Are you free now? I have it on DVD.—B
I look at my laptop’s screen as another download pops up.
Logged at 22:04 on Sunday…That can’t be right.
I scroll, zooming in on the page and details. My heart picks up.
How is it possible that Aces knew I would be accused of stealing candy on Tuesday, when they logged it on Sunday night at 10:04 p.m.?
My mom’s making pancakes too…—B
I look down at her message. The sense of impending doom in my chest makes me feel like someone has wrapped their hands around my neck, blocking my air supply.
Blond hair. Blood. Tarmac.
At any moment, Aces could release more lies or more truths. The police could come knocking on my front door, lock my wrists together in handcuffs, and drag me away while the disappointment on my parents’ faces burns into my mind forever.
I need to go through all of what Peter has sent over, make sure I have an airtight plan to take back to Devon tomorrow.
Sorry, something came up.
I was just starting to have a real friend, and, like everything else, Aces is ruining that too.
21
DEVON
Wednesday
“And?” I ask as Chiamaka holds up sheets of paper with words and numbers I don’t understand. Her bright-pink Prada bag is a little distracting.
“This was logged before I was accused!” she whisper-shouts.
I look back at the pages, trying to understand her with absolutely no context. I can see rows of numbers—times, some before ten o’clock and some after.
“What was logged?”
She sighs loudly. “Oh my god, for someone up against me for valedictorian, you reallyareslow.”
“Maybe if you explained yourself, I’d understand,” I spit back.
She gives me a tight, sarcastic smile.
“Peter sent me the documents yesterday afternoon. I found the times linked with the messages sent, and the times they were scheduled and logged on this mysterious computer 17. The timemy supposed theftwas logged wastwowhole days before it happened—do you get it now?”
Shit.
“So, it was a setup?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes. “Obviously.”
I turn to face her properly now, moving away from my keyboard.
“Who would set you up?”
She shrugs, shaking her head like even the thought of it is making her distressed.
“My… friend Jamie was with me in the shop at the time.”
