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A scream goes off in the distance and we both choose to ignore it.

“She cost me a major sponsorship deal last year.” Vampyra sighs again. “Basically she went to the company, told them I was difficult to work with. It was a complete lie, but they believed her.” Her jaw tightens just slightly. “I lost six figures over that.” She ruined more than one deal, she muses to herself. That witch destroyed everything I built. The thought hits me sharp and angry. But I can’t tell Bizzy all of it. Heck, I can’t tell anyone.

I glance at Vampyra’s face. She’s smiling, but clearly her thoughts don’t match that smile at all.

For the record, Duchess mewls, the Countess did in fact make that call. I happened to overhear it. She used that high-pitched sugar-sweet tone of voice for it. And believe me, that sugar-sweet voice was always a very bad sign.

“Oh wow,” I say, reacting to both. “That’s a lot of money.”

“You bet it is. But I’m not the only person she torched to the ground for the fun of it. Clawdia made a career out of ruining people.”

There’s an edge underneath her voice, but before I can push, she shifts gears.

“You know, as a woman, you spend your whole life being told to be likable and as you get older, you’re expected to be a sex symbol at the same time.” Her tone changes into something colder. “It’s exhausting really. And women like Clawdia? They know how to exploit that. I guess you could say they’re talented enough to turn it into a weapon.”

I think about the panel, about Georgie’s question, and about the way Vampyra answered it.

“The corset thing,” I say. “What you said about dressing for yourself, and not for male attention. You meant that, didn’t you?”

“You bet your lacy, racy britches I did.” She looks at me, and for the first time since I walked over here, her expression is completely unguarded. “I wear this because when I put it on, I feel powerful. Not because some man told me it looks good. Not because it gets clicks. Because I want to. The second you start dressing for male attention, you’ve already lost so much more than you could ever hope to.”

“Oh, I agree.” I nod. “Running an inn in a small town where half the people still think women shouldn’t be in charge of anything more complicated than a casserole, I get that completely. I just hope my daughter doesn’t have to put up with any of that when she’s my age.”

“Hear, hear.” Vampyra lifts her hand in a mock toast my way.

Duchess peeks from around my ankles, and Vampyra’s entire face lights up.

“And who is this gorgeous girl?” She crouches down, and Duchess pads over to her without hesitation. Vampyra scoops her up gently, cradling her in one arm and scratching under her chin with the other hand.

I can’t help but notice how that sweet girl’s fur glows purple under the lights with the same hue.

Oh. Duchess’s eyes drift shut. She found the spot. That’s it. I’m a goner.

Her purr fires up like a tiny motorboat. And I can hear it from three feet away.

“You’re Clawdia’s cat, aren’t you?” Vampyra coos while nuzzling with the little cutie. “I remember you from her set. When you weren’t draped around her neck, you always sat on that little velvet cushion she kept by the camera. You’re quite the little starlet yourself, you know that?”

Of course I remember you. Duchess leans into the scratches, eyes half-closed. You were one of the few people who spoke to me before you spoke to Clawdia. That always struck me as good manners. And Vampyra always sent treats for me when they were at the same events.

“Oh, you sweet little thing. Your mama was complicated,” Vampyra murmurs to Duchess. “But she loved you so much. I know she did. How I wish I could spoil you rotten with treats right about now.”

Clawdia would get so angry about those treats, Duchess mewls. She’d throw them away and tell me that Vampyra was trying to poison me. But I knew better.

Trying to poison her? I blink back. Now that’s an interesting thing to say. Especially since we know for a fact the woman was indeed poisoned to death.

I watch Vampyra holding Duchess, petting her with the kind of care that doesn’t look fake, and my suspicion wavers. Just slightly, but it wavers.

“Bizzy, are you taking care of her now?” Vampyra asks, glancing up at me for just a fraction of a second because she can’t seem to take her eyes off that sweet lavender thing.

“I am taking care of her,” I answer. “And I don’t mind one bit.”

“Good.” She kisses the top of Duchess’s head. “She deserves better than what she’s been through.”

There’s something in the way she says it that makes me think she’s not just talking about losing Clawdia.

Her fingers move through the cat’s fur in that absent way people do when they’re comfortable with animals.

“Six figures.” I shake my head as I try my best to steer us back to shakedown territory. “Vampyra, losing that much money, well, some people might view that as a motive to want her gone,” I say.