“I don’t have a daughter.” She lifted the gun’s barrel.

“I’m sorry.” Misty’s face was red, and her eyes were puffy. “I never meant to hurt you.”

Sumner’s eyes narrowed.

“Then what?” I shouted to get Sumner’s attention. “What did Misty say about the baby?”

“She told Graham she didn’t want him involved. But he wouldn’t listen. He started talking about private nursery schools and putting money aside so her bastard could attend his alma mater. That’s when I decided to kill him.”

But not in the heat of the moment. She’d waited until the next morning to shoot her husband in the chest. Then she’d pulled on her sneakers and gone for a run.

“You were smart. We didn’t suspect you. Why did you plant the gun in Mel and Fred’s cabin?”

“That was a mistake. I meant to hide it in Willa and Thatch's cabin. Graham hated Thatch, and Willa invited her.” She nodded toward Misty. “But I heard someone on the path, so I ducked into the closest cabin.”

“Buffy knew?”

“She did. She saw me on Saturday morning and guessed what I'd done.”

“She kept your secret.”

“She understood about cheating husbands. Bill can’t keep it in his pants.” Sumner chuckled. “I bet she wanted to kill him at least three times a week.”

“Then why kill her?”

“What if she changed her mind? I couldn’t take that risk. I convinced her to meet me at the cabin. I told her I felt guilty and wanted to talk about turning myself in.”

“You stole one of Misty’s knives.”

“I was staying in a room at the clubhouse, so I cut through the kitchen and took a knife. Easy-peasy.”

Sumner was sort of terrifying.

“You stabbed her.”

“I did.” She frowned. “She stood there with a shocked look on her face, as if she couldn’t believe I’d done it. Then she ran. She went crashing into the woods, calling your name. I tried to follow her, but I heard you and your husband. I had no gun, no knife. I couldn’t stop her from telling you everything. Couldn’t stop you from calling the authorities.” She gave me a triumphant smile. “But she died.”

Sumner was definitely terrifying and definitely several marbles short of a full bag.

Keep her talking.

“Ellison.” The back door opened, and Merit stuck her head out. “There you are. I need to speak with you.”

How had she missed Sumner and the shotgun?

Bear squeezed by her and raced to my side.

“Ugh. Now I have dog hair on my pants.”

She might be the single most unobservant woman on the planet.

“At any rate, I came to apologize. I shouldn’t have called you a pandering prole.”

“Merit, run.”

She stood there and stared at me.

Why didn’t the blue crate insult Merit? Her behavior was more stupid than mine.