He started to turn toward the door. “Wait a second,” Rivers said. “Does Gus know Sophia Russo?”

“What? Hell yes, we all do. She works at the hotel as a bartender and sometimes does a shift or two at the café and the Christmas shop.”

Mendoza asked, “Do they hang out?”

“I dunno. Not that I know of. Look, I gotta go. Andie can’t find out about this!” With that, he was inside, the door pulled shut behind him.

“A relationship made in heaven,” Mendoza remarked as they trudged through the snow and across the street to the spot where Rivers had wedged his Jeep between a jacked-up Ram pickup and a Dodge minivan that showed spots of rust. “She doesn’t want him to know that she’s talked to us, and he’s afraid she’ll find out that we were asking him questions. I give it six months—baby or no baby.”

“So much for the whole ‘love conquers all’ theory.” Rivers unlocked the Jeep and slid inside as Mendoza got into the passenger seat and shot him a look. “You’re divorced, right? Go ahead, tell me about love being the ultimate victor.” He didn’t respond as he pulled away from the curb because he heard Astrid’s voice again, her deep-throated chuckle, as she said, “I guess she’s got you there now, darling, doesn’t she?”

* * *

“You know you’re an idiot, right?” Julia said, dragging her sister’s twitching body up the two steps and into the interior of the tiny house. Sophia was spasming and flailing, trying to gain purchase, hoping to strike her twin, but she had no control, couldn’t use her hands or legs after being jolted with the stun gun. Julia really hated to do this, but she had no choice. Sophia was going to ruin everything.

She turned on the heat, saw the propane fire spark to life, and watched Sophia struggle and flounder.

“Mmmmeeee . . . ggggggaaaa . . .”

“Megan? You want to know what happened to her?” Julia asked. “Oh, she’s here. Right out there.” She pointed to the front of the small building, toward the trees surrounding the clearing. “In the yard.”

Sophia’s eyes widened even farther, and drool started to slide from her mouth.

“Oh, come on!” Julia said. “You really believed she was alive? That I was stupid enough to think I could convince her to be a part of our plan and just pay her off and she’d go away and never bother us again? Get real!” She stepped over her sister’s twitching body, avoiding a weak kick Sophia attempted. “How lame are you?”

Of course, Sophia couldn’t answer.

“Pathetic!” Julia said.

Sophia started to cry.

Like a damned baby.

Tears running from her eyes, ruining her mascara, causing her nose to redden.