Page 113 of Breaking News

“Well, it probably does,” I responded with a laugh. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Oh, I know exactly why you’re here,” he said, placing his hands on his hips and squinting one eye against the sun. “I saw the post.”

“Why didn’t you take it down?”

“Free speech,” he said, leaning over to spit on the gravel. Olivia quietly scoffed in disgust.

“That’s not how it works,” I snapped.

Olivia crossed her arms. “Yeah. Free speech only applies to the government, not private Facebook groups. Admins can take down anything they want.”

Randy blinked at her before looking at me. “Who the hell’s this?

“Your worst nightmare, prob’ly,” Olivia answered, making me want to double over with laughter, but I kept a straight face as I took a step closer to Randy.

“You dropped the ball yesterday. The right thing to do would have been to delete that post,” I said. “But I’m giving you another chance now. You can tell me who submitted it.”

“I’m sorry,” Randy said. “That’s not something I’m willing to do. You’re wasting your time.”

“Come on, Randy.”

“Look, it’s not my place to say,” he said, avoiding my eyes. “She has a right to her anonymity.”

“She?” I stared at him.

Randy shifted on his feet. “She, he. Whatever,” he said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “It’s not like I gave it away. Half the population of Woodvale is female.”

I shook my head, knowing he was right. It wasn’t like that narrowed it down much.

But Olivia fell silent beside me, her eyebrows pulling together as she stared at the gravel. After a moment, she looked up at Randy’s face and said one word. “Elaine.”

I turned toward her. “What?”

“Was it Elaine Devers?” Olivia asked Randy.

He stared back at her with his jaw tight, his cheeks flushing the slightest shade of pink. “I just told you, I’m not giving you a name.”

“You don’t have to,” Olivia said. “I just guessed. And I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Olivia, why do you think it’s her?” I asked, shooting her a confused look.

“Because. She eats lunch with some of the interns in the break room like she’s one of us. They could’ve told her, or maybe she overheard Isaiah.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but I was struck with the memory of Marco venting to Elaine about the internship program weeks ago. The way she’d nodded along like she’d been waiting for someone else to say it.

She wasn’t a fan of Graham. And, apparently, not a fan of me, either.

I turned back to Randy. “Tell me if it was Elaine.”

Randy shrugged. “This is getting ridiculous. I’ve got a brake job to get to. See ya.”

And with that, he turned around and disappeared into his shop. His refusal to talk all but confirmed Olivia’s guess.

Back in the car, I called Graham before we even left Randy’s lot.

“It was Elaine,” I said when he answered.

“What?”

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