Chapter Sixteen

Lizzie approaches Coach Carlton's office, her heart racing with anticipation. She needs to know if Jasher's alibi checks out.

"Hello, Coach Carlton," she says, trying to sound casual. "You remember me right? Lizzie. Can I ask you something?"

Coach Carlton looks up from his desk. "Sure thing, Lizzie. What's up?"

"I was wondering about the LaCrosse practice on the night... you know, the night Veronica died. Did Jasher leave early?"

Coach Carlton furrows his brow. "No. He stayed throughout practice."

Lizzie's eyes narrow. “Are you sure? Think carefully, sir.”

“I'm positive Lizzie. Is something wrong?”

“No not all. Um……what time did you finish practice?”

“I think it was well past 11 or 12. Can't really remember. Everyone went home in groups for safety reasons.”

“I see. Thanks coach.”

“You're sure everything is okay?”

“Yeah.”

Coach carlton calls Jasher into his office after practice, a concerned expression on his face. "Hey, Jasher, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Jasher's eyes narrow slightly, but he smiles and takes a seat. "What's up, Coach?"

"Lizzie came to see me today," Coach Carlton says, his voice low. "She was asking questions about your alibi for the night Veronica died."

Jasher's expression doesn't change, but his eyes flash with anger. "What did she want to know?"

"Just if you left practice early that night," Coach Carlton replies. "I told her you did, but that you said it was for a family emergency."

Jasher's smile widens, but his voice takes on a slightly sharp edge. "Yeah, that's right. Everything's fine, Coach. Don't worry about it."

Coach Carlton leans forward, his eyes locked on Jasher's. "Listen, Jasher, I know you're a great player, but if there's something going on, something you need to talk about, I'm here for you."

Jasher's laughter is smooth, effortless. "Thanks, Coach, but really, everything's okay. Lizzie's just being nosy, that's all."

Coach Carlton nods, but his eyes linger on Jasher's face, searching for any sign of deception. Jasher's mask is perfect, though, and the coach can't shake the feeling that something is off.

As Jasher leaves the office, Coach Carlton can't help but wonder what's really going on. Is Jasher hiding something? And what's driving Lizzie to ask so many questions?

Jasher's face remains calm and serene, but inside, he's seething. How dare Lizzie question him? Doesn't she know who he is? He makes a mental note to take care of her, to silence her once and for all.

After school, Lizzie stops by Veronica's house, trying to appear sensitive. "Hey, Mrs. Thompson! I just wanted to say hi and see how you're doing."

Mrs. Andersen smiles, inviting her in. "That's so sweet of you, Lizzie. We're doing okay, just trying to stay busy."

Lizzie offers to make tea while they're outside gardening, and Mrs. Andersen agrees. As they work in the garden, Lizzie sneaks upstairs to Veronica's room.

She scans the room, her eyes landing on Veronica's phone. She quickly grabs it and scrolls through the call history. But there's nothing from Jasher. No calls, no texts. It's as if they never communicated recently.

Lizzie's mind races. Did Jasher delete the call history? Or did Veronica?

When she gets home, Lizzie turns to her twin, Debbie. "Hey, Debbie, can I ask you something?"

Debbie looks up from her phone. "What's up?"

"Did Veronica get any weird phone calls that night she died? Anything that seemed off?"

Debbie thinks for a moment. "Now that you mention it, she did get a call. She stepped outside to answer it, and she seemed really upset when she came back in."

Lizzie's eyes widen. "Do you know who called her?"

Debbie shakes her head. "No, she didn't say. But... I did see her delete the call history afterwards."

Lizzie's heart sinks. This is getting more and more suspicious by the minute. She remembered Veronica saying she was going to see Jasher to settle after she had caught her sneaking out.

What the hell happened during that time?

"Did the police run a fingerprint test on her phone?" Lizzie asks, trying to sound calm.

Debbie shrugs. "I don't know. But I do know they took her phone as evidence."

Lizzie's mind races. She needs to get to the bottom of this. Did Jasher delete Veronica's call history? And if so, why?

Perhaps they shouldn't have lied about that night. They should've just told the sheriff the truth.

Lizzie sits nervously in the sheriff's office, fidgeting with her hands as she tries to phrase her question carefully. She didn't want to reveal her suspicions about Jasher, not yet, not until she's sure. But she has to know if the sheriff's department is doing everything they can to catch Veronica's killer.

"Sheriff, did you... um... run fingerprints on Veronica's phone?" she asks finally, trying to sound nonchalant.

Sheriff Gallagher looks up from his paperwork, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. "Yes, we did," he replies curtly. "Why are you asking?"

Lizzie hesitates, unsure how much to reveal. She didn't want to seem accusatory, but she has to know if they've considered Jasher as a suspect. "I just... I want to make sure you're doing everything you can to catch the killer," she says finally.

The sheriff leans back in his chair, a confident smile spreading across his face. "We're doing everything by the book, Lizzie. Don't worry about it."

Lizzie presses on, despite her growing unease. "And did you find anything suspicious?" she asks, trying to sound casual.

Sheriff Gallagher waves his hand dismissively. "Nothing that's relevant to the case. Look, Lizzie, I understand you're concerned, but we've got this under control. You don't need to worry about it."

Lizzie leaves the sheriff's office feeling perturbed. She hasn't gotten the answers she's looking for, and she can't just shake the feeling that the sheriff is hiding something. She doesn't want to reveal her suspicions about Jasher, not yet, but she knows she has to keep pushing for the truth.

As she walks home, she can't help but wonder if she's just being paranoid. Maybe Jasher is innocent, and she's just letting her imagination run wild. But the memory of his smile, the way he seemed to be hiding something, lingers in her mind.