“ … extra-millennial?” Kayleigh added, with a shrug. “Like he still says things likeawesome sauceorstruggle bus. And the Star Wars obsession is a bit cringey.”
I felt instant relief. My intuition was right. Bradley had bent the rules with me, but he wasn’t involved with Hazel.
“Got it. Thanks, Kayleigh.”
“So, I can go?” she asked, and I nodded. She got up from the table, a lightness clearly reentering her body.
She had her car keys in hand, heading toward the parking lot, when she turned around to look at me again.
“Hey, Rose?” she asked softly. “Will you let me know if the police find anything … like before they tell everybody else?” She looked scared. A teenage girl who didn’t want to find out her best friend was dead via social media. I ignored the wave of nausea at that idea and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Thanks.” She gave me a small smile. “I hope you find her fast.”
“Me too.”
I waited, watching to make sure she got into her car safely and had driven away before I got up. No one needed another teenage girl missing. The second she had disappeared onto the street, I climbed into my SUV.
My next steps were obvious: I needed to find and talk to Victoria and Cassandra Hopely.
13
Then: May 2010
The night of Matty Mueller’s party, I was all nerves. My first high school event. The Hopelys thought we were all going out to dinner and a late movie. My parents were usually lax, but I didn’t want to take any risks, so told them the same. We’d be sleeping over at Cassandra’s after. Will and Tommy were about to leave for Fort Lauderdale, so I didn’t have to worry about them blowing my cover.
“Hey, Rosie!” Will walked into our kitchen just as I was about to leave, wearing a big, almost giddy expression on his face. Tommy was outside packing up the car. “Can I show you something?”
My Vera Bradley overnight bag was already in my hand. “I was about to walk over to Cassandra’s for the night. Can it wait?”
“Please,” Will begged. “It’ll be quick, I promise.” He nodded toward his bedroom, gesturing for me to follow. Once we were in his room, he rummaged around in his nightstand drawer.
“All right, Will. What is so important that Ihaveto see?” I asked, impatient.
“I thought you might like to approve Alex’s graduation gift. Make sure she’ll like it,” he said. “Isn’t that part of your sisterly duties?”
“That and being a perpetual pain in your ass,” I teased.
“Well, you’ve already got the second part down.” Will smiled as he unearthed a large jewelry box, the color a distinct robin’s-egg blue. My eyes bulged at the sight of it.
“Tiffany’s?” I demanded.
Will worked part-time at Publix as a cashier. This gift meant a lot of saved-up paychecks.
He beamed. “I wanted to get her something really nice.”
I knew how much Alex liked “fancy” things. Like her parents, she was snobby about anything she considered a lesser brand.
“If it’s from Tiffany’s, she’ll like it. Believe me. Doesn’t even matter what it is.”
Will cast me a sideways look, lifting the lid from the box. “The salesgirl said this is their most popular necklace right now.Everyonewants one, apparently.”
He lifted a silver chain with a heart-shaped charm from the box. “It’s called the Heart Tag Necklace or something like that.”
I recognized it immediately. Cassandra and I salivated over this necklace. Several girls at school already had it.
“What do you think?” Will asked, looking at me.
