But when Leigh Ann scooted forward, propping her elbows on the table, her eyes lit with joy as she dropped her next bombshell, the subzero temperature of her heart all but flashed on her chest. ‘Rachel… Rachel is nothing more than a spoiled little rich bitch who needed to be taken down a peg. But she had nothing to do with me. Rachel was purely payback for someone who took something of Tatiana’s.’

Beside the door, Cord stiffened.

‘Tatiana Salazar?’ Alyssa clarified.

Leigh Ann’s chin jutted out, and she smirked. ‘Oh, I know something you don’t,’ she taunted in a sing-song voice.

Careful not to let her emotions show, Alyssa feigned boredom, checked the time on her watch, and twisted her upper body to face Cord. ‘Are you hungry? I’m hungry.’

Cord immediately caught on to Alyssa’s cue and played along. ‘I’m thinking a burrito. What about you?’

Leigh Ann tapped her foot.

‘A burrito sounds good. Golden Pride?’

Leigh Ann clenched and unclenched her fist. ‘Don’t pretend you’re not curious.’

Alyssa kept her body angled toward her partner but twisted her head around to face Leigh Ann. ‘Curious about what? If you really knew something, you’d have told us, if for no other reason than to prove your superiority.’ She lifted her shoulders and let them drop back down.

Leigh Ann snorted, but when Alyssa once again turned away, she broke, and Alyssa had to bite back a smile.

‘Rachel Otis’s mother had an affair with Tatiana’s husband. Rachel was Tatiana’s way of getting back at her.’

More pieces of the puzzle began to click into place, but Alyssa was still careful to school her expression. ‘And how is it that you came to know Tatiana Salazar anyway?’

‘Well, Detective’ – Leigh Ann rolled her eyes – ‘if you’d dug a little deeper, you would’ve known Ms. Salazar and I became friendly when we were in Red Valley Treatment Center together. She was there under court order after she shattered all the windows on her husband’s car, and you know what people say: like minds attract. There we were, sitting in forced group therapy, listening to some gal cry on and on about how her daddy pimped her out to his friend for drug money.’ She chuckled. ‘Let’s just say we discovered a way of making sick money, and we stayed in touch.’

Sick money was exactly right. ‘You know, I heard that Tatiana and Steve Yarmini came up with this plan. Maybe you’re not as bright as you thought?’

Leigh Ann brushed off the insult. ‘Another scapegoat to take the fall. I mean, seriously, who’s going to believe two females would be responsible for being innovative leaders of a sex ring? Please.’ This time, it was her turn to lean in toward Alyssa as she lowered her voice, a taunting grin spreading across her face as she dropped her biggest bombshell. ‘You know, Holly was next on the list. She was just so holier-than-thou, so, “Oh, my mom is so great; she’ll find Jersey and the others and swoop in and save the day.” She really needed to be knocked off that freaking pedestal. You both did.’