Tyler was familiar enough with Boone to recognize the man was holding his cards close to his vest. “Is she the one?”
Boone didn’t need to ask what Tyler was referring to. “We’re not sure yet. Watch for her, though. We think she’s still up here, although where she went is anybody’s guess.”
“I’M NOT PREGNANT.”
By this point, Maddie was talking more to herself than her grandmother. Maude had long since stopped listening to her. She needed to reassure herself that she was right for some reason. It was too soon.
“Of course not,” Maude offered, making sure her back was to Maddie when she rolled her eyes. “Everybody else is wrong and you’re right.”
Maddie scowled at her grandmother’s diminutive back. “I’m being serious. I’m not pregnant.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“Yes, you did. You said you suspected because I kept getting sick.”
“Oh, right. I did say that.” Maude was quickly growing tired of the conversation. “Maddie, you need to let it go. It is what it is. You’re going to be a mother and it’s time to look forward rather than cling to impossibilities.”
Maddie’s frustration grew by leaps and bounds. “I’m not clinging to impossibilities.”
“That’s exactly what you’re doing.” Maude was firm as she turned to face her granddaughter. “You’ve got it in your head that being pregnant is going to somehow ruin your life. I’m here to tell you that’s not true. Things are going to be fine.”
“I didn’t say being pregnant was going to ruin my life,” Maddie snapped. “I just ... think it would be better if I was pregnant two years from now.”
“I don’t think the baby you’re carrying is going to want to wait that long,” Maude replied pragmatically. “Besides that, can you imagine how big you’ll be with that gestation?” She involuntarily shuddered. “It will be like a scene from a horror movie when you finally give birth.”
Maddie’s expression was incredulous. “I don’t mean I want to be pregnant for two years. I mean that I’m not pregnant now, but I will be then.”
“Oh, you mean you want to choose when it happens.”
Maddie nodded and smiled. “Exactly.”
“Well, you’re old enough to know the truth now, Maddie,” Maude offered. “You don’t always get exactly what you want exactly when you want it. Sometimes life throws you curveballs. This is yours. Suck it up.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open as Maude went back to shining the bar with a rag. She was about to yell, for what felt like the millionth time, that she wasn’t pregnant when a hint of movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She expected to find one of the psychics waiting to order a drink. Instead she found Cadence, and the woman looked sweaty and breathless.
“Oh, geez.” Maddie meant to mutter the words under her breath, but they escaped on a loud exhale.
“I need to talk to you,” Cadence announced. She looked winded, and possibly fearful for her life. “I know this may sound strange but ... I know who killed Velma.”
Maddie exchanged a quick look with Maude, who appeared ready to spring into action if the way she held the beverage dispenser gun was any indication.
“That sounds ... good,” Maddie said after a beat. “Um ... how about you take a seat and I’ll get Cooper and Boone up here and you can tell them?”
Rather than acquiesce, Cadence strode directly toward the bar and wrapped her hand around Maddie’s wrist. Her expression was serious. “I need your help. The person who killed Velma is after me now. I’m the biggest threat, so now I’m on the chopping block.”
Maddie wasn’t sure how to respond. Unfortunately for her, Maude didn’t have that problem.
“Oh, stuff it,” Maude snapped. “We know darned well that you killed your roommate in Florida and changed your name. The cops are already looking for you. Whatever yarn you’re about to spin, forget about it.”
Maude leaned close and pinned Cadence with a dark look. “You’re going down, sister, and we’re the ones who will be etching your name on your tombstone.”
And just like that, the atmosphere in the room changed. Maddie swallowed hard. She was in the thick of things for the grand finale after all. She wasn’t even sure how it happened.
18
Eighteen
“Excuse me?”
Cadence’s reaction to Maude would’ve been funny under different circumstances, Maddie realized. Right now, though, it was the exact wrong tone to set.
“You heard me.” Maude planted her hands on the bar and when she leaned over, the low-cut top she’d been supplied with fell down to reveal what looked to Maddie to be a support bra. “We’re on to you, girl, and you’re about to go down like ... like ... .” She knit her eyebrows together. “Help me out here, Maddie girl. What goes down a lot?”
Maddie’s cheeks burned at the question. “There’s no way I’m answering that,” she shot back, horrified.
It took Maude a few moments to realize what had Maddie so riled up. “Oh, get your head out of the gutter. That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever heard. I didn’t meant that. I just ... so gross.”
Cadence cleared her throat to get the bickering women to look in her direction. “This is all fascinating, really, but I need your help. I don’t have time to do ... whatever it is that you’re doing.”
Maddie kept her face impassive as she turned back to Cadence. “What is it you want from us?” She was trying to figure out how to tip Nick off to Cadence’s whereabouts while at the same time remaining as calm as possible so as not to cause the woman to bolt. If Cadence didn’t yet know they were on to her, that was a good thing.
“I need a way out of here.” Cadence was matter-of-fact. “Apparently your husband and a few others are looking for me. That means you’re the only one who can help me escape.”
Maddie was flabbergasted at how open Cadence
