Marcus throws up his hands. “Maybe she butt-dialed and answered it herself, Sonia. Does it matter?”
“Okay, you’re right, I’ll figure that out later.” I bite my lip. “So Kirsten grabbed me from behind at the bridge—I struggled and got away without ever seeing her face. There was no moon that night. Then Gretchen entered the woods and . . . this time Kirsten didn’t let her get away.” I release a shaky breath, staring down at my hands. The scratches are healed, but I’ll feel them in my skin forever. “Kip must’ve come by just after it was done, when Kirsten was looking down at her sister’s body.”
“Why wouldn’t I have seen her? I showed up not long after that.”
“She probably panicked when she saw Kip, and took off. There’s a chance you would’ve missed her, even if she was just on the playground.”
“I just— I can’t believe it was her. She seemed so dedicated to finding the real killer. But maybe that was part of the act.” He meets my gaze. “I’m sorry I didn’t see it.”
I look down, thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Meyer. They’ve dealt with so much already; this will destroy them. And Kirsten—all she ever asked for was Gretchen’s love.
Everything inside me feels like it’s going numb.
“Hey.” He takes my hand. “What’s the matter?”
“You know what it was like to be Gretchen’s boyfriend, I know what it was like being her best friend. What do you think it was like to be her sister?”
“It’s still murder.”
I stare at the ground. “What are we going to do?”
“Go to the sheriff. Now.”
“I don’t think I can turn her in. . . .”
He grips my arms gently and I just wish I could sink the rest of the way into him. “Sonia, you have to.”
“Maybe we should wait. There isn’t any real evidence. It’s our word against hers.”
“She’s planning something with these pictures and postcards. I don’t want to wait to find out what it is.”
“But if we call and she’s arrested . . .” My stomach clenches.
“If you don’t want to be the one to do it, I will.” He reaches into his pocket.
“No—I’ll do it.”
I pull my phone out of my purse and unlock it to dial, but I’m distracted by the number of missed calls and texts on the screen. My breath hitches. All of them are from Dina and my mother. My vision clouds as I scroll through the messages. I didn’t think the world could fall apart any faster.
I look up at Marcus. “I have to get home.”
FORTY-ONE
MY MOTHER IS CRYING WHEN I walk in the door. One look at her face and I have to fight not to lose it too. Dina runs a mop over the floor behind the register, something we never do until after we close. There are a handful of customers scattered among the tables, most of them looking on with quiet, wide-eyed stares as if they’ve just seen something they’d prefer to forget.
My mom practically collapses in my arms, not speaking, just breathing. My eyes burn.
Dina drops the mop and hugs us both, squeezing me hard and fast. When she pulls away, she’s composed, but her eyes are red-rimmed.
“What happened?” I whisper.
“He just collapsed. I was by the door about to seat some customers when there was this loud bang.” Her face blanches. “He hit his head going down. Amir did CPR until the ambulance arrived. If he hadn’t been here . . .” Her voice trails to a whisper. She looks down at the floor and I feel sick when I notice the mop is tinged red.
“Where’s Felicia?”
“Upstairs.” My mother whimpers into my hair. “I didn’t want to cry in front of her, but I have to go back up—” Her voice breaks off in a sob. “The doctors aren’t sure he’s going to make it.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital?” My voice shakes. “What can I do to help?”
“Elena said he’s going to be in surgery for several hours. We suggested closing the diner, but she insisted Noah would want it to stay open.” Dina frowns. “She’s probably right.”
“Then we’ll keep it open.” I steel myself, reaching for an apron under the counter.
My mom touches my arm, looking at me with huge eyes. “Felicia was asking for you. She said you made her feel better last time.”
I set down the apron.
“Sonia?” She stops me before I can head for the kitchen stairs. “I’m sorry your prom was ruined.”
I flinch, looking down at my dress, and think of Kirsten. “Don’t be, Mom. It wasn’t anything you did.”
By the time I get Felicia to sleep in my mother’s bed, the diner is mostly empty. I texted Aisha when I left prom to let her know where I went. My mom, Dina, and I don’t talk much except to the customers. We haven’t had any more word from Aunt Elena and I guess we’re each preparing for the worst in our own ways.