next to a big oak.
Hanna shuddered. She knew why they were herethey wanted to steal Alis flag. This was the Saturday after Time Capsule had begun.
The four girls marched to one another, annoyed. Then they heard a thud, and the back door opened. Hanna and the others crouched behind the trees while Jason stormed across the yard. The patio door slammed again. Ali stood on the porch, her hands on her hips, her blond hair spilling down her shoulders, her lips pink and shiny. You can come out, she called.
Sighing, Ali marched across the yard, her wedge heels sinking into the wet grass. When she approached Hanna and the others, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny piece of blue cloth. It looked exactly like the piece of the Time Capsule flag Hanna had found at Steam a few days ago.
But hadnt Ali lost her flag? Hanna looked at the others, confused, but her old friends didnt seem to notice that anything was amiss.
So this is how Ive decorated it, Ali explained, pointing at the different drawings on the flag. Heres the Chanel logo. And this is the manga frog, and heres the field hockey girl. And dont you love this Louis Vuitton pattern?
The flag looks like a purse, Spencer oohed.
Hanna regarded them uneasily. Something felt scrambled. This wasnt happening like it was supposed to. And then, Ali snapped her fingers, and Hannas old friends froze. Arias hand hung motionless, almost touching Alis flag. A few strands of Emilys hair were suspended in air, caught by a breeze. Spencer had an odd expression on her face, something between a fake smile and a grimace.
Hanna wiggled her fingers. She was the only one not frozen. She stared at Ali, her heart pounding hard.
Ali smiled sweetly. Youre looking much better, Hanna. Completely recovered, huh?
Hanna gazed down at her tootight jeans and ran her hands through her limp hair. Recovered wasnt the word shed have chosen. Her recovery from loser to diva wouldnt happen for another few years.
Ali shook her head, noting Hannas confusion. From the accident, silly. Dont you remember me from the hospital?
Hhospital?
Ali brought her face close to Hannas. They say people should always talk to coma patients. They can hear. Did you hear me?
Hanna felt dizzy. Suddenly, she was back in her hospital room at Rosewood Memorial, where the EMTs had taken her after her car accident. There was a round, bright fluorescent light above her head. She could hear the hiss of the various machines that monitored her vital signs and fed her intravenously. In the hazy space between coma and consciousness, Hanna thought she saw someone looming over her bed. Someone who looked startlingly like Ali. Its okay, the girl lilted, her voice exactly the same as Alis. Im okay.
Hanna glowered at Ali. That was a dream.
Ali raised a flirtatious eyebrow as if to say, was it? Hanna glanced at her old friends. They were still immobile. She wished theyd unfreezeshe felt way too alone with Ali, as if they were the only two people left in the whole world.
Ali waved her Time Capsule flag in Hannas face. See this? You need to find it, Hanna. Hanna shook her head. Ali, your piece is lost forever. Remember?
Uhuh, Ali protested. Its still here. And if you find it, Ill tell you all about it. Hanna widened her eyes. All about...what? Ali put a finger to her lips. The two of them. She cackled eerily. Two of them...what?
They know everything. Hanna blinked. Huh? Who? Ali rolled her eyes. Hanna, you are so slow. She stared right at her. Sometimes, I dont notice
Im singing. Remember that? What do you mean? Hanna asked, desperate. Singing...what? Come on, Hanna. Ali looked bored. She tipped her head to the sky, thinking for a moment.
Okay, how about...go fish? Go...fish? Hanna repeated. The card game? Ali grunted, frustrated. No. Go fish. She waved her arms, trying to make Hanna get it. Go
fish! What are you talking about? Hanna cried desperately. GO FISH! Ali screamed. Go fish! Go fish! She repeated it over and over, like it was the only
thing she could say. When she grazed Hannas cheek with her fingers, Hannas skin felt sticky and wet. Hanna touched her face, alarmed. When she pulled her hands away, they were covered in blood.
Hanna shot up, her eyes popping open. She was in her bedroom. Pale morning light streamed through the windows. It was Saturday morningbut a Saturday morning in eleventh grade, not sixth. Dot was standing on Hannas pillow, licking Hannas face. She touched her cheek. There wasnt blood there, just doggie drool.
You need to find it, Hanna. If you find it, Ill tell you all about it.
Hanna groaned, rubbed her eyes, and reached for her Time Capsule flag, which was smoothed out on her nightstand. It was a stupid dream, end of story.
She heard voices in the hallway, first her fathers joking tone, then Kates shrill laugh. Hanna grabbed a handful of sheets and squeezed. That was it. Kate might have stolen Hannas father, but she wasnt stealing Mike too.
Abruptly, the urgent images from her dream faded away. Hanna bolted out of bed and pulled on her snugfitting cashmere sweaterdress. In English class yesterday, shed overheard Noel Kahn tell Mason Byers that the lacrosse team was meeting for a weekend workout at Philly Sports Club. She had a feeling wherever Noel went, Mike would go too. She hadnt yet gotten back to Mike about bringing Kate to the Radley party because she hadnt known what to say. Now she did.
There was one girl Mike should be exclusive withHanna. It was time to kick Kate out of the picture for good.
Philly Sports was in the section of the King James Mall that contained the nonluxe stores, ghetto places like Old Navy and Charlotte Russe andshudderJCPenney. Hanna hadnt set foot in here for yearsacrylicblend fabrics, massmarket Tshirts, and designer collections by hasbeen celebutantes gave her hives.
She parked the Prius and forcefully hit the lock button three times, taking stock of the rusted Honda next to her. As she walked through the parking lot, her iPhone blinked, indicating she had a text. She reached for it, her stomach churning. Surely A couldnt have found her, right?
The text was just from Emily. U around? I got another note. We need to talk.
Hanna slid the phone back in her pocket, biting her lip hard. She knew she should call Emily back and tell her about how strangely Wilden had behaved when he drove Hanna home from running yesterdaybut she was busy right now. Still, the dream shed had this morning drifted back to her. What was her brain trying to tell her? Did Ali know where her flag had gone? Could it be true that there was something on Alis flag that hinted at what had happened to her? And then Ali said, Sometimes, I dont notice Im singing, expecting Hanna to know what she meant. Was that something Ali used to say, or was it something someone used to say to Ali? Hanna couldnt remember either way. Shed even culled through the minor characters in Alis life, like the exchange student from Holland whod given Ali a pair of wooden shoes as a token of his affection, the greasyhaired Jet Ski operator in the Poconos who always told Ali hed warmed up the seat just for her, or Mr. Salt, the schools only male librarian, who always told Ali he would bring in his firstedition Harry Potters especially for her if she ever wanted to read themgag. Hanna couldnt remember anyone saying
anything creepy about singing. The phrase was somehow familiar, but it was probably just a stupid line from one of Kates show tunes, or some dorky slogan on a Rosewood Day Masterworks Choir bumper sticker.
The techno music inside the gym assaulted Hannas ears before she opened the front door. A girl in a perky pink bra top and black yoga pants beamed from behind the gyms front desk. Welcome to Philly Sports! she chirped. Can you sign in, please? She held up a contraption that looked like a price scanner to check Hannas membership.
Im a guest, Hanna answered.
Oh! The girl had wide, unblinking eyes, a round face, and a dopey expression. She reminded Hanna of the Tickle Me Elmo doll that belonged to her sixyearold twin neighbors. Can you fill out the guest form, then? the receptionist tweeted. And it costs ten dollars to work out for the day.
No, thanks! Hanna sang, breezing right past. As if shed ever, ever pay to use this dump. The frontdesk girl let out a small, indignant squeak, but Hanna didnt turn. Her high heels clicked as she passed the shop that sold spandex shorts, neoprene iPod holders, and sports bras, and the large shelves where the towels were kept. Hanna sniffed haughtily. This shithole didnt even have a smoothie bar? People probably peed in the locker room showers, too.
Bass from the pipedin music throbbed in Hannas ears. Across the room, a stickthin girl with veiny arms whirled frantically on an elliptical machine. A guy with wet, curly hair mopped sweat off a treadmill. Hanna heard the clanging of barbells in the distance. Sure enough, the entire Rosewood Day lacrosse team was in the corner by the free weights. Noel was doing arm curls in front of a mirror, admiring himself. James Freed was making faces while balancing on a BOSU ball. And Mike Montgomery was lying down on the bench press, wrapping his hands around the bar, getting ready to lift.
Jackpot.
Hanna waited until Mike had brought the bar to his chest, then walked right up and shooed away Mason Byers, Mikes spotter. I can take over from here. Then she leaned over Mike and smiled.
Mikes eyes bugged out. Hanna! Hello, Hanna said coolly. Mike started to lift the bar back up to return it to the stand, but Hanna stopped him. Not so
fast, she said. I have something to discuss with you first. A few beads of sweat dotted Mikes forehead, and his arms shook. What? Hanna tossed her hair over her shoulder. So. If you want to go out with me, you cant go out
with anyone else. Including Kate. Mike let out a grunt. His biceps started to wobble. He looked at her pleadingly. Please. Im going to drop this on my chest. His face began to turn red. Hanna made a tsk sound. I thought you were stronger than that. Please, Mike begged. Promise me first, Hanna urged. She leaned over a little farther, offering him more of a view
down her dress. Mikes eyes slid to the right. The tendons in his neck popped out. Kate asked me to go to the
Radley party before I knew you wanted to be exclusive and whatever. I cant uninvite her. Yes, you can, Hanna growled. Its easy. I have an idea, Mike gasped. Let me put this down, and Ill tell you. Hanna stepped aside and let him return the bar. He let out a huge sigh, sat up, and stretched.
Hanna was surprised to see how defined his arms were. Shed been right the other day when shed guessed that Mike would look way better postshower than Officer Wilden.
She laid down a towel on an empty legpress bench next to him and sat down. Okay. Spill it.
Mike grabbed a towel that was sitting on the floor next to the bench press and mopped off his face. I can be bought, if youre interested. If you do something for me, Ill uninvite Kate.
What do you want? Your flag. No way. She shook her head. Okay, then take me to prom, Mike said. Hannas mouth hung open, temporarily stunned. The proms four months away. Hey, a guy needs to lock down his date early. Mike shrugged. Itll give me time to find the perfect pair of shoes. He fluttered his eyelashes girlishly.
Hanna ran her hands over the back of her neck, trying to tune out the other lax players, who were catcalling her from the weight circuit. If Mike wanted Hanna to take him to her prom, that meant that he liked Hanna best, right? And that meant she had won. A smile spread across her lips. Take that, bitch. She couldnt wait to see Kates face when she told her.
Okay, she said. Ill take you to my prom.
Nice, Mike said. He glanced at his wet Tshirt. Id feel you up right now to celebrate, but I dont want to get you all sweaty.
Gracias, Hanna simpered, rolling her eyes. She sauntered out of the weight room, making exaggerated movements with her hips. Ill pick you up tonight at eight, she called over her shoulder. Alone.
Tickle Me Elmo girl was waiting for Hanna by the snack bar. A bald man with tattooed biceps and a handlebar mustache loomed behind her. Miss, if you want to use this gym, youre going to have to pay a guest fee, the girl said haltingly. Her cheeks matched the bright red sweatband on her forehead. And if you dont want to do that, then
Im done here, Hanna cut her off, skirting around both of them. The girl and her bouncer whirled around, watching her go. Neither moved. Neither stepped forward to apprehend her. And that, of course, was because she was Hanna Marin. And she was unstoppably, unbelievably fabulous.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
23
YEARBOOK MEMORIES TO LAST A LIFETIME
That afternoon, a UPS truck pulled up to the curb of Arias fathers new house. The deliveryman, wearing blue long underwear under his shortsleeved brown UPS shirt and shorts, handed Aria a box. Aria thanked him and looked at the mailing label. Organic Baby Booties. The return address was from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Who knew such little baby booties could leave such an adultsize carbon footprint?
Her phone beeped, and she reached into the pocket of her bulkyknit sweater coat to grab it. Shed received a text from Ella. Are you coming to the Radley party tonight? Another text quickly followed. I hope you can.... Ive missed you! And then another. It would mean so much!
Aria sighed. Ella had been texting Aria like this all morning, begging her for an answer. If Aria said she didnt want to go to the Radley party, Ella would inevitably ask why, and then what would Aria do? Tell her that she didnt want to be within six feet of her creepy boyfriend? Concoct a lie, which might make her mom think she didnt want to support her art career? It was bad enough that Aria hadnt been to Ellas house even once this week. There was no way out of itshed have to suck it up and deal with Xavier as best she could. If only Jason were coming with her.
Her phone beeped again. Aria clicked on the new message, expecting it to be another missive from Ella. Instead, it was an email. The senders name was Jason DiLaurentis.
Arias heart leapt. She opened the note fast. Listen. Ive been thinking, Jason wrote. I overreacted at Rocks and Ropes yesterday. I want to explain. Want to meet me at my house in an hour?
Beneath it was his address in Yarmouth. Dont go in the regular entrance, Jason explained. Im up the steps in the apartment above the garage.
Sounds good, Aria wrote back. She hugged herself, giddy and relieved. So there was an explanation for this. Maybe Jason didnt hate her.
Her phone rang once more. Aria glanced at the screen. It was Emily. After a reluctant pause, Aria answered.
I need to talk to you, Emily said in an urgent voice. Its about Jason. Aria groaned. Youre jumping to conclusions. Ali lied to Jenna about him. Dont be so sure. Emily was about to say something else, but Aria cut her off. I wish Id never told you what Jenna said. Its caused nothing but trouble. But... Emily protested. It was the truth. Aria smacked her hand to her forehead. Emily, you have Ali on such a pedestal. She was a lying,
conniving, manipulative bitchto me, to Jason, and to you too. Deal with it. Then Aria hit end, dropped her phone into her bag, and walked back inside for the keys to the
Subaru. It was maddening how clouded Emilys judgment was. If she even considered the notion that Ali had lied to Jenna about her brother just to get Jenna to spill her secrets, Ali would no longer be the perfect girl of Emilys dreams. It was easier for Emily to believe that Jason was the bad one, even though there was nothing supporting that whatsoever.
It was funny how love could make people believe anything.
The DiLaurentises new house was on a quiet, pretty street, far away from the grungy Yarmouth train station. The first thing Aria noticed were the leafshaped wind chimes hanging from the front porchtheyd been on the front porch at Alis old house, too. When Aria used to stand on Alis welcome mat, waiting for Ali to come downstairs, shed always make the chimes clang together, trying to compose a song.
The driveway was empty, and the main house looked dark, the curtains pulled shut and the lights turned off. The structure that housed the threecar garage and Jasons second floor apartment was separated by a low stone wall, and on the other side of that was a high wroughtiron fence. Surprisingly, there werent any Ali shrines in the yard or at the streetbut then, maybe the DiLaurentises had asked the media to keep quiet about them living here. And maybe, amazingly, the media had respected their wishes.
Aria started up the driveway toward the garage, an excited burn in her stomach. Then she heard a clink and a loud woof. A Rottweiler ran out from the narrow space between the garage and the wroughtiron fence, dragging a long metal tieout chain around its neck.
Aria jumped back. Froth sprayed from the dogs mouth. Its body was thick and sturdy, all muscle. Shh, she tried to say, but it came out barely more than a whisper. The dog growled viciously, no doubt smelling her paralyzing fear. She glanced desperately at the apartment on the garages second floor. Jason would come down and help her, wouldnt he? But there werent any lights on up there, either.
Aria splayed her hands out in front of her, trying to appear calm, but it only seemed to rile up the dog more, making it snort and plant its feet and bare its long, sharp teeth. Aria let out another helpless whimper and stepped back again. Her hip hit something hard, and she squawked, startled. She had bumped smack into the railing of the stairs to the apartment. With horror, she realized the dog had cornered herthe stone wall behind her that separated the garage from the main house was too high to scale quickly, and the dog was blocking the narrow path that led to the backyard as well as the rest of the driveway. The only possible route to safety was up the wooden garage steps to Jasons apartment.
Aria swallowed hard and dashed up, her heart beating like mad. The dog scurried up behind her, his paws slipping on the wet wood stairs. She pounded on the door. Jason! she screamed. No answer. Frantic, Aria wiggled Jasons doorknob. It was locked.
What the hell? she cried, flattening herself against the door. The dog was only a few stairs away. Aria spied an open window next to the door. Slowly, she inched her fingers toward the windowsill, pushing the window open wider. Taking a deep breath, she whirled around and squeezed through. Her back hit something soft. A mattress. She pulled the window shut. The dog barked and scratched at Jasons door. Arias chest heaved in and out as she listened to her heart pound. Then she looked around. The room was dark and empty. There was a coatrack near the door, but the hooks were bare.
Aria reached into her pocket for her phone and dialed Jasons number. It went immediately to voice mail. Aria hung up, laid the phone on the bed, and stood. The dog was still barking; she didnt dare try to leave.
The apartment was basically a big studio divided into a bedroom, a dining area, and a small TV nook. There was a bathroom at the far end of the room, and a bunch of bookshelves off to the right. She walked around the room, inspecting the Hemingway, Burroughs, and Bukowski books on Jasons shelf. He had a little print of a drawing by Egon Schiele, one of Arias favorite artists. She crouched down and ran her finger along the spines of his DVDs, noting the many foreign films. There were pictures on his little kitchen island, many of which looked like theyd been taken at Yale. Some were of a petite, smiling girl with dark hair and darkframed glasses. In one of the photos, they both wore matching Yale Tshirts. In another, they were at what looked like a football game, holding red cups of beer. In another, she was kissing him on the cheek, her nose squished into his face.
Bile rose to Arias throat. Maybe this was the secret A had told her about. But why had Jason
asked her to come over? To make it clear that he only liked Aria as a friend? She shut her eyes, limp with disappointment.
As she returned to the bookshelf, she noticed a bunch of Rosewood Day yearbooks, lined up by year. One stuck out slightly more than the others, as if it had just been leafed through. Aria pulled it out and looked at the cover. It was from four years ago, the year Jason had graduated. The year Ali had gone missing.
She opened it slowly. The yearbook smelled like dust and old ink. She flipped through the senior pictures, hunting for Jasons photo. He wore a black suit, and gazed at a faroff point behind the photographer. His mouth was very straight and thoughtful, and his blond hair grazed his shoulders. She ran her fingers along Jasons nose and eyes. He looked so young and innocent. It was hard to believe how much hed gone through between then and now.
A few pages later, she found Melissa Hastings, Spencers sister, who looked nearly the same as she did today. Someone had written something above her photo in red ink, but had then crossed it out so heavily Aria couldnt make out any of the words. Ian Thomass picture was almost last. His wavy hair was longer, too, and his face was a little thinner. He was smiling his signature crinkly Ian Thomas smile, the one that used to assure all of Rosewood that he was the smartest, most handsome guy aroundthe one who would always have good luck. When this picture was taken, Ian had been fooling around with Ali. Aria shut her eyes, shuddering. The idea of them together was so wrong.
At the bottom of the page was another picture of Ian, a candid of him sitting in a classroom with his mouth slightly open and his hand raised. Someone had drawn a penis next to his mouth and devil horns on top of his curly head. There was a message written beneath the photo in black ink. The handwriting was small and lopsided.
Hey, dude. Cheers to beer bongs at the Kahns, the time we nearly wrecked Trevors car, to fourwheeling on the weekends behind the property, and that time in Yvonnes basement...you know what I mean. There was another arrow drawn to Ians head. I cant believe what that asshole did. My offer still stands. Later, Darren.
Aria held the book outstretched. Darren? As in Wilden? Licking her finger, she flipped a page and found his picture. His hair stood up in spikes, and he had the same leering look on his face as he had the day Aria caught him stealing twenty dollars from a girls locker.
Were Wilden and Jason friends? Aria had never seen them together in school. And what did Wilden mean, I cant believe what that asshole did. My offer still stands?
What the hell?
The yearbook slipped from Arias fingers, making a dull thud as it hit the floor. Jason was standing in the doorway. He wore a bright red scarf and a black leather jacket. The dog was nowhere to be seen. Aria had been so intrigued by the yearbook, she hadnt even heard him walk up the stairs.
Oh, she breathed out. Jason walked over to Aria jerkily, his nostrils flaring. How did you get in? Yyou werent here, Aria squeaked, starting to tremble. Your dog broke free...and he cornered
me. I couldnt even go back to my car. The only way to get away from him was to run up the stairs and squeeze through the window.
Jasons lips parted. What dog? Aria pointed out the window. The...the Rottweiler. We dont have a Rottweiler. Aria stared at him. The dog had been dragging a heavy chain. Shed assumed hed broken free
from his tieout post...but maybe someone had cut his chain instead. Come to think of it, the dog hadnt barked once since shed gotten inside. A horrible thought began to take shape in her mind.
You didnt send me that email this morning? she said shakily. You didnt ask me to meet you here?
Jasons eyes narrowed. I never wouldve told you to meet me here.
The floorboards squeaked as Aria took a step back. How could she have been so stupid? Of course that email shed received this morning hadnt been from Jason. Shed been so relieved to hear from him, she hadnt remembered that he didnt have her email address until this very moment. The note had been from...someone else. Someone who had known when Jason wouldnt be home. Someone who maybe even orchestrated sending a strange dog to chase her into his apartment. She gazed at Jason, her heart beginning to pound.
Did you come in here only, or did you go into the main house, too? Jason demanded.
Jjust here. Jason loomed over her, his jaw clenched. Are you telling me the truth? Aria bit her lip. Why did it matter? Of course. Get out, Jason barked. He stepped aside and pointed at the door. Aria didnt move. Jason, she stated. Im sorry I came in here. It was a misunderstanding. Can
we please talk? Get. Out. Jason whipped his arm to the side, knocking a bunch of books off the bookshelf. A
glass plaque fell too, breaking into sharp, angry shards. Get out! Jason roared again. Aria ducked and let out a trapped, terrified wail. Jasons face had transformed. His eyes were wide, the corners of his lips were pulled back, and even his voice sounded different. Lower. Meaner. Aria didnt recognize him at all.
She rushed out the door and bolted down the steps, slipping a few times on some of the wet treads. Her cheeks were streaked with tears. Her lungs burned with sobs. She fumbled for her car keys and threw herself into the front seat, as if something was chasing her.
When she looked in the rearview mirror, her breath caught in her throat. Far off in the distance, she saw two shadowy shapes of a person and a doga Rottweiler?slipping safely into the woods.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
24
SPENCER, NEW YORKER
Spencer leaned back in her plushy seat aboard the Amtrak Acela train to New York, watching the conductor sway through the car taking tickets. Even though it was only Saturday, and even though Michael Hutchins, the Realtor, had said the landlord was using the weekend to clean out her brandnew Perry Street apartment, Spencer couldnt wait until Monday afternoon to see it. She might not be able to get inside the place today, but that didnt mattermerely sitting on the stoop, checking out the stores on her block, and getting a cappuccino at her soontobelocal Starbucks would be enough. She wanted to hit the furniture shops in Chelsea and on Fifth Avenue and put a few things on hold. She was eager to sit in a cafŽ and read The New Yorker, now that she would soon be one.
Perhaps this was what Ian felt once hed escaped from Rosewood, free from his troubles, eager to start over. Where was Ian now? Rosewood? Or had he wised up and skipped town? She thought again about the person shed seen in the woods outside the barn last night. It had definitely looked like Melissa...but wasnt she in Philly? Perhaps Ian had left something behind after his deadbody stunt, something hed asked Melissa to retrieve. But then, did that mean Melissa knew something about where he was and what he was doing? Maybe she knew who A was too. If only Melissa would call Spencer backshe wanted to ask her sister if she knew anything about the photos Emily had received. What did a photo of Ali, Naomi, and Jenna have to do with a photo of Wilden in church? And why hadnt Aria or Hanna received any missives from A, just Spencer and Emily? Was A focusing on them first? Were they in more danger than the others? And if Spencer moved to New York City, would she finally leave this A nightmare behind? She hoped so.
The train descended into a tunnel, and the passengers began to stand. Penn Station next, a conductors voice blared over the loudspeaker. Spencer grabbed her canvas shoulder bag and got in line with the others. When she emerged into the great hall, she looked around. The signs to the subways, the taxis, and the exits were a jumble. Pulling her purse close to her side, she followed the crowd up a long elevator to the street. Cabs jammed the broad avenue. Lights flashed in her face. The gray buildings rose into the sky.
Spencer flagged down a cab. Two twentythree Perry Street, she told the driver when she got in. The driver nodded, then veered into traffic, turning up the sports station on the radio. Spencer jiggled up and down giddily, wanting to tell him that she lived here, that she was going to her brandnew apartment, and that it was right around the corner from her moms.
The cab driver ambled down Seventh Avenue and turned into the mazelike streets of the West Village. When he took a right onto Perry, Spencer sat up straighter. It was a beautiful street. Old, wellmaintained brownstones lined each side. A girl about Spencers age in a gorgeous winter white wool coat and a big fur hat passed, walking a labradoodle on a leash. The cab crept by a gourmet cheese shop, a store that sold musical instruments, and a quaint school, its tiny playground behind a polished iron fence. Spencer studied the printouts shed made of the photos Michael Hutchins had
sent the other day. Her future home might just be on the very next block. She scanned the street in anticipation.
Miss? The cab driver swiveled around, eyeing her. Spencer jumped. Did you say two twenty three Perry?
Two twentythree Perry, thats right. Spencer had the address memorized.
The driver peered out the window. He wore thick glasses and had a pen tucked behind his ear. There is no two twentythree Perry. It would be in the Hudson.
Sure enough, they were at the very west end of Manhattan. Across the West Side Highway was a promenade, full of walkers and bikers. Beyond that was the Hudson River. Beyond that was New Jersey.
Oh. Spencer frowned. She rifled through her notes. Michael hadnt included the address in his email, nor could she find the doodle from the other day. Well, maybe I got the address wrong. You can let me off here.
She thrust a couple of bills at the driver and got out. The cab took a right at the light, and Spencer whirled around, puzzled. She started walking east, crossing Washington, then Greenwich. Michael had told her that the apartment was right around the corner from Marc Jacobs, which was at Perry and Bleecker. The numbers of the buildings around it were 92 Perry. Eightyfour Perry. Had the apartments address been one of those?
She kept walking up Perry to make sure, but the numbers on the apartment buildings kept going down, not up. She made sure to look at each building carefully, trying to match it with the building from the photos, but none looked quite right. Eventually, she hit the intersection of Perry Street and Greenwich Avenue. The street ended in a T. Across the street, Perry was nowhere to be seenthere was a restaurant called Fiddlesticks Pub & Grill instead.
Spencers heart began to race. It felt as if shed been plopped into a reccurring dream shed had since second grade, the one where a teacher announced a surprise test, and while the other students eagerly began to fill in the answers, Spencer couldnt even decipher the questions.
She pulled out her cell phone, trying to keep calm, and dialed Michaels number. There was obviously an explanation for this.
A recording of an operators voice blared through the receiverthe number she had dialed had been disconnected. Spencer dug around in her bag and found Michaels card. She keyed in his number again, repeating it back to herself to make sure she hadnt transposed any digits. There was the same recorded message. Spencer held the phone outstretched, pain radiating at her temples.
Maybe he changed phone numbers, she told herself.
Then, she dialed Olivias number. But Olivias phone just rang and rang. Spencer held her finger on the end button for a long time. This didnt necessarily mean anything, eitheronly that Olivia must not have an international calling plan.
A woman pushing a baby carriage veered out of her way, struggling to hold a bunch of grocery bags upright. When Spencer looked down the street, she noticed Olivias new apartment building gleaming in the distance. She started walking for it, invigorated anew. Perhaps Olivia had another number for Michael somewhere. Perhaps the doorman would let Spencer upstairs for a little peek into Olivias penthouse.
A woman in a bright blue wool coat exited the apartment buildings revolving doors. Two more people went in, carrying gym bags. Spencer pushed through the door after them, walking into a marble atrium. At the far end of the room was a bank of three elevators. There was an oldschool dial above each of them, telling which floor the cars were on. The room smelled like fresh flowers, and there was classical music playing quietly over a hidden speaker.
The concierge at the front desk wore a pristine gray suit and rimless eyeglasses. He gave Spencer a weary smile as she approached. Um, hi, Spencer said, hoping her voice didnt sound too young and na•ve. Im looking for a woman who recently moved in here. Her name is Olivia. Shes in Paris right now, but Im wondering if I could get into her apartment for a moment.
Sorry, the concierge said dryly, returning to his paperwork. I cant let you up unless I have the tenants permission.
Spencer frowned. But...shes my mom. Her name is Olivia Caldwell. The concierge shook his head. No one named Olivia Caldwell lives here. Spencer tried to ignore the sudden, gnawing pain in her stomach. Maybe she doesnt go by her
maiden name. She might go by Olivia Frick. Her husbands name is Morgan Frick. The concierge gave her a withering look. No one named Olivia anything lives here. I know every
resident in this building. Spencer stepped back, glancing at a line of gilded mailboxes on the far wall. There had to be two
hundred units in this place. How could this guy honestly know every single person? She just moved in, she pressed. Can you check?
The concierge sighed, then reached for a spiralbound black book. This is a list of the tenants in the building, he explained. What did you say her last name was?
Caldwell. Or Frick.
The concierge flipped to the Cs, then to the Fs. Nope. Theres no one under either of those names. Look for yourself.
He pushed the book across the desk. Spencer leaned over, looking. There was a Caldecott and a Caleb, but no Caldwell. There was a Frank and a Friel, but no Frick. Her whole body went hot, then cold. This cant be right.
The concierge sniffed and returned the book to its shelf. A black phone on the front desk let out a bleat. Excuse me. He picked up the receiver and spoke in a low, polite voice.
Spencer spun around, pressing her palm to her forehead. Two women toting Barneys shopping bags burst through the revolving doors, laughing loudly. A man walking a shaggy Bernese mountain dog came in and joined them at the elevator bank. Spencer was dying to slip in with them, ride the elevator up to the top floor and...and what? Break into Olivias penthouse to prove she really lived here?
Andrews voice swirled in her head. Dont you think youre moving a little fast? I dont want you to get hurt.
No. The tenant book hadnt been recently updatedOlivia and Morgan had just moved in. And Olivias phone wasnt ringing because she was out of the country. And Michael Hutchinss number was out of order because hed unexpectedly changed it. Spencers apartment did exist. She was going to move into an apartment on Perry Street, the best block in the Village, next week, to live happily ever after within a few blocks from her honesttoGod biological mom. This wasnt too good to be true.
Was it?
Spencers skin felt braised. Either give LongLost Mommy a rest and keep searching for what really happened...or pay my price, A had said. Beyond halfheartedly telling the others that A had sent her a second note, Spencer hadnt searched for Alis true killer at all. What if this was As price? A knew she was looking for her birth mother. Perhaps A had a team of people under his or her control. A woman called Olivia. A man who posed as a Realtor, inventing an apartment at 223 Perry Street without looking at a map for accuracy. A had known Spencer wanted a family who loved her badly enough to risk everything, even her college education.
She turned away from the front desk in the lobby, fumbling for her Sidekick. In a few clicks, she was logging into the account shed found on her dads computer. It felt as if she couldnt get a deep breath. Please, she whispered under her breath. This cant be happening.
A statement popped onto the screen. There was Spencers name, address, and account number. The balance was in red font at the bottom. When she saw it, Spencers stomach heaved. Her vision narrowed until all she saw was the figure before her. It wasnt many zeros...just one.
The account had been cleared out, down to the very last penny.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
25
AND THE WINNER IS...
Saturday night, Hanna sat at her dressing table, sweeping the last touches of bronzer across her cheeks. The black, lacelined Rachel Roy sheath dress shed bought for the Radley party fit her perfectly, snug but not too snug around her waist and hips. Shed been way too busy competing for Mike this week to succumb to her usual CheezIt binges. If only the Mike Montgomery diet came in a bottle.
There was a knock on her door, and Hanna jumped. Her dad stood in the doorway to her bed room, dressed in a black Vneck sweater and jeans. Going somewhere? he asked.
Hanna swallowed hard, gazing at her madeup reflection in the mirror. She doubted her dad would buy that she was spending a quiet night in. Theres an opening for this big hotel outside
town, she admitted. Is that why Kates door is shut too? Youre both going together? Hanna set down her makeup brush, resisting the urge to smile. They werent going together, because Hanna had won Mike all to herself. Ha. Not exactly, she said instead, reining her feelings in. Mr. Marin perched on the edge of her bed. Dot tried to jump on his lap, but he swished him
away. Hanna... Hanna looked at him pleadingly. He was going to enforce the punishment now? I have a date.
It would be weird if she came with us. Ive learned my lesson, I swear. Mr. Marin cracked his knuckles, a habit Hanna had always hated. Whos the guy? Just... She sighed. Actually, hes Arias younger brother. Aria Montgomery? Mr. Marin squinted, thinking. The only time Hanna recalled her dad meeting
Mike was when hed taken Hanna, Aria, and the others to a music festival at Penns LandingAria had had to drag Mike along because Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery were out of town. While they were watching one of the acts, Mike vanished. They frantically searched for him all over the grounds, finally tracking him down at the snack bar. He was hitting on one of the Pennsylvania Dutch girls who made the funnel cake.
Does Kate have a date? Mr. Marin asked.
Hanna shrugged. Earlier today, shed told Mike to get out of his date with Kate by telling her hed promised to go with the lax boys in their rented Hummer. If hed said he was going with Hanna, Kate would have immediately told Daddy and ruined the whole thing.
Her father sighed and stood up. Okay. You can go on your own. Thank you. Hanna breathed out. He patted her back. I just want Kate to feel welcome here. Shes having a really hard time at
Rosewood Day. As I remember, you didnt always have it easy there either. Hanna felt her cheeks redden. Back in fifth and sixth grade, when Hanna and her dad used to
be close, she used to moan to him about school. I feel like a big nothing, she confessed. Her dad always assured her that things would turn around. Hanna never believed him, but hed ended up being right. Becoming friends with Ali had changed everything for good.
Hanna glanced at her dad suspiciously. Kate seems really happy at Rosewood Day. Shes best friends with Naomi and Riley.
Mr. Marin stood up. If you talked to her, youd know the truth. What she wants most is to be friends with you, Hanna. But you seem to be making that as difficult as possible.
Then he left the room, padding softly down the hall. Hanna remained on her bed, feeling both puzzled and annoyed. As if all Kate really wanted was to be friends! Shed obviously told Hannas dad that to get him even more on her side.
Hanna ground her fist into her mattress. It wasnt like too many people had broken down her doors desperately wanting to be her BFF. In fact, only two people came to mind: Ali, who had chosen Hanna among many other eligible sixthgrade girls, and Mona, who had sat down next to Hanna at eighthgrade cheerleading tryouts, struck up a conversation, and then invited Hanna to a sleepover at her house. At the time, Hanna had thought both girls chose her for specific reasons Mona because Hanna had been Alis friend and was therefore someone with a bit of status, and Ali because she saw a potential in Hanna that no one else had yet noticed. Now, Hanna knew different. From the very start, Mona had been probably plotting to bring Hanna down. Maybe Ali had had more sinister motives for choosing Hanna tooperhaps she saw how insecure Hanna was. Perhaps she realized how easily Hanna could be manipulated.
Deep down, a part of Hanna wanted to believe that what her dad said was truethat despite everything, Kate honestly wanted Hanna as a friend. But after all Hanna had suffered through, it was hard to trust that Kates aims could be pure.
As she strode out of her bedroom, she heard water running in the hall bathroom. Kate was loudly belting out a recent song from American Idol, using up all the hot water. Hanna paused by the door, feeling wholly unsettled. Then, as a truck rumbled past outside, she turned away and marched down the stairs.
The Radley Hotel was bustling with guests, photographers, and staff. Hanna and Mike pulled into the driveway, parked, and handed the car over to the valet. As she got out, Hanna took in the charming brick walkways, the icecrusted lake in the back meadow, and the grand stone steps leading to the stately wooden door.
When she and Mike walked into the main ballroom, Hannas jaw dropped even farther. The par tys theme was Palace of Versailles, and the Radley lobby was draped with silk tapestries and filled with crystal chandeliers, goldframed paintings, and ornate chaises. There was a huge fresco of some mythological scene on the far wall, and Hanna could see a Hall of Mirrors at the back, just like in the real Versailles outside Paris. To her right was a throne room, complete with a tall, royal chair with a burgundy velvet cushion. A bunch of guests were gathered near the bar and standing in clumps near the tables. A complete orchestra was set up at the back, and off to the left were the lobby desk, the elevators, and a discreet sign to the spa and the bathrooms.
Wow. Hanna sighed. This was her kind of hotel. Yeah, its okay, Mike said, stifling a yawn. Mike was dressed in a sleek black tux. He had his dark hair slicked off his face, showing off his
prominent cheekbones. Whenever Hanna looked at him, her arms and legs felt noodly. Even more bizarrely, she kept getting vague twinges of sadness. It wasnt the way a winner was supposed to feel.
A caterer in a white suit swept past. Im going to get a drink, Hanna said airily, banishing the melancholy feelings from her head. She walked over to the bar and stood in line behind Mr. and Mrs. Kahn, who were whispering excitedly about which art on display they wanted to buy. Then a shock of blond hair across the room caught Hannas attention. It was Mrs. DiLaurentis, deep in conversation with a silverhaired man in a tuxedo. The man swept his arms around, pointing out the balcony, the fluted columns, the chandeliers, the hallway to the spa and the guest rooms. Mrs. DiLaurentis nodded and grinned, but her expression seemed pasted on. Hanna shuddered, uneasy to see Alis mom at a party. It was like seeing a ghost.
The bartender cleared his throat, and Hanna turned and ordered an extradirty Ketel One martini. As he mixed it up, she turned and stood on her tiptoes, searching for Mike. When she finally found him, he was in the corner near a gigantic abstract painting, next to Noel, Mason, and a few girls. Hanna narrowed her eyes at the pretty girl whispering in his ear. Kate.
Her stepsister was dressed in a floorlength navy gown and fourinch heels. Naomi and Riley flanked her on either side, both wearing ultrashort black dresses. Hanna grabbed her martini and shot across the room, the vodka sloshing over the lip of the glass. She reached Mike and tapped him hard on the shoulder.
Hi, Mike said, an Imnotdoinganythingwrong look on his face. Kate, Naomi, and Riley peered around him, snickering.
Hannas skin felt scorched. Grabbing Mikes hand, Hanna faced the others. Did you girls hear? Mike and I are going to prom together.
Naomi and Riley looked confused. Kates smile dimmed. Prom?
Uhhuh, Hanna chirped, running her hands over her Time Capsule flag, which shed tied to the gold chain of her Chanel purse.
Noel Kahn clapped Mike on the back. Sweet.
Mike shrugged, as if hed known from the start that Hanna would ask him. I need another JŠger shot, he said, and he, Noel, and Mason ambled across the room to the bar, shoving one another every few steps.
The orchestra launched into a waltz, and a few of the dusty old partygoers who actually knew what that meant started to dance. Hanna locked her hands to her hips and shot Kate a smug smile. So! Whos the winner now?
Kate lowered one shoulder. God, Hanna. She burst out laughing. You seriously asked him to prom?
Hanna rolled her eyes. Poor baby. Youre not used to losing. But face ityou did. Kate shook her head vigorously. You dont understand. I never even liked him. Hanna let out a lip fart. You liked him as much as I did. Kate lowered her chin. Did I? She crossed her arms over her chest. I wanted to see if youd go
after anyone if you thought I was going after him too. The jokes on you, Hanna. We all knew about
it. Naomi made a nickering noise. Riley puckered her lips, trying hard not to erupt into giggles. Hanna blinked hard, knocked off balance. Could Kate be serious? Was Hanna the brunt of this joke?
Kates face softened. Oh, chill. Think of this as payback for the herpes thing, and now were even! Why dont you party with us? There are some gorgeous guys from Brentmont Prep in the Mirror Room.
She looped her arm through Hannas, but Hanna shook her away. How could Kate be so cav alier? How was this payback for the herpes thing? Hanna had had to tell everyone Kate had herpes. If she hadnt, Kate would have told everyone Hannas bingepurge secret.
But suddenly, Hanna remembered how stunned Kate had seemed when Hanna broke the herpes news. She had looked at Hanna so helplessly, as though shed been blindsided by the betrayal. Was it possible Kate never intended to tell Hannas secret that night? Could what her dad saidthat Kate just wanted to be friendsbe the truth?
But no. No. Hanna faced Kate. You wanted Mike, but I got him. It came out louder than she intended. A few people stopped and stared. A beefylooking black
man in a tux, presumably a bouncer, eyed Hanna warningly. Kate lifted her hip. Are you really going to be like this? Hanna shook her head. I won! she cried. You lost! Kate looked over Hannas shoulder, her expression shifting. Hanna followed her gaze. Mike was
holding two martinis outstretchedone for him, and a refill for her. His eyes looked extra blue. By the way he was staring at Hanna, it seemed as if he understood perfectly what had just happened. Before Hanna could say a word, he gently set Hannas drink next to her half finished one and turned around, saying nothing. His back was ramrod straight as he disappeared into the crowd.
Mike! Hanna called after him, gathering her skirt and starting to run. Mike thought Hanna was only pretending to like him...but maybe that wasnt the truth at all. Mike was funny and genuine. Maybe he was even more perfect for her than any guy shed ever dated. It explained why she felt butterflies in her stomach whenever he was around, why she smiled giddily when he sent her texts, and why her heart pounded when they almost kissed on his front porch. It explained why Hanna had been feeling morose tonight, tooshe didnt want this game with Mike to end.
She came to a stop at the other end of the ballroom, frantically searching around. Mike had disappeared.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
26
SOMEONE HAS A SECRET
Emily stood on the big stone porch outside the Radley entrance, watching the limos and town cars roll into the circular drive. The air smelled like a jumble of expensive perfumes, and a photographer was flitting around the partygoers, snapping pictures. Every time a flashbulb went off, Emily thought of the creepy photos from A. Ali, Jenna, and Naomi, gathered in Alis backyard. Darren Wilden, emerging from confession. And then there was Jason DiLaurentis arguing with Jenna Cavanaugh in Jennas living room. What do you think hes so angry about?
What did it mean? What was A trying to tell her?
She pulled her cell phone from her bag and checked the time once more. It was a quarter after eight, and Aria was supposed to meet her at the entrance fifteen minutes ago. About an hour after their uncomfortable phone conversation this morning, Aria called Emily back and asked if she wanted to go to the Radley party together. Emily figured it was Arias way of apologizing for yelling at her, and although she hadnt really felt like going now that she and Isaac were through, shed reluctantly agreed. Theyd called Spencer and asked if she wanted to go too, but Spencer said she was spending the night in her sisters barn doing homework.
More people streamed through the Radleys doors, showing their invitations to a girl wearing a headset and holding a clipboard. Emily called Arias phone, but she didnt pick up. She sighed. Maybe Aria had gone in without her.
The inside of the hotel was warm and smelled like peppermint. Emily slithered out of her coat and handed it to the girl at the coatcheck window, smoothing down her strapless, dark red dress. After Isaac invited her to this, shed rushed out to the mall, tried on this dress, and imagined Isaac swooning when he saw her in it. For once in her life, shed bought it without even looking at the price tag. And for what? At 2 A.M. last night, Emily had rolled over in bed and looked at the little window of her phone, hoping Isaac had sent her an apology text. But there had been nothing.
She craned her neck, looking for him now. He was definitely here somewhereand so were Mr. and Mrs. Colbert.
Her skin began to prickle. Maybe she shouldnt be here. It was one thing to accompany Ariaat least shed have a bufferbut Emily didnt think she could deal with this place alone. She turned back toward the entrance, but tons of people had arrived at once, jamming the doors. She waited for the crowd to clear, praying she wouldnt see any of the Colberts. She couldnt bear the thought of seeing the hatred in their eyes.
On the wall next to her was a large bronze plaque describing the Radleys history. G. C. Radley Retreat for Childhood Wellness began in 1897 as an orphanage, but eventually changed into a safe haven for troubled children. This plaque commemorates those children who have benefited from the Radleys unique facility and environment, and the doctors and staff who have dedicated years of their lives to the cause.
Underneath were the names of various headmasters and deans of the facility. Emily scanned them, but they meant nothing to her.
I heard some of the kids that stayed here were real lunatics.
Emily looked over and gasped. Maya was standing right next to her, dressed in a hazelnut colored tiered gown. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and she wore sparkly gold eye shadow. There was a teasing little smile on her face, not unlike the look Ali used to give Emily when she wanted to make Emily uncomfortable.
Hhi, Emily stammered. She thought about Maya standing in her bedroom window last night just as Emily pulled into the culdesac, as if shed anticipated Emilys arrival. Was that just a coincidence? And the other day at school, shed seen Maya and Jenna talking. They lived right next to each otherhad they struck up a friendship?
See that balcony? Maya pointed to the hotel mezzanine. People were leaning over the elab orate wroughtiron railing, peering down to the crowd below. I heard some kids killed themselves by jumping off that. They splattered right where the bar is. And I heard a patient murdered a nurse.
Maya touched Emilys hand. Her fingers were stiff and deathly cold. And when she brought her face close to Emilys, her breath smelled hauntingly like banana gum. So wheres your boyfriend? Maya singsonged. Or did you two have a fight?
Emily pulled her hand away, her heart slamming against her ribs. Did Maya somehow know...or had she just guessed?
I-I have to go, she said. She faced the entrance again, but the crush of people was still there. She wheeled around, heading back through the ballroom. There was a staircase ahead of her, leading to the upper level. Gathering the hem of her dress, she ran for it, not even caring where it led.
At the top of the steps was a long dark hallway with several doors on either side. Emily tried a few, thinking they might be bathrooms, but the cold, slippery knobs wouldnt turn. Only one door at the end of the hall swung open. She fell inside, grateful for some quiet and privacy.
Emilys nose twitched. The room smelled like dust and mildew. Bulky shapes of what looked like a desk and a couch were in front of her. She fumbled for a light switch on the wall, snapping on an overhead lamp. The desk was covered in papers and books. An old scuffed leather love seat was heaped with books, too. There were bookcases along the back wall, piled with manila folders. Loose papers were scattered over the floor, along with an upended cup of pencils. It almost looked like the room had been deliberately trashed. Emily remembered Mr. Colbert mentioning that parts of the hotel hadnt been renovated in time for the party. Maybe this was an office from when this place used to be a school...or, as Maya put it, a house for lunatics.
A floorboard creaked. Emily turned toward the door and stared. Nothing. A shadow passed across the wall. Emily looked up at the cracked ceiling. A spider sat in the center of a large, sinuous web. There was a black mass of something caught in the silk, maybe a fly.
It was too spooky in here. Emily turned to go, carefully maneuvering around the stacks of books and journals spread out across the floor. Then something caught her eye. There was a book splayed open at her feet, a list of names written in dark blue ink. It seemed like a log. The page was divided into columns labeled Name, Date, In, Out. One of the names was...
Emily knelt down, thinkinghopingshed imagined it. Her vision blurred. Oh my God, she whispered.
One of the names in the book was Jason DiLaurentis.
His name appeared on the page three times, first on March 6, then on March 13, then on March 20. Seven days apart. Emily flipped a page. There was Jasons name again, on March 27, then April 3, then April 10. Hed logged into the book in the morning, and logged out in the evening. She
turned the pages faster and faster. Jasons name kept cropping up. Hed logged in on April 24, Emilys birthday. The date was from eight years ago. Emily counted backshed been nine. It had been a Saturday. That year, her parents had taken Emily and her swim team friends out for a birthday dinner at All That Jazz!, her old favorite restaurant at the King James Mall. Shed been in third grade. Ali had started at Rosewood Day at the beginning of that year, her family moving here from Connecticut.
She grabbed the next book under it. Jasons name popped up through the summer between Emi lys thirdand fourthgrade years, to the winter of her fourth, to the fall of her fifth, to the summer between her fifth and sixth. Hed visited here the weekend after the first day of school when Emily, Ali, and the others started sixth grade. A few days after that, the school had announced the kickoff of the Time Capsule game. She flipped to the page that logged the next weekend, when she and her old friends sneaked into Alis backyard to steal her flag. Jasons name wasnt there.
She flipped forward to the next weekend, about the time Ali had approached all of them at the Rosewood Day Prep Charity Drive, dubbing them her new BFFs. Still no Jason. She flipped ahead. His name didnt show up again. The weekend after the first day of school was the last time his name appeared in the log book.
Emily lowered the book to her lap, feeling woozy. What on earth was Jason DiLaurentiss name doing in a book in this dark, dank little office? She thought about the joke Ali had made years ago they should put him in the mental ward, where he belongs. Had she been serious after all? Was Jason an outpatient here? Perhaps this was what Ali had meant when she told Jenna about sibling problemsmaybe Ali told her Jason had issues, problems big enough that he needed to go to a facility for treatment. And maybe that was what Jenna and Jason were arguing about last nighthe wanted to make sure that Jenna didnt tell a soul.
She thought of how Jasons face had twisted and reddened when he thought shed bumped his car. Hed stepped so close to her, his fury palpable. What was Jason really capable of? What was Jason hiding?
There were footsteps in the hall. Emily froze. She heard someone breathing. Then a shadow appeared in the doorway. Emily started to tremble. Hhello? she croaked.
Isaac emerged into the light. He wore a white caterers suit and black shoesEmily supposed his father was making him work tonight, now that he didnt have a date. She shrank back, her heart beating hard.
I thought I saw you come up here, he said.
Emily glanced at the ledger againit was hard to switch gears, from Jason to Isaac. She lowered her head, unable to meet his gaze. Everything theyd said to each other the night before whooshed through her head, way too present.
I dont think youre supposed to be up here, Isaac said. My dad said this hall is for employees only.
I was just leaving, Emily mumbled, starting for the door.
Wait. Isaac perched on the arm of the dusty leather couch. A few quiet seconds passed. He sighed. The picture you told me about, the one with your face cut out? I found it last night. In the junk drawer in the kitchen. And...and I confronted my mom. She lost it.
Emilys mouth dropped open; she could barely believe her ears. Isaac leapt from the arm of the couch and knelt by Emilys side. Im so sorry, he whispered. Im a jerkand now Ive probably lost you. Can you ever forgive me?
Emily bit the inside of her cheek. She knew she should feel good right nowor at least justified but instead, she felt even worse. It would be so easy to tell Isaac it was fine. They were fine. But what hed done yesterday stung. He hadnt even considered believing her. Hed immediately jumped to conclusions, certain she was lying.
She moved away from him, bent down, and picked up the ledger. The cover of the book was thickly coated with dust and soot. I might forgive you someday, she said, but not today.
Wwhat? Isaac cried.
Emily shoved the book under her arm, biting back tears. Even though she hated telling Isaac something that would hurt him, she knew it was the right thing to do. I have to go, she blurted
out.She ran down the stairs as fast as she could. At the landing, she heard a familiar giggle from the other side of the room. She sucked in her stomach, looking nervously around. The crowd shifted, and the laugh dissipated. The only person Emily recognized across the ballroom was Maya. She was
standing against the wall, holding a martini, and staring fixedly at Emily, a whisper of a smile across her wide, glossy lips.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
27
Deje VU...REVEALED
Hanna skidded across the slippery marble floor, coming to a stop. This hotel was a maze, and somehow, shed managed to retrace her steps and was standing in front of the floorto ceiling tapestry of Napoleon yet again. She looked right and left, searching for Mike. The crowd of partiers was so thick, she didnt see him anywhere.
She passed the throne room and heard a familiar voice. Inside was Noel Kahn, draped over the large, velvet throne, his shoulders shaking with laughter. There was an upsidedown champagne bucket on his head, a makeshift crown.
Hanna groaned. It was unbelievable what Noel could get away with at Rosewood parties, just because his parents bankrolled the town.
She marched up to him and poked his arm. Noel turned and brightened. Hanna! He smelled as if hed drunk a whole bathtub of tequila.
Wheres Mike?
Noel threw his legs over the chair. His pant legs rose slightly, revealing blueandred argyle socks. Dont know. But I should kiss you.
Ugh. Why? Because, he slurred. You won me five hundred bucks. She stepped back. Excuse me? Noel brought his cocktail, a reddish drink that looked a lot like Red Bull and vodka, to his lips.
Liquid dribbled down his shirt and pooled on the seat of the chair. A few Quaker school girls sitting on paisleyupholstered footstools nudged one another, giggling. How could they think Noel was hot? If this were really Versailles, Noel wouldnt be the Louis XIV. Hed be the French version of the village idiot.
The whole lax team had a bet going to see who Mike could get to take him to the prom, Noel explained. You or your hottie stepsister. We made the bet after you started throwing yourselves at him. Im going to give Mike half my winnings for being such a good sport.
Hanna ran her hands along the piece of her Time Capsule flag, which shed tied to the chain of her Chanel purse. She felt the color drain from her face.
Noel nudged his head toward the door. If you dont believe me, ask Mike yourself.
Hanna turned. Mike was leaning against one of the Grecianstyle columns, smiling at a girl from Tate Prep. Hanna let out a low growl and made a beeline to him. When Mike saw her, he grinned sheepishly.
Your teammates bet on us? Hanna screeched. The Tate girl quickly skittered away.
Mike sipped his wine, shrugging. Its no different than what you girls were doing. Except the other guys on the lax team were playing for money. What were you playing for? Tampons?
Hanna ran her hand over her forehead. This wasnt how it was supposed to go. Mike was sup posed to be vulnerable and weak, a victim. And all along, hed known theyd been competing. All along, hed been playing her.
She sighed, weary. So I guess our prom date is off? Mike looked surprised. I dont want it to be. Hanna searched his face. Really? Mike shook his head. So then...you dont care that you were
just some...bet? Mike glanced at her bashfully, then looked away. Not if you dont. Hanna tried her best to hide her smileand her relief. She nudged him hard in the ribs. Well,
youd better give me half your winnings. And youd better give me half your... Mike stopped, making a face. Never mind. I dont need
half your tampons. Well use the winnings for a bottle of Cristal for the prom, hows that? And then, he brightened even more. And for a motel room.
A motel? Hanna glared at him. What kind of girl do you think I am? Honey, with me, you wont care where were at, Mike said in the slimiest voice Hanna had ever
heard. She stifled a groan, leaning into him. He leaned into her too, until their foreheads touched. Honestly? Mike whispered, his voice softening and becoming almost tender. I always liked you better.
Hannas insides turned over. Giddy shivers scampered up her back. Their faces were very close, with only a small column of air hanging between them. Then Mike reached forward and pushed the hair out of Hannas eyes. Hanna giggled nervously. Their lips met. Mikes mouth was warm, and he tasted like red wine. Tingles shot from Hannas head to all ten toes.
Yeah! Noel Kahn bellowed from across the room, nearly tumbling off the throne. Hanna and Mike shot apart. Mike pumped his fist, his blazer sliding down his arm. He was still wearing his yellow rubber Rosewood Day lacrosse bracelet. Hanna sighed, resigned. There were all kinds of queer things shed have to get used to, now that she was dating a lacrosse boy.
There was a loud crunch of static, and a fast, upbeat song blared over the loudspeakers. Hanna peeked into the ballroom. The orchestra section had vanished, and there was a DJ booth in its place. The DJ was dressed up in a long, Louis XIVstyle curly wig, pantaloons, and a long robe. Shall we? Mike asked, offering his hand.
Hanna stood up and followed him. Across the ballroom, Naomi, Riley, and Kate were lined up on a chaise, watching. Naomi looked annoyed, but Kate and Riley had little smiles on their faces, almost as if they were happy for Hanna. After a moment, Hanna shot Kate a small smile back. Who knew, maybe Kate really did want to be friends. Maybe Hanna could let bygones be bygones too.
Mike started writhing around her, practically humping her leg, and she kicked him away, laughing. When the song ended, the DJ leaned into the microphone. Im taking requests, he said in a smooth voice. Heres one right now.
Everyone froze in anticipation. A few chords filled the air. The beat was slower, more subdued. Mike waved his hand. What loser requested this? he scoffed, marching toward the DJ booth to find
out.A few notes filled the room. Hanna stopped, cocking her head. She recognized the singer, but she didnt know why.
Mike was back. Its someone called Elvis Costello, he announced. Whoever that is. Elvis Costello. At the same time, the chorus began. Alllison, I know this world is killing you... Hannas mouth dropped open. She knew why this song was familiar: A few months ago, someone had been singing it in her shower. Alison, my aim is true... When Hanna emerged in the hall that day, she saw Wilden wrapped in her favorite white Pottery
Barn towel. Wilden had looked startled. When Hanna asked why he was singing that songonly a crazy person would sing that within a hundred square miles of Rosewood these daysWilden had reddened. Sometimes, I dont notice Im singing.
A spark caught fire in Hannas brain. Sometimes, I dont notice Im singing! Ali had said that in the dream this morning. Shed also said, If you find it, Ill tell you all about it. The two of them. Was Ali trying to say that Wilden was somehow linked with Alis murder?
And then the dŽjˆ vu feeling shed had when Wilden had backed out of the driveway slammed back to her. It was because of Wildens car, the old black thing he was driving around while his cruiser was in the shop. Shed seen that car before, many years ago. It was the car parked at the DiLaurentises the day Hanna and the others had tried to steal Alis flag.
Hanna? Mike said, gazing at her curiously. You okay?
Hanna shook her head faintly. Alis dream looped through her mind. Go fish, Ali had said over and over again when Hanna asked who she was talking about. The words stood for Wilden...and Hanna understood that too. That sticker in the foot well, the one that had the fish logo on it. Hanna knew where shed seen the sticker last: The DiLaurentises had one exactly like it. The pass granted them access to their gated community at the Poconos. But so what? Lots of people vacationed there; maybe Wildens family had too. Why had Wilden tried to hide the sticker? Why had he been so secretive about it?
Unless Wilden needed it to be a secret.
Hanna staggered crookedly to the nearest chair and sank down. What is it? Mike kept asking. She shook her head, unable to answer. Maybe Wilden did have a secret. Hed been acting so strange lately. Skulking around. Having hushed conversations on his cell phone. Not being where he said he would be. So quick to blame the girls for Ians disappearance. Sneaking around Alis old yard. Driving like a maniac to get Hanna home, practically killing her. Wearing that hood like the figure that had
hovered over Hanna in the woods the night theyd discovered Ians body. Maybe he was the figure. What if I told you theres something you dont know? Ian had said to Spencer on her porch.
Something big. I think the cops know about it, too, but theyre ignoring it. Theyre trying to frame me. And then his IMs: They found out I knew. I had to run.
The ballroom whirled with people. There were security guards at each entrance and more than a few Rosewood cops, but Wilden wasnt among them. Then a reflection in one of the floortoceiling mirrors caught Hannas eye. She saw a familiar face, with blue eyes and blond hair. Hanna stiffened. It was the Ali from her dream. But when she looked again, the face had morphed. Kirsten Cullen stood there instead.
Mike was still staring at Hanna, his eyes wide and scared. I have to go find your sister, she said, touching his hand. But Ill be back. I promise.
And then she shot across the ballroom. Somebody was hiding something, all right. And this time, they couldnt turn to the cops for help.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
28
CREEPIER AND CREEPIER
By the time Aria finally fought through the snarl of traffic in line to park at the Radley opening, she was over an hour late. She tossed her keys to the valet and searched the crowd of bouncers, formally dressed partygoers, and photographers for Emily, but she wasnt anywhere.
After Jason had found Aria in his apartment earlier today and demanded she leave, Aria hadnt known what to do. Finally, shed driven to St. Basils cemetery and walked up the hills to Alis grave. The last time Aria was here, Alis casket wasnt yet in the groundMr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis had held off on burying her, in denial that their daughter was truly dead. And although the DNA evidence still hadnt come in that it truly was Alis body in the halfdug hole in the DiLaurentises backyard, the family must have faced reality, because Aria had heard that theyd finally interred Ali quietly last month, without a ceremony.
Alison Lauren DiLaurentis, the headstone said. There was a new layer of freshly planted grass around her grave site, already stiff and frosty from the cold. Aria stared hard at the slab of marble, wishing Ali could talk. She wanted to tell Ali about the yearbook shed found in Jasons apartment. She wanted to ask about the inscription Wilden had written over Ians picture. What did Ian do that was so awful? And what happened to you? What dont we know?
A girl in a tight black tube dress stopped Aria at the Radleys grand, doubledoored entrance. Do you have an invitation? she asked, her voice nasal and condescending. Aria produced the invite Ella had sent her, and the girl nodded. Pulling her coat around her tight, Aria strode down the stone entrance and walked into the hotel. A bunch of Rosewood Day kids, including Noel Kahn, Mason Byers, Sean Ackard, and Naomi Zeigler, were on the dance floor, wriggling around to a remixed Seal song. After grabbing a flute of champagne and downing it in a few quick gulps, she started darting around the clusters of people, searching for Emily. She had to tell her about the yearbook.
When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned. You made it! Ella cried, giving Aria a big hug.
Hhi. Aria tried to smile. Ella wore a lacy sea green wrap around her shoulders and a sleek black silk sheath. Xavier was right next to her. He wore a pinstriped suit over a blue buttondown and held a glass of champagne.
Nice to see you again, Aria. Xaviers eyes moved from Arias eyes to her boobs to her hips. Arias insides curdled. Hows life at your fathers house?
Fine, thank you, Aria said stiffly. She tried to shoot Ella a private, pleading look, but her moms eyes were glassy. Aria wondered if shed had a couple of drinks before they arrived. Ella often did that before a show.
Noel Kahns father tapped Ella on her shoulder, and Arias mother turned to talk to him. Xavier moved closer to Aria and placed his hand on her hip. Ive missed you, he said. His breath was hot and smelled like whiskey. Have you missed me?
I have to go now, Aria said loudly, feeling color rise to her cheeks. She shot away from Xavier fast, ducking around a woman in a fluffy mink stole. She heard Ella call out, Aria? There was hurt and disappointment in her voice. But Aria kept going.
She came to a stop in front of a large stainedglass window that featured a portrait of a pie
faced minstrel and his lute. When she felt a second tug on her arm, she cringed, worried Xavier had followed her. But it was only Emily. A few strands of her redgold hair had loosened from her French twist, and her cheeks were flushed. Ive been looking all over for you, Emily exclaimed.
I just got here, Aria said. Traffic was horrible.
Emily pulled a large, dusty green book from under her arm. Its pages were giltedged, and it reminded Aria of a volume of an encyclopedia. Look at this. Emily opened it up and pointed to a name in cursive. Jason DiLaurentis. There was a date and time next to his name from seven years ago.
I found it upstairs, Emily explained. This must be a signin book from back when this place was a mental hospital.
Aria blinked in disbelief. She raised her head, looking around. A handsome silverhaired man, presumably the hotel owner, glided through the crowd, looking pleased with his handiwork. There were displays throughout the ballroom describing the multimilliondollar gym that had been built on the second floor, and the stateoftheart spa facilities. She had heard something about this place once being a hospital for mentally ill children, but it was hard to believe that now.
Look. Emily leafed from page to page. Jasons name is here, and then here, and then here. It goes on like this for years. It stops right before we staked out Ali for her flag. Emily lowered the book to her hip, giving Aria a plaintive look. I know you have a thing for Jason. But this is weird. Do you think maybe he was...a patient?
Aria ran her hands through her hair. Is this some kind of joke? Jason had asked when Aria had shown him the Radley invitation. Her heart sank. Maybe hed once been a patient here. Maybe he thought Aria was taunting him with the invite, paranoid that Aria knew way more about him than shed let on.
Oh my God, Aria croaked. A sent me a text a couple days ago. It said Jason was hiding something from me, and I didnt want to know what. I sort of...ignored it. She lowered her eyes. I thought A was messing with me. But...I...I went out with Jason a couple times. On one of our dates, he got really uncomfortable when I told him I was coming to a party here. He also told me that he saw a psychiatrist at Rosewood Day. Maybe that was in addition to the doctor he saw...here. She stared at the book again. Jasons name was written in achingly neat cursive, each letter looped and even.
Emily nodded. And Ive been trying to tell you all day that A sent me a note last night telling me to go to Alis old neighborhood. I saw Jason in Jennas house. Yelling at her.
Aria sank down into the velvet chair next to the stainedglass window, filled with even more dread. What were they saying?
Emily shook her head. I dont know. But they seemed upset. Maybe he really had done some thing terrible to Aliand thats why he was sent here.
Aria stared down at the polished marble floor. She could see a haloed reflection of her peacockblue dress in the tiles. This whole week, Aria had been so irritated with Emily, convinced she wasnt looking at the Ali and Jason situation objectively. But maybe Aria wasnt either.
Emily sighed. We should probably talk to Wilden about this. We cant go to Wilden, a voice interrupted. They both turned. Hanna stood behind them, a frazzled look on her face. Wildens the last person we should go to with anything. Emily leaned against the window. Why? Hanna settled onto the chaise. You remember when we met in Alis backyard to steal her flag?
After she went back inside, I saw this car sitting at her curb. It seemed like whoever was inside was casing the place. And the other day, I went running, and I saw Wilden standing in front of Alis house again, even though the cops called off the search. He gave me a ride home...but he wasnt driving his squad car. He was driving the same car I saw years ago in front of Alis house. What if he was stalking her?
Emily gazed at her quizzically. Are you sure its the same car?
Hanna nodded. Its this old vintage thing from the sixties. I cant believe I didnt make the connection before tonight. And then, when I was in Wildens car, I saw this old sticker with a fish on it. It said Day Pass. You know the last time I saw that exact same sticker? On Alis dads SUV, when we used to go up to the Poconos. Remember?
Aria rubbed her jaw, trying to keep up. Ali used to bring Aria and the others to her familys Poconos house a lot. Once, Aria had helped the family pack their belongings into the car. After Mrs.
DiLaurentis loaded the suitcases, shed crouched down at the back bumper and pasted a new Poconos season pass right on top of the almost identical pass from the year before.
Aria nodded slowly. But what does that mean?
Hannas head bobbed feverishly. The DJ had turned on a strobe light, and Hannas face went from light to shadow and back. It looked as though she were disappearing and reappearing. What if Wilden got hold of a pass a long time ago? What if he used to drive up to the Poconos to spy on Ali? What if...what if he had some weird crush on her, a crush way weirder than Ians? Dont you think hes behaved strangely lately? He was so quick to arrest Ian when Spencer came forward with lets be honestkind of shaky evidence. What if hes hiding something? What if hes the one who did it?
Aria waved her hands, stopping Hanna. But Wilden couldve gotten the pass from Jason. Did you know Jason and Wilden were friends?
The corners of Hannas mouth turned down. Emily pressed her hand to her bare collarbone.
I know it sounds crazy, Aria admitted. Today, I got an email from Jason, telling me to meet him at his parents house in Yarmouth. I got there, but he wasnt home. He didnt send me the text at all...someone else did. Probably A. But while I was waiting in his apartment, I found an old Rosewood Day yearbook from Jasons senior year. Wilden signed right over Ians picture. And he drew an arrow to Ians head and wrote, I cant believe what that asshole did. My offer still stands.
Emily clapped her hand over her mouth, her brown eyes wide.
Hanna sprang up on her toes, placing both hands on the top of her head. Youre totally right. They were friends. That black car I was talking about? The old thing Wilden was driving around? I saw it one other time, too. Remember the day Time Capsule was announced? We were standing in the courtyard, and Ian said he was going to kill Ali to get her Time Capsule piece? Jason came up, and he and Ian had that weird fight. And then Jason...
Ran up to a black car, Aria whispered, remembering that day.
And he said, Just drive. Emilys voice was soft. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through her photos. It works with this, too. She showed them the photo theyd already seen, the one of Wilden leaving a confession booth, a guilty look on his face. I guess we all have things to feel guilty about, huh?
Its so weird that A is sending stuff that actually...makes sense, Aria murmured. Yeah, that doesnt really seem like A, Hanna agreed. What if A isnt malicious? Emily hissed. What if As trying to help? Hanna snorted. Yeah. We help A...or A ruins our lives.
The DJ shut off the strobe light and launched into another dance song. Partygoers staggered onto the dance floor. Parents clinked wineglasses, toasting another new hotel to escape to on weekends. Aria even noticed Mr. and Mrs. DiLaurentis across the ballroom, talking jovially to Mr. and Mrs. Byers as if nothing was wrong.
She glanced at the ledger in Emilys hands. The DiLaurentis parents could have been sending Jason to therapists for years, keeping it a wellguarded secret. Maybe theyd been hiding other things about Jason, too. Jason had been so angry today. Could he be one of those people who hid his anger expertly, seeming so sweet and mild until he suddenly...erupted? Maybe Wilden was one of those people too.
What if Jason found out Ali and Ian were dating? Aria suggested. That day he came up to Ian and Ali in the courtyard, he was really protective of her, like he knew something was up. Maybe thats what Wilden meant by I cant believe what that asshole did. I would guess an older brother would want to kill the guy taking advantage of his sister.
Hanna crossed her legs, her face crumpled in thought. Ian said in his IMs that they wanted to hurt him. What if they are Wilden and Jason?
But Ian implied that whoever drove him out of town were the ones who were really behind it, Emily said. So that would mean...
Jason and Wilden had something to do with Alis murder, Hanna whispered. Maybe it was an accident. Maybe something horrible happened that they hadnt planned.
Aria felt sick. Was that possible? She looked at the others. The only person who knows the truth is Ian. Do you think we could talk to him on IM? Do you think hed tell us?
They exchanged uneasy glances, not sure what to do. The bass pumped on in the background. The scents of grilled shrimp and filet mignon filled the air, making Arias vegetarian stomach turn. She breathed hard, her nerves standing on end. Her eyes landed on Hannas piece of her Time Cap
sule flag, which shed tied around the chain of her purse. She pointed to the black blob in the corner, remembering how Hanna had described it to Kate at Merediths baby shower. Why did you draw a manga frog on your flag?
Hanna blinked hard, as though confused at Arias change of subject. Then she stretched the flag out and showed them the entire piece. Also on it was a Chanel logo, a field hockey girl, and the Louis Vuitton pattern. I decorated it in Alis honor with the things shed drawn on hers before it was stolen.
Aria bit her thumbnail. Hanna, Ali didnt draw a manga frog on her flag.
Hanna looked startled. Yes she did. I went home that afternoon and wrote down everything she said.
A tingly feeling crept up Arias back. She didnt draw a manga frog, she protested. She didnt draw any animals at all.
Hannas eyes flickered back and forth, her face draining of color. Emily pushed a strand of hair behind her ears, looking worried. How do you know that?
Arias stomach churned. She had the same swooping feeling as the time when she was six years old and wanted to go on the bigkid roller coaster at Great Adventure. Her dad strapped her into the seat and pulled the big metal bar down over her chest, but as the ride was about to start, she was gripped with a searing panic. Shed screamed and screamed, making the amusement park technician stop the ride so she could get off.
Her friends blinked at her, waiting. As much as she didnt want to discuss this, she had to tell them the truth. She took a deep breath. That day we tried to take Alis flag, I cut through the woods to go home. Someone was coming the other way. It was...Jason. And...well...he had Alis flag. Before I knew what was happening, he was shoving it at me. He didnt explain why. I knew I shouldve given it back to Ali, but I thought maybe Jason didnt want me to. I thought maybe there was a reason Jason took it from her. Like he thought it wasnt right that shed found it so easily. Or that he was worried about what Ian said to her a few days before in the courtyardthat hed kill her to get her piece. Or that maybe he liked me....
Emily snorted. She held up the ledger from the upstairs office. Or maybe he took it from her because he had problems.
I didnt know what to think at the time, Aria protested. So you lied to Ali instead? Emily shot back. Aria groaned. Shed known Emily was going to react like this. Ali lied to us too! she cried.
Weve all kept secrets from one another. How is this any different? Emily shrugged and turned away. I meant to give it back to Ali, I really did, Aria said wearily. But then we became friends with
her. The longer I didnt say something, the more awkward it would have been. I didnt know what to do. She pointed again at Hannas flag. I havent looked at Alis flag since the day I got it, but I swear theres no frog on it.
Hanna raised her head. Wait. Ariayou still have her flag?
Aria nodded. Its been in an old shoe box for years. When I moved my stuff to my dads house, I saw the box again. But I didnt open it.
Hannas face paled. I had a dream this morning about the day we tried to steal Alis flag. I need to see it.
Aria began to protest when she felt a buzzing on her hip. Her cell phone was ringing. Hang on, she mumbled, glancing at the screen. I have a new text.
Emilys tiny clutch began to hum. Me too, she whispered. They stared at each other. Hannas iPhone was silent, but she leaned over Emilys Nokia. Aria looked at her own phone and pressed read.
Dont you girls hate it when your Manolos start to pinch? Me, I like to soak my toes in my backyard hot tub. Or sit in my cozy barn, snuggled under a blanket. Its so quiet there, now that the big, protective cops are gone.A
Aria looked around at the others, puzzled.
It sounds like A is talking about Spencers barn, Emily whispered. Her mouth fell open. I talked to Spencer earlier today. Shes out in the barn...all alone. She pointed at the words now that the big, protective cops are gone. What if shes in danger? What if A is warning us that something awful is going to happen?
Hanna put her iPhone on speaker and dialed Spencers number. But the line rang and rang, final
ly going to voice mail. Arias heart pounded hard. We should go make sure shes okay, she whispered.
Then Aria felt someones eyes on her from across the room. She looked around and noticed a darkhaired man in a Rosewood Day Police uniform by the door. Wilden. He was glaring at them, his piercing green eyes narrow slits, his mouth turned down. He looked as if hed heard everything they said...and all of it was true.
Aria grabbed Hannas hand and started to pull her toward the side entrance. Guys, we have to get out of here, she cried. Now.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
29
THEY WERE ALL SO WRONG
It was 9 P.M., and Spencer had been rereading the same paragraph in The House of Mirth for an hour and a half. Lily Bart, the scrappy, eager New Yorker, was trying to make her way in high society at the turn of the twentieth century. Like Spencer, all Lily wanted was to find a way to escape from her dreary, uncertain life, but also like Spencer, Lily was getting nowhere fast. Spencer kept waiting for the part in the book where Lily finds out shes adopted, gets scammed by a wealthy woman claiming to be her mother, and loses the money in her dowry.
She laid the book down and gazed drearily around the barn apartment, which shed retreated to as soon as shed returned from New York. The fuchsia accent pillows splayed across the almondcolored couch looked washedout and drab. The few bites of Asiago cheese Spencer had found in the fridge and eaten over the sink for dinner tasted like dust. In the shower, the water hadnt felt hot or cold, just lukewarm. All of Spencers senses had been ripped away. The world was murky and joyless.
How could she have been so stupid? Andrew had warned her. All the signs that Olivia was scamming her were there. When shed visited, Olivia hadnt let them stop in the apartment, not even for a minute. And Olivia had struggled with that big file folder, conveniently forgetting it when she boarded the helicopter. Shed probably snickered once she was airborne, knowing exactly what Spencer would do. And to think Spencer had looked into Olivias eyes and thought they looked alike! Shed hugged Olivia tight before she left, finally feeling like she was connecting with a member of her family! Olivia probably wasnt even her real name. And Morgan Frick, Olivias socalled husband, was definitely a fake. How could she have missed that? Morgan Frick was just the names of two New York museums sloppily shoved together.
The barn creaked and buckled. Spencer flipped on the TV. There were tons of shows in her sisters TiVo, not yet watched. Earlier this evening, Spencer had heard a woman from the Fermata spa leave a message on Melissas machine, saying Melissa had missed her appointment for an oxygen facial today, and did she want to reschedule. Why had her sister left in such a hurry? Had that been Melissa in the woods yesterday, searching for something?
Spencer turned the TV off again, not interested. Her gaze wandered to Melissas bookshelves. They were piled with old textbooks from high school, among them the book shed used for AP econ. Next to those was a leaf green Kate Spade boot box marked High School Notes. Spencer mustered up a small, sarcastic snort. Notes, as in the kind you passed back and forth in class? Prissy Melissa didnt seem the type.
She pulled out the boot box and opened the lid. A blue spiralbound notebook that said Calculus was on top. Melissa must have meant notebooks. There were smiley faces on the cover, and Melissas name and Ians name doodled over and over in flowery cursive. Spencer opened the notebook to the first page. It was filled with math problems, diagrams, and proofs. Boring, Spencer thought.
On the next page, a shock of green ink caught her eye. There were notes in the margin written in two differentcolored inks. It looked like a conversation between two people, passed back and forth from desk to desk. Spencer recognized Melissas handwriting in black, and someone elses in green.
Guess who I made out with at the party last weekend? said the first message in Melissas telltale scrawl. Below that was a bubbly, green question mark. JD, was Melissas answer. Then came a green exclamation point. And then, Naughty, naughty! That boy is so in love with you..Spencer held the page inches from her face, as if studying it closely would make it clear. JD? Her
brain scrambled for a logical answer. Could that stand for Jason DiLaurentis? The day they tried to steal Alis flag and Jason had stormed out of his house, hed glowered at Melissa and Ian in Spencers backyard. Hell get over it, Melissa had murmured to Ian later. Could Jason have been jealous that Melissa was dating Ian? Could he have secretly been in love with her?
She pressed her fingers to her temples. It didnt seem possible.
There was a forceful knock at the door, and the notebook slipped from Spencers lap to the rug. Then, another knock. Spencer! she heard someone call.
Emily and Hanna stood on the porch, Emily in a long red gown, Hanna in a short lacy black one.
Are you okay? Hanna rushed into the barn and clutched Spencers forearms. Emily burst in behind her, carrying a large book with a dingy leather cover.
Yeah, Spencer said slowly. Whats going on?
Emily set the book on the kitchen island. We just got a note from A. We worried something happened to you. Have you heard any strange noises outside?
Spencer blinked, stunned. No...
The girls looked at each other, breathing sighs of relief. Spencers eyes landed on the leather book Emily was carrying. Whats that? she asked.
Emily bit her lip. She glanced at Hanna, and they both launched into the explanation of what theyd figured out earlier that day. They also said that Aria had run back to her house to retrieve Alis longlost flagit might hold a vital clueand would meet them here. When they finally went quiet, Spencer gaped at them, stunned.
Jason and Wilden know something, Hanna whispered. Something theyre covering up. We need to reach Ian again. All that stuff he IMed you aboutthat he had to run, that they hated him, that theyd found out that he knewwe need to know what Ian knows.
Spencer bunched up a throw pillow in her hands, feeling uneasy. What if its dangerous? Ian was driven out of town because he knew too much. That could happen to us too. Hanna shook her head. As begging us to do this. A might ruin us if we dont.
Spencer shut her eyes, thinking of the big red zero on the balance line of her college savings account. A had already ruined her.
She shrugged and walked over to Melissas laptop, not sure what else to do. Slowly, she swirled the mouse around, jolting the screen to life. The computer was still signed on to Melissas IM account, and there were the online friends in her buddy window. When Spencer saw the familiar screen name, her heart began to pound.
I cant believe it. Thats him, she said, pointing to USCMidfielderRoxx. This was the first time shed seen him online in a week.
Hanna eyed Spencer. Talk to him, she said.
Spencer clicked on Ians icon and started to type. Ian, its Spencer. Dont sign off. Im here with Hanna and Emily. We believe you. We know youre innocent. We want to help you figure this out. But you have to tell us about the conflicting evidence you hinted at when you were on my porch last week. What happened the night Ali was killed?
The cursor blinked. Spencers hands began to tremble.
And then, the IM screen flashed. They leaned forward. Spencer? the message said. The girls clasped hands. Another message popped up right after. We shouldnt talk about this. If you know, you could be in danger.
Spencer paled and looked at Emily and Hanna. See? Maybe hes right. Hanna pushed Spencer aside and typed. We have to know. The IM window flashed again. Ali and I were planning to meet up that night, Ian wrote. I was
nervous to meet her, so I got drunk. I went to wait for her, but she didnt show. When I looked across the yard, I swear I saw two people with long blond hair in the woods. It looked like one of them was Ali.
Spencer gasped. Ian had told her this when he met her on her porch last week. She and Ali had fought that night, but Ian said it might have been someone else. She shut her eyes, trying to imagine yet another person being out there that night...someone they hadnt ever suspected. Her stomach started to ache.
Ians messages kept coming. It seemed like the two people were arguing, but they were too far away for me to tell. I figured Ali wasnt going to come over, which maybe was good, because I was pretty wasted. After Ali went missing, I didnt realize that the person she was fighting with that night couldve hurt herthats why I didnt say anything at first. Shed talked a lot about running
away when we were together, and thats what I thought she did. Spencer looked at the others, puzzled. Ali never talked about running away, did she? I used to talk about running away from my strict family, Emily whispered. Ali said shed come,
too. I always thought she was just saying it to be nice...but maybe not. The screen flashed again. But after I was arrested, I figured out a lot of things. I found out who
was really out there...and why. They were coming for me, not for her. They found out what was going on, and they wanted to hurt me. But they got to Ali first. I dont know what happened. I dont know if it was an accident, but Im pretty sure they did it. And theyve been covering it up ever since.
Spencers vision narrowed. She thought about the figure in the woods last night, scrabbling for something in the dirt. Maybe there was something out there, some kind of proof.
Who are they? Spencer typed. Who did it? She had a feeling she knew Ians answer, but she wanted him to confirm it.
Doesnt it seem weird that he went into law enforcement? said Ians next message, ignoring Spencers question. He was the least likely guy to do something like that. But guilt is a crazy thing. He probably wanted to absolve himself of what happened any way he could. And they both had a solid alibi that night. They were supposed to be up at the Poconos house. No one knew they were really in Rosewood. Thats why they were never questioned. They werent there.
Hanna pressed her hands to her cheeks. The Poconos house. Wildens sticker. And Jason was allowed to go up there by himself, Spencer whispered. She turned back to the keyboard. Say who it is. Say their names. You could get hurt, Ian typed. Ive said too much already. Theyre going to know that you know.
They probably know already. Theyll stop at nothing to keep this secret. SAY IT, she typed. The cursor flickered. Finally, the next message arrived with a loud bloop. Jason DiLaurentis, Ian wrote. And Darren Wilden.
Spencer pressed her hand to her clammy cheeks, a fault opening in her head. She remembered the photo that had been on her dads screen saver, the one of all of them at the DiLaurentises house in the Poconos. Jasons wet hair had stretched down past his shoulders, as long as a girls. She widened her eyes at Emily and Hanna. Jasons hair used to be long back then, remember? So if Ian saw two people with long, blond hair...
It couldve been him, Emily whispered. And Ali.
Spencer shut her eyes. It fit the memory she had of that night, too. After shed fought with Ali and fallen, Ali had run down the path. Spencer had looked across the yard and had seen Ali talking to someone. Of course shed assumed it was Ianso many signs pointed to him. But as she squeezed her eyes shut and thought hard, the picture began to change. The person no longer had Ians chiseled jaw and short, wavy hair. His hair was straighter and blonder, his features more delicate. He leaned into Ali intimately, but also protectively. The way a brother would, not a boyfriend.
How could it have happened? Was it a twisted accident? Was Jason overcome with disturbing rage over what his sister was doing with Ian? Had they fought, and had Ali accidentally fallen into the hole? Had Jason and Wilden run off into the woods, petrified by what had happened? Ian wouldnt have told the cops about seeing anyone in the woods with Ali, because that wouldve put him at the sceneand hed also have had to explain his and Alis secret relationship. But when he came forward with what he really knew after his arrest, the person whod most likely taken his statement was Wilden...and Wilden obviously wouldnt pass on Ians story to a higher authority. Once Ian got a lawyer and started ranting about how he wasnt the killer and the truth was still out there, perhaps Wilden threatened him. Which was why Ian had to flee.
Everyone was silent for a long time. There was a neigh of a horse, far off in Spencers stables. A swish of wind, rattling the tree branches. Then Emily raised her chin, sniffing the air. A disturbed look crossed her face.
What? Hanna asked, concerned. I...smell something, Emily whispered. They breathed in deeply. There was a strange smell in the air, one Spencer couldnt immediately
identify. As it grew stronger and more concentrated, Spencers head began to pound. Her eyes fell to one of Ians last IMs. You could get hurt. They probably know already.
Spencers heart leapt to her throat. Oh my God. Its...gasoline. And then they heard the telltale sound of a match being struck.
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
30
HELL ON EARTH
Aria clambered down the spiral staircase from her loft bedroom in her new house, twice stumbling and clutching the wroughtiron railing for support. She burst out of the front door, sprinted to the Subaru, and turned the ignition. Nothing happened. She gritted her teeth and tried it again. No engine. Please dont do this, Aria begged the car, banging her head on the steering wheel. The horn honked weakly.
Defeated, she climbed out of the car and looked right and left. Shed left her bike at Ellas, which meant she had to walk to Spencers barn. The quickest way was through the thick, coffinblack woods. But Aria hadnt gone in there at night by herself...well, ever.
A crescentshaped moon hung in the sky. The night was very still and quiet, without a hint of wind. Aria could see the golden porch light of Spencers barn through the trees. Before she started through the woods, she pulled Alis flag out of her jacket pocket. The flag was where shed known it would be, nestled deep in the shoe box. Shed grabbed it without looking at it, frantic to get back to Spencer and the others.
The fabric was still shiny and thick, almost perfectly preserved. It even smelled a little bit like Alis vanilla hand soap. Aria beamed the flashlight shed grabbed from the kitchen, examining the designs Ali had drawn. There was the Chanel logo and the Louis Vuitton design, same as the drawings on Hannas flag. There was also a cluster of stars and comets and a doodle of a wishing well. But there wasnt an anime frog anywhere. Nor was there a cartoon girl playing field hockey. So had Hanna remembered incorrectly...or had Ali?
Aria spread the piece out to its very corners. Off to the left, Ali had drawn a strange symbol she hadnt noticed before. It looked like a NO PARKING sign, the kind that had a letter P with a big red line through the center. Only, instead of P, Ali had written another initial instead. Aria brought the flag close to her face. At first glance, the letter looked like an I. But as she looked closer, she realized it wasnt. It was a J.
For...Jason?
Heart hammering, Aria shoved the flag back into her pocket and ran into the woods. The snow had melted, and the ground was slick. Aria sprinted over wet leaves and soggy puddles, splashing mud everywhere. When she came to the bottom of a ravine, her boots went out from under her. She hit the ground with a thwack, landing hard on her hip. The pain was white and hot, and Aria let out a muffled shriek.
A few quiet seconds passed. The only sound she heard was her own breathing. Slowly, she got up, wiped mud off the side of her face, and looked around.
Across the clearing was a familiar, twisted tree. Aria frowned, realizing. This was where theyd found Ians body last weekshe was sure of it. Something glinted from underneath a patch of logs and dry leaves. Aria carefully walked over to it and crouched down. It was a platinum class ring, halfcaked in mud. She pulled her shirtsleeve over her hand and wiped the ring clean. A blue stone glinted. Around the base of the stone were the words Rosewood Day. She shut her eyes, remembering Ians body lying among the leaves just one week ago. Her gaze had gone straight to the class ring around his bloated finger. That ring had a blue stone in it too.
She shined the flashlight on the name inscribed on the inside of the band. Ian Thomas. Had this fallen off Ian when he escaped? Had someone pried it off him? She looked again at the pile of wet leaves. The ring had been sitting on top of them, barely hidden. How could the cops not have found
it? A twig snapped. Aria whipped her head up. The noise sounded close. More twigs broke. Leaves crunched. Then a figure slithered through the trees. Aria crouched down. The figure took a few steps and stopped. It was too dark to see who was there. Something made a sloshing noise, like liquid hitting the sides of a container. Arias eyes watered, an odd smell filling her nose. It was the odor of a gas station, one of her mosthated smells in the world.
When she saw the figure bend down and heard the liquid glugging out of the container and splattering on the muddy ground, Aria realized what was happening. She stood up fast, a scream frozen in her throat. Slowly, the person reached into his pocket and pulled out an object. Aria heard
a flick. No, she whispered. Time slowed down. The air felt thick and still. Then the forest turned orange. Everything lit up.
Aria screamed and sprinted back up the ravine. She careened into trees and stepped in a small ditch, twisting her ankle. For the first few seconds, all she heard was the hideous crackle of the fire building and building, eating everything in its path. But as she rounded a corner, she heard another sound. It was small and pitiful and desperate. A tiny whimper.
Aria stopped. The flames were at the ravine, where shed been moments ago. To the right was a huddled figure. This person seemed smaller and weakerlooking than the figure that had traipsed through the woods moments before, lighting everything on fire. The persons leg was caught underneath a heavy tree branch that had fallen, and tiny, fingerlike flames were climbing up the branch, closer and closer to the persons foot.
Help! whoever it was screamed. Please!
Aria sprinted up. The persons face was covered by a huge hood. She assessed the log. It was big and bulky, and she hoped she could move it.
Youre going to be okay, she shouted, her face beginning to warm from the flames. Mustering her strength, Aria shoved the log down the hill. It rolled into a pool of gas and exploded. The person shrieked and collapsed against the tree. There was another deafening crack behind them, and Aria turned and screamed. The woods were a wall of orange. The fire was climbing the trees now, felling more branches. In seconds, they would be surrounded.
The person was still pressed against the tree trunk, staring at Aria with a shellshocked look on his or her sooty face. Come on, Aria wailed, starting to run. We have to get out of here before were dead!
Pretty Little Liars 6 - Killer
31
RISING FROM THE ASHES
Emily, Spencer, and Hanna sprinted out of the barn, running as fast as they could away from the flames that had erupted around them. The air smelled thickly of smoke and burning trees. Emilys lungs burned as she ran.
They waded through a bunch of thick shrubs, ignoring the burrs that were affixed to their sweaters, skin, and hair. Then Hanna abruptly stopped and pressed her hands to the top of her head. Oh my God, she wailed. Wilden. I saw him the other day at Home Depot, loading a bunch of drums of something into his car. It was propane.
Emily felt nauseated and dizzy. She thought of how Jason had stared right at her the other night, after hed left Jennas house. How Wilden had glared at them at the party. They knew.
Come on, Spencer urged, pointing through the trees. They could see the outline of Spencers windmill ahead. Safety was close.
The wind kicked up, blowing ashes everywhere. Something flat and square fluttered past Emily, coming to a stop at the foot of a small, knobby tree. It was the picture from the Ali shrine, the one of Ali wearing a Von Dutch Tshirt and the four of them surrounding her, laughing. The corners of the photo were charred from the flames, and half of Spencers head had been burnt away. Emily gazed into Alis joyful, bright blue eyes. Here they were, running through the very woods where shed died, with quite possibly the same people who had killed her trying to kill them, too.
They burst into Spencers backyard, coughing the noxious smoke out of their lungs. The Hastingses windmill was on fire, too. Each of the old, wooden blades broke off and clattered to the ground. The bottom part, which had LIAR written across it in bloodred spray paint, was lying flat on the grass, seemingly burning the brightest.
A thin scream emerged from the woods. At first Emily thought it was a fire engine sirensurely they were on their way. Then, she heard another scream, shrill and terrified. She grabbed Spencers hand. What if thats Aria? Her new house is one neighborhood over. She couldve cut through the woods to get here.
Before Spencer could answer, two figures tumbled out from the thick, burning trees. Aria. Someone else was behind her, someone dressed in a bulky hooded sweatshirt and jeans.
The girls surrounded Aria. Im okay, she said quickly. She gestured to the person next to her.
Whoever it was had curled in the fetal position on the dead grass. He was trapped under a big branch, Aria explained. I had to push it off.
Are you hurt? Emily asked the person. He shook his head, whimpering again. Far off in the distance, a fire engine wailed. Hopefully theyd send an ambulance, too.
What were you doing in the woods, anyway? Spencer asked him. The person let out a violent, hacking cough. I got a note. Emily paused. The persons voice was barely more than a whisper, but it sounded like a girls,
not a boys. A...note? Emily repeated. The girl covered her face with her hands, shuddering with sobs. I was told to come into these
woods. It was really important. But I think they were trying to kill me. They? Spencer asked. She gaped at the others. The flames from the woods danced across her
face. The girl coughed again. I was sure I was going to die. A slithery feeling crawled over Emilys skin. The girls voice was still muffled and scratchy, but it
had a tonal quality Emily hadnt heard for a long, long time. Ive inhaled too much smoke, she told herself. Im hearing what I want to hear. But when she looked at the others, they had startled expressions on their faces too.
Its okay. Youre safe now, Spencer murmured.
The girl tried to nod. When she took her hands away from her face, they were covered in black soot. Then she lifted her head. The soot and smoke had streaked down her cheeks, revealing clear, pink skin. When she looked at the girls for the first time and smiled gratefully, Emilys heart stopped. The girl had bright blue eyes. A perfect, slightly upturned nose. Bowshaped lips. As she wiped away more soot, there was her angular, heartshaped face.
She peered at them blankly, appearing not to recognize them. But they recognized her. Hanna let out a small, pained squeak. Spencer stood very still. Emily felt so dizzy she sank to the muddy grass, clutching her head.
Here was the girl in the pictures on the news. The girl on the screen saver of Emilys phone. The girl in the photo that had blown through the woods just moments before. The one whod been wearing the Von Dutch Tshirt in that photo, laughing as if nothing bad would ever happen to her.
This cant be happening, Emily thought. There is no way this can be happening. It was...Ali.

