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Becca shivered, wishing she were in Hudson’s arms, but he had taken a half step back, watching the drama play out among his friends.
“No, you weren’t.” Vangie was positive.
“I’m not proud of it. And Jessie only really wanted Hudson, anyway. I just wanted her. I just wanted to have her. You knew I was seeing Jessie,” he suddenly accused Evangeline, whose eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Jessie told me she confided in you.”
“No! No!”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Zeke demanded. “Why are you so afraid of the truth?”
“I didn’t believe her,” Vangie said. “She was always saying hurtful things. We weren’t best friends!”
“Oh, my God,” Tamara said again, staring at Evangeline in fascination. “Jessie was confessing the truth, but you couldn’t stand to hear it because you’ve always had this obsession over Zeke!”
“This is all Jessie’s doing.” Evangeline’s whole body was quaking.
“Jessie’s dead,” Zeke said harshly.
“And so are Glenn and Renee and Mitch,” Hudson pointed out.
“I don’t believe you would do that to Hudson,” Vangie said. “You wouldn’t go behind his back.”
“I just wanted her.” Zeke’s jaw was set in anger.
“Fuck, we all did,” The Third said, trying to defuse the situation.
“But Zeke was the one who scored, apparently.” Jarrett started to see amusement in the situation. “Wouldn’t have guessed that one.”
“Zeke, come on,” Vangie pleaded. She wrapped her arms around his torso but he stiffened in her embrace. “We’re getting married.”
“Well, who the hell killed her?” The Third demanded. “Zeke? Is that what we’re saying?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Zeke said angrily.
“If anyone did, it was one of you!” Flushed, Evangeline gazed around the room at the men. “And Jessie sent those nursery rhymes to point the finger at you!”
“How many ways do I have to say it?” Zeke demanded. “Jessie is dead. She’s been dead for twenty years!”
“Why didn’t Zeke get one of the nursery rhymes?” Scott asked.
“Yeah,” Jarrett said, looking thoughtfully at Vangie.
“Because Evangeline sent them,” Hudson said quietly. “To point the finger at the rest of us.”
“You’re all-hateful!” Evangeline’s eyes filled with unshed tears.
Becca gazed at the shaking blond woman and realized Hudson was right. “You heard at Blue Note about the nursery rhymes, when Mitch and Glenn brought them up. You’re afraid Zeke really did kill Jessie. That’s why you’ve been so adamant that she’s alive.”
“No…” She raised a hand, as if to ward off Becca’s words.
“You never really believed it,” Becca went on. “You’ve thought she was dead from the beginning.”
“Jessie was some kind of witch! She could see the future, I’m telling you! She knew she was going to die! But it wasn’t Zeke!”
“Did you kill her?” Tamara demanded.
A deep wail boiled from inside Vangie’s soul. She clung to Zeke for support as the sound reverberated through the room. Becca turned to Hudson and he moved swiftly to take her in his arms.
“You did kill her,” Scott said on a note of wonder.
