“Is that why she hit you? She found out it was you?”

Tinsley sighed and kept picking at her nails.

Finally, she said, “After the lights went out, I decided that it was the perfect time to confront her. I wanted her to admit the truth so that I could eventually expose her to Rosalee. To everyone. Not only did she try to kill Georgia with that whole coconut thing, but she’d been taking advantage of people and making others miserable with her scheming. I was going to expose her, possibly even turn her into the authorities. I wanted to see the look on her face when I told her I knew everything.”

“And did you confront her?” the detective asked.

“Yeah. I tried to make it a little fun. I knocked on her door and told her to meet me downstairs so we could talk. Then, I waited in the kitchen until I heard her in the hall, and I flipped the breakers off. I wanted to give her a scare, but it was me who got it worst of all. I walked into the library, and it was so quiet. She was moving around and saying my name, but I just kept silent for a couple minutes to freak her out. I think she thought I was a ghost moving in there or something! And then I told her that I knew all about the fraud. I listed off people and companies she had hacked. I told her she was finished and that I was going to file a police report and make sure no one got duped by her ever again…”

“That must have really pissed her off,” the detective said.

Tinsley’s lips curled. “I knew she would respond angrily, but I didn’t think she’d try to kill me over it. Such a disgrace… I’m the ultimate book lover and I basically got beat over the head with something I love more than anything. If I were going to be murdered, that wouldn’t be the worst way to go…”

“I don’t understand why you didn’t call the police, Tinsley. She could have been locked up for assault and battery, right then and there,” the detective said, spreading her hands questioningly.