Ever since Alison's funeral the town has been on edge. Now that the police turned her case from a missing person to murder the news spread that one of the four girls closest to her could have killed her, my friends. Her being murdered has had people going nuts from what's going on, even to the point where they are bothering the girls about it. This boils my nerves of course because those four would never purposely hurt someone, especially not to this extent. So the fact anyone would point fingers at them as soon as the word MURDER popped up does not sit well with me. Alison bullied the entire town, even the adults, and had others physically bully people she didn't like out of spite. Yet somehow they are being pinpointed just because they were the last people to see Alison, and that automatically makes them number one on the list.

Even after the rumors had been circulating for a month since the funeral this still has the girls more distant and distracted, but I also noticed that they seemed...scared. I get people thinking they killed their best friend would freak them out, but they were super jumpy all the time. Especially when their phones would go off, which is the same thing I saw at the church and it's alarming. They won't tell me though, seeming secretive, protective in a way. I haven't brought their behavior up since I noticed the oddness, but I do keep an eye on them just in case. They've done a lot for me, it's only fair to repay the favor.

On top of murder or the girls being watched and jumpy, there's a detective that's been on them like a hawk. This person is the one who is in charge of the investigation for Alison's murder and has been on her case since she was considered a missing person when he was a rookie cop. So he's been on the prowl (so to speak) for the girls' heads. He won't leave them alone, always coming to the school to pull them aside for chats of that night over and over. It's getting a little weird knowing how invested he is. How invested in them he is. Obsessed.

"Jessie Brant?" I hear the voice of a man just as I'm heading down the block with Mike from the school. We plan on playing basketball and I told him we could grab a ball from the store. I stocked the shelves up from the inventory not used in the back, slowly leaning towards opening it up.

I turn to the voice and see a tall light skinned man standing behind us. He has blue eyes and short dirty blond hair that is somewhat parted on the side and looks to be staying put with hair spray. He is in a suit, holding up a badge for me to see. "You're the detective that's looking into Alison's case?"

"Detective Wilden." He says with a nod and sticks his badge back into the inside of his jacket pocket, "I would like to speak with you."

A little taken off guard I blink up at him, confused on why I needed to be questioned. "Do I need my guardians present for something like this?"

He half smiles, shaking his head. "It's not an interrogation. You're not a suspect."

"Okay." I give Mike the keys so he can grab the ball, smiling in reassurance. "What can I help you with?" I look back at him once Mike is inside.

"I'm sure you know we are investigating a few people in the murder of Alison DiLaurentis. As of recently we've come to find a video tape of what seems to be her last moments before her death."

I just keep my eyes on him, not knowing why he's telling me this. Certain things are held from the press for a reason, and this wasn't in the news. But I continue to listen to him as he tells me that in the evidence of the tape it shows she had been wearing a sweater and had pinpointed it to be Toby Cavanaughs.

"We've been told that you were friends with him before he left town?"

Left town was one way to put it, but I nod to his question. "We were on good terms, yeah."

"Have you seen him since he's been back?"

"Only at Alison's funeral with his step sister, but not since then."

He nods, his eyes shift for a second to my store before back at me. "Any particular reason to be on good terms with him when he's always had a bad reputation?"

I half smile, seeing what he's trying to do. It's not enough to get the girls into trouble apparently. "Toby has never been a bad person, people just didn't understand him."

"And you did?" He says sarcastically.

Now I lick my lips in a bit of annoyance, trying not to wince when my tongue grazed over the cut from Amber's punch. "He was nice to me when I didn't have many friends growing up, detective. He never treated me differently and I gave him the same respect."

He nods slowly, putting one of his hands in his pocket as he continues to watch me with what feel like laser eyes. "So him being older and interested to be your friend wasn't odd?"

Now I half laugh and shake my head at that. Toby being one year older doesn't make much of a difference, now he's just baiting me. "Wow. You're completely sick, you know that?"

He just smiles, getting quiet for a few long seconds and then says, "Just how well do you know the girls who were friends with the victim? Did they seem as close as they were, or was it all a show?"

I blink up at him, realizing he set me up to talk about them. "I have known those girls since we were kids, they are more authentic than most people in this town. If you're trying to imply that they may have hurt Alison, then you're on the wrong track."

He has a mixed look on his face before smiling, but it seems cold. "How loyal are you to those girls?"

In my head I picture punching him in the face before I smile back at him, "I think your questions are done. I know how this works and you need to back off before you overstep on the investigation."

"I'm just making conversation, Jessie."

"About thinking my friends are guilty. I don't think you are making much of a conversation, detective."

He laughs in a way that is supposed to be sweet but I know it's not, "If stealing a boyfriend's car and wrecking it is authentic, then I'm afraid to know how they really are."

I blink at him as he references the fact that Hanna stole Sean's car when we were at Noel's cabin the other night. Mona told me that Hanna got upset that her own boyfriend seemed to look at her like he never wanted to have sex with her. Honestly, Mona is the one who got Hanna to that point. She kept saying that if Sean didn't have sex with her now then he didn't love her enough. She needs to know how to hold her tongue.

Coming back from that memory I watch him closely, "As if you've never done something stupid in your teen years, detective. Don't act like you're innocent from your childish days."

He gives me a small smirk. I'm not sure if it's him being impressed that I know how to talk around his questions, or if he is now mentally making me a target. Then he nods in a goodbye with a boyish smile that makes me wanna knock his teeth in, "Make sure you know who your friends are is all I'm saying."

The door from the store opens just as Detective Wilden turns and walks away, Mike now standing beside me. "Anything we should be worried about?"

I eye the detective as he gets to his car and he gives me one last eye contact before getting into it. "I think he's going to be a handful on your sister."

...

A few days pass as I head down the stairs of the Hastings' home, now finished with things for school. Spencer had Field Hockey practice so she isn't home, just her sister and parents. Things are still weird between them all, making things awkward in general. Her parents barely talk to Spencer, while Melissa gives her the silent treatment. Half the time I can't even figure out how to interact when this happens. I've tried countless times to stand up for Spencer and remind them that Wren is a good 5 years older and made a move on an underaged girl, but they didn't seem to pay attention when I spoke about the situation. Not that they pay much attention in general.

As I get to the bottom and into the living room I give a quick shout of, "Finished my homework, going to the Montgomerys' house!" before grabbing my board next to the door and heading into the backyard. My car broke down for good so now I either get rides from others or just skate around.

As I'm skating along I see Ezra's car parked at the end of the block to my old neighborhood, kind of confused on why he'd be here. But before I can get to him his car turns on and he heads down the block, turning around the corner and disappears. I half wonder if he's looking for me, so I stop over on the side, kick up my board into my hand and start to walk the rest of the way. Then I grab my phone to call him just as I get a text.

"Missed them in action. Would have loved to see your face." It says, the word unknown plastered where the number should be. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Now confused on two things I lift my head to search around quickly, not seeing anyone nearby. But I just shake it off and decide to let both things slide for the moment as I get to the front of the Montgomerys' house now. I see they have mail and open the box up to grab it for them before walking up the steps and knocking on the door.

Only a few seconds till Aunt Ella opens the door for me and she smiles, "Jessie."

I smile back and hug her as I walk in and give her the mail before she closes the door behind me, "Mikey invited me over. Hope that's okay."

She reaches up and rubs my cheek as I smile at her, "Of course it is, I've actually been meaning to talk to you about something."

"Oh? What about?" I ask as I set my skateboard against the wall.

She smiles and ushers me into the living room, searching through the mail in her hand. I can tell that most of them are bills when she starts to open them up and sits on the couch. "Well, it's more of a group talk with your uncle, but he's been so busy I feel like we'll never be able to have this chat."

I sit down beside her, feeling a little confused about what's going on. "A good talk, or a bad one?"

She smiles as she keeps shifting through the mail, "Good talk. Or at least we'd hope so. It's about…" she stops in her tracks, her brows slanting in confusion with her eyes on a letter in her hand from the pile of mail I gave her.

"Aunt Ella?" I ask in concern when she stops in mid sentence, "You okay?"

"I…" She seems stumped for words, making me more concerned. Then her head goes up from the letter and she stares at me. "Who's A?"

I blink in confusion, pressing my lips together. "What?"

She shakes her head as I lean myself a little closer and start to read the paper in her hand. Someone signed a letter with only the initial A and talked about Uncle Byron cheating on her 3 years ago with his college student and that Aria knew about it.

My mouth goes dry from reading that, "This is a joke, right?"

The look on her face when her eyes seem to sadden rapidly is alarming, scanning the letter over and over. She doesn't speak again, just staring at it and I have no idea what to do or say to help. I just watch her battle in her own head, wanting to say that it can't be true, but I'm just as out of words and shocked as she is now. So for a while we just sit here in long silence because this is a lot to grasp.

"Aunt Ella…" I finally say gently, my hand now landing onto her shoulder cautiously.

Her eyes slowly, very slowly connect with mine and I see a pool of tears in them for a split second before she wipes the tears away. "I'll take care of this."

"But…"

"I got it, Jessie. Go upstairs with Mike. Don't tell him a thing."

"I don't…"

"Jessie, promise me you won't say anything to anyone until this is settled."

I gulp a bit, seeing the seriousness in her gaze on me, a mix of fury and sadness are behind them. As much as I want to say something, to help, I also know it's not my business. So I nod, "Okay. I won't tell."

She half smiles and leans in to kiss my forehead, "Love you. Now off you get."

I bite the inside of my lip in frustration before I put a brave smile and get to my feet, "I love you too." Then I turn and head out of the living room and to the stairs with one last look at her eyeing the letter just as the front door opens and I look to see it's Aria.

For a second she stares at me and smiles, "Jessie." But then her face drops and she seems to sense something is wrong. I take this as my cue to guide her with my eyes to her mom on the couch. Once she looks away that's when I head upstairs and go straight to Mike's room. God, what has happened.