“Good,” Mel said. “Uncle Stan didn’t answer.”
Angie gave her a worried look. “Maybe he’s in the bathroom.”
Mel nodded. “I’ll try again.”
This time when it rolled over to voicemail she left a message. She frowned at her phone, wondering what was up with Uncle Stan. Panic thrummed through her. Maybe he’d had a heart attack—no, more likely an ulcer given the amount of antacid tablets he chewed. She debated calling her mother, but she didn’t want to send Joyce into a panic for nothing. Stan had been her shoulder to lean on ever since Mel’s father had died.
She listened to Angie tell her brothers what was happening. There was a little bit of yelling—not a surprise—coming from her phone, and she held it away from her ear.
Mel’s phone vibrated in her hand and she checked the display to see Joe’s number.
“Hi, Joe,” she answered. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the other line with Angie?”
“Once the yelling started, I decided my time would be better spent checking in with you,” he said. “Is it true? Did they have the same vendors?”
“All but the caterer,” Mel said. “Oz is making Tate and Angie’s cupcake tower.”
“Weird,” Joe said. “Did you talk to Uncle Stan?”
“I tried but he’s not answering,” she said.
“That’s odd. Has he ever not answered a call from you?”
“No, not even when I accidentally pocket-dialed him while making out with a boyfriend,” she said.
Joe laughed. “I bet that was a moment. Wait. Now I’m picturing you making out with someone else. Argh, I think I’m jealous.”
“You’re cute,” Mel said. “That was years ago. Uncle Stan showed up where we were parked and blasted us through the window with his Maglite. Mortifying for a woman in her twenties. The guy never called me again. Shocker.”
“I think I’m gonna kiss Stan on the mouth the next time I see him,” Joe said. “Listen, I just finished feeding Captain Jack and now I’m driving over. I’ll swing by the station house on my way and see if anyone has seen Stan. Would that help?”
Mel let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “Yes, actually, that would be great. If I hear from him, I’ll call you.”
“See you in a twenty minutes,” Joe said. “And, cupcake, you may want to wait outside of the book signing. You know, like out of the building and a block away.”
“You know I can’t do that,” Mel said. “Elise could be in danger.”
“Which is exactly why you should leave,” he said. He let out a frustrated sigh. “There’s no way to talk you out of this, is there?”
“’Fraid not,” she said. “We’ve got the hotel security on high alert and Ray is here. We’ll be okay.”
“Be better than okay, be careful.”
“I promise.”
“I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
The call ended and she glanced up to see Angie holding her phone away from her ear. The sound of male voices in mid-squabble was pouring out of her phone.
Angie put her mouth near her phone and said, “Okay, I’ve got to go now. See you later. Bye.” Then she ended the call.
“Are they on their way?” Mel asked.
“No idea,” Angie said. “Probably not since we’re no longer targets. It may take them all night to fight it out since Joe left the conversation.”
“He’s on his way here and he’s going to check in with Stan on his way.”
“Good.” Angie moved so that she and Mel were standing back-to-back and able to survey the entire room. “I’m not sure what to do other than watch.”
“Me, either,” Mel said. “I wish Elise would leave. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“I do, too,” Angie said.
Her voice sounded weird, and Mel turned to study her friend’s face. With her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and no makeup on her face, Angie looked more like a twenty-something than a thirty-something. The frown lines across her forehead indicated something was bothering her, and Mel suspected that she knew what it was.
“It’s okay to be relieved,” she said.
“I’m not,” Angie protested. “I mean, I am, but not the way you think. It’s not that I’m relieved that Tate and I aren’t the targets, it’s more that I’m relieved that it wasn’t because of us that Blaise was killed. Ugh, I’m a horrible person.”
“No, you’re not. You’re just a friend who is heartbroken. Of course you’re relieved that it has nothing to do with you. That’s perfectly natural. What did Tate say about it?”
“I didn’t tell him what we learned. I want to share the news in person. I think he’s going to need a hug when he hears it.”
“You’re probably right,” Mel said. “I know he’s been struggling.”
The stood quietly while Elise signed, Ray loomed in front of them like a human shield, and Cassie monitored the line. Mel noted that Cassie wasn’t letting people loiter or engage Elise in conversation. Instead, she kept the people moving and in no time they were down to the last few customers.
Mel watched the last two middle-aged women with a beady eye. If either one of them was a psychopath, she was going to bring her down. They weren’t and they both left the room without a bit of resistance. Cassie signaled to the hotel workers to close the doors and when they did, Mel saw her sag in relief.
“That was terrific,” Cassie said to Elise. “An amazing turnout. With the movie deal kicking up interest, I think this book is going to be on the bestsellers’ list for a long time to come.”
Elise gave her a grumpy look. “That’s great, but you didn’t let me bask. Not even a little. You practically chased my fans right out of the room.”
“That is for your own safety,” Cassie said. “I know you don’t want to believe it, but I do think Mel and Angie are right. It’s weird that three of the people hired
