“That’s right, honey. I kept a low profile. And then, when the moment was right, I took off my black wig and headed down the hallway to SueEllen’s bathroom. She recognized me then, all right. Almost didn’t have to toss that dryer into the tub. She practically had a heart attack right on the spot. She tried to get out of the tub, of course, but I’m a lot stronger than she was. It was easy to push her back in. She begged me not to kill her, told me she’d split Aunt Melanie’s money with me, but I believed that like I believe in the tooth fairy. I threw in the dryer and watched her fry.”

I flinched at her choice of words.

“So you were the blonde Heidi saw in the hallway.”

“None other.”

“And you planted a blond wig in her closet to incriminate her.”

“I bought it at one of those kiosks in the mall. Hated to do it to the kid, but I needed somebody to be arrested for the murder. I figured Hal would manage to get her off somehow.”

Ironic, isn’t it? All along, I’d been focusing on that blond wig, when it was a black one I should have been looking for.

“Now all I have to do is give my notice to the Kingsleys and head back home to collect my three million.”

“You splitting it with your boyfriend, the gardener? The one who gave you your alibi?”

“No way, Jose. Any day now, he’s going to meet with a fatal accident. Just like you.”

“What are you going to do? Drop another hair dryer in my tub?”

“Nah. The radio will do.”

Damn that infernal radio.

She started towards it, her gun aimed at my chest.

Just then I caught a glimpse of Prozac, still perched on the toilet bowl. Sensing impending danger, her eyes were wide, her ears erect. Realizing no doubt that this strange woman in our bathroom was about to do me harm, the brave little soul put her tail between her legs and whizzed out of there like greased lightning.

Conchi whirled around in surprise. She had no idea the cat had even been there. I took advantage of the moment to pull the rug out from under her. Literally. I grabbed the bathmat Conchi was standing on, and yanked it with all my might, sending her sprawling to the ground.

As she fell, she hit her head on the toilet bowl. It looked like she was unconscious, but I wasn’t going to stick around to make sure. Instead I grabbed her gun and dashed out into the living room to call the cops. But before I could finish dialing 911, Conchi came lunging out of the bathroom, not the least bit unconscious, after all. With a running leap, she tackled me from behind, sending the gun flying across the room.

Oh, God. What was I going to do now? I tried to remember what Kandi had said about subduing an attacker. Gouge out their groin, and kick them in the eye? No, no. It was gouge out their eye, and kick them in the groin.