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The girls exchanged a pleading look Then Aria took the others’ hands and they strode across Eh a flower bed They were a few feet from Emily’s front door when a police officer stepped in their path
"Hanna, I told you to stay out of this," the cop said
Spencer gulped It was Wilden, the guy who’d come by her house yesterday Her heart started to pound
Hanna tried to push hirabbed Hanna by the shoulders, and she started to squirripped Hanna around her tiny waist "Try to calm her down," Wilden said to Spencer Then he noticed who she was "Oh," he breathed He looked confused, then curious "Miss Hastings"
"We just want to knohat happened to E "She’s…she’s our friend"
"You guys should all go home" Wilden crossed his arms over his chest
Suddenly, the front door opened…and Emily stepped out
She was barefoot and pale, and holding a glass of water in an old McDonald’s MuppetSpencer was so relieved to see her, she actually cried out A vulnerable, pained noise escaped froirls rushed over to her "Are you all right?" Hanna asked
"What happened?" Aria said at the saestured to the crowd of people
"Emily…" Wilden put his hands on his hips "Maybe you should see your friends later Your parents said you were supposed to stay inside"
But Emily shook her head, almost irritated "No, it’s okay"
Eht past the cop to her side yard They stood practically in a rosebush up against the side of the house, so they’d have a little privacy Spencer took a good look at Emily She had dark circles under her eyes, and there were scratches all over her legs, but otherwise, she looked fine "What happened?" Spencer asked
Ee breath "A mountain biker found Toby’s body in the woods behind uess he OD’d on pills or soasped Aria went pale "What? When?" she asked
"It was so to call you, except that cop’s watching"My parents are visiting randmother this weekend" She tried to srimace, and then her face collapsed into a sob
"It’s all right," Hanna coht," E her face with her shirt "He took me home from Foxy, and oneive Ali for what she did, and that he was glad she’s dead"
"Oh my God" Spencer covered her eyes It was all true
"That’s when I realized--Toby knew," E "He must have found out what Ali did, and…and I think he killed her"
"Wait a second," Hanna interrupted, holding up her hand "I don’t think he--"
"Shhh" Spencer put her hand lightly on Hanna’s tiny wrist Hanna looked like she wanted to say so, but Spencer was afraid that if Emily stopped, she wouldn’t be able to finish
"I ran away froot inside, Spencer called, but we got cut off Then…then Toby was at my back door I told hi to tell the police He acted all aured it out"
Euys--how did Toby know?"
Spencer’s stoone down before she could explain the truth of The Jenna Thing to Eht She wished she didn’t have to tell Eh telling Aria and Hanna--but the truth was going to shatter E at Spencer expectantly, so Spencer steeled herself "He always knew," she said "He saw Ali do it Only, Ali black the blame She made me keep the secret" She paused for a breath and noticed that Eht she would She was standing there, coraphy lecture It kind of put Spencer off balance "So, uht thatthat what she was about to say was true "I thoughtto do with it, but I was too scared to say anything But then he came back for her funeral…and my A notes referenced the Toby secret The last one said, You hurt e on all of us He must have knoere all involved"
E there so calmly Then, slowly, her shoulders started to shake She shut her eyes At first, Spencer thought she was crying, but then she realized she was laughing
Elanced at Aria and Hanna uneasily Eently
When E "Ali promised us that no one knee’d done"
"Guess she lied," Hanna said flatly
Ely back and forth "But how could she lie to us like that? What if Toby decided to tell?" She shook her head "This…this happened ere all inside Ali’s house, watching at her front door?" Eht?"
Spencer nodded solemnly
"And Ali ca was fine, and when none of us could sleep except for her, she co our backs?"