Free Pretty Little Liars #14 by Sara Shepard Page A

been sitting in a holding cell at the Philadelphia FBI branch office for more than an hour now. The room was small and dim, with a splintery table and absolutely nothing for her to do—they’d taken her phone and purse—except to pace back and forth. The only object in here was a plastic cup that had once been full of water. A heater rattled in the ceiling. The whole place smelled vaguely of grape Popsicles.
    She made another lap around the room, her mind spinning. She didn’t get why Officer Gates had brought her to the FBI. Shouldn’t her crime be handled by local police? Or was drug possession a bigger thing? What if she was headed to federal prison? She shut her eyes, seeing her future at Princeton float down the drain. Of course this was Ali’s next move. She’d been an idiot not to anticipate it.
    The door swung open, and Spencer leapt to attention. Aria appeared. Officer Gates and a man with FBI emblazoned on his jacket in blue thread pushed Hanna and Emily inside as well.
    A had gotten them, too.
    Gates looked at Emily and Hanna. “Empty your pockets and give me your purses. I want your keys, phones, and any other personal items.”
    Hanna and Emily did as they were told. Aria just shrugged, seemingly already stripped of her belongings. Then the agents handed them cups of water and backed out of the room. The metal door closed with a clunk .
    Everyone slumped down at the table. Spencer touched Emily’s hand. “Jordan? Or Gayle?” she asked in a low voice.
    Emily hung her head. “The FBI knows I was in touch with . . .” She trailed off. “What if they ask me where she is?”
    â€œDo you know where Jordan is?” Spencer whispered.
    Emily was about to answer, but then Spencer caught her arm and glanced around. They might be listening , she mouthed. A mirror hung on a far wall. For all she knew, the agents were observing them on the other side.
    Emily shifted her chair closer and whispered into Spencer’s ear. “I don’t know where she is.”
    Aria cupped her hands around her mouth and spoke softly, too. “Well, at least you won’t be extradited. I might spend the next twenty years in an Icelandic prison for breaking and entering and helping—even though the painting was a fake.”
    Hanna pushed her hair around her face and said in a low voice, “Guys, what if the press realizes why we’re here?” Her eyes glinted with tears. “It’s going to ruin my dad’s campaign.”
    â€œMy mom was there when the cops came for me.” Spencer thought about the horrific scene at the house. “You should have seen the look on her face.”
    Emily looked shiftily back and forth. “Why now?”
    Aria laid her head on the table. “Maybe I’m being punished for trying to get answers out of Noel.”
    â€œNo, it’s because I went to The Preserve,” Emily insisted. Spencer looked at her, surprised. Emily filled her in.
    â€œMaybe it’s because I told Mike,” Hanna murmured.
    Spencer felt a lump in her throat. “I’m to blame, too. I tracked down the building from that surveillance photo. The one that had Ali in it.”
    Hanna’s head whipped up. “You did ? What happened?” Her voice rose in volume, and she clapped her mouth shut.
    â€œWhy didn’t you say anything?” Aria said under her breath.
    Spencer hunched her shoulders and looked at the others. “Ali wasn’t there. I don’t think she’d ever been there. I guess it was a trap all along.”
    â€œWe never should have pursued any of this,” Emily hissed. “Noel wasn’t punishment enough—Ali needed to make us pay. And she had all the ammo she needed.”
    â€œI guess we just lost sight of everything A knew about us,” Aria said softly.
    Spencer looked around. “But why are we here , at the FBI? I mean, yes, Emily and Aria, it makes sense