Page 78 of Murder on the Upper East Side

Leaving her laptop open, she changed out of her uniform and pulled on a Florence + The Machine T-shirt and a pair of plaid boxer shorts. Then she started down the hall, in the direction of the kitchen. Hopefully, Yoko had picked up the popcorn she liked.

She’d barely made it five feet when the door to her sister’s room flew open, and Ami leaned out. She’d changed out of her school clothes too, into an ankle-length, pale pink nightgown and a long grey cardigan that was far too warm for the late May evening.

‘Hannah,’ she hissed.

‘You watching TV with Dad and Yoko?’

She shook her head. ‘Nope. I need to tell you something.’

Hannah glanced down the hall. ‘Snacks?’

Ami nodded.

Five minutes later, the sisters were sitting in the middle of Ami’s bed, a variety of salty and sweet options laid out in bright ceramic bowls between them.

Ami leaned forward. ‘I’m not supposed to say anything. Toanyone.’

Hannah frowned. ‘But whatever this is, you’re going to tell me?’

Ami nodded, chin bobbing animatedly up and down.

‘Alex only told me because he still feels like garbage about the promposal. He thought, I don’t know, that I might still change my mind and go with him tomorrow night. But just becauseshe’sgraduating doesn’t mean I’ll be free of her.Istill have to go to Prescott next year. It’s only a thirteen-minute cab ride from Columbia. Less, off-peak. Maybe Alex is ready to say fuck it, and I get it, he’s been dealing with this shit his whole life, but I have two more years of high school left. That’s like, an entire lifetime. And I can’t do it, not with Madison breathing down my neck.’

‘Okay.’ Hannah placed a gentle hand on Ami’s knee. ‘I hear you. I hate that you’re missing a fun night because of Madison, but you’re right. She’d only make it miserable for you and Alex, and it probably wouldn’t stop with prom.’

Ami sniffled and crammed a Way More Chocolate Chips cookie in her mouth.

As soon as Ami swallowed, Hannah continued. ‘But… what exactly are you not supposed to tell me?’

Ami reached for her water bottle, eyes glistening. ‘I’m getting to that. Madison is in asecret relationship. Alex says it’s been going on for months, maybe the entire year, but he only found out about it after winter break. She doesn’t know that he knows, and I definitely shouldn’t know, but you know what? I don’tcare. It feels so flipping good to finally have something on her.’

Hannah crunched down on a mouthful of popcorn. ‘With who, though?’

Ami shrugged. ‘Someone from Prescott.’

‘Are you sure? She was hooking up with that older British guy at the wedding on Montauk. Barkley Fairfax?’

Ami laughed. ‘BradleyFairfax. And no, not him. Alex said it’s definitely someone from school, he just doesn’t know who.’

Hannah leaned back into Ami’s pillows. ‘Okay. Good intel. But… why are you telling me exactly?’

‘Because.’ Ami’s face opened into a wide grin. ‘You’re going to go to the after-prom party at Madison’s house tomorrow… And you’re going to find out who it is.’

Hannah shot back up. ‘No.’

Ami grabbed both her hands. ‘Please. Ineedto know who Madison’s been dating.’

Hannah extracted her hands from her sister’s. ‘First off, I’m not going to that party. No prom, no after-prom party. Second, what exactly do you plan to do with this information if you do find out who Madison’s been hooking up with?’

Ami’s eyes narrowed. ‘Leverage. Madison has been keeping this secretfor months. She’s ashamed, or worse. There’s still nearly a month left until school lets out, and as previously discussed, Madison’s staying in New York. I need security – and you’re going to get it for me.’

Ami leaned forward and grasped both Hannah’s hands. Popcorn tumbled to the bedspread. ‘Pleeeease.’

Hannah shook her hands free, then began sweeping the spilled popcorn back into a bowl. ‘No way. I am not going to that party.’

At a little after midnight on Friday, the doors to the Metropolitan Club had been shuttered, and Madison’s four-room wing in the DuPonts’ apartment was packed with Prescott juniors and seniors.

Including Hannah Miller. She’d put on a black satin slip dress and a pair of gold sneakers with fat gold laces and was relieved to find she fitted right in among the sea of prom-goers who had dressed down their black-tie outfits with jewel-tone ballet flats and cosy sweaters.