“Don’t tell me what?” Steve asked, a huge grin on his handsome face.

Coming to her friends rescue, Kelly replied, “That she thinks Gary’s girlfriends a tool.”

Wine snorted out of Nicole’s nose. “I didn’t call her a tool, but I like your analogy. Mm, what kind of tool? A rake or a shovel?”

Crisis diverted, Steve chuckled. “More like a handbrake. If I’d known she was going to send everyone home by eight, I would’ve caught a ride with you.”

“Oh, poor baby.” Nicole jutted out her bottom lip.

Ignoring her sass, Steve turned to Kelly. “Mind if I have a quick shower?”

Appreciating that he asked first, considering he didn’t pay the rent, Kelly gave him a warm smile. “That’s fine.”

Once they were alone again, Nicole picked up where they’d left off.

“The dream reference could’ve been random.”

The knot in Kelly’s stomach loosened. What Nicole said made sense, and thinking back, Kelly couldn’t deny she’d had more than her share of vivid dreams. Especially when her dad first died. Although, those dreams were more like nightmares when she awoke and the painful reality that he was really gone set in.

Shaking off her melancholy, Kelly concurred with Nicole’s assessment. “Agreed.”

“Okay, what else makes you think it was Lucy?”

Time for the killer. “She made a comment that I think had an underlying message.”

Lucy’s face swam in Kelly’s vision, the cheeky, daring glint in her eyes.

“She said she doesn’t make a habit of going into anyone’s drawers without their permission.”

Apparently thinking nothing of the comment, or perhaps trying to decipher a deeper meaning, Nicole looked at the ceiling, chewed her lip, then shook her head.

“I’m not seeing the issue. I know she’s there on business, but wouldn’t it be rather unethical for her to go sticking her nose into places it doesn’t belong? To me, it’d be like rifling through a woman’s handbag. It’s just not done.”

“I get that. It’s not so much the drawers, but the way she said it. Drawers—knickers. Get it? Don’t go into people’s knickers without permission.”

“Oh, hun.” Nicole chuckled. “I don’t mean to laugh but I think your imagination’s getting away on you.”

Feeling stupid, Kelly lowered her head. Perhaps it was all in her mind. She stopped short of telling Nicole about walking in on Lucy on her hands and knees.

The way Lucy had looked at Kelly over her shoulder, a mischievous glint in her eye, was as if she knew exactly who was standing behind her. The fact Lucy had been expecting Kelly at ten, fuelled Kelly’s suspicions. Of course, there was the small chance it had all been pure coincidence.

The bathroom door opened. Steve strolled out, a stream of steam trailing in his wake.