Sara Shepard - Perfect 

HarperCollins Publishers October 2009

ISBN-13: 9780061975585

ISBN-10: 0061975583

ITS ALWAYS GOOD TO READ THE BOOK BEFORE STEALING FROM IT

About a half hour later, Aria pulled up to her fifties-modern brown box of a house. She cradled her Treo to her chin, waiting for Emilys voice-mail message to finish. At the beep, she said, Em, its Aria. If youre really considering telling Wilden, please call me. As capable of...of more than you think.

She hit END , feeling anxious. She couldnt imagine what dark secret of Emilys A might out if she talked to the police, but Aria knew from experience that A would do it.

Sighing, she unlocked her front door and clomped up the stairs, passing her parents bedroom. The door was ajar. Inside, her parents bed was neatly madeor was it only Ellas bed now? Ella had draped it with the bright salmon batik-print quilt that she loved and Byron despised. Shed piled all the pillows up on her side. The bed felt like a metaphor for divorce.

Aria dropped her books and aimlessly wandered back downstairs into the den, As threat spinning around in her head like the centrifuge theyd used in todays biology lab. A was still here. And, according to Wilden, so was Alis killer. A could be Alis killer, worming her way into all of their lives. What if Wilden was rightwhat if Alis killer wanted to hurt someone else? What if Alis killer wasnt only Alis enemy, but Arias, Hannas, Emilys, and Spencers, too? Did that mean one of them was...next?

The den was dark except for the flickering TV. When Aria saw a hand curled over the edge of the tweedy love seat, she jumped. Then Mikes familiar face appeared.

Youre just in time. Mike pointed to the TV screen.

Coming up, a never-before-seen home video of Alison DiLaurentis shot the week before she was murdered, he said in his best Moviefone-announcer impersonation.

Arias stomach tightened. This was the leaked video Wilden had been talking about. Years ago, Aria had thrown herself into filmmaking, documenting everything she could, from snails in the backyard to her best friends. The movies were generally short, and Aria often tried to make them arty and poignant, focusing on Hannas nostril, or the zipper on Alis hoodie, or Spencers fidgety fingers. When Ali went missing, Aria turned her video collection over to the police. The cops combed through them but had found no clues about where Ali could have gone. Aria still had the originals on her laptop, although she hadnt looked through them in a long, long time.

Aria flopped down on the love seat. When a Mercedes commercial ended and the news came back on, Aria and Mike sat up straighter. Yesterday, an anonymous source sent us this clip of Alison DiLaurentis, the anchorman announced. It offers a look at how chillingly innocent her life was just days before she was murdered. Lets watch.

The clip opened with a fumbling shot of Spencers leather living room couch. And because she wears a size zero, Hanna said offscreen. The camera panned to a younger-looking Spencer, who had on a pink polo and capri-length pajama pants. Her blond hair cascaded around her shoulders, and she wore a sparkly rhinestone crown on her head.

She looks hot in that crown, Mike said enthusiastically, tearing open a large bag of Doritos. Shhh, Aria hissed. Spencer pointed at Alis LG phone on the couch. Want to read her texts?

I do! Hanna whispered, ducking out of the shot. Then the camera swung to Emily, who looked nearly the same as she did todaysame reddish-blond hair, same oversize swimming T-shirt, same pleasant-but-worried expression. Aria suddenly remembered this nightbefore theyd turned on the camera, Ali had gotten a text message and hadnt told them whom it was from. Everyone had been annoyed.

The camera showed Spencer holding Alis phone. Its locked. There was a blurry shot of the phones screen.

Do you know her password? Aria heard her own voice ask.

Damn! Thats you! Mike whooped.

Try her birthday, Hanna suggested.

The camera showed Hannas chubby hands reaching in and taking the phone from Spencer.

Mike wrinkled his nose and turned to Aria. Is this what girls do when theyre alone? I thought I was going to see pillow fights. Girls in panties. Kissing.

We were in seventh grade, Aria snapped. Thats just gross. Theres nothing wrong with seventh-grade girls in their panties, Mike said in a small voice.

What are you guys doing? Alis voice called. Then her face appeared on-screen, and Arias eyes brimmed with tears. That heart-shaped face, those luminous dark blue eyes, that wide mouthit was haunting.

Were you looking at my phone? Ali demanded, her hands on her hips. Of course not! Hanna cried. Spencer staggered backward, clutching her head to keep her crown on.

Mike shoved a handful of Doritos into his mouth. Can I be your love slave, princess Spencer? he said in falsetto.

I dont think she goes out with prepubescent boys who still sleep with their blankies, Aria snapped.

Hey! Mike squeaked. Its not a blankie! Its my lucky lacrosse jersey!

Thats even worse, Aria said.

Ali floated on-screen again, looking alive and vibrant and carefree. How could Ali be dead? Murdered?

Then Spencers older sister, Melissa, and her boyfriend, Ian, walked past the camera. Hey, girls, Ian said.

Hi, Spencer greeted him loudly.

Aria smirked at the TV. Shed forgotten how they all lusted over Ian. He was one of the people they would prank-call sometimesalong with Jenna Cavanaugh before they hurt her, Noel Kahn because he was cute, and Andrew Campbell because Spencer found him annoying. For Ian, they took turns pretending they were girls from 1-800-Sexy-Coeds.

The camera caught Ali rolling her eyes at Spencer. Then Spencer scowled at Ali behind her back. Typical, Aria thought. The night Ali disappeared, Aria hadnt been hypnotized, and shed listened to Ali and Spencer fight. When they ran out of the barn, Aria waited a minute or two, then followed. Aria called their names. But she couldnt catch up with them. She went back inside, wondering if Ali and Spencer had just ditched the rest of them, staging the whole thing so they could run off to a cooler party. But eventually Spencer burst back inside. She looked so lost, as if she was in a trance.

On-screen, Ian plopped down on the couch next to Ali. So, what are you girls doing? Oh, not much, Aria said from behind the camera.

Making a film. A film? Ian asked. Can I be in it? Of course, Spencer said, taking a seat next to him. Its a talk show. Im the host. You and Ali are my guests. Ill do you first.

The camera panned off the couch and focused on Alis closed phone, which was next to Alis hand on the couch. It got closer and closer until the phones tiny LED screen took up the whole picture. To this day, Aria didnt know who had texted Ali that night.

Ask him who his favorite teacher at Rosewood is, Arias younger, slightly higher voice called out from behind the camera.

Ali chuckled and looked straight into the lens. Thats a good question for you, Aria. You should ask him if he wants to hook up with any of his teachers. In vacant parking lots.

Aria gasped, and heard her younger self gasp on-screen, too. Ali had really said that? In front of all of them?

And then the clip was over.

Mike turned to her. There were neon-orange Dorito crumbs around his mouth. What did she mean about hooking up with teachers? It seemed like she was only talking to you.

A dry rasp escaped Arias mouth. A had told Ella that Aria had known about Byrons affair all these years, but Mike still didnt know. Hed be so disappointed in her.

Mike stood up. Whatever. Aria could tell he was trying to be all unaffected and casual, but he bumbled out of the room, knocking over a framed, signed photo of Lou ReedByrons rock star hero, and one of the few Byron artifacts Ella hadnt removed. She heard him stomp up to his bedroom and slam the door hard.