The first words that my mother said to me the next morning horrified me.

"Avery, Mrs. Harris wants to go out to lunch with you. To talk about Carson."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "When?" I asked quietly.

"Today," Mom answered. "I can come up with an excuse. I'll say I can't get you out of bed, or that you're out, or--"

"No, it's okay. I...I think I should see her. She's in a lot of pain right now." I shrugged. "Maybe I can make her feel better."

"Baby, do you think that you can pull it off? She thinks you were in love with her son. I don't know if you'll be able to keep up this act in front of her."

"I have to try, Mom. She's going to want to see me sooner or later. I think I should just get this done with." My mom nodded sadly and pulled her blonde hair back into a bun.

"I have to go to the hospital now, sweetie, but I'll see you later. Call me if you need anything, okay?" Mom said, walking up to me and grabbing my hands.

I grinned back to her. "I got it. I'll try not to mess this up."

"Maybe you should call Mr. Prescott to see what he thinks. I don't know about you, but that man gives me a bad feeling. I think he'll sell us out the first chance he gets."

I shuddered at the thought. "I...I don't think so. He seems pretty dedicated to his job."

"That's lawyers for you," Mom replied with a sigh. "Okay, I really have to go now. Love you. Hugs, kisses." My mom tightly embraced me and kissed me on the cheeks. I noticed that only in her heels could she surpass me in height.

My mom quickly exited the room and I decided to get ready. I grabbed my phone and decided to text Pierce to avoid a lengthy, quip-filled conversation. I scrolled in my contacts until I reached his name (which I made to give me a slight laugh): SSoaB, also known as Sick Son of a Bitch.

10:35 am
Mrs. Harris wants 2 meet me for lunch. Im going what should I do

I waited for his response and, to my shock, received a text not even a minute later. I figured he would have been busy with the case or indulging in his morning hobby.

10:35 am
You're his girlfriend. You tell me.

The police might try to search my phone, I thought, realizing that I shouldn't inquire such things over text.

10:36 am
Ok

10:36 am
I have a meeting to go to. Don't bother me unless the police show up.

I rolled my eyes at his remark until his next text popped up a few seconds later.

10:36 am
Good luck.

I pulled up to the diner that Mrs. Harris had suggested to my mother: Antigone's Delight. Mrs. Harris claimed it to have "the best food in all of Eldbourne", though I doubted that it was a hard title to achieve.

Mrs. Harris was already sitting in a booth when I walked into the place, a bell above the door ringing to signal my entrance. She grinned when she saw me and beckoned me over. "Hi, Mrs. Harris," I greeted, slipping into the booth.

"Call me Audrey, sweetheart," she said softly. Her voice was cracking and just plain broken. It took me a moment to realize that she was wearing all black. I wonder if parents ever stop mourning. Probably not. "I just wanted to talk to you...about some things."

"Whatever you wanna talk about," I replied sweetly. I felt despicable and despised myself for every moment that I was sitting in the seat. I was lying to a poor, weeping mother just to save myself. It inspired me to find the killer so I could quit feeling like a horrible person. How can I be so selfish? She lost her son. All I did was become a suspect.

"I...I'm so sorry, but I looked in the box." My heart stopped for a second. Mrs. Ha--Audrey, nodded to the waitress as she set down our drinks on the table. "I really felt horrible about it. I took one glance at the pictures and put the box away." She didn't see the letter. "My Carson...the pictures he took; well, you know. He probably followed you around with that camera all day."

I chuckled slightly. "Yeah, he sure did love that thing. He liked taking pictures at the park the most." Every word from my lips disgusted me.

"The acceptance letter came in just a few days before...I, um..." Her voice trailed off as she took a sip of her coffee. "He got into Montclair. He wanted to go there for filmmaking. He said his backup plan was to become a teacher. But he was always obsessed with that camera."

"The pictures he took were so beautiful," I said, which was actually entirely true. He captured each moment very gracefully...and that scared me. Was Carson following me? Did Carson even take those pictures? My chest burned and I felt a pit in my stomach. The killer was following me.

"You know...I was shocked when I found out about you and my boy." She was waiting for me to say something.

"Yeah...we were...we were just scared of telling people."

"Oh, not because of that, honey." She giggled slightly. "He was always following that Katherine girl around. I figured he was going to try and get her to fall in love with him."

"Katherine who?"

"Summers. Yes, the Summers." The Summers family was just about the richest in all of Pennsylvania and, for whatever reason, decided to set up their gargantuan mansion on the highest hill of Eldbourne for all to enjoy--or maybe to just flaunt their wealth onto the rest of the suburban middle-class. The family consisted of the widowed Nathan Summers, older twins Matthew and Hunter, and the youngest daughter, Katherine. She was a girl in my grade that seemed like she didn't enjoy the popularity that was gifted to her. Katherine probably wanted a friend who didn't want her because of her wealth or a teacher that didn't treasure her because of her status. Or maybe she just treasured the free ride she was getting for probably the rest of her life. "He followed her around like a lost puppy."

"I never noticed," I uttered.

"Oh, I don't mean to sadden you, sweetheart," she apologized with big, blue eyes. She sounded like she was lying. I didn't blame her.

My mind suddenly darted back to the dilapidated teddy bear that was sitting on my bed. KS. Katherine Summers. I made a mental note to recruit Landon when he got home to go take a visit to the mansion. (Katherine always seemed to have a soft spot for Landon.) She had older twin brothers—one of which Landon took a fancy to, but the love was never received both ways.

The waitress came and took our order. I got French toast while Audrey just stuck to a salad. I noticed that as she was handing over her menu, her hands were shaking. She heaved and looked back at me. "Tell me, Avery, why were you and my boy scared of telling us about your relationship?"

I hesitated. I knew she was just curious and not testing my acting ability, but it felt as though I was back in the cold interrogation room. I was more frightened of the mourning mother than the eager police. "It really was all my idea not to tell anyone," I began slowly. "I began to lighten up to the idea of telling our parents until college came around and he...um, proposed. I knew my parents wouldn't approve. He didn't know how you would've taken it."

She nodded in a sort of sage understanding. "I know my parents didn't approve when Michael and I ran away together." She smiled in recollection of a simpler, happier time. Maybe a time when they knew they were going to have a child and not the consequences of having Carson. "I understand, sweetheart." She reached for my hands, so I nervously placed them on top of her cold palms. "Let's just be there for each other, okay?"

I nodded and smiled. "Okay, Mrs.--Audrey." She smiled, but there was something behind it. A flash gleamed in her teeth but not in her eyes. There was something malicious behind her lowing eyes. I attempted to swallow my fear after I discovered their meaning: You killed my son. And I know it.

This was worse that the police knocking on my door, worse than Pierce Prescott fabricating a lie for me, worse than the killer calling me on the phone. Nothing was worse than the wrath that I could have faced against this mourning mother. I didn't know how much longer I could handle the encounter.

A phone began to buzz. Mrs. Harris stared at me for a moment longer until she reached into her purse and pull out her cell phone. After a brief, quiet conversation, she smiled at me and said, "I'm sorry sweetie, but my husband needs me at home." She called the waitress over. She paid for the check despite my protest. As we were walking out of the diner, she grabbed my arm. "Oh, and if you need anything, please do call me." I was about to reply when she sauntered away from me, fixing her hair and entering her car.

With shaking hands, I exited Antigone's Delight and entered my car. I grabbed my phone and dialed Pierce. I didn't care if anyone was tracking the call. I began scrolling through my phone when a hand clasped on my shoulder. I screamed and turned around, a fist forming in my hand.

I heaved at the frightened face behind me. "Landon?" I breathed.

"Jesus, Avery," he replied in his constantly-quirky voice. His eyes became smaller as he laughed, his dimples taking over his face. "Lord, you looked like a mess. Who died?" he quipped. Oh God, he doesn't know.

"How was Portugal?" I inquired.

"Delightful," he replied. "Beautiful boys and girls all over the place."

"What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be home for another week."

"Dad had to come home early for an important business deal or some shit," he replied, reclining back into the seat. "I dropped by your house, and your father directed me here. I think he just loves getting me out of your house. Anyway, my car's right over there. I saw yours and saw the opportunity to scare you shitless."

I heaved again and slouched back into my seat, my twitching body beginning to convulse in a series of choked sobs. Landon quit laughing and leaned forward. "Avery, what's wrong?" Landon, my best friend, aside from Dakota. He would probably be Number One on my list if not for the fact he moved across town two years ago and began going travelling around the world more and more. We, of course, stayed in touch and barely saw each other any less despite our different schools. Dakota filled in the gap when she moved to Eldbourne two years ago.

People said sophomore year was quite irrelevant comparing to the rest of one's high school career, but it was probably my most eventful one (aside from the unfolding events, of course). Landon moved, Dakota came in, I began dating Liam; things were good. Life was good until Carson came along.

"Oh...oh fuck," Landon said when I was done explaining. "They fucking called you?" I nodded and rested my head into his soft hoodie, which seemed to be forever-present on Landon's pale form. "I'll fucking kill them, Avery. I'm gonna go to their house, and sing show tunes to them until they fucking kill themselves from my tone-deaf skills." He nodded, determined. "Yeah, and then I'll force them to watch ASPCA commercials while listening to loud, constantly-playing Sarah McLachlan."

"I don't think that'll make them confess," I admitted, giggling slightly. Always can count on him to cheer me up.

"No, they're not just confessing--they're going to fucking beg for forgiveness after the eighty-fifth time they hear 'in the arms of an angel' pounding in their eardrums. Then poor old Carson Harris will be avenged, 'cause we're gonna find this son of a bitch."

"So where do we start?"

"Well, I don't think that box was from Carson, Avery. We're going to the Summers mansion--hell, we'll break in if we have to. And then Katherine Summers is going to give us all the information we need."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Well, I'm lovable, and you're sad--we make an excellent combination." He grinned and laughed like a hyena. "Then later we'll recruit Dakota and Liam and crack the case."

I nodded and turned the keys in the ignition. I glanced at my phone to see a text from Pierce.

11:48 am
How did it go?

11:48 am
she suspects me. found out that carson was in love with a girl named Katherine Summers. going there now

11:48 am
I'll look into it. Stay away from Mrs. Harris as long as possible. Good job, Avery.

I couldn't help but grin at the satisfaction of impressing the master manipulator. I drove down the road with Landon loudly shrieking pop songs in the backseat. Despite the fact I was driving forward, eyes focused on the road, I couldn't help but be reminded of the eyes that had studied me, interrogated me, and denied my trust. Let's just promise to be there for each other, okay?

She didn't believe me. That didn't matter. If I was her, everyone was guilty until proven innocent. Someone had killed her son, and I was going to find out who it was. Not just to clear my name or avenge Carson, but because people missed him. He didn't impact the world, but he impacted a life.

And Katherine Summers was going to help me find out which person he impacted so much that it cost him his own life.