Revelation (Private 8)

I thanked her with my eyes, relieved to avoid having to explain the whole thing.

"But yes, that was why," Astrid said, shaking some water off her hat onto the floor. "And Trey was

the reason I was with Mrs. Naylor when we found Cheyenne that morning. I had been out all night

at Trey's room playing online games with the blokes and she had just caught me sneaking back in.

She was going to bust me, but then we found Cheyenne and... I suppose she let it slide."

Astrid looked down at her feet and I glanced over at Josh. The whole thing was just so out of left

field, I felt like I needed some kind of confirmation. "Seriously. All three of you were together all

night?"

"Yep. Girl's a gamer. She put me to shame," Josh admitted with a smile, reaching over to slap

Astrid on the back like she was an old poker buddy

"I can't believe neither of you told me," I said, stunned.

"It's my fault," Astrid said. "I swore Josh to secrecy."

"So, are we done here?" Josh asked, glancing at me. "Because I have a lot of work to do..."

My heart twisted painfully. He was so eager to get away from me. First I'd talked crap about his

girlfriend and then I'd made him reveal Astrid's dirty little secret. What else could I possibly do to

push him further away?

126

"Yeah. We're done," I told him. "Thanks, Josh."

He gave me the stiffest of smiles before retreating back into the studio.

"I really wish you two crazy kids could work it out," Astrid said, sounding so sincere that it made

me want to slaughter myself for ever suspecting her. For ever prying into her private life.

"I know. Me too."

I leaned back against the cool brick wall behind me and let everything I'd just learned sink in,

realizing that all of this added up to a major positive. Astrid was innocent. She had been with Josh

and Trey all night, and Naylor had discovered her sneaking in after Cheyenne was already dead.

As of that moment, there was only one suspect left. And her name was Ivy Slade.

Maybe there was still a chance for us two crazy kids--once I got the third wheel carted off to jail.

127

BILLINGS JUNKIE

Sunday, I studied in the library. I studied all day long, from 9 a.m. until well after the sun had gone