After she caught her breath, she said, “I think I heard Kelly yell again. I guess that’s a good sign.”

  Am I being paranoid? I’ve got to stay calm and follow my instincts. Something is not right with this woman, and I have to make sure she’s not leading me into a trap. But what if Kelly is in danger? I’m gonna have to take a chance.

  Cracking glass jolted Cassidy out of her thoughts. “What did you do?”

  “When nothing else works, there’s always brute force,” Anastasia said. “Sorry about your window, but this is an emergency.” Anastasia pulled chunks of glass out of the frame and threw them on the ground. “I’m never going to fit through this space. Come here. You’re about the right size. Let me hoist you up, and you can unlock the door from the inside.”

  Steeling herself for the boost to the window, Cassidy stepped closer and stood on her tiptoes, barely able to see past her nose inside the darkened space.

  “Here,” Anastasia said, bending over behind Cassidy. She heaved her up on her shoulders and shoved her toward the space where the window was.

  “Whoa. I thought you were going to give my foot a boost,” Cassidy said, clutching the edges of the sill and trying not to cut herself on any shards.

  “Nope. Years of cheerleading and gymnastics,” Anastasia said, huffing and trying to keep Cassidy balanced on her shoulders. “I’ve always been one of the steady girls on the bottom of the pyramid. Again, one of the workhorses. Thanks to Britt.”

  Anastasia stumbled, and Cassidy balanced herself by grabbing the wall and the window frame. “Oooooompf,” Anastasia moaned and shoved Cassidy into the space where the glass had been a few minutes ago. She fell into the dark abyss and landed on one of the prepping tables with her own “oompf.”

  “Hurry up and unlock the back door,” Anastasia yelled. “It’s cold out here. And we don’t have all night.”

  Cassidy paused, straining to listen for any noise from Kelly. She flipped the light on and opened the door to the kitchen area, then unlocked the back door, letting Anastasia in.

  “What are you doing?” Anastasia hissed. “Now she can see us before we can swoop in to save her. I don’t want her to lash out at us. We have to catch her off guard.” She flipped the lights off and headed toward the bar area in the main room. “Hurry up. We need to find her.”

  Cassidy blinked several times, trying to adjust her eyes to the pitch darkness. If the doors were locked, how did Kelly get in here? Cassidy thought she heard footsteps, and she paused to listen. It might have been Anastasia. She’s moving along at a good clip, and I have no idea where she went.

  Hearing footsteps on the wooden floors near the restrooms, Cassidy pulled out her phone, hoping the call to the emergency dispatch was still active. She whispered, “I’m Cassidy Jamison at the barn with Anastasia Young. We think Kelly Todd is in here and is in danger. Please send help. We broke a window to get in on the side near the kitchen. The back door is unlocked now. Please hurry.” She disconnected the call.

  Not wanting to risk Anastasia’s wrath, she slid her phone into her back pocket and made her way around the bar toward the space under the loft. She paused every few seconds to listen for Anastasia. The staccato beat in her temples made her head hurt. Taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself, she pushed on in her quest to find Anastasia and Kelly. Why do I keep thinking this could be a trap? Something is not right here. Cassidy’s blood felt like it had turned instantly to ice water. If Kelly’s in danger, you have to help her. But the little voice in the back of my head is warning me to be careful. Zac always says, “Be aware of your surroundings.” The thought of Zac brought on a slight smile.

  Cassidy hustled back to the kitchen and fumbled around in the cabinets for something she could use as a weapon. Finding the cupboard next to the sink, she felt around for pots and pans. Touching something cold and slick, her hopes rose, until she realized it was a thin baking pan: nothing heavy enough to do any damage. She tiptoed over to the bar area and felt around the countertop. Annie and Austin had taken all the bottles and glasses. On the far edge of the bar, her hands landed on the cool metal of something long and sort of heavy. Ignoring Anastasia’s concern about the lights, she flipped her phone’s flashlight app on and swept the beam over the bar top. A drink muddler. Her thoughts flashed back to Austin crushing fruit for his fancy drinks. She hefted the industrial-sized tool that was about the size of a small fire extinguisher off the bar and doused her light.

  Listening intently for any clue to Anastasia’s whereabouts, Cassidy hugged the muddler close to her. The coolness from the metal gave her goose bumps. The floor creaked. Footsteps, or just the wind?

  Definitely footsteps. Is Anastasia sneaking up on me? Cassidy tried to get her bearings straight in the cavernous barn. Sounds seemed to echo off the wooden boards, and it was hard to pinpoint the source. And her pounding heart made it difficult to hear anything else.

  “Shut up. Or I’ll slap you again. This is all your fault,” Anastasia screeched.

  More adrenaline jolted through Cassidy’s body and compelled her to keep moving. Zeroing in on Anastasia’s voice, Cassidy picked her way around the tables and chairs to the loft.

  “Get up. Get up now!” The light from Anastasia’s flashlight hovered over what looked like a pile of clothes in the back corner. “I’m not going to tell you again,” she hissed.

  The figure on the ground moved and tried to sit up. “I know why you did it,” Kelly meekly said. “And after all we did for you. You’ve always been a loser,” she sneered.

  “Just shut up. You don’t know anything. None of you really know me or ever did. Now do as I say, or I’ll kill you too.” She pulled her foot back and kicked Kelly.

  Cassidy’s heartbeat jumped from bongos to a bass drum in seconds. I can’t wait any longer for backup. I’ve got to stop her before she hurts Kelly and then comes after me.

  Praying the floor wouldn’t creak, Cassidy shuffled closer.

  “You won’t get away with this. The police already have you as a key suspect,” Kelly spluttered. Why is she egging Anastasia on?

  Anastasia paused for a moment, and Kelly raised her head. Both hands were zip-tied in front of her. “I helped her,” Anastasia said with a sob. “I was always there to bail her out. I did the dirty work. I can’t tell you how many times I took the fall for her. And then after all that, she turned on me.” The flashlight beam bobbled as she started to sob. “And I don’t know why.”

  “Because she was so self-centered. She only cared about Britt,” Kelly replied.

  Anastasia sucked in a gulp of air and looked around. “I thought we were close. I thought we had something. Britt used me like she did everyone else, and I always did every stupid thing she suggested like a lemming. But no more.” Anastasia wiped her nose with the back of her hand and inched closer to Kelly. “I’m sorry to have to do this. You were always the nicer one in the bunch, but I can’t have loose ends.”

  “Why Darcy?” croaked Kelly.

  “Britt couldn’t stand the thought of Vince leaving her for that nerd. She said it was a matter of time. Vince was bored with Britt and her out-of-control spending. He told her he didn’t love her anymore. And there was nothing she could do to win him back. She asked for my help; and, like an idiot, I was always there for her. I would do anything for her. I thought we were in it together. I thought she liked me.” Anastasia started sobbing again.

  “She needed to stop living in the past and move on with her life. Britt wanted all the fun and drama. She couldn’t let go. She never moved on to an adult life,” Kelly said, trying to stand up.

  Anastasia raised her arms over her head and took a step closer to Kelly.

  It’s now or never. Cassidy launched herself and let out a yelp that sounded like a sick cow. The noise echoed through the barn.

  Anastasia froze and jerked toward the sound. “You should have minded your own business,” she screeched.

  Cassidy raised the muddler and let out the meanest yell she could muster. She rushed toward Anastasia, who turned at the last minute and deflected the blow with her shoulder. The pair tussled, and Anastasia used her arms to block Cassidy’s next swing.

  Anastasia’s flashlight fell to the floor and rolled across the flat surface. Cassidy felt a whiff of air as Anastasia attempted to land a punch and missed. A second attempt connected with her arm and sent pain streaking up Cassidy’s forearm to her shoulder. Cassidy recoiled and dropped the muddler. It clanked and rolled away from the pair.

  Cassidy grabbed a hunk of Anastasia’s straw-like hair as the taller woman landed on top of her with a thud. The two rolled around the floor, and Cassidy’s foot connected with something soft. More groans, and then Cassidy saw starbursts when a fist landed on the side of her face. Her head snapped back and hit the floor. She couldn’t tell in the dark if her vision was swimmy, but the pain blasted through her and made her queasy. She gulped air, trying to stave off a wave of dizziness.

  With a grunt, Cassidy wrenched her arm out from under Anastasia before the latter could hit her again. As soon as she was free, she scrambled away toward the area under the loft.

  Suddenly, the barn was flooded with light. Kelly groaned, covering her eyes with her zip-tied wrists. Cassidy blinked several times, trying to get her eyes to focus after having been clobbered on the head.

  Footsteps thundered across the floor, and Anastasia yelled, “Now you’ve ruined everything!” She scrambled to her feet, sliding as she hustled toward the bar.

  23

  STILL EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING

  Some kind of loud war cry or the sound of some weird jungle bird echoed through the barn, and Anastasia and Cassidy froze as the Pearly Girls swooped in, yelling and waving designer bags.

  “What is going on in here?” Kate yelled, wearing a trench coat over her pink pajamas with red hearts, and a pair of lime-green running shoes.

  “She tried to kill me,” Kelly said weakly, slumping back against the wall. “It was her the whole time.”

  “She’s delirious,” Anastasia said. “We were here trying to prevent Kelly from harming herself. Ask her. Ask Cassidy.” The woman’s crazed eyes darted around the room, never landing on anything. She waved her hands around and inched backwards toward the kitchen.

  Cassidy tilted her head toward Anastasia, trying to send a message to her team.

  Nobody moved. The silence seemed to close in on them, and time seemed to crawl by.

  Anastasia broke the silence. “Don’t listen to Kelly. She’s crazy. She killed Darcy and Britt. And after everything Britt had done for her. She was so jealous. And bitter. She wanted Mac. She wanted Britt’s life.” Her voice took on a shrieky quality. “And if she couldn’t have it, she’d make sure Britt couldn’t have it either.”

  “You’re the one who’s crazy,” Kelly said, lifting her head. “You’ve always been nuts, but it’s gotten worse recently. And Britt never really liked you. In fact, no one ever liked you. You wormed your way into everything. And you made a mess of everything you touched.” Talking seemed to deflate her. She slumped back against the wall and heaved a sigh.

  “It was you. Trying to always be Miss Perfect. Prancing around like you owned the place and everyone in it,” Anastasia screeched.

  As Anastasia stepped back toward the loft area, Ruthanne slipped in behind her.

  Raising a huge tapestried satchel, Ruthanne stepped closer and let it fly with a whoop. The bag landed with a thud against the back of Anastasia’s head, and she teetered and dropped to the floor. Kate and Aileen rushed over. Aileen landed on Anastasia’s back, and Kate sat on her legs.

  “Roxie, Ruthanne, grab her arms,” Kate yelled.

  “Get off of me!” Anastasia bucked like a bronco and tried to escape the grip of the sexagenarians.

  “What is going on in here?” a baritone voice boomed.

  Everyone stiffened and stared at the door. The only sound was the Pearly Girls’ heavy breathing.

  Sheriff Howell and Detective Zac Turner, along with what looked like scads of deputies and state troopers in tactical gear, stormed the barn and surrounded the group.

  “Get them off of me,” Anastasia yelled. “They attacked me. This is all a huge mistake. I want to press charges. You all can’t treat me like this.”

  Zac stepped closer and helped Kate and Aileen up. The sheriff relieved Roxie and Ruthanne of arm duty, and then he handcuffed Anastasia.

  “Wait! You can’t do that!” she whined. “I just told you those old biddies attacked me. Ow! You’re hurting me.”

  “‘Old biddies!’” Ruthanne said, waving a fist at Anastasia.

  “Okay, ladies,” Sheriff Howell said. “We need to get your statements. I know it’s late, but we need to take care of this now,” he added as Roxie dusted off her hands on her jeans. Every honey-blonde hair was in place, and she looked like she was ready for a fun night on the town instead of the take-down of a murderer.

  “Not a problem, Asa. We’re always here to help,” Kate said.

  “I can see that,” he said. A slight smile crept across his lips and under his graying mustache. “I can always count on y’all to be smack-dab in the middle of things. And Ruthanne, you’ve got quite a swing there. What have you got in the bag?”

  Ruthanne beamed and hugged her satchel to herself. “Books that I picked up this week.”

  “The pen is mightier than the sword,” Kate muttered under her breath.

  A police officer guided each woman to a separate table. It almost looked like a social event with the gals flirting with their police escorts in their RoboCop outfits. Each of the Pearly Girls held court, immediately diving into a detailed explanation of what had happened while the police officers dutifully jotted down the salient points.

  A state trooper who Cassidy didn’t recognize offered her a seat at a table in the back and introduced himself as Trooper Collins. Without pausing, he launched into a series of rapid-fire questions, and she spent the next hour or so explaining the events that had led her to be in the barn that night.

  Just as she had reached the point of feeling completely drained of energy, the trooper mercifully ran out of questions about Anastasia, Darcy, Austin, and Britt, and he excused himself. Cassidy rested her head on her folded arms and watched two troopers half-drag Anastasia, still in handcuffs, out the main doors. “I’m injured,” she claimed. “You can’t take me to jail. I need medical attention.” She writhed like she was doing some weird dance. “That old bat hit me for no reason. I think I’m concussed.”

  “You deserve a concussion for that comment,” Ruthanne muttered from her table near the loft.

  Zac approached and stopped beside Cassidy. He looked wide awake and sexy in his black tactical gear. Suddenly aware of how rumpled and tired she must look, Cassidy patted her wild curls down as he slid into the empty seat next to her.

  “Your call helped,” he said. “You gave us some clues as to what was going on. We didn’t know if she had a weapon or not, so we came in with a full team. We’ve been watching her for a while, but we didn’t have enough to make an arrest until now.”

  “She’s very angry. She’s been holding grudges for a long time,” Cassidy said.

  “According to her ramblings,” Zac said, “Anastasia said that Britt was so upset about the Darcy-Vince affair that they hatched the plan one night while they were drinking. Anastasia did the deed and hid the body. She said it was all Britt’s idea, and then something about Britt ordering her to do it. Then in the next breath, she said Britt hired her to kill Darcy. She wanted a way to get Vince back, and they both decided the best way was to have the journalist out of the picture. Anastasia, who it seemed had been Britt’s sidekick since elementary school, had a meltdown when Britt got cold feet and changed her story after the murder. When Britt acted like they had never hatched the deadly scheme together, Anastasia came unglued, especially when Britt tried to pin everything on her.”

  “There were a couple of times that Anastasia griped about always doing Britt’s dirty work. But then there were other times where she was president of her fan club,” Cassidy added.

  “We heard a lot of folks say that Britt talked awful behind Anastasia’s back. But for some reason, Anastasia seemed to adore her, and she did anything to stay in her favor,” he said.

  “I remember them always traveling in a pack in high school. They were seniors when I was a lowly ninth grader. But everyone knew who they were.”

  “Some of the people we interviewed mentioned things that Anastasia did that got her in trouble with the police as a kid. There was a pattern, if you looked closely enough,” he said. When Cassidy stared at him, he added, “Mostly pranks that crossed the line, but there was some shoplifting and alcohol pilfering. Then there were some stalking and vandalism charges that got swept under the rug by her father’s lawyer.”

  Cassidy raised an eyebrow, but the revelations weren’t all that surprising.

  “We’ll be here for a while. The EMTs took Kelly to the hospital, and I need to go check on her. You need to get some sleep.”

  “Oh, we’re supposed to have the last reunion event here. Uh, in a few hours,” she said, glancing at her Fitbit.

  “I don’t think we’ll be done with the scene by then,” he said quietly.

  Cassidy chewed on her bottom lip. “If we can get in here to get the tables and chairs, we can move the event outside and have it in the garden. It’s either that or cancel it. And I have no idea who to call. Kelly’s in the hospital, and Anastasia’s obviously out. I need to go see if there are any other names on the contract I could contact. And I have to let the caterer know.”

  A cloud seemed to settle across the detective’s handsome face. He paused a beat and said, “We’ll let you know when we’re done here, but I don’t think it’ll be before lunch.” He rose and headed toward where the sheriff stood with two troopers.