"Have you talked to anyone about what happened?" Blair's grief counselor asks in a kind voice.
Blair shakes her head. "Not after telling the police."
"What did you tell the police?"
"I'd rather not go through that again." Blair snaps.
"Alright," the counselor isn't phased, "you told them facts, what about feelings, would you like to share those?"
"Shock. I guess." Blair shifts. "When I was watching that car I had no idea what was going to happen. I didn't even see Donna. And then-" The counselor has to keep everything Blair says private, but she still can't admit to anyone other than Scott that she lied. "And then Jo was so brave to check on Donna. When I heard her say who it was," Blair felt safe in admitting this truth, "I was almost relieved. I feel so guilty thinking that, but if it had been one of my brothers, or my mom or dad..."
"I understand. It can be very scary not knowing what happened in that short moment."
Blair nods, "I was worried that it might make me sound guilty, like I was relieved it was Donna, but all the same I wish it was someone I didn't know."
"What was your relationship to Donna?"
It sounded to Blair like a police question, maybe just because she knew her answer would sound bad. "She was just a girl at school."
"B, are you sure you never saw the car?" Jo asks as they walk back through town. Jo had stopped at Bronwyn's vantage point.
"Positive, just like Donna."
"And Donna came from that direction?" Jo pointed to the sidewalk across from them next to the cafe.
"Yeah. Why do you need confirmation?" Bronwyn begins to think this wasn't a good idea.
Jo takes a deep breath. "Sometimes I think I saw her coming toward me, like she looked at me, straight at me, before she got hit."
"Oh Jo," Bronwyn takes Jo's hand, "don't keep thinking about that."
"I'm trying not to, that's why I'm trying to figure out what happened."
Jo goes to Blair's vantage point, she sees that Donna would have been completely obscured around the corner, and if she was looking at the car like she said, she never would have seen Donna, couldn't even shout a warning. There are tall bushes along the sidewalk, just like the ones around Blair's house. Jo looks closely at the break in the hedge, it's small, but a broken branch still has some green leaves, someone recently jumped through these bushes. Jo remembers how scared Blair is of the dark, she couldn't have been here alone.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but what if we talk to Blair and get her story of that night. Maybe that will help you paint a complete picture." Bronwyn asks while they stand on the corner, she is particularly interested in what Blair saw of Donna.
"Really, you would talk to Blair with me?"
Bronwyn rolls her eyes, "well I would sit there with you while you ask questions."
"Scott." Blair says indignantly. "This is Jo we're talking about, did I mention I hate lying to her?"
"Listen, I'll sit with you and make sure you don't say anything stupid, and I'll be your buffer."
"She'll probably bring Bronwyn."
Scott speaks slowly, "well maybe that's a good thing, maybe you guys can all make up. You were good friends once."
"But that was before Bronwyn and Donna-"
Blair suddenly cut herself off and Scott looks around to see if someone is listening. "Bronwyn and Donna what?"
Blair sighs, "I've been asked so many personal questions lately, can you just leave this alone right now?"
Scott doesn't say another word, she hasn't said much about what went down between them even before the accident.
Jo wants to see Blair after school in the gazebo on the grounds. A public place where they can see anyone approaching hearing distance. Safe. She brings Bronwyn who sits silently next to Jo.
"Thanks. I just want to ask about what you saw that night. I didn't see the collision or anything leading up to it, I just want to understand how this happened."
"Sure." Blair tells Jo exactly what she had told the police.
"So I haven't been able to ask Marshal if he is sure of the license plate number, but are you sure about the tint?"
Blair sighs, she is ready for this, "I guess when I didn't see the driver I assumed the windows were tinted, but looking back, how can I be sure about anything that happened that night?"
Those words spoke to Jo's exact experience, "I understand that, sometimes I have dreams about it, but the facts are all jumbled up," Jo lowers her voice, "like Donna was walking from the opposite direction and she's staring at me when she gets hit." Jo shivers. She really does understand but she is confused about a small detail she thinks she might have been lied to about. "If the cops find a direct link between the car and Donna are you going to go back on your statement?"
"This is starting to sound like an interrogation." Scott speaks up.
"That's not my intent."
"Even if the windows weren't tinted," Bronwyn says slowly, "the facts remain. You didn't see the driver."
Blair is shocked at Bronwyn's support and she doesn't hide it, but Bronwyn sees more behind the surprised look. Blair was never good at lying, she can't keep it up much longer, but what is she lying about? And will it come to kick me in the butt?
Jo picks up on the same look but doesn't say a word about it. The four part ways each watching for people who may have seen them together.
