He shrugs. “I quite honestly don’t know.”
He still might be high. I doubt I’ll get any answers out of him like this. “Okay then, can I ask you one thing? What do you know about the Birdwatcher Instagram account?”
He snorts. “Ah. That’s what this is about. You’re looking for a place to air your grievances.”
I shake my head. “No. I mean, I don’t want to post on it or anything ... I’m wondering, do you know who was behind it?”
He looks at me for a long time. “You really don’t know?”
“No, that’s why I’m asking you.”
He snorts, then walks down the stairs away from me. “I can’t read you, octopus girl. Are you the mastermind, or the sidekick? If you don’t know who Birdwatcher is, what hope do the rest of us have of figuring it out? Follow the money. It always talks.”
Yeah, he’s still on something. Jack Gormley can’t tell me a thing. Or maybe ...
“When’s the last time you talked to Jay Hoque?” I ask, rushing down the stairs to keep up with him.
“Why?”
“I’m doing a true crime podcast about him.”
Jack turns to me, and the bored look I saw on his face last night is back. “The last time ... I don’t know. Memories are so fragile; how can I be expected to keep them whole for that long? I believe it started with a phone call. No, wait, a text. A picture on a text. Goodbye.”
On Monday after classes, Gracie and I record the second episode of the podcast in the library. It feels a little strange, since the script covers the interview with Emma as well as some statements from his profs, his neighbors—and Gracie’s account of living next to him. Emma’s interview, of course, alludes to Bailey Cressman’s involvement, but that’s as far as the episode goes. The next episode will be more about his wealthy friend group and about Birdwatcher.
After we’re finished recording, we talk a bit about how my editing of episode one is going, and how the script for episode three is coming along. I plan to end that episode with the news report about Jay’s personal effects being found at the beach.
“Have you decided if you’re going to make the podcast public after you turn it in to Sarah?”
I shrug. I don’t love the idea of exploiting Jay even more, but a popular public podcast would be utterly amazing for my co-op applications. “That depends. I imagine if we don’t solve the case, the people we’re accusing might be pissed off.”
Gracie shrugs. “Let them be pissed off. I’m not going to have any compassion for anyone from that party.”
It’s quite clear that Gracie and Aster haven’t worked out their issues. Gracie hasn’t mentioned Aster once since the party. I’m not sure if I should say anything.
But I don’t need to say anything, because Gracie does. “I can’t believe Aster gave in to Nat’s demands yet again. That girl is like a bad rash that never really goes away.”
“They used to date?”
Gracie nods. “They have a lot of history.”
“Aster should’ve left with us, though. I mean ... if your date leaves the party, you go with them. Basic etiquette.”
Gracie raises a brow. “What? We weren’t on a date. We’ve never dated.”
I give Gracie a look. “Okay, then what is going on with you two?”
Gracie looks down, fidgeting with the yellow highlighter on the table. “We’re friends. That’s it. We hooked up once ...”
“That day I moved into East House?”
She nods. “Yeah, but we decided we were better as friends.”
“You both decided oryoudecided?” Because seeing them together, it’s quite clear that Aster wants more than a friendship.
“Someone like Aster isn’t going to stay long term with someone like me,” Gracie says. “She hooks up with me one night, then runs back to Nat the next.”
My eyes go wide. “Did she hook up with Nat at Jack’s?”
