Finally I find my voice. “Our mothers will find out where we’ve been, what we’ve been doing. They’ll be so mad.”

“What’s more important, Abbi? Helping the police find your teacher’s killer or not getting in trouble with your mother?”

I think about Ms. Sullivan and how much she encouraged me, how special she made me feel. If there’s anything I can do to solve her murder, I have to do it, no matter what happens.

“Okay, you’re right. We’ll go to the police, but how? I mean, do we walk into the police station and tell them? Or do we call them or—what should we do?” The only policeman I’ve ever spoken to is Officer Bob, who came to our school for Safety Day in fourth grade.

Skylar chews on her fingernail. “Maybe we should talk to somebody first. Greg, maybe.”

“The first thing he’d do is tell Mom.”

“Who else can we trust?”

“How about Mr. Boyce? He’ll know what to do. Maybe he’d even go to the station with us.”

“You’re a genius, Abbi.” Skylar hugs me. “We’ll call him tomorrow morning.”

I start crying again. Skylar tries to comfort me, but I can’t stop. This is the most horrible night of my life. I can’t imagine what tomorrow will be like. And all the days after, plodding past in a long gray line. I press my face into my pillow and sob until my eyes hurt.

Skylar lies beside me, her body spooned around mine, her arms holding me. Slowly her grip relaxes. Her breath is deep and even. She’s sound asleep.

Even though I’m more tired than I’ve ever been in my life, I can’t relax. Over and over again, I see Ms. Sullivan getting into the SUV, her face hidden by sunglasses and that crazy straw hat. I see her coming out of Victoria’s Secret with her big shopping bags, I see her jump out of the SUV and walk across the field and disappear into the woods. Skylar and I should have followed her. We might have saved her.

But no, we let her go. And so did the man in the SUV. He drove off and left her, as if he didn’t care what happened to her.

I try to sleep, but my mind just won’t let go of Ms. Sullivan and the man and the police. I toss and turn. Skylar flops to her other side, her back to me. She’s not awake, but I’m obviously disturbing her sleep.

I slide quietly out of bed. Skylar doesn’t move or make a sound. Nothing wakes her up.