She sighed.
As usual. She was never really in charge, was she?
But all that was changing now. She had Uncle Kimber’s money. She could do whatever she wanted. First she’d move into the big house. Kick the girls out. Bankrupt them first. Find a way to keep them from getting their measly hundred thousand. Never let them touch the horses again. Maybe keep Mina around to keep the place clean, though she didn’t relish the idea of those eyes watching her everywhere she went. Mom would move in, of course.
She stood and padded over to the window to peer outside. One of the girls was already riding. She couldn’t tell which one. Couldn’t see if it was Payne’s smug face or Gemma’s wishy-washy stare.
Trying to blackmail me? Who do they think they are? They have no idea the storm headed their way. They don’t know anything.
But what if they do.
Could they? No. They would have said. But she couldn’t have the slightest hint of guilt in her—things could snowball.
Kicking them out and ruining their lives wasn’t good enough.
They have to go.
Permanently.
Why not? In the end, she hadn’t felt bad about killing Uncle Kimber at all. In fact, she felt powerful. For the first time in her life she was taking control. Living life on her terms. She wouldn’t be the red-headed stepchild anymore.
She looked up as the other twin appeared in the ring.
Why did there have to be two of them? How could she kill two people without it looking like a murder? If she took out one, the other would tell everyone about seeing her the day Uncle Kimber died. Her alibi would unravel. They’d look into the paternity test, maybe even re-test her. Everything would come undone.
Maybe if I killed Payne first. Less chance meek Gemma would come after her, except Gemma was the one who’d actually seen her.
Lyndsey kicked the baseboard of her wall.
I knew I’d been too lucky.
By serendipity, the front cameras had been turned off. Probably Payne had done it last time she wanted to sneak out of the house. Everything had played out so perfectly.
And then there was Gemma, moping around outside her room when she should have been riding.
No, she couldn’t kill Gemma first thanks to Payne’s big mouth, and she couldn’t kill Payne first because Gemma knew the truth.
How do you kill two people at once?
Think. Think. Think.
What are things that kill multiple people?
Bombs.
No. Where was she going to get a bomb? Not to mention they were a little messy. Hard to blow up a bomb and make it look like an accident. Plus she had no idea how to make one. There were probably instructions online but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t end up blowing herself up instead.
Storms. Nope. Can’t control the weather. Maybe a sinking boat. Maybe some kind of accident…
Her gaze slid down to the Miata parked in the spot in front of the barn.
You don’t want to wrap this thing around a tree.
The hunk had said that to her.
The Miata was, in itself, an accident waiting to happen. The thing was a death trap of faulty seat belts and slipping gears.
The girls were always begging her to let them go riding. It was a fun little car.
In a small convertible like that...
The passengers wouldn’t stand a chance.
Lyndsey grinned.
Bingo.
Lyndsey opened her kitchen drawer and retrieved the key to her bathroom.
First things first.
She disappeared inside for forty-five minutes and then returned feeling invigorated.
I am an avenging goddess.
She locked the door and returned the key to its secret spot at the back of the drawer. She’d got as far as the door when she had a thought and returned to the knife block. She pulled out the sharpest knife and took it with her.
Lyndsey was leaning against the back of the Miata when the girls came back with their horses.
“Hey girls, you want to go for a drive?”
“In the Miata?” asked Payne, her excitement poorly hidden behind her trademark pout.
Gemma touched her sister’s hand. “She’s trying to bribe us.”
“Bribe you?” Lyndsey shook her head. “Why would I want to bribe you?”
“Because you know we know what you did.”
“Don’t be stupid. Why would I want to hurt Uncle Kimber?”
“Don’t you mean Daddy?” asked Payne.
Lyndsey rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re both idiots. I came back into the house to go to the bathroom, that’s all. I was covered in puppy spit and I had to pee. You try to drive with puppies walking all over your bladder.”
Payne looked at the Miata and then back to Gemma. “Let her bribe us. We can still do whatever we want.”
Gemma frowned at Lyndsey. “You can’t buy us off, you know.”
“No, she can,” said Payne. “That’s the point. We’re blackmailing her.”
“You know what I mean.”
“And I will pay, too,” said Lyndsey, trying to look as sincere as possible. “I’ve been thinking about it. Even though I didn’t sneak back into the house to kill Uncle Kimber, I do intend to share my inheritance with you.”
“Half?” asked Payne.
“Thirty percent, actually.”
“Each?”
“Sure. You two are like my little sisters.” The strain of adding a sweet smile to the end of her sentence nearly gave her an aneurysm.
“We really are cousins now.”
“I know, right? That’s what I mean. We’re family. Put the horses away and hop in.”
The girls dragged their mounts to the stable and after a quick untacking, returned out of breath and ready.
“Shotgun!” screamed Payne, jumping for the passenger seat.
Gemma pouted. “I get it on the way home then.”
“We’ll see.”
Gemma hopped in the back.
Payne reached over her shoulder. Not finding what she was looking for, she twisted to inspect things. “There’s no seatbelt.”
“No.
