“We should tell Burke. Let him work out how to handle it,” Rebel says, though his expression says that’s the last thing he wants to do.
“I get that’s the right thing to do, but it isn’t going to change the fact that someone killed their pet,” Dizzy says. “And they seem to be hell bent on using any excuse to get rid of you. We don’t want them to decide we can’t have the wedding here.”
“It’s a little broader than that,” West says. “None of you have thought this all the way through. Someone killed the goat on purpose. Whatever that purpose is, that much is obvious. If any of the guests or staff sees the body, there will be panic. They’ll worry about how long it will take whoever did it to move on to a person. Are they safe? Should they stick around to find out?”
“Double fuck,” Rebel says.
“We have nothing to go on,” I say. “There’s no reason to make people panic until we do, right? Why cause chaos if we don’t have to?”
“Ivy would be devastated,” Dizzy says.
“She deserves to have her dream day without worrying any more than she already is.” After everything that we’ve been through to get to this point we deserve a little joy and peace.
“As long as we keep it to ourselves. And your security team,” West says. “Everyone will be as safe as they were before we found the goat.”
“What are you proposing?” Rebel asks. “We pretend this never happened?”
“No. We work out who did it,” Dizzy says. “After we hide the body. Because we are not ruining this weekend for my sister.”
“It’s only until we work out who is behind this,” I say.
“And if we don’t?” Rebel asks.
“Then we’ll tell the Hearts. After Ivy and I are married.”
“I don’t like it,” Rebel says. “But I also don’t particularly want to tell Summer’s brothers without someone to pin it on. I can see the sense in keeping it to ourselves a little longer. My only question is where are we going to hide it?”
Dizzy jumps up and down with a squeal. “I know. The pit. We can take it to the pit.”
Rebel’s face drains of color. “I am not going there. I almost drowned in mud.”
“That’s why it’s perfect,” she insists. “It should sink. No one will find it there.”
“We’re all in agreement?” This is the only way.
“Yeah, okay.” Rebel gives in. Reluctantly.
“Great.” Dizzy claps her hands like an adorable and excited hummingbird. “We have a plan. Now we need to work out which one of us is taking the goat.”
“I’ll get a quad bike so we can load it up,” Rebel says, and runs back toward the homestead.
“I’ll take it to the pit,” West says.
“Can I come with?” Dizzy stares up at him with a pleading look. “I’m supposed to be getting ready for the party with Ivy andthe other girls, but I really want to see the pit. Do you think we can do this and get back to them in time?”
“If we’re quick,” West says.
“You don’t think it’s Alec. And you don’t think it’s Nicole.” There are dozens of people on the ranch. Security. Guests. Catering and other workers. While Nicole could have had a hand in it, this seems too messy, and quite frankly, too dirty for the scheming bitch in Louboutin. And he’s right that Alec has been completely off grid for months. “Do you have any thoughts on who you think is behind this?”
“It could be about Summer,” Dizzy says. “When the florist delivered the flowers for the brunch this morning, I overheard her tell the curly, dark-haired brother that the gossip about Summer being home has spread into town. And he said Summer never goes into town when she comes home, so it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s it?” I ask. It’s not enough to draw any real conclusions.
“The florist’s face was bruised,” Dizzy adds. “When the brother saw that, he was real mad and turned the topic to some prick she’s seeing. He said the brothers should have made that piece of shit disappear in the pit years ago.”
“I wonder if it is one of the guys Summer avoids…” Something happened to her that makes it hard for her to wanna come home. And that same thing made it possible for her to help Rochelle when none of us could get through to her. I don’t need to be a genius to put two and two together. “They got away with hurting her. Maybe they’re worried she’s no longer scared of them.”
It seems plausible.
