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“I know.” I could hear the smile in her voice. When she leaned back, she frowned at me. “Are you okay, Chav? I am really worried about you. You should be packed and at the cabin, not sitting alone in this apartment. What if the killer came back?”
“If he’d wanted me dead, he had every opportunity last night.” I shivered as goose bumps rose on my arms. “I had my earphones in, so I didn’t hear anything. Nothing at all.”
“Oh, Chav. That so awful.”
“And I smelled something strange, and I keep forgetting to tell…well, anyone, about it.”
“Tell me.”
“It smelled like sassafras. I thought it might be root beer last night, but it had a more pungently spicy aroma than soda. And at Ruth’s this morning, she had a jar on her shelf.”
“So happy it wasn’t Ed,” Sunny said. Her relief echoed my own.
“Gosh, yes. Me too.”
Sunny put her hand on mine, and I took it, glad for the comfort.
“Anyways, it turns out one of the street vendors is using it as a prize or selling it or something. Ruth’s middle boy, Butch, brought it home from Riverfront Street. I was going to try and find where he got it from, but then…”
“The other body floated in.”
“Exactly!” I pulled at the hem of my tank top with my free hand. “I tried to tell Billy Bob.”
“Billy Bob, huh?” Sunny smirked.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“And what were you doing with Billy Bob down on Riverfront?”
“Nothing,” I said. “I was down there with one of the Tri-Council guys—”
“Which one?”
“Dominic Tartan.”
“Day-yam!” Sunny whistled. “That is one fine, fine specimen of a man.” She wiggled her brows.
“Shut up.” I laughed. “Anyhow, Billy Bob was with animportantdelegate.”
“Jacob Lowry?”
Jacob Lowry was the Lowry brothers’ father and the president of the Tri-Council.
“Nope. Not him. I’m talking about the she-fox from Arkansas.”
“Oh.” She made her mouth a small “o” shape then spit out her next word. “Bethany.”
“That’d be her.” I couldn’t keep the snarl off my lips.
“She is truly awful.”
I threw up my hands then. “Thank you! She is a terrible person. I don’t know why the doc is so fascinated with her.” I bobbed my head. “Oh, wait. I know. It’s because she’s stunning and petite.” I glanced at Sunny. “Besides, I think he has a thing for blondes.”
Sunny’s smile was soft and gentle, not teasing. She pulled my ponytail over my shoulder and fanned it over the right side of my chest. “Chavvah, you have the most attractive dark, caramel-colored hair, and it’s all natural, doll. If I had your hair color, I’d never dye my hair again. And as to stunning, ten Bethanys couldn’t hold a candle to one you.”
“As my BFF, you have to say these things.”
“I don’t know why you can’t see what everyone else does.” She put her hand in her lap. “Darling. Billy Bob Smith is in love with you.”
