I don’t even click the lamp on. I lean over his body and feel around for the small device. I stare at the glowing number shining bright through the dark, the one I’ve called nonstop for the past couple of hours, and I don’t know if I’ve truly stopped breathing, but it feels like it.

I have to answer it, but I have a brain fart first. Can’t figure out how to answer a phone like this. When it rings for the fifth time, I feel immensely silly, almost hot with nerves. With shaking fingers, I open the phone, not sure what I’m going to say after “hello,” but also I need whoever’s on the other end to not hang up, and then I freeze again with the phone to my ear because I never say hello.

The caller, who is exasperated as soon as the slightly distorted voice transmits, starts speaking before I can get a word in. “Taylor, thank God. Sorry I missed all your calls. Thanks for calling me back. I know you’re pissed, but please don’t hang up. Please.”

I recognize the voice. I’ve only heard her speak on one occasion, but the faint Spanish lilt is easy to place.

I don’t say anything.

The caller goes on, her frantic words coming faster and faster. “Look, I know I fucked up. I shouldn’t have had the will out like that. I should have made sure I put it away before I let her come over. And I should have told you about that in the first place. I was going to. I just figured I’d see what she wanted and then I’d fill you in. It all happened so fast. I got nervous. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Another pause. My heart screams inside my chest. It’s my turn, but once again, I don’t know what to say, how to handle this, and now Nate is sitting up and inching closer to me, desperately trying to catch my eye. I glance at him as he’s in the middle of mouthing who is it? but ignore him and shift my focus back on the fast, desperate words crashing into my ear.

“I’m fucking all torn up about what happened to Mei and Jared. It’s not over. We can get them out. We’ll figure something out. Just don’t be mad.”

She pauses, and I try to conjure up something to say, but the words stall as the realization slams into my skull like a wrecking ball.

Izzy was the last person to see Simon alive.

Izzy is the one who had access to Simon’s office.

She’s the one who gave Simon the poison.

She was there the whole time. Taylor’s alibi was legit because the bitch really wasn’t there.