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"Please?" Spencer begged She needed him to do it--s pressed the back of her hand to her forehead "Spencer, do we need to get you another appointasped She and Melissa had visited Dr Evans, a psychologist, last year, and though Spencer would love so forced to lie about most of her life seemed stressful "I didn’t trash the model, but I’ll clean it up if that’llup the ood start," Mr Pennythistle said stiffly

Knock

Everyone’s head whipped up Two shapes shifted behind the curtained s Mrs Hastings lunged toward the door, her face a twist of fury "I’le those reporters"

"Is anyone there?" a stern, deep voice shouted "It’s the police"

Mrs Hastings froze Spencer stared at Mr Pennythistle "I thought you said you weren’t going to call the cops," she whispered

Mr Pennythistle blinked "I didn’t"

He angled past Spencer’s erly opened the door Two uniformed police officers stood on the porch "I’ his badge Spencer recognized him: He was the same person who’d asked her questions about Noel at the hospital Her stoestured to the man next to him "This is my partner, Officer Mulvaney We need to take Spencer to the station to ask her a few questions about a crilared at Spencer She shrank back on the ottoman Had they come here because they knew she’d lied?

"What cri by the side table of the couch, clutching the large, jade bear statue she and Spencer’s father had bought years ago in Japan

Officer Mulvaney, who had steely gray eyes and thin lips, tucked his badge into his pocket "We received an anony possession last su What?

Mrs Hastings burst out laughing "My daughter doesn’t do drugs And she was at the University of Pennsylvania doing a very intensive pre-college program last summer"

The taller cop smirked "The cris’s cheek twitched She looked at Spencer, whose head was spinning Anony in her face s’s expression drooped "Spencer?"

It felt like a hockey-puck-sized lurown in Spencer’s throat All she pictured, suddenly, was a study session a feeeks into the pre-college program Spencer and her friend Kelsey Pierce had sat on their beds in their dor to cram too much information in their minds at once, and there had been a knock at the door "Oh, thank God," Spencer had said, leaping up from the bed

It was Phineas O’Connell, another student in the pre-college program--and their dealer She threw her ar his layered, e Def Leppard T-shirt that had probably cost eighty bucks at Saks And then she’d said in a serious voice, "Okay, hand ’em over"

Phineas had dropped two Easy As into her palm--one for her, one for Kelsey Spencer had paid him, and then he’d waltzed out the door Kelsey koed Spencer blew him kisses Then they popped the pills, studied like mad, and aced the exaht a dealer off-cah that hat had led to her and Kelsey’s arrest Surely Phineas hadn’t told the cops, though--he was just as guilty Had Kelsey? Would the cops really believe someone from a mental hospital?

"I’m sure it’s a mistake," she said shakily as she walked toward the cops "But, uhteen, which o to the police station alone There was no way she was having the discussion with her faer she could hold off herout the truth, the better

As the cops walked her to the squad car, reporters outside the gate snapped photos and begged for comments Over the din, Spencer heard her phone chime She reached for it in her pocket and peered at the screen As soon as she saw that the new text was anonymous, she wanted to smack herself Of course

This one was an easy A forto keep your secret to myself forever, did you? --A

7

NO RESPECT FOR THE DEAD

Hanna had never been to the St Bonaventure Church in Old City, Philadelphia, but it rely of the Rosewood Abbey, where Ali’s memorial service had been held The air also smelled like incense, dried flowers, and musty, wet Bibles The sah s An organ stood at the front of the church, phallic-looking pipes protruded fro books in the little slots on the backs of the pews Graham’s closed casket stood at the front of the roo at it

Countless funeral goers filed wordlessly through the i doors and down the aisles Hanna peered out theagain, taking in the police officers, reporters, and ogling pedestrians that clogged the busy city street Beyond theedsigns Hanna squinted before she stepped into the lobby Were thoseprotesters? Their signs had pictures of cruise ships and bombs