“Wasn’t my idea.” Carson sighed. “Look, Piper was paranoid. She didn’t want anyone to find out what we’d done. This school is her life. She figured, Even if Flora didn’t tell them, she might. We need to nip it in the bud.” He raised his palms. “I’m just her errand boy. And look, I’m sorry, especially if you didn’t know. Hell, I guess this makes you look a little less guilty—though, I mean, I could still see you wanting to bust open Piper’s head after getting those notes.”

“And how do I know you’re telling the truth? Maybe Piper had regrets at scamming the parents. Maybe she has a heart—unlike yourself.”

“I have an alibi, remember?” Carson sighed heavily, as though this were all so tiresome.

“Well, you’ve still done something wrong. And I didn’t hurt Piper, either. So stop threatening me. Stop threatening my friends.”

Carson’s brow was furrowed. He seemed just as blindsided by this as Andrea was. “Huh,” he said. “So you weren’t lurking around her house, either?”

“What?” Andrea put a hand to her chest. “Why would I lurk around her house?”

“Because you wanted to scare her.” Carson searched her face like he didn’t believe her. Andrea shook her head vehemently. “Well, someone was! She was really freaked out about it!”

“Someone was stalking her?” Andrea repeated. “Another parent who found out?” she volunteered.

Carson gave her an exasperated look. “I don’t know. If she told me that, we would have already solved this, wouldn’t we?”

Andrea pressed her fingers to her temples. This all sounded too convenient. Carson was sending her off in a crazy direction to deflect guilt. He was trying to minimize the fact that he’d committed a huge crime. Andrea straightened, regaining her focus.

The sirens finally grew closer. Andrea grabbed the folder Carson had handed over—stupid, stupid man!—and pressed it to her chest. “You really think parents—even wealthy ones—are going to allow this? I have evidence now.”

“You’re not going to say anything.” That eerie smile on his face again. “Or else I’ll tell them about you.” Carson put his hands on his hips. “Who you really are. And then your father will know.”

His pupils were huge. A tiny ping sounded on Carson’s computer, but they both ignored it. Andrea could feel the heat rising up her neck, the abject embarrassment and humiliation of being so, so wrong about this situation. Of course Carson knew who she really was. He’d been the one who called her mother, posing as a reporter.