The Dependable Liar

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Devil You Know

Ethan's Pov

Me and the girls were at school sitting at a table together.

We were currently looking through Ian's suicide letter that day we found his body. I still couldn't believe that he was dead.

I killed Alison. I lost my temper because she knew too much. But there's only so much you can bury. It won't be that easy but I know how to get rid of the pain. I can't run from the law come and find me.

- Ian

"Is this a suicide note or a confession?" Aria asked.

"It's both" Spencer said.

"Emily...how do you have this?" Aria asked as we all turned to look at her.

"I sent it to her. I took a picture with my phone before we called the cops" Hanna said.

"It's weird, why would Ian k*ll himself just as he was about to skip town with Melissa?" Emily asked, confused.

"Maybe he realized he was gonna get caught. He couldn't hide forever, even with Melissa and Wren's help" Spencer said.

"He was probably desperate" Aria said.

"Look, who cares why Ian did it? The important thing is, Ali's killer is dead and you girls are no longer people of interest" I said.

Hanna nodded at that, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Why am I not feeling relieved right now?" Emily asked.

"Oh, Em, come on. For months, we've been about as welcome in this town as a cold sore, and plus, now people know that we've been telling the truth. And Ian is out of our lives for good" Aria explained.

"Yeah, but A isn't" Emily said.

"Can we please just slay one dragon at a time?" Spencer asked, looking a bit annoyed.

I looked towards the door and saw Garrett walking towards us. I looked at the girls and nodded towards him.

They all looked and saw him making his way towards us and stopped talking.

"Hey" Garrett said.

"Hey" I nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked.

"I just came to return some evidence we took from the field hockey office" Garrett said.

We nodded and just when he was about to leave he turned back around to look at us.

"Hey, um, look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you all had to be the ones who found him" Garrett said.

"Melissa's the one who found him" I said and Spencer nodded.

"I'm sorry. Then again, could have been worse" Garrett said.

"What do you mean?" Aria asked.

"Bodies decay. He'd been dead at least a week" Garrett said.

This made our eyes widen slightly as we looked at each other before looking back at him.

"Give my best to your family" Garrett said, looking at me and Spencer.

"Yeah" me and Spencer said.

When Garrett was gone me and the girls turned to look at each other.

"A week?! No, that's impossible. He was texting Melissa" Hanna said, not believing it.

"No, he wasn't. I'm betting it was A" I said, my eyes wide in realization as my fists were clenched at my sides.

"Why would "A" pretend to be Ian and then lead us there to his body?" Aria asked.