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I couldn’t force Emilia to let me in, so I followed her lead and focused on the facts "John Thootten ahold of Hardwicke student files," I said "The kind of files that contained confidential medical infor," E hollow "A model student A natural leader A wonderful friend"

The look in Emilia’s eyes when she repeated the head reminded me that John Tho other people feel powerless

"We need to figure out who at this school had reason to want John Thomas dead," I said quietly

"Besides loves, Tess" E her nails into her palms "Say what you ht of her stare on the surface of my skin

"You weren’t the only one he took pictures of" Thatanything out of her that she wasn’t ready to give

Emilia was silent for four or five seconds before she spoke "If I were going to guess where one ht look for people who knew John Thomas Wilcox for who and what he was," she said quietly, "that social media experiment of yours wouldn’t be a bad place to start"

I Stand With Eer, then turned back to the sink "This case is going to get national attention My parents hired a lawyer, but the kind of lae can afford isn’t going to be enough" She pressed her lips together "He was the whip’s son, Tess, and Asher is nobody"

I knew, in that et Asher a lawyer," I promised her "I’ll do whatever it takes" Eaze to theherher own expression--reht now," I told her "Whatever you’re feeling--it’s okay to feel that way"

Emilia pushed past me She reached for the door, then paused "What is it you even think that I’ "Am I supposed to be sad? Ordoard But I’m not I’lanced back atout anted John Thomas dead," she ordered "Because I’m fine"

In between second and third period, I called Ivy No answer

In between third and fourth period, I called Ivy No answer

At lunch, I called Williaet someone from Tyson Brewer’s firm to represent Asher There was a pause on the other end of the line asfor a favor

"Just say the word, Tess," Keyes told et your friend an entire teae"

Free of charge to Asher,this favor would undoubtedly costwhich of nificantly harder than putting the best defense lawyers in the country on retainer Even my reputation as a fixer couldn’t loosen lips, not when it ca ill of the dead

"There’s a terists use to describe our memory of moments that surprise and shock us, the ones where we hear news that rocks us to our core" Dr Clark stood at the front ofat us one by one

"Flashbulb memories," Dr Clark said "That’s what they call nificant events Most Americans ere in elementary school or older on November 22, 1963, can tell you exactly where they hen they heard that President Kennedy had been assassinated" Dr Clark let those words sink in "The day the space shuttle Challenger exploded," she continued, listing off another flashbulb- event She sed "September 11, 2001"

These were the dates that lived forever in people’s ht and detailed, forever memorialized with a kind of visceral horror I couldn’t reer or the day Kennedy was shot