CHLOE COULDN’T JUST SIT there as all of this went down. What if they found the man who murdered her sister? What if it were Lance? All these years, she’d been so nice to him. He came in quite often to eat in his distinctive, goofy, but strangely intense manner. He was mostly intense about guns. She nearly smacked her head. Why had no one thought of that? He loved guns. He always talked about them, insisting on the right to shoot and own them. Guns were definitely his thing. But no one considered him anything but benign. Strange. Super strange. And because he was developmentally slow in his emotions and intelligence quotient, no one ever treated him as an adult. Let alone, as someone who could cause harm to another. Chloe shuddered, picturing him right there so often in her establishment, smiling at her, talking to her, and all that time, he was probably laughing inside at her, knowing what he knew and had done, and cruelly continuing to reopen the wound.

But Chloe kept quiet. It wouldn’t be long before word got around town. For now, she had to let things develop, and besides, maybe there was no foul play involved. Maybe Tara would suddenly pop up from the store, and Lance would be found outside enjoying the woods and— fuck! If Ebony’s murder taught her anything, it was that life doesn’t usually have fairytale endings. She still needed to seek the final answer. Slumping forward, she rested her head on the surface of her desk. By rote, and feeling depressed, scared, and unsure, she called Chet’s number again. He was spending the day with his mom since she had the day off too. Chloe suspected Dok might have been checking in on him after speaking to Chloe and having their talk. He got a call from her asking him to take her to Portland to watch a movie. He agreed, of course, and off they went. Chloe really didn’t want to disturb them, especially not with hearsay, or just to voice her fears. Shit. This was big. She left a quick message and got up, grabbing her purse and preparing to leave again.

She drove towards Lance’s house. Out front, police cars and two trucks with Fish and Wildlife insignia—Ryder and Crystal, no doubt—were parked. She stopped pretty far back, beyond their line of sight and watched the cops moving in and out of the premises. Seeing so many of them, a general sense of unease ruffled through her. She didn’t fail to realize she was the reason for this barrage of law enforcement crashing down on Lance. But it wasn’t just her decision. She merely floated the idea to Ryder. No one would have been here if others hadn’t found it plausible and a likely possibility.

Chloe was stalling. Lost and unsure of what to do with herself, she felt as if she were watching this as an out-of-body experience. She knew why too. It was because she still couldn’t emotionally deal with it. And if something did happen to Tara, she would have to endure the pain and horror all over again. She would be reliving the entire experience of losing Ebony from start to finish. This time, however, she would not have been spared the cushion of three and a half years to get used to the idea of living without her loved one. Not that it offered any more understanding of the violent murder that took her sister so abruptly. What about Wyatt? Oh, God! Wyatt! He could not lose another mother figure. Not twice at such a young age.

Why Ebony? Why Tara? Was it just a coincidence that Lance targeted both of Ryder’s spouses? Although Tara and he weren’t quite married, they already lived together as such. What the fuck was going on? Why?

She gasped when she saw Lance being led out, his hands cuffed behind his back. She sucked on her lower lip and a weird, involuntary moan escaped her mouth. She gripped her steering wheel. Oh, God! God. That meant… did that mean they had the man who killed her sister in custody now? Right there? He was standing right there?

She didn’t know how to handle that realization and started to cry. Uncaring, she ignored the tears that flowed over her cheeks. Murderer. But was he the murderer?

She anxiously drove off, going nowhere really, but ended up at her parents’ house. She entered through the front door and sat down without comment. They were both inside the dark house. Lately, no one ever opened up the windows or the shades. The TV blared all day long with the usual talk shows of people constantly yelling at each other. She stared at her feet. How strange that they didn’t comment upon seeing her. Did they care? They didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

“Tara’s missing. They arrested Lance Huskin, and are doing so right now, as the prime suspect in Ebony’s murder.”

Both of them were suddenly startled out of their apathy. Their exclamations shocked Chloe, especially when her mother’s voice rose as she cried and exclaimed, “Oh, God! I prayed, I prayed so hard for this! I can’t believe—”

“It’s happening right now. I went there to see. I know nothing else though. No details.”

“Wait. What did you mean when you said, Tara was missing?”

Chloe shrugged and big tears plopped down her face before landing on her lap. “I don’t know. She didn’t show up for work, but called Petra saying Ryder and she were going on a surprise romantic getaway. They weren’t though. He’s freaking out. First, because of the lie about where she is, then about her being physically unaccounted for; it’s all so much like—”

“Ebony,” her mother finished for her and Chloe nodded.

“Yes. Ebony.”

“It’s happening again?”

“Possibly. But maybe they have the murderer in custody now. Maybe they can make him confess to her whereabouts.”

Silence followed in the wake of the newest bombshell.

“Do you think she’s—” her dad asked softly.

“I don’t know. Would you two mind getting Wyatt and keeping him for a while? Let him stay here, where he’s safe and try not to scare him or arouse his suspicion. And buck up, okay? Just act normal. Engage with him. Smile at him. Talk and play with him and please try and fucking act like you love him even if you don’t anymore. Do that at least for Ebony. Put some clean clothes on him, and for God’s sake, feed him at regular intervals.”

They nodded eagerly and their eyes were huge when she stood up. “I’m not kidding. You owe Ebony that. Do it right. Her son has already lost a mother, now he might have lost the only one he actually remembers. Please don’t fuck this up.”

Her mom gasped. “I won’t. We won’t. We never considered the possibility that anyone else could be in danger. Not Wyatt. Or you. And this monster has been living here the entire time?” They shuddered but it was good for Chloe to observe. At last, they were drawn out of their lethargy.

“I don’t know what to do with myself, but I’m going to contact Ryder and see what we can figure out.”

They nodded. “We’ve got Wyatt. You just go help Ryder. And keep us informed.”

Chloe rose to her feet, astonished when both of them did too and even kissed her on the cheek.

She did what she probably shouldn’t have. She went to the police station. Ryder’s truck was parked out front. Entering, she was instantly recognized, and she saw her face plastered on their files as the locally murdered girl.

“Is Ryder Kincaid in? Please tell him Chloe’s here,” she said to the woman manning the front desk.

The woman smiled kindly as she got to her feet. “Of course.”

Ryder appeared from down a corridor. He embraced Chloe hard but without comment as he pulled her into an adjoining room. His eyes were red-rimmed, his jaw locked, and his skin was so pale, it almost seemed yellow. Her stomach twisted. “You still can’t find her.”

“No. But we have Lance. They’re questioning him now. He talks in circles. But he won’t tell them where she is. I have to get back now. Watch out. The minute they know, I have to get to her…”

“He did it?” Shocked, Chloe was numb.

“He had… he had her ring, Chloe.”

Chloe glanced up, puzzled. “I thought her rings were found in the bottom of the swamp.”

“No. Just her wedding ring was. The search warrant produced her ring. It was right there in his fucking room. Barely hidden.” Cringing, he scowled. “Look at that, I already identified it as hers. There is no mistaking it. I’m sure they’ll want more proof than just my word. But I know it was hers. It was the same ring she wore before we got married. And it took only a half hour to find.” Footsteps outside thundered past as if the person they belonged to were in a panic. Something was going on. Ryder stared after them, clenching his jaw tightly before he jumped into action. He was already at the door as he yelled over his shoulder. “I have to go.”

Ryder left before Chloe’s brain could register what he just said. She rose to her feet, leaning with her hands on the table. They got him. They caught her sister’s murderer. But what about Tara? Tara was still missing. If they had the murderer in custody, how could Tara be missing? Her stomach knotted. That meant statistically speaking, it could suggest some really bad things. No wonder Ryder looked so grave.

She shook her head as his words floated around in her head. “The ring she wore?” she repeated out loud. Why did the damn word ring keep coming up? Now it showed up at Lance’s house? In his room? But Crystal said it was found in the swamp. And Ryder claimed that only her wedding ring was. A minor detail, really. Suffering from grief, Ryder couldn’t have been expected to remember everything about Ebony’s crime scene. Not like he might have recalled another crime, one that didn’t affect him so personally. There was no way for him to be neutral now, so of course, he might not have clearly recalled all the facts. He could have gotten that part wrong.

Yeah. There was no ring on or near Ebony’s body. Not while it was in the swamp, because the murderer had it. Lance had it. And he hid it in his room.

Chloe slowly rose and her stomach was nearly heaving.

Crystal mentioned the ring on two occasions, two, calling it the ruby ring. She knew all about the ruby ring and mentioned it twice. How many people would have known about it? Crystal did.

No. She was being stupid. Hysterical even. Crazy. Crystal was an agent of the law. She was Ryder’s friend too. His partner and, well, his very good friend. Long before he married Ebony, they were friends. “No!” she whispered out loud.

She had to be full of shit. There was no way. None. No. She had to be mistaken somehow about all this ring stuff.

The door opened suddenly and Chloe stepped back, shuddering to see the same person she was fretting over standing before her. Crystal. She was still wearing her uniform, of course, and she smiled, looking exactly as she did earlier. There was no evil glint in her eye. No nefarious cackle of glee.

Instead, her tone was kind as she said, “Ryder told me you were here. He asked me to come over and keep you company. This might turn out to be a very long evening and could possibly go all night. But he understands why you’d need to be here. Incredible tip, by the way, Chloe. You broke this wide open. It was unprecedented that you managed to make the connections no one else could. And now—”

“Now Tara is still missing.” Chloe kept her voice even, letting her emotional wall down slightly but showing no fear. How could she fear the woman before her? That was crazy stupid since she was in the safest place to be: a police station! With dozens of eyewitnesses, and many from cooperating agencies, everyone was there to learn more about the suspected killer they now had in their grasp. But an icy chill coursed through her. She kept her breathing low and even, trying not to appear flustered or unsure. Her head hurt with a blinding flash of pain. She needed to talk to Ryder. She had to get to Ryder.

But he was in the back, trying to persuade a potential killer to tell him the location of his beloved fiancée. And Chloe was emotional, unclear, and shaking now. She didn’t know what she was but she needed to talk this through, and think it over very carefully. She needed a logical mind and the best person for that was Chet. Yes. She had to stay calm.

“I think… I think I should go and check on my parents. This has been so hard on them.”

“Of course, honey. Of course. Let me drive you.”

“No. No, I can drive myself,” Chloe insisted, pushing past Crystal to get to the door. She started to cry. For real. But it would have only supported her act that she didn’t suspect anything else. Because she still didn’t know if she should have suspected Crystal. So she couldn’t just outright blame her. She couldn’t keep flinging horrible accusations at people. Having already done so and not even six hours ago, she had to stop. Besides, Crystal? A fellow officer? They were all going to get a good laugh at her expense, but in a good-natured way. They could finally take off their kid gloves, realizing she was just crazy with grief and emotions from the stress of the day. They would never consider her words as anything more threatening than crazy.

Crystal set a hand on her arm. Gently. Without pressure. Like a concerned friend might respond. “Chloe, don’t be silly. You’re shaking. Your sister’s murderer is only a few feet away from you and he’s someone you’ve known almost his entire life. Tara is missing. No wonder you’re a mess. I would be abandoning my duty as a friend and a police officer if I failed to take care of you.”

She sounded so normal. Like every other time Chloe talked to her. Chloe’s head was muddled. Why would she suspect Crystal of hurting anyone? It was crazy… and so…

Right.

She fucking knew she was right. That ruby ring. No one else mentioned it. Only Crystal knew and she talked about it twice. Twice! That mattered. She must’ve planted it on Lance because she was an agent of the law, and most likely, given primary access out of consideration of her rank in the local law enforcement community. She was so well respected and Ryder’s good friend.

Licking her lips, Chloe briefly considered screaming her head off. But she didn’t think anyone would believe her. The ring was found in Lance’s possession. There would be nothing to trace or lead them to Crystal. She was sure of that. Except for what she knew. But everyone would surely think she was crazy, what with practically accusing Lance and now what? Crystal? Tara was out there, somewhere and Crystal was the first one to get to Tara’s house. Her breath increased until she was nearly panting.

She didn’t know what to do. She needed to find Tara’s location in that exact moment. Not thirty seconds from now, but now! Should she keep faking it? And playing it cool? And then what? Where was Tara? All that mattered was finding Tara now. She sucked in a deep breath.

Her joints relaxed, she loosened her jaw and her eyes gleamed. Her cell phone was missing and now she knew it was because of Crystal. Earlier today, she must have taken it out of Chloe’s car, while Chloe was in Ryder’s house looking for Tara. Crystal was the reason Chloe was without a phone now, and essentially helpless.

Except, what Crystal might not have known was that Chloe was carrying burner phones everywhere with her now. She kept one on her person at all times. Even now, there was one neatly tucked under the band of her bra.

But more importantly, her loaded gun was stashed snugly in her purse, and she hugged it tightly as she stared at Crystal. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

She had to find Tara. And help Tara. That’s all that mattered now. Wyatt could not lose another mother, not when Chloe knew this is the woman who snatched Ebony from her. She had to let Crystal take her somewhere, or they might never find Tara, even if they apprehended her.

Shutting her eyes despite her streaming tears, her shoulders wilted in defeat as she said, “Oh, Crystal, you’re right. You’re right. I’m losing my fucking mind. I can’t believe this, after all these years, we know who killed my sister.”

Crystal’s arm wrapped around Chloe’s shoulders. Chloe cringed, but she managed to resist the urge to throw her off, grab her sidearm, scratch her face, or better yet, shoot her right in her fucking face. But instead of everything that came naturally and everything she needed to do and everything that was right, Chloe huddled against Crystal and let her guide her out of the police station, leading her to her truck once more, and tucking her in before driving away from the police station. She glanced back only once, and fought the impulse to fling herself out of there as she stared with longing at the building where safety awaited.

Tara. Tara wasn’t safe.

Should she keep pretending? Yes. She had to keep up the act for as long as possible. She had to get Crystal talking, but about what? What should she say? She wasn’t clever or even remotely sleuth-like. She had no persuasive acting skills. She had zero on her side. Nada. None. She was used to being out there with whatever she felt and thought, from exuberance to sadness, and she rarely hid either. So no, no real drama skills. But she had to be convincing now. This time, it meant life and death. Her own and Tara’s lives were in jeopardy, since Ebony’s was already gone. Hatred seethed and filled every vessel of Chloe’s body.

Ebony. She had to do this for her sister. In honor of her sister. She intended to save the woman who helped heal the man that Ebony once loved. Ebony would want her to do that. She knew in her heart Ebony loved and adored Ryder. If she could speak from heaven, for Chloe knew she was there, she would have told Ryder to move on and be happy, urging him to find love and joy once again, as he did with Tara. She’d especially want that for Wyatt. Tara, not Ebony, would be the mother that Wyatt remembered. And it was up to Chloe now to make sure that happened.

Resolute, and shored up, she sniffled and slouched, playing up her grief. “Do you think… do you think Tara might still be alive?” Glancing over at Crystal, Chloe nearly winced at her performance.

“I hope so. I hope we got to him in time. Now they just have to break him. Decipher his incessant babbling. He was crying hysterically last time I glanced in on them.”

Chloe cringed. That was on her. She unleashed a witch hunt on an innocent, child-like boy because he was unusual, and she suspected him for that reason. So what if he were odd? That was also how some people saw Chet. She longed for him now, and wanted him. She sighed.

“Could I use your phone? I need to text my boyfriend and tell him what’s going on. I seemed to have misplaced my phone and I’m sure he’s worried sick.”

Crystal hesitated. Surprise showed on her face. What could she do? How could she say no without it being obvious or strange? “Sure.” Crystal nodded, after obviously concluding it would be harmless.

After all, she was part of the community too, and friends with Chloe. So why would it seem unusual if she borrowed her phone?

It’s Chloe. Lost phone. Have no way to contact you. If you haven’t heard, Tara is missing… just like Ebony… they have Lance Huskin in custody. Leaving police station with Crystal to go see my parents. I’m too upset to drive. Be home by 6.

She pressed send. She knew she would not be home by six o’clock. Maybe Chet would realize how weird her message was. First of all, he knew she had a half dozen burner phones to use as backup cells. That was a critical part of her feeble, pathetic plan. She had to count on Chet noticing all the details, especially about her. She had become obsessed with using cell phones. He had to realize there must have been something wrong because she was using someone else’s phone and claiming she didn’t have one. Crystal glanced down at her phone when Chloe handed it back, quite visibly checking to see what she sent. Chloe nodded, her shoulders slumping in relief. Chloe could only pray her message was benign enough so as not to alert Crystal, but unlike her enough that it would alert Chet.

It was jarring to realize Chet had no idea anything was going on. Not that Tara was missing or she’d been looking for Tara all day, or that Ryder was devastated and then that she’d accused Lance of murder and then gone to the police station… he knew nothing.

Maybe, however, he’d wonder why she didn’t text him in the way that was usual for her and expected. He’d question the difference where others might not. She prayed he would and that he’d check her multiple phones GPS locations and connect the dots. It was a miniscule hope, but all she had. She swallowed hard. Shit. This was so freaking scary. She wasn’t sure how to proceed. She felt like she was trying to catch a cat, who was sniffing around her trap, but if she pulled it too soon, the cat would run off forever. You had to do it just right, or lose any other chance. There would be no second opportunity. But she was quickly understanding the situation was going to escalate fast and she most likely couldn’t rest for long.

Switching gears, she tried a benign question. “You and Ryder have worked together for a long time, huh?”

Crystal smiled, glancing at her and then away. “Yes. Eight years. We started at the same time. We even trained together. And we’ve always assisted each other.”

“Really, like two perfectly aligned halves of a whole, huh? I mean, work-wise.”

Her lips tightened. “Yes, we work well together. Because we get along so well.”

“Yep. You sure do. It must be hard to see him suffering so much again, twice now and for the same reason.”

“Yes, it’s unprecedented. He’s been through so much.”

Chloe let a few moments pass. She sucked in a breath for courage. They were way off the beaten track now. It was obvious they weren’t headed to her parents, so whether she called Crystal’s bluff or not, Crystal was about to blow it wide open. Darkness was closing in. They were past the point of anyone else helping her. She had to provoke Crystal and see what she could get the woman to admit. See if she could goad her into revealing where Tara was. All this feel-good shit would get nothing but more fake answers out of Crystal before suddenly Chloe would be as dead as Tara just might be. She faced Crystal, set her shoulders back to prepare for the battle of her… and Tara’s lives. She gripped her purse… ready for battle.

“Yes… twice now. Always for other women, huh? Other women who don’t spend half as much time with him as you do. You know him so well, and yet, twice he picked other women to have sex with. Women that don’t know him like you do, huh? There you were. Right there. Attractive enough too. I mean, you have long hair, a trim, athletic body. Why not you, huh, Crystal? What is it about you that blinds Ryder Kincaid so that he fails to see you as a woman? It would have been so perfect, wouldn’t it? You share this job, and his passion for fish and wildlife. I know you like to fish and hike and explore and you could do that together all the time. You know all the most remote and pretty spots for about a hundred-mile radius, right? Including that pretty, little swamp, that is so far off the beaten path. Most people don’t even know it exists. It would take years before anyone spent enough time up there to find anything in it, huh?”

Crystal’s gaze switched to Chloe as she continued her monologue. Her tone clashed between calmness and sarcasm. Crystal’s jaw tightened, along with her grip on the wheel. She accelerated her truck.

“You caught on about the ring.”

“I caught on about the ring,” Chloe repeated, without tears in a monotone, sounding resolute. Where fear once gripped her, now a sense of rightful purpose did. She suddenly felt in complete control of her body parts, her voice, and most importantly, the situation.

Her smile tilted up, still calm and sweet, almost normal. Crystal smiled. “I wondered. I couldn’t get a read on you, which is rare for me. I didn’t expect I’d need to use the damn ring as evidence, otherwise, I would have been so much more careful. I realized you might remember I mentioned the ruby ring, and worried about the remote chance you’d discover the ruby ring wasn’t found with her body. Because of course I took it. Pocketed it. Enjoying a trinket from my handiwork. But I honestly didn’t think it would ever come up. It was a careless slip on my part, but I never dreamed you’d connect it all.”

“Why did you leave her in the swamp with all her jewelry on?”

She shrugged. “Oh, novice mistake. I didn’t consider it could be used to identify her remains.”

Chloe flinched. God this was so hard and gruesome… and it was her sister. She had to continue, however. “And I so conveniently handed you a suspect. Someone to blame this all on. Pin your murder on a helpless man. So you planted the ring, knowing Ryder would recognize it. That even if he weren’t there, they’d seize it because it was a dead woman’s item, a trinket.”

“Yes. Easy enough. I asked to be there for support, wandered in, took my chances and planted it. Piece of cake, really.”

Her hands started to shake. Holy shit. She was right. This was real. Crystal murdered her sister. Heartbroken and in shock, Chloe drew in a sharp breath.

“Why? Why did you murder Ebony?”

She glanced her way. “It was kind of an accident.”

“Kind of?”

She sighed, turning her truck off to a remote side road covered in gravel. Deeper into the dark woods they drove. Daylight was fading as it approached five o’clock. Shadows grew longer and darker in the woods. Chloe gulped internally, realizing that the driver inside the truck was the real monster, not anything outside.

“How do you kind of accidentally murder someone?”

“She confronted me. Asked me about Ryder. Accused me of making moves on him.”

“Were you? She never mentioned it to me.”

“She might have caught me taking something from their house. She probably didn’t realize before then. She tried to spin it by saying I was spreading lies about her and hogging all of Ryder’s time by finding excuses to be around him…”

“Were you?”

She smiled. “He likes me. Despite what you think. He just didn’t realize we could have something more. He gets stuck in his routine and thoughts, he just needs more time to see me as something beyond his work partner.”

“Sure. Yeah. Wait it out and he’ll love you, the murderer who shot his wife to death. That’s a match made of her blood and your hell.” She sucked in a long breath of air for courage. “How did you end up shooting her?”

“I told you, she confronted me. She started saying terrible things and threatening to tell Ryder and embarrass me in front of him. It would have been so humiliating. She left me no choice. She was yelling loudly and I just wanted her to shut up and I couldn’t let her tell Ryder what she believed. He’d listen to her before he’d listen to me.”

“Because she spoke the truth and she was his wife.”

“Stupid mistake.”

“This had nothing to do with her being black or my twin. This was about Ryder. That’s why Tara is missing now, isn’t it?”

Heavy sigh. “Yes. He kept talking about how kind she was. He was so happy to have someone he could be with all the time. On and on he went about Tara, saying she could help him get over Ebony. And fuck. I was right there. For the entire three years. There I was to support and care for him. And what does he do? He finds a fucking blonde, white girl to—to fill a place I should be in. I feared it would be you—”

She shot Chloe an evil glare. For the first time, Chloe saw the killer inside Crystal that she so convincingly concealed.

Crystal smacked the steering wheel hard with her hand until it hurt and pulsated, but Crystal was too far into her tantrum. “I thought black girls were his thing. I never, ever dreamed someone like Tara would be the one that he fucking fell in love with. And replaced Ebony with. It was taking him forever to get over her. I could have waited that out. I knew it was a shock to him and Wyatt, so I patiently waited. I was always going to be there for him, whenever he eventually saw that I was the one who always had his back.”

“And yet he never once noticed you, did he? Why not kill him then? Why my sister? She didn’t do anything to you. She did nothing but love the same man you did.”

“Because I wanted him. I couldn’t ever hurt him!” she screamed and Chloe jerked back with real fear for the first time.

“But you did hurt him. By taking Ebony away from him.”

“It’s not my fault she refused to just let me be his friend.”

“Bullshit. She wasn’t the jealous type. You were doing something to make her realize that. Of course she wouldn’t let you just come after her husband. No, I think you really killed her because you knew he would never leave her for you. Ever. He’d pat you on your empty head and tell you what a good friend you are, but he could never feel that way about you. Right, Crystal? I mean, look at Ebony and look at Tara. Two beautiful women. Stunning, actually. Ryder Kincaid loves only beautiful women. Not ordinary, plain, athletic tomboys. Not women like you.”

She really emphasized the last statement in a voice full of disgust as she yelled right back at Crystal. Fuck her! She killed Ebony… and for nothing. Over nothing. A crush gone wrong. Tears streamed from Chloe’s eyes.

“Why did you pretend to be stalking me?”

“Oh, that! That was sheer joy,” she said, sneering at Chloe. “And you all thought it was a man, so what better obsession than for the next woman to look exactly like his victim?”

“Oh, my God. That’s so sick.”

She shrugged, smiling. “Your opinion, but it doesn’t make you correct.”

“And Tara? Did you kill her too?” Fear struck deep in Chloe’s chest. Every bad thought and word she ever had towards Tara congealed into pangs of regret, and now, a deep-rooted fear. She swallowed the dry lump in her throat, closing her eyes and preparing for the news that Tara had been murdered too.

“Well, I would have. But you showed up. All fucking day you keep showing up and interrupting me. First, our little drive to get you the fuck out of there and then I can’t even get time off because Ryder calls me, begging me to come over and help him with this Lance thing. Well, shit, how could I deny him? He needed me. And you, of all people, provided the perfect alibi. I almost busted a gut holding the laugh in when I think of the irony. Now, at least someone understands it. Sees it. Appreciates it. You gave me the alibi I needed to kill Tara… and you.”

“You can’t kill me. Lance is in custody and I was there.” Chloe’s heart was beating wildly. Tara was alive still. Somewhere. Where, though? It didn’t matter, because she wasn’t where Crystal could hurt her.

“Oh, you’re the perfect candidate for suicide, honey. Being overcome by your sister’s death and it’s still so fresh, who knows when a person’s breaking point is?”

“No one will believe that. Three dead women from the same small town? Fuck you. No one will buy that. Everyone knows I would never commit suicide.” Terror rippled down her spine.

“Really? And did no one believe that a normal, functioning, mother to an infant son, and the wife of a man she appeared to love, would suddenly ditch both of them suddenly for no reason? With no word of warning? No panicked calls for help? Like that? Is that what you mean? That’s how people won’t believe, not even their most beloved family members. You did, Chloe. You believed a lie. And without even a twinge of doubt.”

Chloe shut her eyes to try and block out the pain from Crystal’s cruel words. All at once, she flicked her eyelids open. NO! That’s what this woman wanted. She intended to hurt her. And scorn her. And break her. “Fuck you. Ryder won’t buy the same MO again.”

“Oh, do you mean Ryder who is now grieving for his fiancée and trying to help his young son grieve for her along with his beloved aunt? He won’t have enough time to think clearly or figure it out. Look how long it took him to see clear of Ebony. He’ll do the same damn thing with the next one.”

“You’re really sick,” Chloe hissed. “How did you get her banking information? And the note? How did you get her to write that note?”

“Gun point. She was terrified. Scared. I think she thought if she did as I asked, I’d spare her. She thought the money was a payoff. But by the time she penned the note, I think she knew, however.”

Tears streamed over Chloe’s eyes as she pictured her sister’s last moments. Realizing what was about to happen to her. “Fuck you!” she screamed into Crystal’s face.

“Yes, but my plan worked. Impressive, right? Even those closest in her family were fooled. That would be you, dear sibling.”

Crystal stopped the truck. Chloe shuddered internally but hid it, reserving her indignant anger and trying not to freeze up. Not now. Not when she saw Crystal deliberately pulling out her gun from the holster on her side.

“You can’t use that. It’ll leave no doubt that it was you.”

“You pulled my weapon from me in a struggle and I couldn’t get it back from you in time. You ran out of my truck, crying and acting crazy. When I tried to confront you, you pointed the barrel at your head, threatening to kill yourself so I had to stay back. Then you ran here, and what could I do but follow you after I heard the shot? And then I found you.”

She sucked in a breath of air. “We’re at the fucking swamp, aren’t we?”

“Bingo. But no note this time. Different MO. You snapped and I couldn’t stop you.”

Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as Chloe replied, “And Tara? How will you kill her?”

“Oh, something much easier. I don’t really like violence. But I have to make sure it looks like our man in custody, poor, old Lance, did it. So with a gunshot. Good thing I have unregistered guns, huh?”

“Where is she?”

“That’s the funniest part, Chloe. She was inside my tool box the entire time we drove around this afternoon. I was dying to tell you and ready to burst inside. She was tied up right there, and stuck. While here you sat, so clueless and worried about her. And yet, she was right there.”

“Is she still?” Chloe’s heart sped up as she strained around and looked towards the back of the pickup. It had a black tool box attached to the cargo hold. There was a lock on it, and she had no doubt that only Crystal had the key. Ryder’s truck had the same device on it. No one would have suspected a thing, including her. She could only imagine how tight and hot the space must have been for Tara.

“I told you, you haven’t given me a fucking moment to explain. I feared she’d suffocate, but not yet, well, so far anyway. Last I checked was three hours ago. Then it became more of a thrill. At one point, Ryder was leaning on the edge of the box, and we discussed Lance and the latest updates in the case. Ryder was visibly upset and puzzled while he kept talking about all the places Lance could have taken Tara, and there she was! Right underneath him. Only inches from him. You must appreciate the irony. Oh, it makes me hurt just trying to hold in the laughter.”

“Jesus. You are hopelessly demented.”

“She’s securely bound and gagged, so there’s no escape for Tara Tamasy. Nor for you, Chloe. This will seriously compound Ryder’s misery and it’ll take a long time for him to recover, but I’ll be there. The entire time. I will become the greatest friend in the world. As he already mentioned once today. Anyway, you know what? You were never slated to die in my book. I was prepared to work around you once I was convinced he didn’t love you. So really, at that point, Tara saved your life. But ending it this way, I become his only go-to girl. Not you. Not Tara. Fuck. And not Ebony. ME! He will be mine alone this time. And I’ll act sooner this time and approach him before he heals, lest another little princess surfaces for him to get enchanted with. Never again. Next time, I will be the one he chooses.” She lifted her lips in a twisted version of a sneer and a smile.

Chloe stared at her long and hard as Crystal aimed the gun at her. “You expect me to walk over to the stinking swamp and just stand there while you shoot me?”

“Or we can do it right here. I don’t have any real preference.”

“Fuck you, Crystal. You should never have made the mistake of underestimating me.” Using the same demented smile of evil intention she saw on Crystal’s face, Chloe lifted her purse and clutched the gun in her hand before squeezing the motherfucking trigger.