Free Second Nature by Ae Watson Page A

and it was a little different?”
    A smile crept across
Sierra’s lips. “It doesn't work like that. Her brain is like a camera hooked up
to a computer. One thing triggers it and bam ! — she
recalls all the details.”
    “She’s never wrong,”
Lindsey added.
    I blushed and lowered my
gaze. “Not yet.”
    “So the designer made a
second dress. He gave it to the girl who tried to drug you and did drug me.
Which means the designer is in on this, or he is an asshole who sets up girls
to be wearing the same dress.”
    “Risky move for a new
designer.” Sierra shook her head. “I suspect he was paid an enormous amount of
money to duplicate the dress, which he will say was stolen. There’s no way it
got worn to the same party coincidentally.”
    “Who else knew you went
to the show?” Lindsey was starting to sound like her old self again.
    “Our moms,” Rita added
defensively. She didn't love Lindsey and her snooping, that much was obvious.
    I contemplated it all.
“Everything is leading us back to Rach. We need to get into her room.”
    “Not tonight. I have the
party, and we have like an hour before people start showing up, and I’m not
even dressed yet,” Rita demanded.
    “Fine. We’ll go Monday
when everyone else is in school or at work. I have a free period in the
morning, and Lain, you can skip.”
    I wanted to argue with
Lindsey but there was no point. It was the second day of school, not exactly
crucial for attendance. I just hated starting off with bad behavior.

Chapter
Six
    Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo, Mrs. Robinson

 
    Sierra jumped into the
pool, cannonballing everyone but the screams were lost in the sound of the music
and shouting kids.
    Vincent handed me the
flask he had brought. I lifted my Sprite and coconut water. “I’m good.”
    “Want
to go to Rachel’s?” he whispered, not looking at me. “Snoop around with me?”
    “What about Linds?” I
still couldn't believe she was drunk. She never got drunk before this summer,
unless it involved her own pool and a good book, but now it was something she
was doing increasingly.
    “She’s going home to bed.
We can drop her off and then head for Rachel’s.” He turned and gave me a look.
“What do you think we’ll find there?”
    “Letters from the killer.
I think Rachel was getting them. I wonder if she was forced to buy that dress
and give it to Sierra? I wonder if she was told what to do? Like blackmail. I
also wonder what the killer had on her and where we all fit into the story.”
    “That is an interesting
theory.” He stood and took another small drink from his flask. “Let me collect
my girlfriend, and we can go explore it. Don't tell anyone where we’re going.
You take the beach and meet me at the car.” He walked into the madness that
only we were not enjoying.
    “Did he just say meet him
on the beach? He just wants to screw you.” Sage flopped into the seat next to
me. “He is working his way through our circle. And you’re next.”
    If I didn't love the girl
like a sister I might have punched her in the throat. I was getting bloody
tired of her antics. “No, he wants Ashton to come home as badly as I do.”
    Her bright eyes watered
as she leaned in and whispered, “He might be the killer, Lain. We have to think
about that. I mean, I don't think he is. But there’s a chance. He left and
nothing else has happened.” Her eyes were filled with fear. At first I thought
she was talking about Vincent, but then I realized she meant her brother.
    “Sage, I used to think
Sierra was the dumb one. She’s always flipping her hair and saying weird things
that don't match the moment we are in. But this whole thing has shown me she’s
not.” The venom in my voice was heavily laid at her feet.
    She blinked, too drunk to
understand what I was saying.
    “Vincent and I are going
to find your brother and bring him home. And we’re going to prove he isn’t the
killer.” My blood was boiling. I never said mean things, ever. I hated