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"I think Toby’s A," E whisper "And I think he killed Ali"

There was a pause "I know So do I"

"What?" Eh the sky,Emily cower Spencer didn’t answer The line was dead

Emily put the phone on top of the dryer Spencer knew? It made Emily’s revelation even more real--and much, much scarier

Then, she heard a voice "Emily! E fro in, his hands pressed against her sliding glass door The rain had soaked through his suit andHis face was in the shadows

Eain He tried the door handle, but Emily quickly latched it

"Go away," she hissed He could…he could burn down their house Break in Suffocate Emily while she slept If he could kill Ali, he was capable of anything

"I’ soaked," he called to her "Let me in"

"I…I can’t talk to you Please, Toby, please Just leave me alone"

"Why did you run away from me?" Toby looked confused He had to yell, too, because it was raining so hard "I’m not sure what happened in the car I was just…I was just sort ofall those people But that was all years ago I’m sorry"

The sweetness in his voice ain, and Emily shouted, "No!" Toby stopped, and E that could be a weapon A heavy, ceramic chicken plate A dull kitchen knife Perhaps she could root around in the cabinets and find the griddle… "Please" Eo away"

"Let ive you back your purse It’s in my car"

"Just put it in my mailbox"

"Erily on the door "Just get over here and let me in!"

Emily picked up the heavy chicken plate on the kitchen table She held it out in front of her with both hands, like a shield "Go away!"

Toby pushed his soaked hair off his face "The stuff I said to you in the car…it ca that--"

"It’s too late," Emily interrupted She squeezed her eyes shut All she wanted was to open her eyes again and for all this to be a dream "I knohat you did to her"

Toby stiffened "Wait What?"

"You heard me," Emily said "I Know What You Did To Her"

Toby’shis eyeballs look like hollow pits "How could you know about that?" his voice wobbled "No one…no one knew It was…it was a long tio, Emily"

Emily’s mouth dropped open What, did he think he was so sly that he could get aith it? "Well, I guess your secret’s out"

Toby started to pace back and forth across her deck, running his fingers through his hair "But, E And…and confused I wish I hadn’t done it…"

Eret She didn’t want Toby to be Ali’s killer The say he’d helped her out of his car, how he’d defended her in front of Ben, how lost and vulnerable he’d looked when E alone on the Foxy dance floor Maybe he really was sorry for what he’d done Maybe he’d just been confused

But then E It had been so beautiful out, the perfect kickoff to as going to be a perfect suo to the Jersey Shore the folloeekend, had tickets to the No Doubt concert in July, and Ali was going to throw a huge thirteenth birthday party in August All that was gone the instant Ali stepped out of Spencer’s faht have co Maybe he said things to her When he threw her into the hole, he must have…covered her up with dirt so no one would find her Was that hoent? And after Toby hurt her, had he just gotten on his bike and ridden home? Had he returned to Maine for the rest of the su on the neith a bowl of microwave popcorn in his lap, like it was a lad that bitch is dead E so horrible in her life

"Please," Toby cried "I can’t go through all this again And neither can--"

He couldn’t even finish his sentence Then, suddenly, he covered his face with his hands and ran away, back into the woods in her backyard

All was quiet Emily looked around The kitchen was spotless--her parents had gone away this weekend to Pittsburgh to visit Erandmother, and her mother always cleaned maniacally before she went Carolyn was still out with Topher

She was all alone

Emily sprinted to the front door It was locked, but she pulled the chain across for extra protection She twisted the dead bolt to e door: The mechanical part of it had broken, and her dad had been lazy about fixing it Soe door himself

And then she realized Toby had her purse Which meant…he had her keys

She picked up the phone in the kitchen and dialed 911 But the phone didn’t even ring She hung up and listened for a dial tone, but there was none Emily felt her knees weaken The storm must have knocked out the phone lines

She remained frozen in the hallway for a few seconds, her jaw treed Ali by her hair? Had she still been alive when he tossed her into that hole?

She ran into the garage and looked around In the corner was her old baseball bat It felt strong and heavy in her hands Satisfied, she slid out to the front porch, locked the door behind her with the spare key fro in the shadows, the bat in her lap It was freezing outside, and she could see a giant spider building a web in the other corner of the porch Spiders always terrified her, but she had to be brave She wouldn’t let Toby hurt her, too

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