Page 108 of My Killer Blind Date

‘No.’

‘Let us leave, and I’ll give you a twenty-four-hour lead time before alerting the authorities.’ My fingers fumble inside my purse. Where is it? How much shit do I still have in here? ‘You can get a head start.’

‘No.’

I grit my teeth. ‘So what – you’re going to kill me too, your best friend, so you don’t have to be accountable for your crimes?’

‘Of course I don’t want to kill you!’ she says. ‘I love you, Margot. You’re a good person. You’re an ally, even if you don’t fully get what I’ve done. I’ve got your back, and I know you’ve got mine. This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to promise me on your life you’ll never tell anyone what you saw here. I’ll have to dispose of the PI, and Brooke will have to go once her painting is finished, but who cares? I let you walk away, and you let me walk away. We can have each other’s backs one last time. Maybe we can reconnect when I’m Hillary. Hillary hasn’t killed anyone. It can be just like the good old days.’

I blink once, twice. I can barely comprehend how she thinks this is what’s going to happen. My hand finally closes around the stun gun.

‘No way in hell am I walking out of here without Liam and Brooke.’

‘Fuck, Margot.’ She droops on her crutches for a moment and breathes, the ropy muscles of her arms flexing. Finally, she lifts her head and speaks in a sad voice. ‘I’ll have to kill you too, then.’

My heartbeat thrashes against my ribs.

No. She wouldn’t. I can’t believe it.

But maybe I need to start believing it, if I’m going to get out of here alive.

I look at my friend, who I barely recognize. She really is skin and bones. She’s literally amputated her own foot. She’s certainly not in good health. I could probably take her out.

And that’s what I’m going to do.

I lunge toward her, stun gun in hand, but someone else explodes into the room from behind Zoe. Pain bursts in my head.

I fall back.

The ceiling blinks in and out.

‘Sorry, babe,’ says Zoe’s voice. It sounds like it’s coming from very, very far away. ‘You forgot about Deedee.’

Chapter Thirty-seven

Gross – I’m drooling … lying in a puddle of drool … what time is it … and where am I?

I blink, not understanding what I’m seeing. Mostly black, with sharp slices of light cutting through.

A van. Moving, rumbling, rattling, my body bouncing around like a sack of potatoes. And then I remember. Zoe’s terrible confession. Her sad voice. I’ll have to kill you too – and then … Devin. He must have been lurking in the hallway, out of sight, listening to our conversation before coming in for the kill. My heart goes from zero to a thousand. My breathing comes quick.

How much time has gone by? It has to be hours and hours. It’s dark now. And where the fuck is Barnett and his team?

This morning, I never would have believed that my own friend would be willing to kill me, but everything has changed now.

Now I have to focus on surviving this. I need to think fast.

My hands can’t move. Neither can my feet. Zip ties, of course. Fuck fuck fuck. At least I’m not gagged.

I can see the front two seats and hear the murmur of voices – Zoe’s and Devin’s. I twist around slowly and see Liam, behind me. He’s breathing heavily. It sounds like he’s still passed out. Brooke isn’t back here – I can only hope that Zoe left her alive and that the police will find her soon.

‘Liam,’ I whisper, low enough that the sound of the engine should conceal my voice.

There’s no answer. I kick my joined feet out and tag his legs. His eyes open slowly, then widen.

I made as loud a ‘shh’ sound as I dare, and he nods groggily. He doesn’t look normal – he’s clearly still under the effects of whatever drugs they gave us – but at least I’m not alone in this. He jerks his head a bit, indicating something behind me. I crane my neck around and feel a jolt of adrenaline when I spot it: my purse, slumped in a corner of the van.

Of course. If they’re going to dispose of me, disposing of my purse, ID, phone, etc., makes sense. If I can just get to it … I shimmy backward, my hands reaching blindly for the fabric of the purse body. And then, I have it.