Dani groaned. “You know, you should record the things you say and play them back, so you can hear the same level of dumbass that I do.”

“I won’t accept this abusive language from my own child.”

“Here’s something you need to accept. Despite all your fuckery, I found a way to keep the farm in the family,” she growled. “You didn’t manage to accomplish whatever sad, adolescent revenge you were trying to get against Grandad. And another thing—I will find a way to get you back home. For once in your life, you’re going to be held accountable for your actions.”

Journey gasped. “Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m your father!”

“No, you’re my sperm donor. You’ve never been my father.”

Over Journey’s tirade about “family” and “forgiveness,” Dani ended the call and buried her face in her hands. The whole episode reminded her so much of her last interaction with Journey, after he’d come home for Gramma’s funeral. During the private viewing, he had spent a lot of time trying to convince Grandad that it was a waste to bury Gramma with her wedding ring. He tried to argue that Dani would like to have it, but Dani knew if Journey got his way, he would be driving away from the farm with the ring in his pocket. Grandad was determined that his wife would be buried with the ring. So Dani spent most of the visitation planted between Journey and the casket.

It had taken hours to distract her father with some other shiny object and when her self-appointed guard duty was over, she ran down the hallway and threw up in a wastebasket near the “processing” area. She would never forget the way that hallway smelled, like overblown roses and antiseptic and—

Dani’s head shot up so hard she whacked it on a cabinet. That smell. She knew what the over-sweet chemical perfume smell was. Formaldehyde. Who in town would smell like—

Aw, hell.

Ivy Portenoy.

Ivy Portenoy had attacked her in the library. Ivy Portenoy had tried to strangle her.

But why?

Personal resentment? Dani couldn’t think of any way she’d harmed Ivy, other than turning down her invitation to join the weekend card games. And no one took Magic: The Gathering that seriously. Well, some people did, but still, trying to smash Dani’s head over the rejection seemed like an overreaction.

Professional rivalry? Ivy had nothing to do with the rift. She worked in a completely different department and didn’t seem to know anything about Dani’s work.

Maybe Ivy was secretly in love with Zed?

Zed had made his preference for Dani pretty clear to anyone in the Bayou with eyes, and he wasn’t exactly subtle in his disdain for the “creepy little Wednesday Addams girl.” But if Ivy had feelings for Zed, that would definitely make Dani a target.