Page 137 of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

“That’s an odd thing to say in your position.”

“It’s past the statute of limitations. Even if I confessed to Inspector Tucci, they can’t do anything about it now. And that’s why Connor’s theory doesn’t make sense. I don’t have to submit to his blackmail anymore. That’s why I was okay killing him off in the series. He doesn’t have a hold over me.”

“When did you realize this?” Oliver asks.

“A couple of months ago. I was doing some research for the book and I stumbled across it. That’s when I knew I could write him out of the series.”

“But you came on this tour.”

“The publisher insisted. And I thought, why not? One last tour. It wasn’t going to, well…”

“Kill you?” Oliver says.

“Yes.”

“But that means…” Allison says, “that it’s someone else here. Doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know. Shek is dead. He was poisoned…” I stop. Should I tell them what Inspector Tucci told me about him being the intended victim? He didn’t tell me to keep it to myself. Fuck it. “Shek wasn’t poisoned with the Champagne.”

“What?” Harper says. “He wasn’t?”

“No, apparently it was some… I don’t know what you call it. This needle attached to this device that could be concealed in your hand. All someone had to do was tap him with it.”

“But he started to choke right after he drank it.”

“That could be a coincidence. We don’t even know when he was poisoned. It might’ve been something that was slow-acting.”

“Inspector Tucci told you this?” Oliver asks.

“About the device, yes.”

“Do they know when it was administered?”

“He didn’t say. I assume they won’t have the lab results back till later.”

“But how did he know, then?”

“They found the device.”

“Where?”

I look at the floor. “In my backpack.”

“So that’s why…” Oliver says.

“Yes.”

“Anyone could have planted it there,” Isabella says.

“That’s what I said.”

“I don’t think so.” Harper stands and walks to the easel. She turns the paper over and picks up a marker. She draws the hull of a boat and then starts filling it in with X’s.

x—Captain Marcox—Eleanor x—Connor x—Shekx—Harper x—Isabella x—Oliverx—Emily x—Guy x—Allisonx—Sylvie

“What are you doing?” Guy asks.

“Trying to figure out who could’ve poisoned Shek.”

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