Killjoy

'No, I didn't,' she answered. 'Let go of me. I don't want to lie down.' She adjusted the pillows and slowly leaned back on one elbow.

'We were all drugged,' Carrie explained. 'The stuff had to have been in the food we ate.'

'That's ridiculous. It was spoiled food, that's what it was. Am I going to give them an earful when I get to the spa. I could sue,' she said. 'And I just might. First, the inconvenience at the airport and now food poisoning. It's simply unforgivable.'

Carrie didn't argue. She plodded ahead, telling about the envelopes she and Sara had received.

'The most important thing you need to know is that there are detonators on every window and door in this house. If we open

one of them, the house will blow up.'

Anne was looking at her as though she'd lost her mind. 'Oh, for heaven's sake. What's the matter with you, trying to scare me l

ike this?'

'I'm not trying to scare you. I'm telling you the truth. Did you find an envelope with your name on it?'

'No, I did not.'

The answer was too quick, too angry. Carrie knew she was lying, but for the life of her, she couldn't understand why.

'Anne, we're all in this together. You have to tell the truth.'

Indignant, she responded, 'I am telling you the truth. Now get out of here and leave me alone.'

'No,' Carrie said. 'I don't know how much time we have, and we have to find a way to get out of here without triggering the explosives.'

Anne's pinched face was rapidly turning red. 'I asked you to leave.'

Carrie tried a different approach. 'Sara and I… we need you, Anne. We have to work together to figure out what is going on.'

Anne glared at her. 'Why do you need me?'

'Because you're smart.'

'You couldn't possibly know if I'm smart or not.'

'You ran your own company, didn't you? That's what you told me.'

Anne's chin came up a notch. As she smoothed the sheets around her waist, she said, 'I started on a shoestring and turned my little hobby-that's what my father called my shipping company-into a forty-million-dollar operation. By next January, I'll have increased my profit margin to quadruple the amount my accountants anticipated.'

Carrie didn't have time for this. To be forced to pander to the stupid woman's ego just to gain her cooperation was outrageous. Didn't Anne realize what they were all up against?

With effort, Carrie was able to control her temper. 'Do you think you could join Sara and me downstairs in the living room to talk about our situation? We could sure use your… advice on how to proceed.'

Anne tilted her head to the side and stared at Carrie for a long minute without saying a word. Then she shook her head. 'You're really serious about this story of yours, aren't you? You believe-'

'It's true,' she snapped.

Anne nodded. 'What is your name? I've forgotten.'

'Carolyn,' she answered, trying not to shout at the obtuse woman. 'You may call me Carrie if you like.'

'All right, Carrie. I'll join you and Sara downstairs.'

'If you don't feel strong enough, Sara and I could come in here-'

'What makes you think I'm not strong enough?' She sounded angry again.

'I heard you in the bathroom. You were throwing up.'

'You said the food was poisoned.'

'Yes.'

'That's why I was throwing up. I'm not sick.'

Who gives a damn if you're sick or not, she longed to ask. She took a deep breath, nodded, and said, 'All right. Come downstairs.'

'I still don't see what all the fuss is about.'

Carrie completely lost it then. 'Fuss?' she roared. 'We're sitting inside a time bomb. Did you just not listen to a word I've been saying?'

'Yes, I listened. But isn't the answer right in front of you? Simply pick up the phone and call Utopia. Have them send someone

to disarm the thing.'

The phone. My God, why hadn't she thought to try calling for help? Carrie ran around to the other side of the bed and picked up the phone. Her excitement and hope were short-lived. The line was dead.

'It doesn't work,' she said. She didn't bother to hang up the phone but dropped it on the bed.

'What about the cell phones?' Anne asked. 'Do you think we'll be able to get a signal up here?' Glancing at the table beside her, she frowned and said, 'Where's my cell phone? I had it sitting in the charger right over there, but now it's gone. Did you move it?'

'They took it,' Carrie cried out. She ran to the sliding glass doors that opened to Anne's balcony, drew the drapes back, and said, 'See that light, Anne? See it?'

'Stop yelling at me.'

'See all the wires? The house is rigged,' she said. 'Do you understand yet?'

'Yes, all right,' Anne said. She looked sullen now.

Maybe Sara could get through to the woman. Carrie took a breath and then said, 'I'm going back to my room to see if they took my cell phones. Please hurry downstairs,' she added, 'and remember, don't open any doors or windows.'

'I get it.'

Carrie wasn't so sure about that. She didn't want to antagonize the woman, and so she pretended to agree. She paused in the

open doorway and said, 'Bring the letter with you… please. Sara and I are bringing ours.'

'There wasn't any letter on my nightstand,' Anne snapped.

Carrie turned around. 'I never said anything about a nightstand.'

Anne turned her head away from Carrie. 'Shut the door after you.'

What in God's name was the matter with Anne? Why was she lying? What could she possibly have to gain?

Carrie didn't have any answers. She went back to her suite but stopped short just inside the door. Her beautiful Gucci bags had been ripped open with a knife, and all of her clothes were strewn about the sofa and chair. Why hadn't she noticed the mess before? Just as she suspected, one of her two cell phones, her chargers, and the laptop were all missing.

She sprinted for the closet. 'Please, God,' she whispered as she threw the double doors open. Maybe Jilly hadn't been that thorough. Maybe she hadn't found the cell phone in her pocket.

Carrie started to cry when she saw her blazer on the floor. Her sister had found the phone. She looked away, sobbing now as

the magnitude of her situation overwhelmed her.

She let herself weep for a couple of minutes, then struggled to get her emotions under control. 'I'm losing it,' she said out loud. Wiping her face with the backs of her hands, she staggered to her feet and went into the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. God, she was a mess. Her eyes were swollen, and her face looked haggard.

Carrie took the time to brush her teeth and wash her face. She lifted her robe off the hook behind the bathroom door and put it

on. She felt better now, more in control. After she picked up the letter and the envelope her dear, demented sister had left for her, she went downstairs.

Neither Sara nor Anne was waiting for her. Carrie went into the kitchen and was surprised to find the pantry hadn't been stripped. There were boxes of unopened cereal, canned vegetables, and fruit. She noticed the tops had dust on them, indicating they'd been there quite awhile. The refrigerator was empty, but there was a full container