Harmony nodded. “Or maybe she’s the next victim. Could be either.”
Harmony didn’t say which option she found more appealing.
Tosh swore as he raked a hand through his hair. “This is insanity.”
“We passed insanity weeks ago,” Torie muttered, calm for once.
Mary was still, looking almost mystic as she stood in front of them. Something was brewing inside her, and no one was sure what was coming.
“If you want the real truth, every single one of us has blood on our hands.”
Tosh glared at her. “You’ve lost it, Mary. You’re going to get us all thrown in jail.”
“I don’t even care anymore. I’m so sick of this, of the lies and betrayal.”
Torie glared. “You love playing the victim, don’t you? Well, at least the rest of us don’t pretend we’re someone we’re not.”
“Bitch!” Mary lunged, and Torie took a step back.
Zach caught her. Barely. “This is getting out of hand. It needs to stop.”
Mary turned on him. “You think you can fix everything, don’t you, Zach? The bruises, the evidence, the old wood. Why don’t you try fixing yourself before you attempt to help anyone else?”
Zach’s face hardened. “I don’t try to fix anyone. This is your mess to clean up.”
“This is stupid. We can’t turn on each other,” Harmony said.
All heads turned to her, and it wasn’t friendly. Cass shivered as she stepped a bit closer to her cousin.
“You enjoy our pain. I don’t care anymore. You do whatever you want,” Mary hissed.
“I don’t enjoy pain. I just know that pain makes things real.”
“You think we’re damaged. You’re worse than all of us,” Torie said.
Cass lost her composure. “At least she doesn’t lie like you. You’re jealous of every woman who breathes near Tosh. Hours before Lisa died, you told me you’d rather see her dead than touching him.”
Torie slapped Cass so hard the sound cracked like a whip.
Zach grabbed Cass. Tosh seized Torie.
“Get your hands off me,” Torie screamed. “Do you think I killed her? So what? The world is better off without that skank!”
Everyone went silent as the words cracked the air. Mary’s eyes widened. Zach stepped back, still holding Cass, who stumbled. Harmony didn’t move.
“Mary, you say everyone has blood on their hands, but it looks pretty clear who has the most of all,” Harmony finally said.
“Is there something you want to confess to?” Hale asked, suddenly in the middle of them.
Torie looked at her wide-eyed as she stepped back, shaking her head. “No, I hated her, but I didn’t kill her.”
“We need to talk more,” the detective said. Torie looked like she was about to run. There was a tense silence. As Vega stepped forward, a gunshot rang out.
Silence turned into screams as Cass spun, grabbed her arm, blood sticking to her fingers, then dropped to her knees. For a heartbeat no one moved. Then Zach lunged forward and cradled Cass, blood spreading over her clothes.
“Cass!” Harmony shouted, dropping to the ground, tears and panic filling her eyes. The author was no longer composed.
Hale had her firearm pulled and was looking around. Vega scanned the rooftops.
