Page 9 of The Anniversary Party

Maisy and Bodhi sorted through the collection and found some jazz standards. Between the music, the fire, and an assortment of finger foods and cocktails that Connelly whipped up in a hurry to replace the now-canceled happy hour, their collective spirits rose again.

But as Sasha sipped her gin and tonic and nibbled on a cheese cracker, she kept coming back to Bodhi’s observation. The timing of Hatty’s accidentwasawful. In fact, if someone had wanted to get their hosts off the property for the foreseeable future, they couldn’t have timed it any better. The thought sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine.

Connelly ran a warm hand down her back and pulled her close. “Cold?”

“A little,” she lied.

CHAPTER5

Bodhi and Leo set off for the other house with Annette, who was bundled up in one of the three warm coats Maisy had packed for the weekend stay. Sasha stood at the window and watched the trio disappear into the swirling snow.

Aroostine said her name in a low voice.

“Hmm?” She turned away from the window to meet Aroostine’s worried gaze.

Roo tilted her head toward the kitchen. Sasha nodded her understanding. They gathered up some of the abandoned glasses as if their aim were to clean up and then drifted away from the others.

“What’s up?” she asked, pouring no-longer-bubbly champagne down the sink.

Aroostine turned on the water and began rinsing the flutes. Sasha wondered if she was covering the sound of their conversation with the running water. A few moments later, she had no doubt.

“You saw Rex when you went into the reception area, right?”

“I did,” she confirmed.

“How would you describe him?”

“Um, as an arrogant tech bro, I guess. Why?”

“No, I mean physically.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow. “Physically?”

“Humor me.”

She thought for a second. “Tall. Broad-shouldered.”

“As tall as Leo?”

“About, I guess. Where are you going with this?”

Aroostine went on as if she hadn’t heard the question. “Short hair? Long hair?”

“Short and dark.”

“Like Leo’s.”

“Sort of.”

“If someone didn’t know either of them well, do you think they might mistake Rex for your husband?”

Sasha frowned. “I don’t think Rex is half-Vietnamese.” The pieces fell into place, and she inhaled sharply. “You think Connelly was the intended victim.”

Aroostine gave her a pained look. “Considering that we were supposed to be in the other house, not them, we should consider the possibility.”

No. Not again.

The words whipped through Sasha like the coldest wind, and she began to tremble. She wrapped her arms tightly around her midriff and tried to stay calm.

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