Page 29 of The Sweetest Revenge

"We should split up," Journey suggested. "We'll be less noticeable."

We split up, each taking a different area of the house. Mila took the back of the house, Journey took the kitchen and backyard, and I chose the living room and family room, which were as far away from Zaiden as I could get.

As I went through the room, I stopped and talked to anyone on the list, but they were all dead ends. Either they didn't see Kacie that night, or they were too drunk to remember. After two hours of conversation that led to nothing, I sank onto the couch. I knew someone had to have seen something that night. I was starting to think that person wasn't at this party.

The first party to kick off each team's season was always the largest party of the year because it was when the teams came together, where the rest of the year, each sports team kept to themselves. These were always my least favorite parties, not that I really enjoyed any of them anymore. Every room in the house was so packed it was hard to breathe; it was hot and musty, the music was loud, and it smelled like vomit mixed with stale weed.

My phone buzzed in my hand.

Journey: Heads up, EJ's looking for you.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't have time for EJ right now.

Ariella: Thanks.

My gaze lifted, scanning the room, and thankfully, EJ hadn't made it to this side of the party yet, but it was only a matter of time. My eyes stopped, landing on Cody Black as he lifted his professional camera and snapped a picture of something on the opposite end of the room.

"Holy shit," I muttered as I pushed off the couch. Cody would have been at the party the night Kacie died. He wasn't on my list because no one ever noticed him. He was always in the background, taking pictures.

He was part of the yearbook team in middle and high school. Everyone got so used to seeing him in the background taking pictures that he became invisible. Now, Cody was some type of social media influencer who shared his photographs with the world, but he was still invisible behind that camera. If anyone saw something that night, it would be him.

"Hey, Cody." I smiled, shouting over the bass that vibrated through the floorboards.

His gaze lifted slowly from his camera. Dark eyes widened with surprise as they landed on me. "Hey, Ari." He blinked twice, adjusting his glasses. Being invisible for so long had left him unprepared for direct attention.

I leaned in, the scent of his cologne replacing the smell of beer and sweat. "I was wondering what you do with all your old photos?"

"Um." He shook his head, thumb nervously stroking the side of his camera. "I post some things on social media?—"

"No." I touched his arm lightly. "Like all the old photos from high school. What did you do with all of them? Do you still have them?"

His posture straightened, shoulders pulling back as his passion overrode his shyness. "Of course." A genuine smile broke across his face. "I keep everything."

"This may sound weird, but do you remember that last party we had at The Myers' house in high school?"

He nodded. "Yes." His smile faded. "The night Kacie died."

Swallowing hard, I nodded. "Yes. Do you have the pictures from that night?"

"Yes. They're all saved on my computer at home, and I have them backed up on a drive."

"Do you think I could get a copy of them?"

"Are you looking for pictures of Kacie?"

"Yes, I was hoping to find something that told me why she got back in her car drunk and left that night. I've asked around, but no one seems to remember seeing her that night."

"I saw her." My eyes widened. "I saw her when she got there, and then I saw her when she left about twenty minutes later."

"Twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, and when she left, she was really upset. I tried to ask her if everything was ok, but I don't think she noticed me."

"Did you see what upset her?" He shook his head. Kacie wasn't dating anyone then because she'd recently broken up with her ex, and I didn't remember seeing him at the party. "Did she come with anyone that night?"

"Nope. She went through the house and out the back like she was looking for someone, and then the next time I saw her, she was storming through the house and out the front door."

What had upset her? I didn't remember any type of commotion that would have insinuated there was a fight of any kind that night.

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