Sherlock jumps up on Sabrina with such force he sends her falling backward, and I take the opportunity to leap on top of her. With one powerful maneuver, Sabrina tosses me to the side. And just as she’s about to rise to her feet, Annabeth flies at her, knocking her porcelain head against Sabrina’s. Sabrina falls back to the ground with her arms spread wide, her eyes closed, and her mouth slightly ajar.
I swipe Annabeth off of her while springing to my feet.
“TKO!” Georgie shouts while pumping her fists to the sky in a victory dance. “Nice work, kiddo.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“I was talking to Annabeth.”
Camila rouses and moans as both Sherlock and Sprinkles do their best to nudge her to wake up.
“Okay, enough.” She bats them away as she struggles to sit. “Is it over?”
“It’s over,” I say, picking up that metal rod Sabrina was wielding and holding it like the weapon it is in the event she decides to reprise her role as the punisher. “Georgie”—I pant—“call Jasper and tell him he’s got the wrong person. We’ve got the killer, right here.”
She does just that, and the sheriff’s deputies on the grounds quickly make an arrest once Sabrina comes to.
Raven and Tabitha run over with distressed looks on their faces right along with Juni and the rest of the girls.
“Juni”—I say her name sharply—“did any of the girls hand over money tonight?”
“Not yet.” Her pigtails move back and forth like a couple of dried up pompoms.
“Good.” I look to Raven and Tabitha. “If you drop this Midnight Maidens madness, the sheriff’s department won’t have anything to pursue. But believe me, if you continue to bilk anyone out of their hard-earned money, then I will sic every government agency I can after the two of you. This is poison at the bottom of the well. It’s nothing but a greedy endeavor dreamed up by Blair to save her sinking financial ship. You’re both better than this. Do you understand?”
The two of them offer up frantic nods.
“Bizzy,” a deep voice calls out from the expanse before me, and I quickly move in that direction until I’m safe in Jasper Wilder’s strong arms. “We never left Cider Cove. Leo and I ended up taking William to a coffee shop up the street in hopes he’d confess. I had a hunch I shouldn’t go far.” He dots a kiss to my forehead. “You did it again.”
“Believe me, I would have rather you took this one to the finish line.”
A sly smile rides up his cheek. “I’ll take you to the finish line.” He lands a searing kiss to my lips.
“That sounds like a promise I’m going to hold you to, Detective Wilder.”
“It is Halloween. I’ve still got a couple of tricks up my sleeve.”
“And lucky for me, I’m up for a treat.”
He lands his lips over mine once again—and the night, all of the chaos around us dissolves to nothing.
That’s the power Jasper’s love has over me. He makes everything better.
Everything.
Always.
But in the back of my mind, there is one niggling thought that I wonder if Jasper and his love can ever cure—and a part of me knows he can’t.
Nope. Emmie Crosby and I need to come to our own resolution, and we need to do it sooner than later or everything we’ve shared will be forever lost.
And that’s exactly why I’m going to fix this—tonight.
Chapter 18
Halloween night is still going strong.
The people attending the frightmare hardly even noticed that the sheriff’s deputies hauled Sabrina Ames out of there like the killer she was. And those that did happen to notice either thought it was all a part of the show or didn’t give a bat’s behind.
Jasper said that William Helsing had a few interesting things to say. It turns out, William did give the money to Blair. He even cited her preference of five thousand dollar increments as per the scam she was running. William sang like a bird once he realized he might actually go up the river for a crime he didn’t commit. So he told Jasper everything he wanted to know about the Midnight Maidens, which correlated with everything I had already told him.
As for Sabrina? She’s pretty much toast. Not only did she confess, but Jasper mentioned forensics found her hair on Blair’s bloody body—and now they know why. It’s open and shut.
A part of me feels bad for Sabrina for getting tangled up in this mess. It’s a hard thing when your heart gets smashed by a lousy boyfriend, even if he was already married at the time, then the girl who you thought was your best friend steals said louse of a boyfriend—and she happened to be the sole reason you’re broke, too.
Camila said she’s going to suggest a good legal team for Sabrina—along with a mental health defense. I guess Camila is a ride or die friend, after all.
Jasper, Leo, Camila, Georgie, Juni, and I—and, of course, our menagerie of pets, all make our way over to the Country Cottage Café. It was my decision to keep it open late tonight. I had a feeling the café would make money hand over fist on a night like tonight, and judging by the people still streaming in and out of it, I was right.
Jasper holds the door open for our motley crew, and I hang on until the last of us has gone in. Camila has snagged my attention as she slouches near the sand while scrolling through her phone.
“Why don’t you go in?” I tell him as I dot a simple kiss to his lips. “I want to have a quick word with Camila.” Fish squirms in my arms.
Oh, Bizzy, you’re such a bleeding heart, Fish mewls. Don’t let your guard down with that one. I have a feeling she’s a pro at getting hearts to bleed in
