Page 25 (1/2)

Chapter 23

EMILY’S SUCH A PUSHOVER

The following afternoon, Ee trail and immediately spotted Kelsey’s black Toyota hatchback in one of the front spaces Last night’s rain had stopped, and the sun had coreen and lush

Before she got out of the car, she turned and squinted at the vehicles swishing back and forth on the winding road When a Mercedes coupe whizzed past, she watched it carefully Was that Spencer’s car, or was hers ernail What would Spencer say if she saw Eether? When Kelsey had eo on a hike after school, E with Spencer and the others last night But after a moment, she’d said yes Spencer couldn’t tell her who she could or couldn’t be friends with The photo of Tabitha on Kelsey’s phone worried Emily, but just because Kelsey had been to Jamaica at the same time as Eing out with Kelsey today was Emily’s chance to suss out so once and for all

She locked her car and strode across the lot toward Kelsey Kelsey was taking a big swig of water, dressed in khaki cargo pants, hiking shoes, and a black North Face hoodie that looked al There was so choppily, her body having lots of bounce It was as though she’d just drunk a bunch of cups of espresso

"This is one of my favorite places," Kelsey said, her voice a little on the peppy side, too "I used to caeous" En that listed the path’s hours of use and a bunch of warnings about Lyme disease and ticks "I was never allowed to coer My mom was sure it was full of kidnappers"

"And did you believe it, too?" Kelsey teased

"Maybe," Eht you were a badass" Kelsey pinched E bad kidnappers"

They started to cliolden retriever passed them in the other direction, and three runners disappeared around the bend Emily paid close attention to her footsteps, careful not to trip over any of the scraggly branches that had fallen across the path The coconut scent of sunscreen wafted down froher point on the trail, and the photos from Jamaica Spencer had stolen froain She cleared her throat "I like cao to the ocean"

"I love the beach," Kelsey gushed

"Have you ever been to the Caribbean?" E Kelsey’s answer

Kelsey skirted around a large rock "A couple times I was in Jamaica just last year"

"I was in Jamaica last year, too" Eo during spring break?"

"Uh huh" Kelsey turned around, an intrigued s across her face "You too?"

Emily nodded "Next we’ll discover we stayed at the same hotel," she joked Or at least she hoped it sounded like a joke "I stayed at a place called The Cliffs It had these areat restaurant"

Kelsey stopped on the trail and blinked "You’re kidding ht?"

Emily shook her head, her ns of aardness or deceit, but Kelsey looked so guileless, truly caught off guard If I see a squirrel in that tree, Kelsey is innocent, she told herself, gazing at a big oak in front of her Sure enough, a squirrel scah branches

"What week did your school go on spring break?" Kelsey asked

Enes had been off, too "I can’t believe I didn’t notice you," Kelsey said after a moment "Just think We could have become friends so much sooner" She touched Emily’s ars in Eled When she breathed in, the air s on the trail was sprouting She gazed into Kelsey’s bright green eyes Either she was an incredibly skilled liar, or she really knew nothing She ht have met Tabitha at The Cliffs, but there was no way she knehat had happened to her She certainly didn’t knohat Emily and the others had done

Suddenly, Emily noticed a familiar fork in the path "Can weis still here"

Kelsey nodded, and Emily trekked a few steps down the fork and came upon a small stone water fountain that stood on the side of a sharp, muddy slope There were two handprints in the cement One print was labeled Emily The other said Ali

Kelsey bent down and touched the cement pal at Ali’s slender hands, preserved in perpetuity "Ali and I sneaked out here once They’d just poured the ceested we leave our mark"