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“Now, why would I do that?” Pomona said. “Toss the logbook to me or I swear I’ll use this on you. From this distance I can’t miss.”
“You might kill me, but what happens when the herbicide splashes on the logbook?” Talia said. “I imagine whatever is in that canister will eat right through the leather cover and the pages.”
Pomona hesitated. Panic flashed in her eyes.“Give it to me.”
Talia opened the logbook and prepared to tear out the first page. “I’m going to toss these notes into the fire one sheet at a time until you put down that sprayer.”
Pomona screamed,“No.”
Phoebe moved. She grabbed a ceramic vase off an end table and ran toward Pomona.
“Bitch,” Phoebe yelled. She raised the vase, preparing to slam it against Pomona’s head.
Startled, Pomona whipped around. She managed to scramble partially out of the way of the descending vase. It struck her shoulder, sending her off-balance. Talia dropped the notebook and launched herself at Pomona.
Pomona struggled to find her footing and raise the canister at the same time. Talia caught her arm, forcing her to aim the canister toward the fireplace.
Pomona screamed and pulled the trigger again and again. She fired three bursts of the herbicide into the flames. There was no fourth jet of chemicals. The canister was empty. Talia realized Pomona must have used most of it to survive her battle with the plants.
Pomona dropped the canister and fell to her knees, sobbing. Talia released her and stepped back. She realized the lobby looked a little blurry.
“My glasses,” she said.
“Here.” Octavia handed them to her.
Luke came through the front door, pistol in hand. He took in the scene and lowered the gun.
“I think I saw this movie,” he said.
Talia sucked in air. Her heart was pounding. She was riding an adrenaline rush. “The one where the monster everyone thinks is dead keeps coming back to life?”
“Yeah, that one.” His eyes burned. “You scared the living daylights out of me.” He looked around. “Everyone okay?”
“Yes.” Octavia took a deep breath. “I never did like that woman. She did not appreciate good food.”
“I wasn’t very fond of her, either,” Phoebe said. She gave Talia ashaky smile. “You saved us. No telling what that weed killer would have done if it had struck one of us.”
Luke looked at the fire. “We’ll never know how that stuff affects humans, but it’s acting like gasoline on the fire.”
It dawned on Talia that the flames on the big hearth were no longer crackling in a comforting way. They were roaring. She turned to see what was happening. So did the others.
The fire rapidly became a small inferno. Flames leaped out and upward, scorching the mantel. Smoke began to fill the room. Sparks flew, igniting small fires on the rug.
“I’ve got a kitchen fire extinguisher under the sink,” Octavia said.
“Forget it,” Luke said. “There’s too much energy in the atmosphere, and this place is a tinderbox. Everyone, grab your stuff. We’re getting out of here.”
Talia seized her overnight bag. “What about Finch?”
Pomona leaped to her feet and staggered down the hallway, evidently heading toward the back door of the lodge.
“Let her go,” Luke said. He slipped the gun back inside his jacket and grabbed his duffel. “We’ve got a boat to catch.”
No one argued. They headed toward the door. Talia paused briefly before going out onto the porch. She glanced longingly back toward the arched doorway that led to the dining room and the kitchen.
“The pesto,” she said.
Luke wrapped one hand around her upper arm and hauled her through the doorway.
