While Teddy blew his nose noisily, Riley looked around. The foyer had a barrel roll brick ceiling and offered a direct line of sight to a huge fireplace in the living area. The white couch was made up as a bed. She wondered if Teddy had been sleeping there.
Above the fireplace was a large black-and-white photo of a very much alive Bianca Hornberger in a huge wedding dress. She was standing in the foreground with a bridal party of fifteen standing far enough behind her that no faces could be made out.
Front and center, just where she always wanted to be.
The Bianca in the portrait looked more natural than the one from the crime scene photos. She had the ability to smile. Her boobs were smaller. And her hair was less horse’s mane and more perky cheerleader at the prom.
There were other photos, Riley noticed, tucked onto shelves and framed on the pale pink walls. A young family. Babies turning into toddlers. Toddlers into kids. An energetic little boy and a chubby girl with a sweet smile. Once the kids hit a certain age, the photos changed. There were more of the son turning into an athlete. But the daughter seemed to all but disappear. The one constant was Bianca, who appeared in every single photo sporting mini skirts and a tanning-bed tan.
Teddy finished blowing his nose and wiped the tear fog from his glasses before leading them off the main living space to a set of double doors behind crisscrossed police tape.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” he squeaked.
Kellen looked at Riley. She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. We just want to have a quick look around, and then I’ll be back out to talk to you.”
He looked relieved. “Okay.”
Kellen held the tape up, and Riley ducked under his arm, stepping onto a cloud of white carpet.
The bedroom looked like it had been designed for a princess. The walls were a pinky cream with fancy trim and not one but two crystal chandeliers. The canopy bed was buried under blush pink bedding with pillows piled high. Little specks in the carpet caught the light and sparkled. There were three full-sized mirrors in the room.
The wall space that wasn’t occupied by mirrors appeared to be an homage to the new and improved Bianca. Racy boudoir pictures and duck-lipped selfies on canvas adorned the walls. There wasn’t a single picture of Teddy, the kids, or any other family.
This was the Bianca show.
“Bathroom’s through there,” Kellen said, pointing at another set of double doors. “Closet’s in there.” He handed her a pair of gloves, and she took her time putting them on. When she couldn’t stall anymore, Riley swallowed hard and approached the open doorway cautiously. She wished she would have brought Gabe or Burt along for support. Even Nick, though she was still mad at him.
She hoped she wouldn’t puke on the snowy white carpet. That would be unfortunate.
“I can come in with you,” Kellen offered.
“That would be good,” she said with relief. “Just so you know. Sometimes when I do this, I barf. And I had a blueberry smoothie for breakfast.”
He held up a finger and headed into the bathroom. He returned with a trash can. “All set.”
“Thanks.” He really wasn’t the ass that Nick made him out to be. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
The closet was the size of Riley and Nick’s entire apartment.
One long wall featured all luxury brand casual clothes. Designer leggings. Labeled sweatshirts. About a hundred crop tops. The opposite wall was open shelving for bags and shoes. Along the back hung jeans and dresses. The victim obviously had expensive taste. And a cleaning crew. The closet was immaculate. Not a dust bunny to be found.
“What does the husband do again?” she asked, picking up a pair of stilettos with crystal spikes down the heels. There were a few flakes of glitter on the otherwise unblemished sole.
“Software guy. Runs a development company in Hershey,” Kellen said with the trash can at the ready.
She brought the crime scene photos to mind and positioned herself where the body had been found. There was no tell-tale carpet stain of death, but she felt a little shiver run up her spine when she stepped onto the spot.
“Did the victim work?”
“Nah. Stay-at-home mom. But she was starting her own YouTube channel. She has a studio set up in the guest bedroom.”
Kellen’s voice faded away, and the closet disappeared as Riley found herself standing amidst puffy pink and blue clouds.
“Welcome to my channel!” a perky, squeaky voice announced from somewhere beyond the ether. “I’m Bianca, and I’m here to tell you how to get everything you deserve.”
The clouds began to part, and Riley’s stomach dropped like she was careening down the first hill of a roller coaster. Then suddenly she wasn’t moving.
“But, baaaaaaabe,” Alive Bianca said, her fingers clasped under her chin. It looked like a dangerous gesture since her nails were very long and very sharp. “I neeeeed the surgery. The last conference I went to, all of the girls agreed that bigger boobs mean bigger follower counts.”
