Pretty Dead Girls

by Monica Murphy

“What do you mean?”

  I lean back so I’m closer to him and lower my voice. “About Courtney. Do you think…”

  He frowns. “What? That she did it? I don’t know. I’m starting to change my mind again.”

  “Are you serious?” I ask incredulously. “No. You can’t backtrack now. What if she did do it, Cass? What if you’re right after all? It makes total sense.”

  “Come on. We don’t know if she was hurt, too. I couldn’t tell. There was so much blood…” He looks away, his jaw tight, his mouth firm. “Maybe they were both attacked. Maybe she got away just in time.”

  “Courtney told me she didn’t do it. She literally said my name and screamed at me that she didn’t do it.” Cass’s gaze meets mine and I continue. “That’s weird. Why would she say that?”

  “I don’t know.” He shakes his head.

  “Because she’s guilty.” I say the words firmly and Cass flinches. “She did it. She killed Gretchen. And then she killed Lex. Now she’s killed Dani. My best friend.”

  Cue the tears again. I had no idea crying this much could be so exhausting.

  Cass says nothing and that tells me he doesn’t necessarily agree with my assessment, but I don’t care. My mind is made up. I think she did it. I think she killed all of them and if she hadn’t been caught, I would’ve been next on her list.

  A shiver moves down my spine at the thought.

  I remember earlier, when we first got there and Cass left me alone for a few minutes. It wasn’t for long, but what if something had happened to me? I can’t be alone anymore. It’s too risky, too dangerous.

  And I can’t take any more risks. Not now.

  Commotion comes from upstairs and we all glance up to see two EMTs bringing a stretcher down with Courtney on it. Most of the blood has been cleaned up. Her eyes are closed, her face is so pale, and a white sheet has been pulled up to her chin, covering her entire body. She almost looks…

  Dead.

  A hush falls over all of us as we watch in silent horror. One of the cops guarding the front door opens it for the EMTs and they sweep Courtney out of the house, the door closing quietly behind them.

  “Killer!” yells a girl’s shrill voice. “Glad she’s gone!”

  “She didn’t do it,” someone yells back.

  I close my eyes and sag against Cass. I can’t take this anymore. I just want to go home.

  It goes on like this for a few minutes, people becoming angrier and angrier, throwing out accusations at one another. Until finally the cops step in, telling everyone to get it together and stop arguing. It feels like I’m in a movie or a TV show. None of this should be happening. I wonder if I’m having an out-of-body experience. I swear I’m not actually me anymore, I’m just observing everything happening around me.

  Suddenly there’s an incessant pounding on the front door, making me jump. The cop assigned to guarding the door scowls at all of us before he turns and peeks through the peephole. “If you’re media, get the hell out of here,” the cop yells. “This is a crime scene.”

  “My daughter is in there.” Oh crap, that sounds like my dad. “I demand to see her right now!”

  The cop slowly opens the door, blocking anyone from walking inside. My dad is standing on the doorstep, an unfamiliar man with him. “Where is she? I want to see her now!” Dad shouts, making everyone turn to look at him.

  I want to die of embarrassment. Just melt away into this couch and never be seen again.

  “Who’s your daughter, sir?” the cop asks wearily. He’d better get prepared. I have a feeling lots of parents are going to start showing up soon.

  “Penelope Malone.”

  All heads turn to look at me again.

  “I am here with her attorney. She’s not allowed to talk to the police without him present,” Dad says to the cop, loudly enough for everyone to hear him.

  Way to make me look guilty, Dad. Thanks.

  The officer opens the door wider and lets them in. Dad scans the room, his gaze alighting on me, and he comes toward me, grim determination etched across his features.

  I hop to my feet and he wraps me in his arms, murmuring against my hair. “You all right, sweetheart?”

  I’m so thankful he’s not acting angry at me for being here when I said I wouldn’t go, I start to cry all over again and shake my head. “D-Dani’s d-dead. I saw her, Dad. I saw her.”

  “This is so awful. I’m so sorry you had to see that, sweetie.” He kisses my forehead, and I can feel Cass suddenly standing behind me. Dad goes stiff and lifts his head. “Penelope. Who is this with you?”

  Pulling out of Dad’s arms, I look over my shoulder at Cass. “He’s my friend, Dad. We came to the party together. Cass Vincenti, this is my dad.”

  “Mr. Malone.” Cass steps beside me and holds out his hand, Dad taking it so they can shake. “Wish I could say nice to meet you, but I don’t think that’s appropriate under these circumstances.”

  “Totally understand, son.” Dad squints in that way he gets when he’s really examining someone. “You’re the one who brought my little girl to this party, huh? When she wasn’t supposed to come?”

  “Dad,” I protest, but my voice is weak.

  Cass sends me a questioning look. I never did tell him I was supposed to be at the movies with Dani instead of here with him. “I did, sir. And I’m sorry. Didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

  The understatement of the year.

  We should’ve known something bad would happen. Didn’t Courtney say she was hoping to draw the killer out? Maybe she drew her own self out, right? Which makes no sense. But I’m not feeling the most rational at the moment, so I think I’m allowed to think outside the box.

  “You should’ve stayed home.” Dad casts a stern look in my direction. “You lied to us, Penelope.”

  I swallow hard, unable to speak. My apology won’t do me much good. After all of this settles down, I guarantee I’ll be in big trouble.

  “You’re right, sir,” Cass says firmly. “I should’ve stayed home, too. Just know that while we were here, I never left her side.”

  Well. That’s sort of a lie. He did leave me for a few minutes earlier in the evening, but I won’t bring that up. Besides, it wasn’t long before Alyssa and Maggie found me. So I never really was alone.

  “Good to know.” Dad dismisses him in an instant and looks at me. “Let’s go, Penny.”

  “I can’t leave. I still need to give my statement. The cops said so.”

  “You’re leaving. Now. If they want a statement from you, they can wait until tomorrow morning. You’re in my custody and you’re my responsibility, so if they have a problem, they can take it up with me,” Dad explains.

  “I don’t want to leave Cass,” I whisper, grabbing hold of my dad’s arm. “Please, Daddy. He shouldn’t be alone right now. Who knows how long any of this is going to take? How long they’ll want to keep us here? It could go on all night.”

  “I doubt that.” Dad’s face turns red, and I know he’s upset. He doesn’t like being put on the spot, and that’s exactly what I’m doing to him. “Why won’t his parents come get him?”

  “His grandma lives all alone, and she’s—she’s homebound.” I send him an imploring look. “Please, Daddy. Maybe can we get him to leave with us? If you call his grandma and maybe the lawyer can say he’s representing Cass, too?”

  Dad pulls me aside, putting some distance between Cass and us. “Are you good friends with this boy, Penny?” he asks, his voice low, almost a whisper. “Can you trust him? This is important, so be honest.”

  I glance over at Cass, who’s making small talk with the lawyer—whose name I don’t even know. Cass’s face is pale and he looks exhausted, but he’s still keeping it up, keeping watch over me. He took care of me the best he could tonight. And I appreciate that. Even when we got in that minor argument, when we searched Courtney’s room, when we kissed in the closet and finally found Courtney—he stood by me throughout it all. “I trust him, Dad.
I want to help him. It’s the least I can do after everything tonight.”

  Dad sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “Fine. Tell Cass to get his grandmother on the phone and we’ll see what we can do.”

  “Thank you, Daddy.” I kiss his cheek and hug him close, savoring the familiar smell of his cologne. I rarely see him, since he’s always working, and being with him right now, during one of the worst moments of my life, makes me feel better.

  Dad calls the lawyer over and introduces me to him. “This is Mel Grossman, Penelope.”

  “Hi,” I say as we shake hands.

  “Let us chat for a bit before we work on getting you and your friend out of here,” Dad explains before he guides Mel a few feet away from where I stand. They both start talking in low whispers, looking over at me every few seconds.

  It’s disconcerting. Worse, the detectives are questioning Cass, so I have no one to talk to. Dani’s gone. Everyone’s gone.

  The tears come, and I cover my face with my hands, turning away so I’m facing the wall. I don’t want anyone to see me.

  But I can feel their eyes on me anyway.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Seven

  The cops wouldn’t let us take my car home. They declared the entire Jenkins property a crime scene, and everything needed to remain in place until the investigators were through. We didn’t realize it until we left, but they had the entire house and grounds on lockdown while they went in search of the killer.

  They found no one hiding out in the house or on the estate. They do have a huge lineup of people to talk to. Every one of us at that party is a potential suspect. The interview process is going to be a long one.

  But I’m fairly certain they have the killer in captivity—Courtney. They took her to the hospital, where she’s under both medical and psychological evaluation. This is all according to the local news apps, which my dad was reading when we were still waiting to be released from Courtney’s house. Guess they got some decent information, despite the police trying to shut them out.

  Dad dropped Cass off at his house and then we went straight home, neither of us talking much the entire drive. I was emotionally drained and couldn’t work up a reason to care about making small talk. Plus the idea of rehashing to my dad what I just went through made me sick to my stomach.

  “Do you want to talk?” he finally asks once he pulls the car into the garage and shuts off the engine.

  I shake my head, afraid if I say too many words, I might start crying yet again.

  “Do you just want to go to bed?” His voice is gentle, and I glance over at him. His eyes are full of worry and pain, and I can tell he’s treating me like I’m fragile. Like he’s afraid I might break at any minute.

  I feel like I might.

  “Yeah,” I whisper. “Can we talk about this in the morning?”

  He nods. “Of course. But we do have to talk about it, Penelope. And you’ll need to go down to the police station tomorrow and give your official account of what happened as well.”

  “I know. I’ll be better tomorrow.” I hope it’s true.

  Dad walks me into the house, where I’m embraced and cried over by both Mom and Peyton. They want details, descriptions, all of it, but Dad tells them to lay off and that I just want to go to bed. Peyton almost looks disappointed, but she leaves it alone. Mom guides me to my bedroom, where she pulls a small prescription pill bottle out of her robe pocket and pops the top off.

  “Give me your hand,” she murmurs, and I do as she asks. She drops two tiny pills into my palm and closes my fingers around them. “Sleeping pills. You should take them tonight, after what you went through.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” I’m weirded out that she shared her pill stash with me, but I’m not going to complain, either. Until now, I had no idea how I was going to fall asleep tonight. My brain is full of too many lurid images, blood and Courtney and the savage cut across Dani’s neck.

  Mom gives me a tight hug and then leaves me alone in my room. I go to my bedside table where a half-full bottle of water still sits. I screw off the cap, set the pills on my tongue, and wash them down.

  There’s a knock, and then Peyton is sneaking inside my room, closing the door behind her. She rushes toward me and draws me into her arms, holding me close. “I should’ve never covered for you,” she whispers against my hair.

  I blubber/laugh at her confession and pull away so I can look at her. “You didn’t tell them you covered for me, did you?”

  “No.” She shakes her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. “But I will, if that helps get you off the hook.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Peyton.” I smile at her, so grateful that she’s here for me. A few years ago, that Peyton would’ve told me I’m on my own. She was selfish and awful. But she’s changed a lot since going to college. She’s a nicer, gentler version of her old self.

  Makes me think there’s hope for me yet.

  “What happened?” she asks as we both sit on the edge of my bed.

  I launch into the story, not mentioning Cass and me getting stuck in Court’s closet after searching through her room. Or the fact that I made out with Cass in the closet too.

  “So awful,” she says when I finish. The crying has started yet again and Peyton’s joining me. “I’m sorry, Penny. I can’t believe what happened to Dani. Poor Dani.”

  “I know.” I shake my head, sniffing loudly. My head is throbbing and I just want to go to bed. “Can we talk more tomorrow? I just…I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Yeah. Sure. Want me to sleep with you?” When we were really little, we used to cozy up together in bed. Like when I had a bad dream, Peyton was always right there, ready to take care of me.

  “Maybe,” I say with a tiny smile. “I’ll sneak into your bed if I need to.”

  “You can.” She hugs me close. “You’re always welcome to.”

  After she leaves my room, I go through the normal motions of getting ready for bed. I change out of my clothes and pull on a pair of sleep shorts and an old T-shirt. Put my hair into a sloppy topknot. Clean my face off with a makeup wipe and brush my teeth. I crawl into bed and yank the covers up to my neck, waiting for the sleeping pills Mom gave me to kick in.

  But they don’t. Not yet. And while I lay there alone with my thoughts, I realize everything has changed. Everything. I’m not the same girl I was before even this afternoon, if I want to get specific. Gretchen is gone. Lex is gone. And now…Dani is gone.

  I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. My entire world has been flipped upside down. My friends are gone. Courtney has lost her mind. The entire school is going to be a wreck. The weekend won’t heal our wounds. Hardly anything will.

  And I don’t know how I feel about that.

  Realizing quickly the pills aren’t going to kick in anytime soon, I grab my phone and start scrolling. There are all sorts of notifications, since I haven’t really looked at it since we discovered Courtney with Dani. I see a few Snapchats mentioning the chaos at Courtney’s party, but no photos of an actual dead body, thank God. No videos posted anywhere, either. I close my eyes just thinking about it, but all I can see is blood, so I open them just in time to see a new notification flash at the top of my screen.

  It’s a Snapchat message from Cass.

  I open it up and look at the photo he sent me, smiling a little. He’s in bed, it’s mostly dark, and there’s a sad expression on his face. The photo is captioned, Can’t sleep. And there are sad face and sleeping emojis included.

  I take a selfie and caption it, Me either, before I send it to him.

  We do this for a little while, messaging back and forth, about normal stuff, and it soothes me. He tells me how his grandma kept asking him questions and how the cats wouldn’t leave him alone. How he went to his bedroom and stared out the window for a while, but all he could see was fog so he eventually gave up. I tell him about my family wanting to question me and that my dad wouldn’t let them. That my sister snuck into my room a
nyway and I was glad she did. How my mom gave me sleeping pills and I took them, but they aren’t affecting me yet.

  Our conversation makes me feel normal, like it’s any other Friday night/early Saturday morning and I’m Snapchatting with a boy. A boy I could possibly like, who kisses me like he possibly likes me, too. I try to focus on that, on Cass and his lips and the way he touched me, and how he took care of me tonight.

  And when my eyelids get heavy and I finally drift off into sleep, I don’t even remember it happening. I don’t dream, either.

  Something I’m thankful for.

  …

  “Penny. Sweetie. Wake up.” A hand gently shakes my shoulder and my eyes pop open to find my mom standing beside my bed, frowning down at me.

  “What’s going on?” I croak. My throat is so dry, and my head hurts like I’m hungover. I swallow hard and grimace, and Mom grabs the water bottle from my bedside table and hands it to me. I take a drink while she talks.

  “The detectives are here. They want to talk to you about—about last night.” Mom stands up straight, wringing her hands together. “I tried to send them away, told them you were still sleeping, but they didn’t care. They’ve already been here for almost an hour.”

  “What?” I throw the covers back and sit up, hating how my head spins. “I feel awful,” I mumble, rubbing my forehead.

  “It’s the sleeping pills. They can leave you with a bit of a hangover when you first start them,” Mom explains, sounding apologetic.

  “Let me take a quick shower and then I’ll come down,” I tell her as I stand up slowly. I want to go back to bed. I want to go back to sleep and forget everything that happened.

  Maybe if I sleep long enough, I’ll discover everything was just a dream.

  “I called Grossman and he’s on his way.”

  I frown at her. “Who’s Grossman?”

  “Your attorney. I refuse to let those detectives talk to you without him present,” Mom says firmly.

  I feel stupid that I didn’t remember my own lawyer’s name. I can’t even believe I need to have a lawyer. It’s like I’m living in some alternate world. “Don’t you think that makes me look guilty, having a lawyer?”