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The Lying Game Sara Shepard 31550K 2023-08-31

The locker roo like a ot its oide aisle Girls kept the same sports locker fronated tennis locker on the first day of practice and found a few things still inside, including a shiny nylon jacket that said HOLLIER TENNIS on the back

As they rounded the corner to the tennis team’s bank of lockers, Madeline stopped short "Whoa" Laurel covered her mouth with her hand

Emma peered around them and nearly cried out Papers lay scattered over the floor and on the benches Red liquid covered a couple of doors and lockers There was a tape outline of a body on the floor, with a big splattering of red stuff--blood?--near the head Yellow police tape strung around the outline said CRIME SCENE: DO NOT CROSS

E step back Could it be? She thought of the note again Sutton’s dead Maybe someone had found Sutton’s bodyhere Maybe the snuff filed Sutton into the locker room and deposited her here for someone to find And if they’d found Sutton, ould thaton the cold locker roo closed Had this been it? Had so didn’t match the flickers I’d already had about my death--the screa see Then I noticed Laurel’s small, nervous smile behind her hand

"Psst" Charlotte yanked them into the shower roo bottle of Aveda shampoo on a built-in shelf in one of the stalls Charlotte peeked around the doorway and gestured for the girls to do the sairls on various tea a triple take at the criular cross-country runner took a picture of it with her phone An Asian girl saw it and immediately turned around and went the other direction When Nisha appeared at the far end of the hall, Charlotte squeezed Ein"

A cold, cla washed over Eer to her lips Shhh

Nisha’s dark hair cascaded down her back She carried a green tennis bag on her shoulder When she turned the corner and noticed the crime scene, she stopped hard She took a few tentative steps toward it, staring at the locker surrounded by police tape A helpless look washed over her face

"Miss?" A wo everyone, including Emma, Charlotte, and Madeline, jump Nisha flinched and pressed her arm to her chest as if to say, Who me? "Can you tell me whose locker this is?"

Nisha’s tawny skin turned ashen She glanced at the cop’s badge, then at her gun "Um, that’s h Charlotte shot her a look

The cop tapped the locker door with the antenna of her walkie-talkie "Would youit forslipped from her shoulder to the floor She didn’t pick it back up "W-Why?"

"I have a warrant right here" The cop unfolded a piece of paper and flashed it in Nisha’s face "I need to search this locker"

Charlotte covered hertiny I-don’t-want-to-laugh squeaks They both turned to Emma Charlotte lifted her eyebrows in a silent look that seemed to ask, Don’t you love this? Eathered in the locker roo The cop paced the aisle Nisha opened and closed herTears welled in her eyes "A!"

"I’ll be the judge of that," the cop said The handcuffs on her belt jingled

Madeline nudged Laurel in the ribs "Where did you find her?"

"I put an ad on Craigslist" Laurel beamed "She’s a theater ain, this time more forcefully Nisha’s hands shook as she worked the combination By now Charlotte was doubled over, her shoulders shaking Madeline had her tongue wedged between her teeth to stave off giggles When the locker opened, the cop plunged her hand inside and pulled out a kitchen knife More red stuff smeared the pointed tip

Nisha sank down to the bench in the ot there!"

Emma picked nervously at dry skin on her palm Sure, Nisha was a bitch, but was she this much of a bitch?

I watched uncertainly, too Maybe I’d been a prankster when I was alive, but froed irl who’d just been killed In fact, it seemed almost eerily coincidental

"I need to search the top part of the locker, too," the cop de to take a little trip down to the station"

"But this is a ged Charlotte’s sleeve "Guys Coh"

Charlotte shot up and whirled around "What?"

"Nisha seems kind of freaked out"

Madeline cocked her head "That’s why it’s funny"