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I discovered something disturbing about the murders in the woods that you should know.

Denise read the email again on her phone.

When she’d first glazed over it earlier, she was between stories. Distracted, she was ready to reject it as just another one of the nonsensical comments in response to her feature on the murders of Abby and Erin. But Denise stopped short of dismissing the email when she saw it was signed by Opal Wells, a school friend of Carrie’s she’d interviewed.

And Opal wanted to meet.

Intriguing.

Denise recalled Opal as a bit peculiar, even a titch flaky, but it would only take a few minutes to find out what she’d “discovered.” Denise agreed to meet at the IHOP across the street from the Chronicle .

Now, putting her phone in her purse, Denise stepped inside, surveyed the dining room, found Opal alone in a booth and joined her. The server offered menus, which they both declined, then brought over a couple coffees.

“Thank you for seeing me,” Opal said.

“Sure. But I only have a couple minutes, so maybe we should get to it. What have you discovered?”

“Something’s come up. I feel I’ve misled people.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I have to clarify something about the murders.”

Denise studied Opal’s face while splashing cream into her coffee.

Opal retrieved something from her purse, a book, and before opening it, explained the Franklin project and the comments she and Carrie had written on sticky notes. She turned the book to Denise, pointing: “‘Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.’”

Denise raised an eyebrow.

“See Carrie’s note, about loving this one?” Opal said.

Denise shrugged. “Okay. Well, Franklin did say those things, Opal, and your project was about Franklin.”

“It’s the timing, Denise. When she wrote that, it was right after the incident with Abby and Erin in the cafeteria, leading up to the dance and the murders. Don’t you see? No one knows why they went into the woods. Three girls go in, and two were killed.”

Opal tapped the sticky note, letting her words rest with Denise before continuing. “In my interview, I told you I believed with all my heart that there was no way Carrie would’ve hurt those girls.”

“And now?”

“I don’t know.” Opal blinked. “I’ve come to you because morally it’s the right thing to do. I can’t live with myself knowing this and saying nothing. I know Hyde confessed, but—but you have those case files. You know more about this case than anyone.”

Denise sat thinking as Opal leaned forward and dropped her voice lower.

“And something else. After it happened, some people were whispering that there was a vileness about Abby and Erin and that maybe they deserved what they got.”

Denise froze, her concentration intensifying. “What people?”

Opal didn’t answer.

“Was it Carrie?”

Still no answer.

Denise said, “Why not go to the police with your book there, and your interpretation of it?”

“No.” Opal shook her head.

“Why?”

“A lot of reasons, but mainly because Carrie’s husband works in law enforcement. It would be awkward.”

“May I have it?”

“I’d prefer to keep it. I told you what I know. You saw the evidence.”

“Opal, you could’ve written the note yourself and stuck it there this morning.”

Opal’s mouth opened; her face whitened. “Why? Why would I do that? No, no, I didn’t.”

“Okay, okay. But in my work, I have to be wary of every bit of information that comes my way.”

Taking it all in, Denise reached into her bag for her phone. “Let me take a few pictures.”