by B. J Daniels
This time when the door flew open, it was Stephanie. There was straw in her hair, her blouse was torn and her face was streaked with mascara where she’d been crying. Her gaze took in everyone in the room before she made a beeline for Ashley.
Lizzy intercepted her. “What’s going on?” she demanded, noticing that the woman’s fist was balled up around something that crackled in her hand like dried leaves. “Stephanie?” She was still surprised that the woman had shown up for the reunion. She hoped it had nothing to do with settling old grudges, especially if she had killed Ariel. So why did Lizzy get the feeling that wasn’t why Stephanie had come?
Tears pooled in her blue eyes before spilling down her cheeks.
“Stephanie?” Lizzy repeated.
The woman pulled her glare away from Ashley. Her gaze softened. She swallowed and whispered, “Not in front of everyone.”
“You can take her upstairs,” Shade said, suddenly at her side. “First door on the right.”
* * *
THE LOUNGE FELL into a deathly quiet as Lizzy and Stephanie made their way upstairs. Shade could feel the tension.
“If that’s what she looks like when she wakes up in the morning...” Tyler quipped, no doubt hoping to lighten the mood.
Shade wondered what had happened to Stephanie. He quickly narrowed down the places where she could have gotten straw in her hair. “Have any of you been in the barn?”
When no one spoke up, he considered everyone’s shoes, his gaze coming to rest on Tyler’s. “What’s that on your shoes?”
His former classmate looked down at his expensive loafers and swore as he saw something along the edge of his sole that definitely wasn’t mud.
“There are only a couple of places you could have picked up manure,” Shade said.
Tyler looked indignant. “I checked out your horses before I came up to the lodge. If you’re insinuating that I would go in the barn with Stephanie...” He headed for the door to find something to clean off his shoes, no doubt.
Josh laughed. “You going to check my shoes, too?”
“Oh, knock the chip off your shoulder,” Ashley said, sounding as if she’d had plenty to drink already, though the reunion had just started. Then again, Christopher was making the drinks and she’d said he was making them strong.
“Tyler’s already a suspect. I’m next if things go the way they did in high school,” Josh said.
“We aren’t in high school anymore,” Christopher said, putting his arm around Josh’s shoulder for a moment. “Have another beer and chill.”
Shade tried to remember anything in school that Josh might be referring to. He’d never heard anything about either him or Tyler when it came to trouble. Christopher was another story.
* * *
LIZZY HANDED STEPHANIE a warm washcloth and picked the rest of the straw from her hair. The two sat down on chairs next to each other in the living area of the large upstairs suite.
Lizzy had never been close to Stephanie. Or Ashley and Jennifer for that matter. They’d all seemed to resent her when Ariel had befriended her, calling Lizzy her best friend.
It didn’t help that Lizzy had recently arrested Stephanie.
She noticed that whatever Stephanie’d had clutched in her fist earlier, it was no longer there. “Tell me what happened.”
Stephanie shook her head and swallowed. “It was nothing. I was just upset. One of the horses in the barn got out of its stall and knocked me down.”
Lizzy considered her for a moment. “When you came in, you were furious and headed for Ashley. I can’t help if you don’t tell me the truth.”
“There’s nothing to help.”
“Stephanie, you already don’t have an alibi for the night Ariel was killed and you just got out of jail for breaking and entering. You should also know that the rope found in your garage matched the rope used to kill Ariel.”
The woman let out a groan as if in pain.
“Can you please stop lying to me and tell me what’s going on?”
For a moment, Lizzy thought Stephanie would weaken. “I’m fine now,” she said and handed back the washcloth as she rose.
But before she could reach the door, Lizzy said, “What was the paper you had balled up in your hand earlier?”
Stephanie froze just inches from the door. “It was nothing.”
“Then I’d like to see it.”
“I’m sure you would.” The woman turned slowly, her eyes narrowing with anger. “I heard you went up to Ariel’s house and took everything she left behind.” Lizzy had a feeling she knew where this was headed. “So why don’t you guess what it was?”
“A page from one of her diaries.”
Stephanie’s eyes widened in alarm. “It was you in the barn?” She reached for the doorknob when Lizzy stopped her again.
“You were attacked in the barn but not by a horse and certainly not by me. Let me see the page.”
“You already know what’s on it.” Stephanie sounded close to tears. “I hate all of this. No one understands, but my husband...” She met Lizzy’s gaze, hers hardening. “He can’t find out about any of this old shit. I won’t let that happen, no matter what I have to do. It’s bad enough what I’ve already done.”
What she’d already done? “Did you leave the note on my windshield?” Lizzy saw the answer in Stephanie’s face and held out her hand. “Give me the diary page.”
“Someone is trying to frame me for Ariel’s murder.”
Lizzy said nothing, still waiting. The woman slowly reached in her pocket and pulled out the balled-up diary page. With obvious distaste, Stephanie dropped it into her palm.
Lizzy flattened it as best as she could and attempted to read what was written. Her heart began to pound. “Is any of this true?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
EVERYONE HAD BEEN quiet as they sat around the fireplace waiting for Lizzy and Stephanie to return. It was as if they were all trying to hear what was happening upstairs. Not that they could.
For Shade, it was more like waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Well, we’d planned to have a digital slideshow of all the photographs we took during high school,” Ashley said with a sigh. “I suppose we could watch some of them before dinner.”
“It isn’t like we need the reminders,” Josh said. “We were all there.” He glanced at Kayla. “You need photographs to remember high school?”
She seemed to realize he was talking to her and shook her head before dropping her gaze to stare at her hands.
This reunion wasn’t going well, Shade thought even before Lizzy and Stephanie came down the stairs. Stephanie looked much better, but Lizzy appeared pale and upset.
“Why don’t we have dinner?” he said, getting to his feet. At this point, he just wanted to get everyone fed. He’d thought they would all go to their cabins before dinner, but everyone seemed hesitant to leave the lodge. It had already gotten dark out. The reunion committee had planned for the slideshow tonight and then music and possibly dancing if it was too cold outside. Otherwise they would have a campfire.
He’d had this crazy idea that they would all get up here and it would be clear who the killer was, he thought as he went into the kitchen. The plan had been for Buckshot to make some dishes ahead and then everyone would help with serving and dishwashing. He was relieved when Ashley and Josh came in to help, followed by the others.
They set the meal up buffet-style, everyone joking and helping. It wasn’t until they were all finally seated that Ashley said, “I think we should go around the table and say something about Ariel in memoriam.”
Tyler burst out laughing. “Seriously? And spoil everyone’s appetite?”
“I’ll go first,” Kayla said, surprising Shade and apparently everyone else at the table. She cleared her throat. “I know she made fun of me, but there was this one ti
me when I tore my pants in between third and fourth period and my underwear showed. I was in the bathroom close to tears because I had nothing else to wear and I couldn’t go home to change because I had a test the next period...”
She looked around the table for a moment. “Ariel thought it was funny—until I burst into tears. She said, ‘Oh, stop being such a baby’ and took off her sweater and tied it around me. ‘I want that sweater back and don’t get anything icky on it. Never mind, now that I think about it, I don’t want it back after you’ve worn it. It’s yours.’”
Josh laughed the hardest at the story. “That was too touching. You’re going to make me cry.”
“Her story shows that there was another side to Ariel,” Ashley snapped. “That she wasn’t all bad.” There were groans at the table. “Give her a break. She’s dead! She died at seventeen while the rest of us got to go on living.”
“Don’t you think it was her own fault that she died so young?” Stephanie demanded. “She treated most of us outrageously bad. But I still don’t think we should talk this way about her.” As if realizing that everyone was looking at her, she added, “I’m not saying she didn’t deserve that kind of retribution, but to die so young—”
“Oh, come on. Ariel asked for it,” Tyler said, putting down his fork after eating very little. “She thought that she could just treat people any way she wanted and there would be no consequences. I would have loved to have seen her face when the pigeons came home to roost.”
“Didn’t you see her expression right before she died?” Brad asked. Tyler merely glared at him. “Seriously, someone at this table did see her at the end—the person who killed her.”
“What makes you think it was one of us?” Jennifer asked.
“Because the people at this table had motive and opportunity,” Brad said.
“You’re at this table, Brad,” Josh pointed out. “Let’s hear what you have to say about Ariel. Seriously,” he said, leaning in where he could see Brad better from down the table. “I really want to hear one of your memories of her.”
Brad sighed. “I didn’t have much contact with Ariel, sorry.”
“Oh, come on, Brad,” Josh said, not letting it go. “I saw you and Ariel at the back of a classroom one day. Not sure what you were talking about, but it was definitely a heated conversation. I saw her slap you and when you grabbed her, I thought for sure you were going to strangle her, but instead, you kissed her and she didn’t seem to mind it.”
Brad’s face reddened as Ashley said, “We all know that Ariel dumped you after a short fling and we all know that you didn’t take it well.”
“I guess there are no secrets at this table,” he said and turned his attention to his plate and the half-eaten burrito on it.
“Since this was your bad idea, Ashley, I believe it’s your turn,” Stephanie said pointedly.
Shade could feel the animosity between them. He looked at Lizzy incredulously, but she seemed lost in thought.
Ashley turned her nose up and said, “Ariel was my friend. I’m not saying it was easy being her friend. She was...difficult. Demanding, hurtful, self-centered. But she was young, we all were, and if she was mean sometimes—”
“Oh, please,” Stephanie interrupted. “Mean sometimes? She ripped other people to shreds and if you even mentioned anything about her, like that she had a pimple, she was horrified and hurt and made you feel like shit that you could be so mean to her. I’m sorry, but she deserved everything she got and more.”
“I think drowning like that was probably more,” Jennifer said.
“Why are you defending her?” Stephanie demanded. “You hated her as much or more than we did. It wasn’t just me she fat-shamed, Ashley. Look at how little is on your plate even now. It’s as if you think she’s here watching, still judging you. And you, Jennifer—”
“It must be my turn,” Josh said. “I liked Ariel. You didn’t have to try to read her. It was all out there for anyone to see. She was a mess, probably had to do with her family. She struck out because she was hurting, not that I gave a damn. I still found her to be a bitch.”
“That is quite insightful,” Brad said. “Fortunately, I was invisible to Ariel except on occasion when she had no one else to pick on. But it was good for me in a lot of ways. Her death made me realize that neither she nor anyone else was ever going to tell me how to live my life ever again. It freed me.”
“Killing her might have even been more freeing,” Tyler said and held up his hands. “Just sayin’.”
“Christopher hasn’t said anything yet,” Stephanie pointed out.
He looked up from his plate as if his mind had been elsewhere. “I think you’ve all said it quite well.”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Josh said. “You aren’t going to get off that easily.”
Christopher looked around the table for a moment. “I loved Ariel. She broke my heart numerous times and made my life miserable, but even at the end, I still loved her.”
The room went silent for a long time before Ashley turned to Lizzy. “We haven’t heard from you, Sheriff. How did you feel about your best friend?”
* * *
LIZZY, PULLED FROM her thoughts, looked up. “Yes, I knew Ariel. She used to say I was her best friend but we all know the only reason she said that was to hurt Ashley, Jennifer and Stephanie, who’d been her friends for a lot longer. If anything, her death has made it obvious that Ariel had few friends because she didn’t know how to be one.”
Christopher swore. “Yes, Ariel was often cruel, but none of us were saints. Look at Josh. Big highway patrolman now. But in high school...”
“You’re drunk,” Josh said.
“True enough. I’m an alcoholic, but everyone in this room had a flaw that Ariel used against them,” Christopher said. “Why not share? She’s gone. She can’t hurt any of you ever again.”
Josh shook his head. “No big secret. I might have smoked a little pot.”
“And sold some on the side?” Christopher said with a laugh. “But mum’s the word now that you’re the law.” He turned to Jennifer. “We all know your secret, Sticky Fingers.”
Jennifer blanched. “Shut up! It’s not true. Ariel put that scarf in my purse. It was Ariel.”
“Maybe the first time, but what about the other times after that? Hey, don’t be insulted,” he said. “There are far worse secrets in this room. Isn’t that right, Tyler?”
“Jennifer’s right. You should shut up,” Tyler said and gave him a threatening look.
“Okay. How about you, Kayla? Why don’t you roll up those long black sleeves and show everyone how you relieved your stress in high school?” He looked up at the others. “What? You didn’t know that Kayla cut herself?”
“That’s enough, Christopher,” Stephanie said. “You’re an obnoxious drunk and always have been, just like your father.”
“Ouch. At least I don’t sleep with other people’s fathers,” he snapped.
“Let’s not do this,” Ashley said. “This is exactly what Ariel would have wanted to happen—all of us turning on each other.”
“Ashley’s right,” Christopher said. “See, being anorexic all those years didn’t turn her mind to mush.” He pretended to put his finger down his throat but then laughed, spilling his drink. “Maybe it was all that...coaching you got.”
Lizzy could see that all of this was making Shade as uncomfortable as it was her. No good could come of it.
“I think we should all just eat,” Shade said.
Christopher looked around the table. “You’re all willing to talk about Ariel and how bad she was. But you don’t like having the spotlight on us. Like Brad,” he said, turning to look down the table at the newsman. “He’s got no problem writing about other people, but Brad never took a test he didn’t know the answers to, isn’t that right? Because they were written on his cheat sheet.”
“Oh, it’s all right to air all of our dirty laundry,” Stephanie said. “But don’t touch you or Lizzy or Tyler for that matter?”
“Christopher, I’d like to know how you happened to know everyone’s secrets,” Lizzy said.
He shrugged. “I read some of Ariel’s diaries.”
“And where are they now?” she asked.
Christopher shook his head. “I thought you probably had them. I sure would hate for them to turn up.” He grinned around the table. “I think there are a lot more secrets to come out. What do you think, gang?”
“After we finish eating, I thought we’d have a campfire down by the barn,” Shade said, clearly trying to change the subject.
“I brought everything for s’mores,” Kayla said.
“Great,” Christopher said. “We’re all freaks.” He raised his glass. “To us. The graduating class of Progressive! And to Ariel. Let’s face it. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t all be here.” He drained his glass.
Lizzy felt some of the tension evaporate around the table. Would the revealing of secrets defuse the situation? Or make it worse? The shameful things that had seemed so overwhelming in high school might be nothing now that they were adults. They’d all made mistakes, they’d all had things that they hadn’t wanted others to know. Ariel had used those painful things against them.
If only they had all known back then how easy it would have been to neutralize her with the simple truth. But it was high school, a painful time in so many ways, she thought—especially for this small, isolated group.
She noticed that Jennifer had made a point of not sitting by Ashley or Stephanie. She’d wondered if the three had remained friends after high school. Ashley had married a pilot after college. Stephanie had married a dentist. Jennifer’s marriage to a bar owner had ended in divorce. Now she worked as a waitress and likely didn’t have as much free time or funds as the other two friends. Lizzy wondered what else played into the loss of those friendships.
