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Dad:Remember, you and Sherry have a girls afternoon.??Don’t be late.??
Brie:??
Dad:Give Sherry a chance. It’s important to me.??
Brie:I know
Brie:hey there’s this hike I really want to do totally easy trail so tell her to wear good shoes k?
Dad:Great idea! I’ll tell her.??I’m meeting up with David and Doug, I’ll see you both when you get back.??
I laughed and handed her back her phone. “Your dad likes emojis.”
Brie sighed dramatically. “I regret showing him how to use them. I’ve told him less is more, but whatev. He’s like at that awkward age between Gen X and Millennial.”
“We need to do some research,” I said. “If we learn more about the people on the island, maybe we can figure out what Diana’s shorthand means.”
“Like?”
“Trevor’s background, and maybe Gino Garmon. Where was he a cop? And if Amber and Diana were together.”
“Anyone else she wrote about?” Brie glanced at the book.
“Maybe, but I’m still putting it together.”IfDiana had been writing about Andrew and Sherry, I didn’t want Brie reading about it without me knowing exactly what she meant.
“I’m not your Girl Friday,” Brie said. “Think of me as Dr. Watson. If I’m going to help you—and I can run circles around you on the internet—then I want to know what you know.”
She turned her phone around again, and there was an Instagram post of Amber Jones and Diana Harden, arm in arm, at some charity event.
My mouth fell open, and I grabbed her phone. “How’d you find this so fast?”
“What can I say? Cyber-sleuthing is in my blood.”
The picture had been taken at a children’s charity event in New Orleans six months ago. It was posted on the charity page, and only Amber was identified.
Brie took her phone back. “I’ll see what I can find on Parker Briggs too.”
“Be careful with him,” I said, suddenly wondering if we should even be doing this. I was dragging an eighteen-year-old into something that could turn dangerous.
Becausesomeonehad killed Diana Harden.
“Of course,” she said.
“I’m serious. If I’m right and Diana was blackmailing someone here, on St. Claire, then they’re still here. Because everyone who was on the island Sunday is still a registered guest.”
My words sank in.
“Okay, I get it,” Brie said, and got up. “I’ll be in full stealth mode.” She was halfway across the patio when she looked over her shoulder with a smile. “One thing about teenagers? No one here pays us any attention.”
Chapter Twelve
“Women can be just as dangerous as men.”
—Holly Jackson,A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
I arrived at the Blue Dahlia a little early, hoping Jason would be at the bar. Instead, the same girl from this morning was working. I tried not to show my disappointment.
“What would you like, Ms. Crawford?”