“That doesn’t mean anything, though,” I say, my voice shaky. “We still have nothing to suggest the key was the murder weapon. Ellery or anyone else who stayed in room 11 after her could have lost it.”
Declan nods. “You’re right. But there’s something else too.”
I feel the blood crash in my ears. “What?” I ask urgently.
“If Ellerydiddo it, if she killed Phoebe, then I think I know why.”
38
Claire
Now
Before Declan can explain further, a sharp knock sounds at the door.
His eyes shoot to me, and I force myself to breathe, to go to the door and open it like nothing’s wrong.
“Hey. Luke made us all dinner. It’s ready downstairs.” Ellery seems relaxed, her voice almost inappropriately chipper for the occasion.
“Thanks,” Declan says from behind me, saving me from my struggle to form words. “We’ll be down in a minute. Need to change my clothes right quick.”
But Ellery doesn’t move. “Oh, don’t bother; it’s not fancy. Plus, Luke’s already put the food out on the table. You don’t want it to get cold.”
Declan and I exchange a look. Whatever information he was about to share is going to have to wait.
***
“Luke, this is divine.” Ellery pops a piece of penne in her mouth and rolls her eyes up into her head. I know she means it as a compliment, but now, with my suspicions at full force, it looks terrifying.
“It’s delicious. So kind of you to do all of this for us,” Josh says, spearing a floret of broccoli on his fork.
“It’s the least I could do after everything you all have been through,” Luke says.
I nod along silently. The pasta primavera Luke has madeisdelicious, but I can’t bring myself to eat. Every time I try to swallow, the food seems to crumble into dust between my molars, one image seared behind my eyelids: Ellery standing over Phoebe, bringing her room key crashing down on Phoebe’s skull.
I watch her now from across the table. Her lips are moving, saying something to Luke, apparently, but the noise doesn’t reach my ears.
Ellery and Tomas were close, extremely so. Instantaneous best friends. So it would make sense if Ellery blamed Phoebe for his death and wanted to get revenge. But what doesn’t click is that after Tomas’s death, Ellery never seemed particularly angry with Phoebe. Unlike Adrien, I never once heard Ellery blame Phoebe for what happened. In fact, she even seemed to defend her during that last dinner.
So, what could have sparked in always patient, calm Ellery that would have caused her to lose control?
I can’t help but remember the few times I’d catch Ellery shooting a glance at Phoebe across the bus or the dinner table at the Innwhen she thought no one would notice. An expression was painted on her face, naked and vulnerable. I was never able to identify it back then.
Was it hatred?
“Claire?”
The sound of my name breaks through the cloud of jumbled thoughts, and when I look around, I find the entire table’s attention on me. It’s clear this isn’t the first time I’ve been asked the question.
“I was asking if the food’s okay,” Luke says, wearing a generous smile. “You’ve barely touched your pasta.”
I look down at my plate, where Luke has rested his eyes to find a mess of shredded pasta and vegetables.
“Of course, it’s delicious,” I force myself to say. I aim for a kind tone, but my voice comes out flat and faraway. “I’m just not feeling that well. It must be everything catching up with me.” I know I’ve overused that excuse the last few days, but I push my chair away from the table before anyone can protest. “I think I’m actually going to lie down.”
I move to clear my plate from the table amid a round of empathetic murmurs, but Luke reaches out a hand from where he sits several seats away, as if to stop me. “Leave it, honey. I’ll handle the dishes. You just get some rest.”
I give him a small smile and stand. As I walk past Declan, he reaches out behind the chair so that his hand brushes mine.
