Page 178 of Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies

“Connor didn’t kill him.”

“He would be alive today if they’d never met.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

But she isn’t listening. “And he just gets away with all of it? And you? You become famous because of it? Everything you have, I gave it to you.”

“If it’s money you want…”

“No. I am not some… No. Money isn’t enough. It will not bring back my husband. It will not bring back my son.”

“But he was going to the police, wasn’t he? Gianni? That’s why he was killed.”

“Do not speak of him.”

“I…”

She takes a step forward. What’s taking Oliver so long? Did I even call him? Maybe someone else is listening to this sparkling conversation. Or maybe no one’s listening at all.

I’m such an idiot for coming up here.

“Let me go, Sylvie. If you do this… you’re going to get caught. Inspector Tucci… He’ll figure out who you are. Who Isabella is… He’ll put it together.”

“That man? Please.”

“It’s basic police work…”

“No one will even be looking at me.”

“They will. Oliver will. Harper. They won’t just sit still and—”

“You are so certain these people you treat as disposable will come to your rescue? Will care that you are gone? Isabella has told me how they are suspects even in your head. Please. Your sister will take the money and your lover will move on, and all that anyone will remember you for are some books that aren’t very good.”

I mean… ouch.

“Why take the risk, Sylvie? What if you’re wrong?”

She hesitates for a moment, and this is my chance. I think about pushing past her, but how am I going to avoid that needle in her hand? It would be so easy for her to prick me.

So, instead, I bend low and barrel my elbow into her stomach, pushing her out of the way.

It’s amazing the strength that adrenaline gives you.

She lets out a strangled cry as she falls to the floor, and I see the device slip off her finger. I kick it away with my foot, watching it tumble down the stairs.

But I’ve miscalculated because now she has her hand around my ankle. I kick at her again and she releases me. I get to the top of the stairs and grip the railing.

If I’m not careful, I’m going to fall down these very steep stairs. I grip the railing tighter.

And now I can sense Sylvie right behind me, so I turn and duck, and the force that she’s using to come after me makes it impossible for her to stop.

She screams as she stumbles past the top step, trying to grab onto the railing, and I watch in sickened horror as she flies into the air, then hits the stairs and tumbles down, down, down until she lands with a terrible thump at the bottom.

I fall to my knees as Harper comes into view below me, holding her phone in her hand.

She stares up from Sylvie to me and back again. She takes the stairs two at a time and catches me before I fall.

But the world is going black, the edges creeping in as she wraps her arms around me.

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