Eleanor tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly, studying me.
"Ryder... why are you asking me about Vinie’s whereabouts?" she asked carefully, a slight frown pulling at her brows.
I smiled easily, slipping my hands into my jacket pockets.
"No reason to worry," I said smoothly. "It’s just... I’m working on something. Some security stuff. You know, with everything crazy happening lately, I just needed to confirm where a few people were that night. Cross some T’s, dot some I’s."
She hesitated, clearly uncertain, but I kept my tone light, almost casual, twisting the story just enough to slip through her defenses.
"It’s nothing bad," I added. "It’s just me being my paranoid self."
She finally let out a breath, nodding.
"Alright..." she said slowly. "That night... Vinie was supposed
