Page 43 of What They'll Say About Us

"I don't know. Probably, Carrie, but I'm not sure." Sloane paused, as if debating whether to share something else.

"What are you thinking, Sloane?"

"I feel like a traitor for saying a lot of this. Paige is dead, and here I am tarnishing her reputation. It doesn't feel right. I was her friend. I should be loyal to her, even in death."

"As her friend, I'm sure you also want justice. If it wasn't an accident, then someone killed Paige, and they need to pay."

She licked her lips, then said, "There was something going on between Paige and Professor Hale."

"Like what?"

"You know. You told everyone she was sleeping with him."

"Was she?"

"She never told me she was, but I know he gave her a ride home one night. I happened to be walking back to our apartment after a late class, and I saw them arguing in his car." She paused. "You can't put this on your show, Tessa. I don't want to be a part of your podcast."

"I won't name you, Sloane. But I'd really like to know what you think you saw?"

She hesitated, then said, "It felt like an intimate fight."

"How so?"

"Paige started to get out of the car, and he grabbed her arm. She looked at him, but she didn't pull away. They just stared at each other, and then I thought she said something like, 'I can't.' She got out of the car and ran into the building."

"Did you ask her about it when you went inside?"

"She was in her room with the door closed. I knocked, and she said she was going to bed. She didn't want to talk. I thought about bringing it up the next day. But I didn't want to pry. If she wanted to tell me, she'd tell me, but she never did."

"When the police interviewed you, did you tell them about this conversation?"

"I did. The detective said he'd speak to the professor. But I never heard any more about it."

"Did Detective Cabot mention that he knew Professor Hale?"

Sloane's eyebrows arched in surprise. "No. What do you mean he knew him?"

"They were both competitive chess players."

She shook her head. "I don't know anything about that. I did tell the detective that I wondered if Professor Hale was pressuring Paige in some way. He said he'd look into it." Sloane paused. "I wondered if the professor was the reason for Paige's suddenly increased level of stress. She had to perform for him in public, and who knew what was going on in private. What bothered me the most was that I thought she might be cheating on Nate, and he was such a good guy."

"Nate told me that he asked you about Hale and you told him you didn't think anything was going on."

"That's true. I didn't know for sure, and I didn't want to get involved in their relationship. Plus, I knew it would hurt him. He really cared about Paige."

"My aunt said you've been helping with some of the set design at her theater. Hale is involved in the current production. Have you spoken to him?"

"Beyond hello or answering a question about the set, no. And I never spoke to him while I was in college. He was never my teacher. I'm not sure he even knows I was Paige's roommate. It was a long time ago."

"You've never talked about the past?"

"No. It was nine years ago, Tessa. Maybe it feels fresher to you because you've only recently returned, but I've run into lots of people since college, and we've all moved on with our lives. I don't ever want to talk to Professor Hale about anything. Whatever happened or didn't happen isn't relevant anymore." Sloane stood up as her husband came into the yard without the baby. "Are you leaving, Garrett?"

"Yes. I left Gracie with Elana. I have to go to my meeting. I'll see you later. Nice to meet you, Tessa."

"You, too." As Sloane sat back down, I added, "You have a beautiful family and a beautiful home."

She smiled. "I know. I'm really lucky. Garrett is a wonderful husband and father, and our baby daughter is all I ever wanted."