Now in dried clothes loaned by Brett, I follow him as he leads me out of the narrow hallway.

"Brett, thank you, thank you so much," I cry out to him in all gratefulness I can express. "You are brilliant, hiding me in the bathtub to pretend you're taking a bath—"

We enter the bright kitchen.

"—oh my goodness, I don't know how I can repay you—"

Brett, by the dining table, whirls around to face me. "You can repay me by getting me out of this mess." He places his palm on the table's surface. "Sit down."

With trepidation creeping up on me, I slink to the chair to my right, pull it out, and sink into it.

Brett settles in the seat next to me. He gazes at me with a sternness in his eyes and interlaced fingers. "What happened last night?"

I take in a shaky breath and close my eyes. "I told you—" I open up my eyes. "—I went to the bar with the guys, I had water, no alcohol, I went outside because I was getting really bummed about Pat leaving me and then I heard a gunshot, I went to see where it was from, and I saw G lying there with blood, dead."

Brett slightly angles his head away from me with narrowed eyes. "Was there anyone around?"

"NO!" I throw my hands in the air. "No one! I didn't see anyone! It was dark!"

"That shot" —he jabs his pointer finger against the table— "had to be from someone nearby." He points at me. "You were at a bar; was G with others before he was out alone?"

I peer up to revisit the mental image of the bar. "Yeah. Yeah, he was." I look back at him. " He was right next to TK."

"TK...?"

"Travis Konecny."

Brett slowly nods with his eyes to aside. "He might know who murdered G if someone led him out—" He flicks his eyes back at me and holds his head still. "—or at least he'll know why G went outside."

My eyes fly open with hope. I point to him and blurt out, "Great idea! I'll take you to him!"

"Alright." Brett pushes himself away from the table and rises to his feet. "Since Nolan ditched us—" He crosses his arms. "—we'll solve this own our own."

I have to inhale deeply and press my lips to numb the familiar hurt flooding within me. Why did I think Nolan was going to come here, to the house of someone he hates, if he didn't even go to a place we both enjoyed?

I push myself onto my feet, shoving the pain aside. "Yeah," I force out. "Let's go."