"So, Viktor could be involved in this money-making scheme as well."
"Kyle had dinner with Henry, Viktor, Drew, and Jill last week," Brooke replied.
"Why weren't you there?"
"I wasn't invited. Kyle said it was business."
"But Jill was there," she said. "Where does she fit in with everyone?"
"Jill and Drew have been dating. They were friends for a long time, but she told me they had a drunken hookup a few months back, and she'd started looking at him differently. I didn't want to ask too many questions about it, because we're all in this group, and it's kind of strange that they're suddenly together. Trent isn't happy about it, either. According to Jill, Trent and Drew are barely speaking."
Brooke paused, then added, "But everyone seems to be acting differently the past few days. Ever since that woman got shot, and you two showed up at the charity event, Jill has been bitchy, Kyle is secretive, and Henry is even more disgustingly smug than usual. I don't know what to think about anyone, not even my fiancé. I feel like they're all suddenly strangers, people I don't recognize anymore."
She exchanged a glance with Matt, thinking it was ironic that Brooke, who had deceived Landon, was now discovering that others, including her fiancé, might be lying to her. "You must know something about their get-rich-quick plan."
"All I know is that they have a plan to make money on the stock market and it's going to happen before the election. Jill convinced me to give her some money to invest, so I did. But I don't know the details. If I could help you more, I would. I want this all to be over. I want to feel safe again and be able to trust people."
"You can't trust any of your friends," Matt told her, not a trace of doubt in his voice. "Not Jill, not Kyle, not Henry, not anyone."
"What am I going to tell Kyle? He's been texting me nonstop that he wants to see me, and that I need to get the guard to let him in. I told him I don't have any say over it, but he keeps grilling me about what the FBI is asking me. Jill has texted, too. She's concerned and wants to bring me comfort food. What am I going to say?"
"You're going to tell them you won't be discharged for a few more days, probably not until Saturday," Matt said. "You'll also tell them that you've asked us to put them on the visitor list, and you're waiting to hear back on when that can happen. Tell them you miss them, and you can't wait to see them again."
"Am I really going to be here until Saturday?"
"We'll try to move you before that, but it will be unexpected. You won't know when, and they won't know when. We are the only people you can trust, Brooke. We want you to be alive. I can't say that for anyone else," Matt said.
She paled as his words sank in. "It's hard to believe any of my friends would want to kill me."
"When a lot of money is at stake, people change," Matt said. "Before we go, I'm going to ask you to text whoever is concerned about you, your boyfriend, your friends, your parents, and tell them what I just said. You'll also add that the FBI is taking away your phone, so they shouldn't worry if they don't hear from you, but that you were told you'd get it back tomorrow. Do that now."
"You're really going to take my phone?"
"Yes," he said, giving Brooke a hard look. "I can't trust you not to share what we've just discussed. Start texting."
Brooke did as he asked. Then she handed over her phone.
"What's your code?" Matt asked.
She rattled off six numbers. Matt put them into the phone and unlocked it. "Good," he said. "I know you're feeling like you're trading one enemy for another, but we are going to make sure you're safe."
"My parents want me to come and stay with them in Connecticut. I was thinking of going there."
"When this is over," he said.
"I'm not going to get charged with anything, am I?"
"As long as you're telling us the truth about your involvement and you keep helping us, you'll be fine."
Brooke nodded, then said, "I hope you find out who killed Landon and make them pay, Haley."
"Even if that's one of your friends?"
"Yes." Brooke let out a sigh. "One other thing—your brother really loved you, Haley. I had to write a paper once about someone I thought was a hero, and I asked Landon for ideas. It was supposed to be someone famous, and he said he couldn't think of anyone famous who had been more heroic than the sister who had basically raised him. He said you saved his life. You were his second mother, and he was so lucky to have you in his life."
Her eyes filled with moisture. "Thank you for telling me that," she said, then followed Matt out of the room.
"That was more helpful than I expected," Matt said as they left the hospital and got into his car, which he'd left with the valet right outside the front door.
