Page 59 of My Sister is Going to Kill Me

“We hoped she was with you,” Devon said.

“Haven’t seen her,” Fiona said.

Liv looked up the trail. “And my sister?”

Fiona smirked. “Thor said he wanted to show Mandy something special.”

Big Pete grunted. “So that’s what they’re calling it these days.”

“What about Charlie?” Devon asked. “Wasn’t he with you too?”

“Charlie—” Fiona looked to Stefan. “He left Thunder Spring with you, didn’t he?”

The Dutchman nodded. “We walked together until the trail junction. I stopped to drink some water at the sign, but he wanted to keep going.”

“You split up,” Big Pete said. “Thor didn’t tell you to stay together?”

“He did. I needed the break,” Stefan said. “And I could not imagine that Charlie would get lost. He was on a straight path to all of you.”

“And yet he isn’t here,” Devon said.

Liv felt something itch at her chest.

Charlie.

Babette.

Mandy.

Thor.

There were too many people missing.

She knew better than to jump to any terrible conclusions. But the itch was starting to burn. Statistically, missing people didn’t do well in the Grand Canyon. There were too many caverns to fall into, too many ways the sun could leach away common sense. Maybe Mandy was with Thor. Maybe Charlie and Babette had found each other and were having a kumbaya moment. Or maybe . . .

“I changed my mind,” Liv said. “I think we should head up the trail toward the junction.”

Devon stood up. “Are you worried about your sister?”

“As far as we know, the only person who isn’t accounted for is Charlie. My sister is with Thor. Babette’s on her way.”

“But if Charlie was on the trail, we would have run into him,” Fiona said.

“And those hikers said Babette should be here by now,” Imogen added.

“We should wait here,” Big Pete said. “I don’t need to lose any more of you.”

He was right. But it didn’t feel right. And there was an obvious reason why.

“There’s something you don’t know,” Liv said. “Charlie believes his sister is trying to kill him.”

“What?” Fiona said.

All eyes shot to Devon.

“Not her,” Liv amended, putting a hand on the botanist’s stiff forearm. “Devon was threatened too. Several people were. By Babette. Charlie thinks she might have hired someone to confront us on this trip.”

“Those two men she’s traveling down with?” Imogen asked. “Nasty.”