The fastest revolution of all was the fifth and Tracey barely managed to hang on as the end of the line whipped past the coffee tent. The blue-and-white tent was next in line and everyone could see that Tracey was tiring and she was bound to stumble soon. She hung on by what looked like the skin of her teeth past the yellow-and-white tent, and Hannah glanced around at the crowd as her niece neared the green-and-white tent, the spot where she was slated to fall. Everyone was staring at Tracey with alarm, just as Lynne had wanted. Hannah knew the feeling. Although Andrea had told her that Tracey had practiced this stunt with the same girls, her actual friends, at least two dozen times, she was alarmed, too!

As the green-and-white tent came into Tracey’s view, she wobbled alarmingly, tried to right herself, and made a real effort to hang on. That was when her real best friend, Karen Dunwright, dropped Tracey’s hand and let her crash into the snow bank.

There were gasps from the crowd and a few actual screams as Tracey fell spectacularly. She landed on her arm and Hannah could see her eyes fill with pain and surprise as it twisted under her. She gave a faint whimper and then everyone was silent, waiting to see what would happen.

“Cut!” Lynne shouted, despite the fact that she was miked. “Are you okay, Tracey?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” Tracey got up and smiled at the crowd. Then she swung her arm over her head to show that she’d sustained no injury and everyone there applauded.

Hannah turned to Winnie. “I think Tracey has a career waiting for her in show biz. I really thought she’d hurt herself, didn’t you?”

But Winnie didn’t reply. She was staring up in absolute horror as something fell from the bottom of the statue.

The cameraman who taken the statue’s place shouted out an invective that Hannah wouldn’t have said in front of Tracey or Bethany, and rubbed his head. Then he looked up and jerked his camera several feet back and into the crowd.

There was another shout, something about the statue falling apart and raining debris, and everyone reacted. Lynne skated toward the girls and rushed them inside the warming house, the people who were close to the falling debris headed for cover, and whatever was falling continued to rain down from above.

“Wow!” Hannah said, wondering if the cameras were still running. Winnie had been right about moving the statue. It was disintegrating before their very eyes. She turned to tell Winnie she was sorry for even suggesting that they move her brother’s granite tribute to the first mayor, and she was surprised to see that Winnie’s chair was empty. Why had Winnie left when their chairs weren’t even close to the debris falling from the bottom of the statue?