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“Yes, of course. If this is what you want.”

“I do want him.”

“Even with...”

She smiles at me. “It’s okay. I know you’ve been keeping things from me.”

“I...”

“Fred told me everything after that policewoman left...”

Officer Anderson had questioned Fred and Emma before Oliver and me. She’d also talked to Harper and Shawna, David and Allison, Simone, and even Inspector Tucci before she got to us.

I was trying not to take it personally that she’d left Oliver and me for last.

It probably was because she knew it couldn’t be us.

Right?

I mean, Icouldhave done it. I’m right here on the spot. I might not have a motive—that I’ve told you about—but that doesn’t mean everything.

Maybe I’m a sociopath waiting for my moment to strike. Because the perfect murder is one where youdon’thave a motive.

Kidding!

I didn’t do it, I promise. And the fact that we haven’t found Fred’s burner phone, even though I ripped my room apart and sent Oliver back to the crime scene to check, well, that is just a loose thread that I’m sure is going to be explained eventually.

It’s a gap like the one in my slip. An irritant, and nothing more.70

“What did Fred say?”

“He told me about his second phone and the texts. It was some ex-girlfriend who wanted to get back with him. He gave her that number so he’d have an excuse not to answer her regularly.”

“Why not just block her?”

“Because she’s someone you can’t do that to.” Our eyes meet again, and I get what she’s saying. She’s one ofthoseex-girlfriends. The famous ones. The ones who can call up TMZ orPeopleand plant a story from “close sources” that will ruin your career if you cross them.

“Did he meet with her?”

“A couple of times, to tell her things were over and they weren’t going to get back together.”

“Like never.”

Emma laughs. We used to sing that song together a lot when we were in our early twenties because we were dating guys who were in their early twenties.

“People have trouble letting go sometimes,” Emma says.

“Like Tyler.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t believe you remembered his number all this time.”

Emma blushes and looks down. “It’s not what you think.”

“No?”

“It was because he was calling me. I saw it flash on my screen so many times.”