At some point, you had to take control of your life, outwit the powers that be, prove you were in charge of your destiny. That you deserved to be treated with dignity, and that your contributions should be recognized and rewarded.

Once you developed a plan to obtain both respect and a comfortable financial cushion, life became much more enjoyable—and exciting.

It was also far easier to outwit the people who thought they were smart if you were smarter. Especially if they didn’t expect you to be smarter. Fooling them was fun and gratifying.

The past few years had been satisfying on many levels as the brilliant scheme Dave had helped implement ran like clockwork.

Until Grace Reilly began stirring the pot.

BK snapped the blinds closed. Pivoted. Scowled into the shadowy living room.

It didn’t help that fortune appeared to be conspiring against the master plan, either. It was pure bad luck that Fred’s death had been suspect. Who knew why the man had been out wandering among the farm equipment that night? If he hadn’t fallen and cut his head, Grace Reilly wouldn’t have been involved.

The timing of the attempted burglary at Mavis’s had been another bad break. Without that weird twist of fate, no one would have taken a second look at her death.

If all had gone as expected—as it had with the previous victims—neither Fred nor Mavis would have been autopsied.

And a third suspicious death would complicate the situation. Improbable as it was that the county pathologist would ever discover the true cause of death, it was unnerving to have her poking around in the matter. Worse, it sounded as if the sheriff was beginning to listen to her suspicions.

The risk had to be contained.

BK began to pace.

It was too bad the woman hadn’t been more spooked by the lily buds and vandalism after Mavis died. Started second-guessing whether she wanted to live in the sticks, where law enforcement was often far away and she could be at the mercy of someone who was out to get her.

Since those warnings hadn’t worked, it appeared a stronger message was in order. Soon, given the possibility of an accelerated schedule with Lorraine. It would have to be upsetting enough to send Grace Reilly running. Or at the very least distract her until the dust settled with Lorraine.

It would also be more complicated to pull off in light of the latest developments, but a disturbing incident could still be arranged with very little risk. In fact, an idea was already beginning to percolate.

And if the message again fell on deaf ears? If the pathologist continued to persevere with Fred and Mavis?

Perhaps stronger action would have to be taken.

Much stronger.

With consequences that could end up being fatal.

14

FINALLY!

Grace smiled at the name on the screen of her cell. After two missed calls and a brief but intriguing text that hinted he had case-related news, she was going to get to talk to Nate.