Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance Page B

follows a few minutes later.
    He sees me leaning against my car and jogs up. “Hey.”
    “Hey.”
    “I hope you don’t mind that I went ahead and talked to her. I figured you’d want to know what she said.”
    I do want to know what she said. I am sick. “Thanks. I wasn’t ready.”
    Drew watches me. “We don’t have to do this now.”
    “I want to get it over with. Tell me.”
    “I’m not sure how.”
    “Tell me.”
    Drew takes a breath and then it all comes out in a rush. “She lied. She never saw anything.”
    I’m dizzy. “That’s impossible. She said it wasn’t an accident. She talked to the police.”
    “Someone paid her to talk to the police, Berry. She wasn’t even on the bridge that day.”
    “How do you know she’s not lying now?” Another dead end. That’s all it is. The woman who saw everything isn’t talking.
    “I don’t. But I believed her. It fits with the note you found. Someone wanted the police to think your mom killed herself.”
    My knees are wobbly. I lean against the car for support. As much as I thought I wanted to believe that someone killed my mother, the thought makes me want to puke. “Who? Who paid her?”
    “Some guy she met in a bar in Chula Vista. She doesn’t remembermuch about him now. He paid her ten thousand dollars to say she saw the car go over the edge and call the police.”
    I slip down the side of the car until my butt hits the pavement.
    “Do you know what this means?” Drew kneels down beside me.
    I wrap my hands around my knees. I know exactly what this means. Someone wanted the police to think my mother killed herself. Someone covered their tracks. “We have to keep looking.”

Chapter 19
    A t school on Friday, Drew promises to meet me at the dance by ten. I was already planning to go with Mary Chris and Jason, so it’s not like I’ll be alone or anything. Still, as fake dates go, this one pretty much bites.
    Dad kisses me on the cheek on his way out the door with his suitcase. “Don’t stay out all night.”
    “I could say the same thing to you. But that would be weird.”
    “Call if you need anything.”
    “I won’t.” I don’t know whether I’ll need anything or not. But I won’t call. I’m not about to interrupt Dad’s romantic getaway. I’d rather pretend it’s not happening.
    Dad stops in the doorway. “You’re sure you’ll be okay?”
    I could make him stay. I could tell him I need him here and put an end to this weekend with Shauna Waterson. It’s tempting, but something stops me. “I’ll be fine, Dad.” As long as Mr. Moss doesn’t catch me going through his office.
    Dad smiles and hugs me before heading out the door.
    I grab the dark cherry dress and drive over to Mary Chris’s house to get ready.
    Jason greets me at the door. He’s wearing a pair of black pants that taper at the ankles and a red satin shirt that looks vintage.
    “What, no tux?”
    “Not that you can see.”
    “Invisible tux? Wow. So elite no one even knows it exists.”
    Jason laughs. “Wrong. It’s a tuxSpeedo.”
    “Please tell me you are not planning to parade around in a tiny bathing suit with a bow tie.”
    “Buzzkill.” Jason leads me upstairs. “Mary Chris is freaking out about her updo, even though it looks fabulous. Tell her she looks amazing. She thinks Ryan’s going to change his mind about her. Like that would happen.”
    “Ryan’s coming?”
    “She didn’t tell you?” Jason’s smile is evil. “Then I’m guessing she didn’t tell you about Tanner either?”
    “What about Tanner?” I’m going to kill Mary Chris if she’s done what I think she’s done.
    “Mary Chris might’ve invited him to come with us.”
    This is what I get for allowing myself to be so distracted. Left to their own devices, my friends are a dangerous pair.
    We make our way up to Mare’s bedroom. Her hair is swept up in a pile of loose curls that make me think of a cross between Scarlett O’Hara and Mae West. Still, Mare pulls it off.