Page 38 (2/2)

A nurse standing next to Kelly widened her eyes "Honey, get in line"

Hanna blinked hard "D-did so happen to Kyla?"

Kelly’s ht you knew," she said in a hushed voice "Honey, Kyla’s dead"

"What?" Hanna backed away from them and bumped into so on?" she demanded shakily

Sean’s eyes darted back and forth Then he stepped closer "Someone found a body in a ditch behind the facility early thisa hospital bracelet from the clinic Her name was Kyla Kennedy"

Hanna pressed her hand over her mouth "No" Her face felt hot with tears

She collapsed into Sean’s arms, and he patted her shoulder "It looks like she was killed a few days ago and dumped there," Sean said mournfully

Hanna shot back up "Wait That’s not possible I saw Kyla last night She was in the bed in the hall, near Graham’s room"

An unco, Hanna I don’t think that was Kyla It wassoal and publicity nightmare"

"What?" It felt like her brainout of her ears "What do you mean?"

"The police are certain that the real Kyla, our patient, died several days ago at least But nurses--and you, obviously--remember someone in Kyla’s bed after that"

"ButI talked to her!" Hanna gasped "We bonded!"

Sean looked like he was going to be sick "Last night, the nurses discovered Kyla gone When the body turned up, we thought that was that, but the coroner’s data is solid The theory right now is that whoever that was in the bed et into the burn clinic for some reason And then, for some other reason, she justleft"

"That makes no sense!" Hanna wailed "Why would someone do that?"

"I don’t know," Sean said quietly

Flashbulbs popped around the roo A an to cordon off soainst the table and tried to catch her breath As she shifted, soed inside the pocket of her shirt Hanna frowned and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper She didn’t re inside her scrubs the last time she wore them

She unfolded the paper and saw tiny, loopy letters Fale This looked like Ali’s handwriting

Dear Hanna, it began I can explain everything, especially why I did what I did But I think I knohat you’re after, and I want to help you The answer you want is in the Rosewood Day storage shed It will give you the proof you need and put everything to rest Go there NOWbefore it’s too late Love, Kyla

Her face must have been pale, because Sean touched her wrist "What’s that?"

Hanna pulled the note to her chest "Nothing," she croaked And then she turned around and ran out of the building

34

Surprise Inside!

At 1:30, Aria paced back and forth inside heron the television She checked her phone at 1:31 and 10 seconds, and then 24 seconds, and then 45 Nothing from Noel She peered out thefor the zillionth ti up the front steps She’d already cruised around Rosewood and Hollis, as if he’d just be strolling up and down Lancaster Avenue or walking on the Hollis Great Laithout a care in the world

He’s with Ali now, she thought But soainst it Noel loved her She could feel it When he said he loved Ali last night, he’d been confused He was holding on to so that wasn’t there, just like Emily had He hadn’t helped her He hadn’t colluded with her This was a mistake