I frowned. Did that even make sense?
Didn’t matter to the crowd though—they erupted in cheers. I rolled my eyes. I’d bet this woman could be waxing poetic about plungers and this group would lose their minds over it.
“Family—family is the reason I started this company. I wanted to provide for our family and wanted to empower women, just like you, to provide for theirs. Because women—” She paused for dramatic effect and gazed out over the crowd. “Women are the future, and the future is power, and power—power—” She shook her head, eyes glittering with tears. “Power is women.”
The crowd cheered as I sank lower in my seat. I crossed my arms and legs. What did that even mean?
“I started my company when I saw my sister struggling to make it as a boutique potions brewer. At the time, I realized that the healing power of potion masters was just plain out of reach to most of us. Their know-how has been handed down for generations—but it’s so expensive, and the masters so few and far between.” She shook her head, shoulders slumped as if defeated. The crowd watched, rapt.
Mama Pearl lifted a palm. “I thought—how could I help everyday women like you and me get access to that healing power? To help our kids and husbands stay healthy and”—she held a hand to the side of her mouth as if sharing a secret—“frankly, to keep us looking young and attractive to keep the attention of those husbands.” She winked.
The crowd tittered, and I made a gagging motion at Will. Heidi swatted my finger away from my mouth.
“And that’s when it came to me! Like a divination, I got the idea—aha!—for Potent Potions. Affordable vials of powerful potions, from women, for women! And think about our motto and what that really means—Potent Potions: Healthy living for a life of health. I mean— who doesn’t want that?”
I frowned. She probably didn’t want us to think about that too hard, since it was absolute nonsense. Applause rang out again until Mama Pearl held up her glittering hands and gestured for silence.
“Y’all. I am so proud of what we have built together. I started this company with potions parties out of my living room in a little shack of a home just over four years ago. And now look at where we are. I could not have done this without you.” She teetered across the stage in her high heels. “Now, you may have heard some terrible rumors about us being out of money, or our products doing more harm than good.”
The crowd grew still. Her husband shifted on his feet, eyes wide as the pig continued to snuffle around on stage.
Mama Pearl waved it off. “But those are just rumors spread by haters! They’re just jealous of your success.” She gave an emphatic thumbs-down, and the crowd clapped and booed the haters.
“Look at us! At me and Papa Ralph.” She spread her arms wide. “We buy whatever we want, vacation more than we work, we’re living a lavish lifestyle—”
Will snorted and tried to disguise it as a cough. I smirked, but Heidi elbowed him.
Ralph cut in. “Now, dear—don’t, uh, don’t forget all the hard work and long hours we put in.”
But his wife ignored him. “Do we look worried about those rumors to you? No! And you shouldn’t be either. You’ve just got to get out there and work harder—our potions sell themselves! Who doesn’t want to look and feel their best, right?”
The crowd applauded.
“Get more recruits under you—show them all what they’re missing out on. Don’t you want your friends and family to share in your success?”
The crowd cheered again, louder.
Mama Pearl beamed. “This is going to be a wonderful weekend! And to kick it off, I’d like to lift a vial and toast to the vitality of you and the entire Potent Potions family!”
She teetered over to her husband and the pig. Papa Ralph drew a glowing red vial from inside his blazer and handed it to his wife. Amidst all the applause, she uncorked it, raised it to the crowd, then brought it to her lips and tipped her head back.
The clapping and whooping of the crowd grew deafening again. Women all around me stood, so I had to lean to the side to see the stage.
Mama Pearl frowned and blinked rapidly. She stood very still, then suddenly clutched at her throat. Beside her, her husband jumped, then grabbed her shoulders, but the blond woman continued to claw at her throat, eyes bulging. I frowned—was this part of their theatrics?
The applause died down, and shouts of alarm rang out. I jumped to my feet with everyone else and rose on my toes to get a better look. Mama Pearl collapsed, guided to the floor by her husband, who looked out over the crowd and cried, “Help!”
A woman in a white lab coat scrambled onto the stage and held Mama Pearl’s hand, her other hand pressed to her throat. The woman looked up, pale and glasses slightly askew.
Her voice rang out over the now hushed auditorium. “Call the police! She’s dead!”
FAMILIAR FACE
I leaned my head against Will’s arm. “When do we get to go home?”
He rolled his eyes. “Girl, like I know.” He stiffened, and I lifted my head and glanced up at him.
“What?”
He raised his chin and gazed out over the sea of murmuring women. We’d all smushed into the lobby after a small team of police had shown up and cordoned off the auditorium… and the dead body.
“Lover boy’s here.”
I froze. “What?” I rose on my toes and followed Will’s gaze toward the main entrance. Inspector Bon strutted forward, chest puffed out and a scowl on his face, per the usual. My stomach twisted as I spotted Peter behind him, followed by the
