Page 7 of What They'll Say About Us

"Before we get too deep into lists and fact-finding, I think we should announce we're going to focus on Paige's case for our next at-the-crime-scene investigation. Once we go public, that might generate some leads as well."

"I was thinking the same thing," Cassidy said. "The whole point of our podcast is to not only get people listening but also talking. Let's do it now. No reason to wait."

Despite it being my suggestion, I suddenly felt panicked at the thought of committing to this case. But Cassidy was already on her feet, and Morgan was right behind her. I got up more slowly, following them over to the dining room table where we'd already set up our camera and recording equipment for our next podcast. We just hadn't known what it would be about until now.

The three of us sat down on one side of the table with me in the middle, as we always did. Cassidy and Morgan ran the technical parts while I usually did most of the talking. As they were getting organized, I thought about what I wanted to say. This was going to be a short teaser video, so I didn't need that much content. I just needed to grab their attention and give them something to think about, something to want to come back to in order to find out what happened.

"Ready," Morgan said. We always streamed live in order to capture who was online at the time and because it gave us better algorithm results on the platform. The video could then be replayed on several different sites, including our own.

I gave a nod at her questioning glance. And then I looked into the camera and said, "Imagine this…a dark night in Evanston, Illinois, a deserted area along Lake Michigan, a female college student walking alone. She is two months away from graduation. She's about to star in a play. She seems to be living the dream. Her name is Paige MacIntyre." I paused. "And that night she didn't come home. She allegedly fell into the lake and drowned. Her death was ruled an accident a few short weeks later. But many people, including Paige's family, disagree with that conclusion. Since we're in Chicago, we've decided to take a look at her case."

I took another moment, then added, "To be honest, Paige isn't just a name to me. I knew her. We were in school together. We were in the same theater group. We saw each other every day, and I have never forgotten her tragic death. Hopefully, I can help her family get the answers they deserve. If anyone has any information on her death, please drop us a note online. We'll be back tomorrow with more details on this case. Stay tuned…"

As the camera and audio cut off, I let out a breath.

"That was perfect," Morgan said with approval. "You're a great storyteller, Tessa."

I could tell a story, but could I tell the whole truth? I wasn't completely sure, because I'd never really addressed the events of that night, and the truth might not be anything anyone wanted to accept, including me.

Chapter Three

After we finished recording, we headed downstairs for a cocktail party and then on to dinner with one of our sponsors. It was amazing how many people had already seen our short video. Clearly, the case was already generating interest, which should make me happy, because I had always been the most ambitious member of the group, the one most focused on marketing, growing our audience, and increasing our sponsorships.

But this case was different, and I couldn't seem to generate my normal confident banter. I was a little afraid of what I'd committed to do. I didn't want to fail. Not now, not when our success was beginning to grow, when there were huge possibilities in front of us. But I also thought proving Paige's death wasn't an accident could be complicated and messy. It would force me to talk to people who hadn't liked me back then and probably didn't like me now. I might have to confront facts I didn't want to see. But I couldn't think about all the ways this could go wrong. I had to focus on the investigation and the end goal of finding out what had happened to Paige that night.

After dinner, Morgan, Cassidy, and I walked back to our hotel. On the way, I got a text from Alina saying she'd seen the video and wanted to meet tomorrow morning at eight. I replied with a yes, knowing that I needed to hear her side of the story, not only for research purposes but also to get a better idea of why she'd reached out to me in the first place.

When we entered the hotel lobby, it was quiet, without the crush of people who had been milling around when we left. I didn't see Rachel at the concierge desk, and we didn't run into anyone we knew on the way up to our suite. It was almost ten when we stepped inside, and as Cassidy and Morgan headed to their respective rooms to change clothes and get more comfortable, I walked to the fridge to get a drink. But a large vase of flowers sitting on the counter gave me pause. The flowers hadn't been there when we'd left. Someone had been in the suite. I told myself to relax. It was probably housekeeping. They'd probably delivered the flowers that the convention director had sent as a thank-you.

I forced myself to move closer. The floral bouquet was filled with pink and white carnations, which was also disturbing.

"What's that?" Cassidy asked, coming out of her room in leggings and a long T-shirt.

"Flowers," I muttered. "Carnations. They were Paige's favorite."

Cassidy's expression grew wary. "Where did they come from?"

"I don't know."

"What's going on?" Morgan asked, joining us at the counter.

"We got flowers," I said.

"Carnations were Paige's favorite," Cassidy added.

"Oh," Morgan said. "Do you think…?"

"I think I should read the card," I said, telling myself to get a grip. Opening the envelope, I pulled out a white card with one sentence, and the words turned my stomach once more.

"Who's it from?" Cassidy asked.

"I don't know." I handed Cassidy the card, unable to read the words aloud.

"If you want everyone to tell their secrets, you're going to have to start with your own," Cassidy said. She raised her gaze to mine. "Do you have secrets, Tessa?"

"Apparently, someone thinks I do."

"That's not an answer," Morgan said seriously. "You have our support, Tessa, but you have to be honest with us. What don't we know?"