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Fiona sat.
Instead of sitting next to her, Leigh bounced around the room. In place of her usual fashionable high heels, Fiona noticed Leigh was barefoot. And so hyped up, she couldn’t stay still.
Drugs? Fiona wouldn’t have thought Miss Mustang Valley was the type, but who knew. If Micheline had ordered her to take something, no doubt Leigh would have obeyed. Though why?
Increasingly alarmed, Fiona repeated her question. “What’s going on, Leigh?”
“I’ve just been enlightened,” Leigh exclaimed. “And it’s like a giant lightbulb just turned on. I can see much more clearly now, and everything is so beautiful.”
“Did you take something?” Maybe not pills. Maybe she’d eaten peyote or smoked mushrooms in some sort of bizarre ceremony Micheline had organized.
“Of course not.” Rather than indignant, Leigh appeared distracted. “I’m hyper because I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Fiona nodded, pretending she understood. Better to say nothing and simply wait Leigh out.
“Micheline sometimes gives me private lessons,” Leigh finally said. “She and I were talking about a new philosophy she came up with. It was sent to her in a dream.”
With difficulty, Fiona kept from rolling her eyes. “What is it?” she breathed instead, leaning forward and hoping she looked intensely interested.
“What if—” Leigh’s earnest expression seemed at odds with her giant dangling feather earrings swinging furiously every time she took a breath. As usual, the beauty queen had dressed more like a fashionable coed than a competent employee, minus the shoes. “—to be our best selves, we must die and be reborn?”
Religion? Or something else, something darker? Every instinct on alert, Fiona slowly nodded. “I’m listening,” she said. “That seems intriguing. What exactly do you mean?”
“I know that sounds like a religious teaching,” Leigh continued. “But when they say ‘born again,’ they mean it figuratively. I’m speaking literally.”
Still not sure where the other woman was going with this, Fiona eyed her. “When you say...”
“Yes. Death.” Excitement flashed in Leigh’s eyes. “What if we must die so we can be reborn as our absolute best selves?”
Horrified, Fiona decided to treat this statement as if she thought Leigh might be joking. “You first,” she said. “I happen to like being alive.”
“Think of it,” Leigh continued, clearly deciding to pretend she hadn’t heard Fiona. “A covenant, between all of the AAG and Micheline. All of us, crossing over at once. Imagine the news coverage. And then, imagine the shock when we’re all reborn.”
Like the Jim Jones thing at Jonestown. Mass suicide. It took every bit of acting skill Fiona possessed not to reveal her complete and utter horror. Then, her FBI training kicked in.
Details. She needed more details.
“Sounds like you already have a plan,” she managed, the tremble in her voice coming naturally. “How long would we have to prepare?”
“No plan.” Though Leigh demurred, Fiona didn’t believe her.
“Are you sure?” Fiona pressed. “I mean, if we’re going to do something like that, I’d like to know as far in advance as possible.”
Though Leigh hesitated, she finally grinned. “It’s still in the planning stages,” she allowed. “A lot depends on money. Micheline is trying to work out those details.”
“Now I’m really confused. What does money have to do with any of this?”
“Think, Fiona,” Leigh chastised. “We have quite a few wealthy members whose families might pay handsomely to keep their loved ones alive.”
“Like a ransom?” Think indeed. “What good would money be, though, if Micheline was dead?”
“Dead?” Shuddering dramatically, Leigh shook her head. “Micheline has no intention of dying and being reborn. Why should she? She has no need. As our leader, she’s already the best version of herself she can be.”
Fiona shouldn’t have been surprised, but... Seriously. How did Micheline get her followers to believe this nonsense? “What about you, Leigh?” Fiona asked softly. “Are you already your best self?”
With a sly smile, Leigh used one hand to push back her hair. “What do you think? Not only am I Micheline’s right-hand woman, but Miss Mustang Valley. How much better could a person get?”
Typical. Let the others do the crazy stuff. Those in charge, or close to the leaders, got off with a free pass.
