Author's Note: Here's the next installment and things are starting to get juicy!
Mona smiled and awkwardly waved with one hand, a package tucked under her other arm. When no one but Hanna responded the dark haired girl frowned at her. "I thought you told them I was coming."
"I did. When you rang the bell," Hanna admitted, looking sheepish.
Spencer didn't exactly leap up out of her seat but she did finally smile. "Come in Mona, it's fine. We were just surprised. How have you been?"
Mona, not having seen any of the girls but Hanna since the horrible days of CeCe's trial, addressed the elephant in the room. "Far better than I would have been if you'd have told the cops about Bethany."
"No one told the cops about me and Shana so why would we expose you?" Aria said, her voice tight.
Hanna spoke up, her voice chipper enough to break through the sudden gloom at the reminder of how much they'd all been through. "Mona's been using her freedom to get even smarter if you can believe that."
"I'm working on three Master's degrees," Mona said. "Psychology, biology and technology. I'm thinking of going into forensics or criminal profiling."
"Dear Lord. And I thought I was an overachiever," Spencer spoke up then blushed. "Did I say that out loud? Sorry. That wasn't meant to sound so bitchy."
Mona just laughed. "Doesn't matter." She took a seat and then jumped back up again and handed Spencer the package she'd had tucked under her arm.
"You didn't have to bring me any˗"
"I didn't," Mona interrupted. "I found it by the front door. I'm guessing it's a present for your shower. It's got your name on it and everything."
Spencer turned the package over and over her hands, a mischievous grin blossoming across her face. "It wouldn't hurt to open just one early, right?"
"Go for it," Emily encouraged. The rest of the girls nodded so Spencer pulled the tab on the cardboard box, tore through the layers of parchment, and revealed a small hardcover book.
Hanna wrinkled her nose. "Who would give a book as a wedding present?"
Spencer didn't answer, instead she pulled an envelope out from in between the cover and the first page.
"Who's it from?" Mona asked as Spencer scanned the card. Before she could even really finish her question Spencer gasped and the book fell from her hands.
Emily reached out to pick up the items, her heart pounding and her hand shaking at Spencer's reaction.
"What's it say?" Aria whispered.
Emily looked to Spencer, only reading the card once Spence nodded. "'Charles is still alive but if you're reading this I'm not. If you want to know the truth, the real truth, then read my journal. But I'm warning you now, you won't like what I have to say. Kisses, Cecelia Drake.'"
The other girls gasped but only Ali leapt to her feet. "Is this some kind of sick joke? And if it's not, why would CeCe send that to Spencer and not me?"
Spencer snorted even though she felt sick to her stomach. "Really Ali? That's your problem with this?"
"What we should really be asking is whether or not we should believe her or if we should just assume she's lying. Again," Emily said as she stared at the book she still clutched in her hand. The other girls could only imagine that Emily was thinking of Sara, who, during the trial had admitted to having worked with CeCe of her free will just not to the extent that CeCe had claimed. There had been lies upon lies.
"We should turn it into the police," Aria suggested.
"And get publically dragged back into this mess?" Mona scoffed. "No thank you."
"But if CeCe really does, did, know something…" Hanna trailed off.
"Shut up, all of you," Spencer barked. When the others turned to her they found her standing a few feet away with her phone to her ear. Her voice was too low to hear but it was only minutes before she was back in her seat with her phone in her lap.
"My mother confirmed that CeCe really is dead. The asylum thinks it was an overdose but they're still investigating. That's why we hadn't heard about it yet."
"So what do we want to do about this?" Emily asked as she waved the notebook around.
Spencer leaned over and pulled it out of her hands. "We read it and turn it over to the cops if it sounds legit. If not, we forget about it."
"Shouldn't the guys be here to hear this too? Just in case?" Hanna asked.
The others nodded but let Spencer speak up. "Hanna, call Caleb. Have him bring the guys over."
"And I'll ask him to pick up a couple pizzas," Hanna said. When everyone looked at her funny she made a face right back. "I'm pregnant. I can't just skip meals because crazy shit is going down," she said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled herself off the couch.
"I'm going to call Jason and tell him not to come," Ali announced. "It's just…if she's spouting lies again I don't want to upset him. And if she's not…"
"It'll probably be better for his mental health if he hears it from you and without an audience," Emily said.
"You're being all therapisty," Hanna observed as she returned from making her phone call.
Emily rolled her eyes. "I'm a physical therapist, not a shrink."
Spencer interrupted before Hanna could retort. "Call Jason, Ali. The sooner we get this over with, the better."