No wonder he screwed themover.
Matt circled the capsized car, stopping next to the driver’s side. When he winced, a fresh wave of nausea softened mybones.
Was Everest’s body still inthere?
“So you were telling us why Rodrigo was wrong about it being a suicide.” Liam’s voice blazed withcageyness.
“He left me a voicemail about an hour ago.” I dug my phone out. “It sounds incriminating . . . Then again, you all think I’m a criminal already, so why am I even trying to defend myself?” I tapped on my phone’s screen with my fingers that seemed to have transformed into thumbs. It took me three attempts to get my passcoderight.
No onespoke.
Scraping in another breath of death-tainted air, I held out my phone and played back the voicemail over speakerphone. Hearing Everest speak and knowing that he was gone waseerie.
When the message ended, Matt said, “Someone was followinghim.”
Lucas rose from his crouch. “It would explain the pieces of plastic we found on the road.” He turned to Rodrigo. “I know you said the taillight could’ve come off the Jeep when it went over, but itismore likely another car rammed intoEverest’s.”
Liam’s jaw clenched, unclenched, clenched again. “Check the road for skid marks,Matt.”
Matt climbed back, sidestepping the two firefighters who were heaving the Jaws of Life down to thescene.
“What did Everest put in your room?” Liam’s voice dragged my attention off the serratedtool.
Lucas, who was still crouched, alternately scanned the tufts of dusty grass and myexpression.
“I don’t know. August and I turned it upside down, but didn’t findanything.”
Liam’s already dark gazeblackened.
While Rodrigo and one of his men cut open the driver’s door, the heat of a body spilled over my back, and then an arm went around my shoulders and twisted mearound.
“Don’t look,” Augustsaid.
I didn’t fighthim.
“Why were you together, and why are your clothes and hair wet?” Liamgrowled.
“I went for a run. A long run.” My words hit August’s solid chest. “I wasn’t planning on coming back. I might not have if August hadn’t retrieved me.” I wondered for a moment whether Liam would’ve even cared if I’d vanished forever. Keeping my eyes locked on one of the buttons on August’s shirt, I added, “Frank, Evelyn called. She said I could stay with youtonight.”
Frank rubbed his hands against his jeans. “Yes. She’s waiting foryou.”
“I know you probably need to be here, but can you please take me toher?”
“Sure.” He exchanged some quiet words with Eric before starting back up the steepincline.
I disentangled myself from August and went after Frank, desirous to distance myself from this dark mountain that smacked of death anddistrust.
“I got something,” I heard Lucas bark over the sound of an approachingsiren.
Both Frank and I paused and glanced back down into the ditch. Something flat and black gleamed in his hands. Aphone.
“Is it Everest’s?” Frank calleddown.
“It’s not turningon.”
“Give it to Cole,” Liam said, his gaze rising to mine. “If there’s anything to retrieve on it, he’ll findit.”
His accusation was so palpable that my expression turned tostone.
