Page 73 of The Business Trip

But as for Stephanie’s murder? This was very, very bad for me. If Raven shared all of the text messages I had sent her, plus the story of her spiking Trent’s drink and faking pictures at Centennial Olympic Park and the phony passport, I would be in deep trouble.

I had to get out of here, had to change my hair and my name again, to flee as fast as I could.

Where could I go? The passport was no good now. I couldn’t even cross farther south into Guatemala without it likely being flagged. I was stuck in Mexico as a fugitive, a wanted woman, my picture with a black pixie haircut all over the news. It was only a matter of time.

Unless…

I looked over at the drunk tourists dancing, all oblivious to their purses sitting back at the tables off to the sides. A woman about my height caught my eye, arms flailing overhead as she moved. She had short hair like me, but platinum blond and in a different spiky style. It would take a mountain of hair dye, but I could turn black hair into blond if I tried hard enough. If I had her ID, I could do a lot of things, even more with her credit cards.

I knew where she had been sitting because I had served her earlier. I began to drift toward that spot and to her purse, whichremained on the table. I kept my eyes on her, but she was oblivious, dancing away. If I could just grab her items… But no, this would never work. She would notice things were missing, right?

Unless…

No, Jasmine, I scolded myself.

You can’t. You are done with that.

But you’re next to an ocean, the other part of me thought.And there’s a luggage store in the shopping district. And a pillow on this woman’s bed in her hotel.Her key card was likely in her purse. Tourists went missing in Mexico on a very regular basis; people would suspect a drug deal gone wrong or a spiked drink from a shifty male bartender, not little old me.

I conjured up the image of a giant suitcase, of shoving her into the ocean, taking her stuff and escaping again. My fingers grazed her purse and tiptoed their way to the zipper, which I began to slide open. She danced on, throwing her head back and laughing.

But just as my hand began descending to the promised land of her wallet, I felt a hard tap on my shoulder.

Somehow, I knew it wasn’t just the bar manager needing something. I turned slowly, my stomach a swamp pit.

There stood two men and a woman.

The men were unfamiliar.

But the woman…

It hit me with such electric force that I felt as if I were taking a bath and someone had thrown in a plugged-in hair dryer.

CHAPTER 44Stephanie

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

Jasmine let out a piercing scream and took off running, pushing through the dancing tourists as a woman with spiky blond hair yelled: “Hey! Watch out!”

Officer Healy and Officer Rodriguez bolted after Jasmine, all three a blur of arms and legs. I chased after them as best I could.

Officer Healy reached Jasmine first and wrapped her in a tackle. They went down in a bundle. She began screaming and writhing around.

Panting, I pulled to a stop next to them.

“The jig is up, Jasmine. I’m with San Diego PD. We’re working with Mexican authorities,” said Officer Healy, pinning her to the ground.

“Whaaat? What are you talking about?” she croaked, twisting her head wildly to look at me. Officer Healy followed her gaze.

“Recognize her, do you? I think you might remember Stephanie Monroe.”

Jasmine’s eyes filled with horror and disbelief. I could onlyimagine what it must be like to see a woman alive who you thought was dead. I wanted to speak, but my breathing was still ragged from running, so I put my hands on my knees, gasping for air while glaring at her, hatred burning in my whole being.

Officer Healy had his knee embedded on Jasmine’s back and spoke again.

“You thought you got away with Allison’s murder in high school and Stephanie’s murder until now, didn’t you? You even faked your own murder. And somehow you framed Drake and Trent along the way.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. You have the wrong person,” she cried out, eyes darting wildly between me and Officer Rodriguez.

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