“When I woke up in Rachel’s apartment, Candace was the only one there. She was on the phone with someone, yelling at them, which is what woke me up. She hung up and threw her phone across the room. She looked angry, and she’d been crying. I asked her what was wrong, and she wouldn’t talk to me. Then I asked where everyone was, and Candace said she didn’t know. Later—I don’t know how long because I fell asleep again—Kim, Rachel, and Taylor came in. I still felt awful, and Candace was making me drink a lot of water and eat crackers. I asked where Adele was—or Candace did, I don’t remember. Rachel said she hadn’t come to the party last night. She turned to me, said didn’t I remember that Adele had decided to go home? I remembered precisely nothing. I thought Adele had been at the apartment, but everything was a jumble, and when Rachel said she wasn’t there, it was like I erased any memories of her. I looked at Candace, and she didn’t say anything. Then I just assumed I remembered wrong. I was really sick and out of it.”

They had basically gaslighted Alexa. Candace knew the truth, but she remained silent.

Until her conscience couldn’t take it anymore.

“What happened to Adele?” Regan asked.

“I didn’t know until Candace came to me after the Spring Fling. I didn’t even make the connection, even though I knew that Adele had gone missing after winter break.”

Alexa drank her water; her hand was shaking.

“I was living with my parents in Kingman, single and six months pregnant. I was a student teacher and trying to figure out what I was going to do about my life as a single mom. That’s when she told me the truth.”

“The truth about Adele,” Regan prompted.