"Miss me?" - Noel Kahn
The girls were still at the church, dumbfounded.
"He wasn't moving, okay, and he was not breathing," Aria panicked.
"Because he was dead," Emily said firmly.
"Is dead," Spencer corrected her. "Not was, is."
"So, unless we're saying Ian's a zombie, someone moved the body," Isabel frowned.
"It was probably stuffed in the trunk of 'A's car," Hanna scoffed.
"It's probably on its way to a meat grinder," Emily added.
"Oh, Em, come on, you gotta quit watching those horror films," Aria said, shaking her head.
"You guys, 'A's probably watching us right now," Spencer urged.
"Any one of these people could be 'A'," Emily nodded to the crowd.
"Half the town is here!" Isabel exclaimed, rolling her eyes.
Garrett walked up to them. "They want to see you girls down at the station. I'm here to drive you."
"Uh, well, I saw my parents earlier. They're going to want to know where we're going," Aria frowned.
"They'll meet us there," Garrett promised. "Come on."
-
Isabel was squashed in the backseat, and she frowned as Garrett pulled into an alleyway.
"Hey, I thought we were going to the police station," Hanna scoffed.
"Why are we stopping?" Spencer added.
"Garrett..." Isabel warned.
"Let's go," Garrett told them, pointing outside.
"No, I'm not going anywhere," Hanna snapped.
"Get out of the car," Garrett ordered. They begrudgingly did.
"So?!" Isabel demanded when they were all outside.
"It's not safe to talk in the car," Garrett said.
"It doesn't really feel safe out here, either," Hanna scoffed.
"Look," Garrett sighed. "I'm sorry if I scared you, but there's some things you guys need to know before you start answering questions."
"We're listening," Spencer nodded.
"All right, like I told Isabel, the police cannot know that you were blackmailing Ian, and that I was helping you," Garrett started. "It's a serious crime."
"Well, what about the messenger?" Aria asked him.
"He doesn't want any trouble," Garrett replied.
"And the money?" Isabel spoke up.
"For now, I'm hiding it," Garrett responded.
"What about the videos?" Spencer questioned.
"You still have them?" He asked.
"Yeah, we made a copy," Emily said when Spencer hesitated.
"Okay, look, I've never asked you guys how you got them, and I don't want to know," Garrett replied in a low voice. "But you'd better be prepared to tell the police how you did, because that... that's the first question they're gonna ask you."
"Officer Reynolds, what's your ETA?"
"Uh, yeah, we're en route," Garrett nodded.
"Roger that."
"I hate asking you to lie like this, but are we all clear?" Garrett asked.
"We'll keep the videos a secret," Spencer sighed.
"For now," Hanna added.
"Okay, good. Let's get back."
-
The next day, Isabel walked into Spencer's house. She had slept over with the others, and had left to get breakfast only to find all of their parents lined up.
"What's this about?" Isabel frowned.
"Honey, maybe we should wait for your friends-" Mrs, Fields started, but the others walked down.
"What's going on?" Aria asked.
"Mom?" Hanna gulped. Isabel walked over to them.
"Veronica, since this is your idea..." Ms. Marin began.
"The accusations you made about Ian have cast a bright spotlight on all of you," Mrs. Hastings explained. "Spencer is still a person of interest in Alison's murder investigation, and now the police seem to think that you three are also involved."
"Ian killed Alison, Okay, and last night, he tried to kill me," Spencer scoffed.
"We were all there," Aria added. "We told you exactly what we saw."
"And we heard you," Ella nodded. "We don't need to rehash what we talked about last night. This is about moving forward."
"While the police sort through this, we want you girls to see a grief counselor," Mrs. Hastings told them.
"She's a therapist who can help you deal with Alison's death..." Ella continued.
"And what appears to the police to be an obsession with trying to pin her death on Ian," Mrs. Hastings added.
"You think we're lying?" Emily huffed.
"Emily, I believe you, But it's the way it looks that concerns us," Mrs. Fields replied.
"This is a preemptive strike, and the goal is to garner both police and public sympathy," Mrs. Hastings explained.
"I'm not going to no shrink. That's what friends are for," Hanna snapped.
"Yeah, just because Ian tried to kill Spencer, and no one believes us, doesn't mean I'm gonna go get my head shrunk," Isabel scoffed.
"You can't be the only two who don't go," Ms. Marin said to them.
"Maybe you'll get more out of it than you think," Ella agreed.
"This is bull-" Hanna shouted.
"Hanna!" Ms. Marin warned.
"Do you believe us?" Spencer asked quietly.
"What I know is that one of my daughters is in the hospital, and the other one's in trouble, and it's my job to protect you both," Mrs. Hastings sighed.
"You didn't answer the question," Spencer scoffed. Mrs. Hastings was silent.
"I'm done," Isabel huffed, and stormed upstairs.
-
Isabel arrived late to Mr. Fitz's class. But when she did, everyone was quiet, and she saw why.
Noel Kahn was back.
"Miss me?"
He was sitting next to her seat. Great.
"Noel," she whispered.
"What?" He asked. Mr. Fitz started the lesson.
Isabel knew she shouldn't do it.
"Meet me at my locker after class."
-
"Did you hear?" A girl was whispering. "Apparently, Isabel Rivers lives in a motel."
"God, what a loser," another girl nodded. "For a pretty girl, she's such a fake."
"Get a life," Isabel scoffed as Noel walked over. The girls stared at her.
"Did you hear her? Get lost," Noel snapped, and the terrified girls scampered off. Isabel rolled her eyes, because she knew why he was really doing this. Since Ali was alive, he had always tried to date Isabel, but she was smarter than all of the girls he played. She never thought Noel was hot, anyway. "So?"
"I...need your help," Isabel admitted.
"Aw, Rivers needs my help."
"Can it, Noel," Isabel huffed. "I need money."
"So I heard," Noel agreed. "But I'm not Jesus."
"Not from you," Isabel scoffed, rolling her eyes. She leaned on her locker door. "From...clients."
"Ah, I see," Noel nodded. "Gimme your number." She pulled out her phone and handed it to him. He added her number, and he smiled at her. How did she let him trick her into giving him her number? "There. I'll text you the details when I find people. Great doing business with you," he joked, and walked off. Of course, Isabel knew it was wrong, but she had access to certain supplies, and she needed the money...
-
After school, Isabel met with the girls at the shrink's office.
Suddenly, a late Hanna walked in, shoppings bags in hand.
"Sorry I'm late, but have you been downtown? The sales are huge!" Hanna grinned, walking over.
"You must be Hanna. I'm Anne," the shrink smiled.
"So, what'd I miss?"
"Not a thing," Spencer said as Hanna sat down.
"We waited for you," Isabel added.
"Damn," Hanna muttered.
-
"It sounds like you credit Alison for the friendship," Anne stated twenty minutes later.
"We became friends because of her," Emily said.
"But she's gone, and the five of you still seem very close," Anne pointed out.
"We weren't always," Emily responded nervously. Isabel fiddled with the drawstrings of her hoodie as everyone went silent.
"We lost touch when Ali went missing," Aria explained.
"What brought you back together?" Anne frowned. "You don't all have to agree. There are no right or wrong answers here."
"Her death," Spencer admitted.
"She means when they...when they found her," Isabel gulped. "When they found her body."
"Do you think you were looking for closure?" Anne asked. The girls were once again quiet.
"We were... looking for answers," Isabel explained.
"The answer to who murdered Alison?" Anne asked. They nodded. "The five of you don't have to go through this alone. This is a safe place to talk. Nothing you say here goes beyond these walls."
"Do we?" Aria hesitated, looking at each of them in turn. "Do we want to talk about that thing?"
Suddenly, all of their phones beeped.
"Well, what is it?" Anne frowned.
"Um, I think our time is up," Spencer gulped as the girls gathered their stuff.
-
Isabel and the others left the office. Aria checked her phone.
"Oh, it's not 'A'," Aria assumed them. "It's just my mom."
"Yeah, same here. She wants me to come home," Spencer sighed. Suddenly, she saw Toby smiling at Spencer by his car. Unfortunately, Jenna walked out of some store, and Toby stayed put, not able to leave.
"Jenna!" Isabel called. The girls stared at her. Spencer looked stunned as Isabel walked over to Jenna. Toby smiled at Isabel, mouthed 'thanks', and went off to talk to Spencer.
"Isabel," Jenna stated.
"I know what you did with Caleb was to get that video, but did you know?" Isabel scoffed.
"Did I know what?" Jenna asked.
"That Caleb is my brother," Isabel said, crossing her arms.
"I think you know the answer to that question," Jenna smirked. Isabel really wanted to slap her again, but suppressed the urge.
"No, I don't, Jenna," Isabel snapped. "Why him?"
"He was...close to you and Hanna. Need I remind you of why I carry this stick?" Jenna replied, holding it up.
"No. You do it every time you talk to us," Isabel huffed, storming off. She passed Toby, who was opening the passenger door for Jenna.
"Thank you, Bella," Toby smiled.
"Bella?" Isabel grinned.
"It's my nickname for you," Toby nodded, and she smiled at him.
"Of course," Isabel said, and left to her friends.
When she got there, all of their phones simultaneously beeped.
'I spy a liar. -A'
-
After a meeting with a client and Noel, someone tugged on Isabel's arm. She turned around.
"Caleb?" She gasped. "Wha-when did you...how did you?"
"Lucas," Caleb explained. "I saw what you just did there. Why would you do that? Why would you-"
"I'm broke, Caleb," Isabel snapped. "I live in a motel. What did you expect? You left me. Hanna. You betrayed us."
"I know, and I can't even begin to explain how sorry I am," Caleb nodded.
"Yeah, well, save it for someone who cares," Isabel scoffed, and left.
-
The next day, the girls texted Isabel.
'Sullivan's office. 15 minutes.'- Spencer
'Can't. Have a make-up test.' -Isabel. She lied. Another client.
-
Later, Isabel got three texts. One from Spencer, explaining the disaster at Dr. Sullivan's office, another saying 'meet at the greenhouse in 10', and one from Ms. Marin, who told her that the girls were forbidden from seeing each other.
When she got there, they were deep in conversation.
"...Can't tell you what?" Aria was saying to Spencer.
"Where he is," Spencer explained.
"Where who is?" Isabel frowned, walking over.
"Ian," Emily replied. "He's been texting Melissa."
"Guys, Ian is dead. We all saw him," Aria said firmly.
"There's only one way to know for sure," Hanna nodded.
"Send a reply," Isabel suggested. Spencer typed a response.
'How do I know this is you?' Spencer wrote. The phone beeped with Ian's reply.
'Ask me anything.' -Ian
"Um, what's something that only Ian would be able to answer?" Isabel asked Spencer.
"Hold on. I know," Spencer exclaimed.
'What are we naming our baby?' Spencer texted.
"What is the name?" Emily asked.
"Taylor," Spencer replied.
'Taylor.' -Ian
They all gasped.
"It's him!" Hanna gaped.
"Ian's alive."