What Disappears in Vegas . . . by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2024-01-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Insomniac Investigations

“WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?” I blurted, throwing out my arm to stop the elevator from closing. “You can’t just drop an accusation like that and then leave!”

Priya turned around to face me, half-in, half-out of the elevator. Her eyes were a little unfocused. “What do you mean, ‘drop’?” she asked. “I’ve been sshaying this from the beginning. All those exshtreme sports! Veronica was never into that before. She’s just lucky it was him that crashed into that tree. If it was her, I’m not sure she would have survived.”

“Ohhhhhh,” Bess breathed, sounding very relieved. “You mean that the sports he got her into were dangerous, then? Not that he was literally going to murder her?”

Priya scrunched up her eyebrows, looking almost annoyed. “Of course not! Sheesh. But he’s still bad news, and she finally figured it out. The real Veronica ishn’t about that life.”

I sighed and pulled my arm back, letting Priya exit. “Okay, okay. Point taken. Good night, Priya. Get some rest.” And sleep it off, I added silently. As Veronica’s best friend headed off and the door closed behind her, I wondered about her words. Veronica had run away from the wedding on purpose; the disguise proved that. So was there any truth to what Priya believed? Had Veronica tired of Xavier’s thrill seeking, maybe gotten scared straight by his accident at the rehearsal dinner? Was it as simple as that?

Bess, George, and I stumbled back to our room and quickly got ready for bed. Soon after we turned out the lights, I could hear their breathing slowing enough to imply that they’d both fallen asleep. Bess muttered a couple of incomprehensible things in her sleep, like she does. But I felt as wide awake as if I’d just pulled the curtain to reveal a blinding-white morning and drunk three espressos. I felt a little jealous of my friends, that they were able to press pause on a mystery and relax enough to go to sleep. I wasn’t so good at that.

Fortunately, I had something to keep me occupied. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, I threw off the covers, got up, and fished Veronica’s phone out of my purse. I typed 1023 on the keypad, and sure enough, the phone unlocked. Well, that’s a note in Xavier’s favor, I thought, clicking on the messages icon. If Xavier thought that Veronica had reason to fear him, he wouldn’t be so eager to share her phone with me… would he?

Or was there a chance he was playing me? Could he have deleted anything compromising before he gave me the phone? But he hadn’t had that kind of time, had he? And how could he have known I would ask for it?

I shook my head. I was spiraling. Just look at the phone, Nance, I reminded myself.

Right. Phone. Clues!

The first conversation in the messages app was between Veronica and Xavier, which made sense. As a loving couple about to get married, they were probably in the closest contact of anyone Veronica knew.

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