A scratchy voice suddenly blared from a speaker under one of the small tables around the pool. “All right, you halfwits, apparently you weren’t aware I had this place wired for sound for TP’s visit,” Sinatra said. “Cut the gossip, schoolgirls.” He sounded halfway on the road to fury.

Lola and Judy glanced at each other and grimaced while Jacobs walked briskly back to the house. Charlie tried to remember what exactly he’d said. Had Sinatra heard his attempts to play detective?

When Hubbard returned to the room ten minutes later with Julius, his ebullient smile had disappeared, replaced by an unnerving, stony calm. He stared silently at the women sitting at the conference table.

“Christopher didn’t have any sisters,” he said to Margaret. “Who are you?”

“Your IDs, please!” Julius barked, hand outstretched.

Margaret took a deep breath and tried to slow her racing heart as she pictured their purses stowed in the trunk of the rental car and wondered about their chances of escape. “We left our purses at home,” she said.

Hubbard towered over Margaret. He had clearly figured out that she was the leader. “You are a nasty woman!” He stood close enough that a faint shower of spittle landed on Margaret, and she could see the yellow plaque that coated his teeth.

“You cannot just come into a house of worship and deceive parishioners and the church leader!” shouted Julius.

Hubbard’s face was turning pink and he was breathing heavily. Margaret saw his fists clenching and wondered if he was preparing to use them.

“Why are you here?” he shouted. “What do you want? Who sent you? Sara? The government? Are you even from this planet?”

Margaret had no idea what Hubbard might be capable of. Charlie might as well have been on the other side of the earth; Hubbard and Julius could make her and Sheryl Ann disappear without a trace.

Hubbard’s eyes were closed and his head was tilted toward the ceiling; he seemed to be trying to calm himself down. He cracked his knuckles. Julius had begun pacing back and forth, muttering quietly to himself. They both looked raving mad. Margaret glanced sideways at Sheryl Ann—her eyes were wide, her face white with fear.

Margaret made a decision.

As the men glowered and stormed, Margaret suddenly burst into tears. Shoulders heaving, tears flowing, she felt an odd relief in letting go like this. And her distress seemed to soothe Hubbard—his face softened and she saw him look toward Julius with an expression that seemed something like…victory? She reached blindly for Sheryl Ann’s hand and squeezed gently in what she hoped would be a comforting signal. Hubbard put a beefy paw on Margaret’s shoulder. His bluster was suddenly gone, replaced by an oily concern.