Their former plan was suddenly clear. It was a psychotic plan, but it was also surprisingly clean. Autopsy reports would show I had alcohol and psilocybin in my blood. Evidence would indicate I’d been home alone for the night, broke into that cougar cage, and got mauled. Desiree and Pierce would not be suspected. Even if her fingerprints were on my car, even if someone saw us together. She didn’t know I was going to throw myself to cougars. My mom’s history would be brought out, a fresh coat of shiny paint, and people would nod, and say, Oh, Melinda Hornne’s child, of course she was troubled. She’d been asking around about her mother’s case, and she’d probably been depressed. Me sneaking into a cougar cage to get ripped apart would make perfect sense to them.

I stayed idle, trying to regain my energy for when I had a chance to fight. If you get a chance.

“Fix it later,” Alice said, stern yet calm. The sound of a gentle pat on his hand. “Let’s first take care of our guest, then you’ll go fix the fence. And if a cougar gets out in the meantime, it will add distraction, which is a good thing. The family will be looking for her soon. So, change of plans. Here’s what we’re going to do. Go OxiClean her car, she’s bleeding. Set plastic down in my trunk.”

Panic shot through me again, and I twisted and yanked my wrists. The duct tape barely budged.

Alice said, “Desiree drives Heather’s car out to the edge of town. You take my car and drop the body in the river. Pick up Desiree, then drive back here. First, go clean her car.” Seconds later, a door closed.

The swish of her slacks, thighs brushing against each other. Alice kneeled on the ground, facing the glass table near my head. She set a makeup case on the table, unzipped it, took something out, set it on the table. A syringe.

I tried to twist, but I was bound too tightly. Tears dripped down my cheeks.