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Birdie swallows hard. “You know who…?”
Archer nods. “I was there the night of the party. I was in costume.”
Archer glances at me.
I think about that night.
Kissing Archer outside.
“I wasn’t there to enjoy myself,” he says. “It was more personal and business related. But I was there. I saw more than anyone knows that I saw.”
“Wait a second,” I say. “Did you see what happened to Birdie? Did you let it happen?”
“Jaci!” Maz yells.
“Let him finish talking,” Birdie says.
“Here’s what I can tell you,” Archer says. “I heard noise. I didn’t like what I heard. Then I saw him leave the bedroom. He lifted his mask to check his face. You must have gotten him, huh?”
“Yeah,” Birdie says.
“He pulled the mask down and took off,” Archer says. “I followed him just to see where things were going to end up. Just in case. I wasn’t sure what was going on yet. I was going to check on you first, but others showed up. So I tracked him through the party. He ditched the clown mask in the woods. Got changed into something else. Went back to the party. I didn’t know what exactly happened until later.”
“It took you this long to do something?” I ask.
“I had to know,” Archer says. “I had to make sure before I did what I did. It was aSavagewho attacked you, Birdie.”
Birdie swallows hard. “Who…?”
“Darby,” Archer says.
“Detro?” Maz asks.
“Darby,” Birdie whispers. “Fuck.”
“Is that bad?” I ask.
“This whole fucking thing is bad!” Maz yells.
She jumps up and walks away.
“I had been talking to Darby that night,” Birdie says. “We had been flirting a little. I was never interested in him. He didn’t have a clown mask on when I saw him. Or maybe he had it hidden somewhere else. He was there though.” Birdie looks at me. “When you helped me down the stairs. He was there! And he was in the group when you talked, Jaci. That piece of shit. He fucking knew…”
“It’s done,” Archer says in a stern voice. “I told Jaci I had to be the one to tell you. So you know for sure. It’s done.”
“What did you do to him?” Birdie asks. “Tell me everything.”
“I waited until things calmed a little,” Archer says. “I knew he’d be on high alert. He let his guard down and I got him alone. Told him I had an idea of who did it to you. He fell for that trick. I put him against a tree, my hand around his neck, and I told him it was time to confess. It was his only chance.”
“You lied,” Birdie says.
“Of course I fucking lied,” Archer says. “I got him to confess. He did it. He attacked you. He planned on doing a lot more to you too. When he finished and asked me what was going to happen next, I cut his fucking throat. Ear to ear.”
I grab for my stomach.
Birdie slowly covers her mouth.
“That’s enough!” Maz yells. “I can’t hear any more of this…”
