Two Can Keep a Secret(45)
I force down a sip of water. “Jesus, Mia. They’re friends.”
“Stop thinking the best of people, Mal,” Mia says. “Nobody’s doing it for you. We should …” She trails off as the noise level in the cafeteria grows louder. The Corcoran twins have emerged from the food line, trays in hand. I haven’t talked to them yet today, and every time I’ve spotted one of them they were surrounded by knots of students. The whole school knows they were the second-to-last people to see Brooke alive, and everybody wants their take on Saturday night. I don’t have to be within earshot to know what kind of questions they’re getting: Have you guys heard that Brooke and Malcolm were hooking up? Did they act weird around each other? Were they fighting?
Do you think he did something to her?
I could tell yesterday that Ezra is exactly like Mia: it never even occurred to him that I might’ve done anything except drop Brooke off. Ellery’s mind doesn’t work that way, though. She’s naturally suspicious. I get it, but … it stung. And even though it seemed like she came around eventually, I’m not sure it’s going to last when half the school is whispering in her ear.
Mia watches the two of them like she’s having the exact same thought. Ezra’s eyes light on us at almost the same time Katrin’s hand shoots into the air. “Ellery!” Katrin calls. “Over here!” She doesn’t include Ezra, and I feel pathetically grateful when he starts toward us. Even though I know it’s probably just because he wasn’t invited anywhere else.
Ellery hesitates, and it feels as though the entire cafeteria is watching her. Her curly hair is long and loose today, and when she looks toward Katrin it obscures half her face. My heart jackhammers in my chest as I try to tell myself it doesn’t matter what she does. It won’t change anything. Brooke will still be missing, and half the town will still hate me because I’m a Kelly.
Ellery lifts her hand and waves at Katrin, then turns away from her and follows Ezra to our table. I exhale for what feels like the first time all day, relieved, but the buzz in the cafeteria only gets louder. Ezra reaches us first, pulling out two chairs with a noisy scrape and lowering himself into one of them. “Hey,” he says quietly. Ellery puts her tray next to his and slips into the remaining chair, offering me a tentative smile.
Just like that, we’re all outsiders together.
It’s not right, it’s not okay.
That’s the part of what Brooke said in the Fright Farm office that sticks with me the most. With Ellery, too. “The one time I sat with her and Katrin at lunch, she looked worn down,” she says. “Something was definitely bothering her.”
We’re at Mia’s house after school, scattered around her living room. I’m keeping a constant eye on social media, hoping for some kind of positive update on Brooke, but all I see are posts about organizing a search. The police don’t want people doing anything on their own, so they’re recruiting volunteers for a coordinated effort.
None of the Kwons are home except Daisy, who’s holed up in her bedroom as usual. Thank God. I’d like to think Dr. and Mr. Kwon wouldn’t treat me any different from how they always have, but I’m not ready to find out.
“Maybe that’s why she was talking to Vance,” Mia says. She’s still seething that nobody took me seriously about that. “She could’ve been asking for help.”
Ezra looks dubious. “I don’t know. I’ve only met the guy once, but he didn’t strike me as the helpful type.”
“He was Sadie’s homecoming date,” Ellery says. “That means nothing, I guess, but … it’s weird how he keeps popping up, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I agree. “But he was locked up all night.”
“According to Officer McNulty,” Ellery says darkly.
I blink at her. “What, you—you think he was making that up?” At least she’s equal opportunity with her conspiracy theories.
“I don’t think the Echo Ridge police are very competent, do you?,” she asks. “Somebody basically drew them a map that was all, hey, hello, here’s my next victim. And she disappeared anyway.”
She half swallows the last word, hunching down in the Kwons’ oversized leather armchair. I blink, surprised at how lost she suddenly looks, and then I could kick myself for being so caught up in my own problems that I didn’t make the connection sooner. “You’re scared,” I say, because of course she is. She was on that list too.
Ezra leans forward on the couch. “Nothing’s going to happen to you, El,” he says. Like he can make it true through sheer force of will. Mia nods vigorously beside him.
“No, I know.” Ellery hugs her knees to her chest and rests her chin on them. “That’s not how this works, right? It’s always one girl. There’s no point in worrying about me right now, or Katrin. Just Brooke.”
There’s no way in hell I’m going to remind her that we have no clue how any of this works. “We can worry about all of you. But it’ll be all right, Ellery. We’ll make sure of it.” It’s the worst reassurance ever, coming from the last guy to see Brooke before she disappeared. But it’s all I’ve got.
Light footsteps sound on the stairs, and Daisy appears on the landing. She’s wearing giant sunglasses and an oversized sweater, clutching her bag like a shield. “I’m going out for a little while,” she says, heading for the Kwons’ front door and pulling a jacket off their coatrack. She moves so quickly, she looks as though she’s gliding across the floor.