“Fair enough.” Caitlin went back into work mode. “I know that you, Lakshmi, and Angela used to get high together. The night Angela disappeared, she and Lakshmi both took MDMA.”

“And you want to know if they got the pills from me?”

She nodded.

He sat back in his seat, his smile fading into resignation. “I’m glad someone finally asked. The cops never did. Not that I felt bad about it. I mean, it looked like that Michelson kid killed Angela, and obviously Lakshmi knew, and no one came after me. I was afraid if I brought it up out of the blue, it wouldn’t help the cops, but I’d get fired for some sort of teacher–student violation.”

“Understandable,” Caitlin said patiently.

Branford pointed at the coming intersection. “Turn right up here.”

She took the turn, glanced his way. “Want to tell me about the pills?”

He spoke with a slight tremble. “First off, I’m not a dealer. I keep a little pot around for stress, but I inherited the Molly from a guy in a French clown troupe who couldn’t take his stash on a plane. The second I found out Angela went missing, I doused the rest of the pills with a hose.” He held up a finger. “But I didn’t sell the pills. The girls helped me so much when I started the Monster that I gave them Molly whenever they asked. I am not a drug dealer.”

“No judgment,” Caitlin said. “I wouldn’t have made it through the last three weeks without a friend’s weed stash.”

Branford smiled. “I knew I liked you, Caitlin Bergman.”

She laughed, then got back to the point. “Who asked for the Molly the night Angela went missing?”

“Lakshmi.”

Caitlin’s stomach turned. Another omission from the girl’s version of events. “Did she call or drop by your classroom?”

“She dropped by a few days before, said she and Angela wanted to party that Friday.”

Damn it. Lakshmi hadn’t just procured the pills, she’d planned the whole night. As in premeditation.

“And when did she come by and get the Molly?”

Branford looked confused. “She didn’t. Angela grabbed the pills that Friday at the end of class.”

Caitlin slowed for a stop sign. “Wait, Angela grabbed the pills?”

“It didn’t make sense for Lakshmi to make an extra trip.”

Caitlin leaned back against her headrest. If Chapman knew about the pills, then Lakshmi was telling the truth.

Someone in a car behind them tapped the horn.

And I accused her of drugging the woman she loved … after I accused her of stalking the teacher who’d seduced her as an underage high-school girl … and brought up the whole load of homophobic roommate bullshit.

The horn honked again, longer.

Branford cleared his throat. “I think it’s your turn.”