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"Casey sentfor the bathroom"

"What?" Andre squints at --at least six-four--with hands like , hard He knohat happened to Madeline Snow It’s not a suspicion It’s a certainty He knohat happened to Madeline Snow and he knohere Dara is and he takes care of problems It suddenly occurs to me that no one would hear me if I screa for a job?" Andre says, when I don’t respond, and I realize that I’ the stupid application

"Yes No I"But Casey said you guys aren’t doing parties right now"

Andre’s watchinga o over , careful touch He sawatt, movie-star smile, a smile to make people say yes "But how about you coain"

"That’s okay," I say quickly "I don’t--I ht now"

Andre’s still s shifts behind his eyes It’s like the friendly switch has just cut off Now his s, suspicious "Hey," he says, pointing a finger at nizes me, he knows I’m Dara’s sister, he knows I ca with me "Hey You look familiar Don’t I know you?"

I don’t answer I can’t He knows Withoutas quickly as I can without breaking into a run, taking the stairs two at a tiuy dressed in a dark purple suit who reeks of cologne

"Why the hurry?" he calls afterdrunkenly in heels, squealing along with the song lyrics Luckily, the bouncer has temporarily abandoned his post--maybe it’s too late for new arrivals I push out into the thick night air, heavy with rateful breaths, like so froht Tetris formation, bumper-to-bumper--too many cars for the nu second I can’t re the car open, feeling reassured when I hear the fa toward the car, weaving between cars

Suddenly I’hts A sravel, and as it passes underneath the light I see Sarah Snow’s friend hunched behind the wheel Her name, heard or read a dozen times in the past ten days, returns to me suddenly Kennedy

I thud a hand down on her trunk before she can fully bypass me "Wait!"

She slams on the brakes I circle around to the driver’s side, keeping one hand on her car the whole ti away "Wait" I haven’t even planned what I’ to say But she has answers; I know she does "Please" I place my hand flat on theShe jerks backward an inch, like she’s expecting lass and hit her But after a second, she buzzes down the

"What?" She’s holding on to the wheel with both hands, as if she’s afraid it ht jump out of her hands "What do you want?"

"I know you lied about the night Madeline disappeared" The words are out ofthem Kennedy inhales sharply "You and Sarah came here"

It’s a statement, not a question, but Kennedy nods, a movement so small I almost miss it

"How did you know?" she says in a whisper Her expression turns fearful "Who are you?"

"My sister" My voice cracks I sn the taste of sawdust I have a thousand questions, but can’t le one come into focus "My sister works here Or at least, she used to work here I think--I think she’s in trouble I think so Kennedy’s face for signs of recognition or guilt But she’s still staring up at e, hollowed eyes, as if I’ like what happened to Madeline"

I to say Now she doesn’t look afraid She looks angry

"I don’t know anything," she says fir repeatedly She starts to buzz up the"Just leave me alone"

"Wait" Out of desperation, I stick ap between the car door and theKennedy lets out a hiss of irritation, but at least she rolls the n again "I need your help"

"I told you I don’t know anything" She’s losing it again, like she did downstairs in Andre’s office Her voice hitches higher, wobbling over the words "I left early that night I thought Sarah had gone hoht, when I ca open--that Sarah had been too wasted to remember to close it That she’d taken Maddie hoine the car, the open door, the e froht, the muffled thud of music, the distant crash of waves Up the street, the peaked roof of an Applebee’s, a fe-rent condo to the shore, a diner and a surf shop Across the street: a greasy cla is so normal, so relentlessly the sas, the tragedies, the dark fairy-tale twists