Page 49 of The Engagement Party

Alex scoffed. “Did you hit me the first time?”

“Yes, please engage in nonsense instead of having a real conversation.” Sierra shifted on the stool so she could see the room in one swoop. “That’s what you all do, right? You derail the honest conversation, ignore the tough facts.”

Cassie poured a cup of coffee. “I know you’re upset, but—”

“Shut up.”Damn, it felt good to say that.Sierra repeated the comment to see if she liked it as much a second time. “Just shut up.”

“Excuse me?” Cassie’s indignation filled the room.

“Your suddenly not-so-addled husband seems to think I’ve played the long game. That I masterminded all of this and have been, what, waiting for the six years I knew Mitch before making a move?” The last of the brain fog burned off and Sierra’s energy returned full force. She would not let these people get her killed. “Do I have that right?”

Alex stared at her. “My point was, you might have an underlying motive. One we don’t know about.”

“Do you hear how ridiculous you sound?” Mitch asked.

Sierra appreciated Mitch jumping into defender mode. Most times she felt pretty secure in speaking her own case, but it was nice to have support, especially when the risks were so immense.

Will shrugged. “He does have a head injury.”

Cassie and Alex both intrigued her and repelled her. They fit together. Sierra just didn’t like very much about them. They seemed to love their daughter but barely tolerated each other... except for the few times when they stood solid and inseparable and clearly concerned about one another. They were a mess.

An underlying pulse of dishonesty emanated from them, and not just because they were lawyers. She couldn’t read them, but she understood them. Their type—pretty on the outside, ruthless on the inside—slithered all around Boston. She’d been tripping over seemingly well-meaning-but-not-really people her entire life.

But Sierra didn’t get Will at all. He should be horrified about how his weekend had unfolded and demanding answers. This was his party, after all. He’d lured them all here to introduce Ruthie, the woman he seemed willing to throw to the circling wolves every chance he got. He bumped along, going from one danger and horrifying incident to the next without much of a change in affect. Not fighting for Ruthie or for anything else. Not questioning anything about Ruthie, and he should have questions. The only word Sierra could think of to describe Will wasuseless.

Part of her wondered if his moves really were benign. “And you. Why here? Why this house? The house with murder victims littered around the property and strange notes about vengeance for long-dead friends.”

Will nodded in Ruthie’s direction. “She picked it.”

Ruthie shot him a look that bordered on venomous. “Thanks for that.”

“Anything you want to tell us?” Cassie asked Ruthie.

“I’m here to host an engagement party.”

A nonanswer. Sierra noticed Ruthie excelled at those.

“And how’s that going?” Mitch asked with his usual load of sarcasm.

“I’m not the one who knew where to look to find those papers.” Ruthie smiled at Cassie in a way that saidgotcha. “What’s the word you used before? Oh, right.Convenient.”

Sierra wasn’t in the mood to indulge any of them right now, including Ruthie. “More derailing. Did you all learn that in college? Is there a class you have to take freshman year?”

“You’ve made your point.” Cassie toasted Sierra with her coffee mug. “Clearly someone wants our attention. They have it, so they can say what they want.”

“And tell us without killing anyone else,” Mitch added.

Sierra was in mid–eye roll when she saw it. “There’s a light out there. Down by the water.”

Will nodded. “Yeah, the electricity is back on.”

Sierra slid off the barstool and walked toward the back door. She could see the small bouncing beam. “I think it’s a flashlight.”

That got Alex on his feet. He stood up and immediately fell back down on the couch with his hand on his head. “Shit.”

“Where’s that fireplace poker?” Cassie looked at Will when she asked the question.

The side looks. The whispered comments. Sierra had enough of all of it. She unlocked the back door. Only Cassie’s outraged voice stopped her.

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