Matters of the Heart

Chapter 5: Burning Questions

Chapter 5:

Burning Questions

Spencer called Hanna in a complete panic over the text. Emily tried to call Aria, but her phone went straight to voicemail. She assumed Aria was still on the plane. It's what she wanted to believe. She didn't want to think that Aria was ignoring them.

"Hey, Aria, call me as soon as you land." She paced around the loft. "We need to talk." She looked across the room at Hanna, who was on the phone talking to Spencer. Emily lowered her voice and continued her message, "Look, whatever sent you running for the hills...I get it. Believe me." There were times Emily wanted to disappear, too. "But whatever you're going through...you don't have to go through it alone." She felt like a total hypocrite considering her friends knew nothing about her life in California. "You know we love you. Just...please call me."

She hung up the phone and walked over to Hanna. Hanna put Spencer on speaker phone.

"This is a joke, right?" Spencer asked. "It's someone who knows we're back in town and they're using this situation to mess with us."

"It's a pretty specific threat, Spencer." Emily's tone was a lot snottier than she'd meant for it to be.

"No, Spencer's right. It has to be someone's idea of a sick joke. It can't be A. Charlotte is dead. We saw her in a freaking casket this morning." Hanna's voice was at an octave that Emily was convinced that dogs could hear a mile away.

"Charlotte isn't the only one who tortured us in high school." Emily couldn't force herself to make eye contact with Hanna. She hated to even bring it up. She knew that despite everything Mona Vanderwaal had put the girls through, Hanna still loved her.

"Mona?" Hanna seemed surprised by the accusation.

Emily glanced at her as if to say, "I'm sorry" and then shrugged. Emily didn't like thinking that Mona could have returned to her old ways either, but they were running out of suspects.

"Mona couldn't have sent that text." Spencer interjected. "She's working on the State Senate campaign. I saw her at the call center a few minutes before we got the message. She was talking to a potential voter."

Emily felt a sense of relief wash over her body, but at the same time she could feel a tense pressure climbing up her spine. She was glad that Mona didn't seem to be involved, but if it wasn't Mona, then who was it?

"Let's boomerang back to Sara Harvey," Spencer suggested.

"Toby said she has an alibi for the night Charlotte was killed." Hanna sat down on the couch.

Emily sat down next to her.

"Right, but that doesn't mean she's not involved," Spencer said.

"I agree." Emily nodded. "She could be working with someone."

"Did you talk to Aria? What does she think?" Spencer questioned.

Emily looked at Hanna.

"You didn't tell her, did you?" she asked.

Hanna shook her head.

"Tell me what?" Spencer sounded annoyed.

Hanna and Emily exchanged a nervous glance. Hanna motioned for Emily to say something. Emily glared at her and shook her head. Hanna shot back with a look that said, you tell her. Emily looked at Hanna like she was crazy with a silent retort that said, I'm not gonna tell her. YOU tell her.

"Guys!" Spencer snapped.

Emily was the one who caved,

"Aria left the hotel the night Charlotte was killed."