dead.
"It's okay, Chief," Sadie said. "I've been rescued."
"Sadie, thank goodness. Your phone went dead and I had no idea where you were." He holstered his weapon.
"You need to file flight plans, so I know where to go looking when you are missing."
He reached down and helped her up from the floor. "Are you all right? Your neck is bruised."
"I'll be fine," she said. "Although I think I might be hoarse for a while."
"And who are these young women?" he asked, indicating the group on the bed.
"They live across the hall. I haven't had the chance to get their names yet, but apparently they've made it their mission to rescue folks from Candy Foster.” They finger waved at him.
"Candy's rolled up in the quilt. She's a real nutter," Sadie said, absently rubbing her neck.
"I can hear you," came the muffled voice from inside the bedroll, "and I am not a nutter."
"I'm sure she has a much nicer name for herself," Sadie said, "but I could say a lot worse than nutter."
"We studied narcissists in psychology," one of the girls chimed in. "I'm pretty sure Candy is one Classic symptoms."
"I am not!" The bundle of covers rocked as Candy tried getting free.
"It's not my fault people like to get in my way. If they didn't do that, I wouldn't have to retaliate. Not my fault."
Zack looked at his officers. "Take her out of here," he said. He looked at Sadie, "Did she confess to murdering Sylvia?" he asked.
"She said she would kill me like she killed her. I don't know if that counts as a confession or not."
The officers released the girls from their roles as Candy suppressors. As they slipped off of her and out of the room, Candy exploded from the quilt.
"Of course, I killed that stupid girl," she shouted as she jumped up and tried to dash past the police officers.
"She deserved it!"
She dodged one officer but smacked right into the other. They had her on the floor with her hands cuffed behind her back before she could even blink. Sadie was happy Candy wouldn't be trying her throat hold on her again. That was not pleasant.
"I should be in charge of that sorority," Candy said from the floor.
"They didn't even let me pledge." The two police officers grabbed her by the upper arms and hefted her to her feet.
"That's discrimination," she said as they frog-hopped her from the room.
"They discriminated against my clear superiority." Candy continued talking as they led her down the hall to the elevator, but Sadie stopped listening, preferring to focus on Zack.
"Thank goodness you showed up when you did," Sadie said. "I was going to have to murder her if she talked for much longer."
"While I can sympathize with the sentiment, I can't condone the action," Zack said, but then he grinned. "And anyway, they are going to have a field day with her in court. It'll be a three-ring circus."
"Speaking of three-ring circuses," Sadie said, "we can spring Justin from jail now. Surely Steve Ryan will have to let him go now that Candy confessed? Don't you think?"
"Hard to say, but if you like, we can ride up there in my jeep and talk to him about it." He smiled down at her. "I'd love to take a ride with my girl. Especially as I nearly had a heart attack when your phone went dead!"
Sadie pointed to the bits of phone scattered over the floor. "That's what's left of my phone. I probably should retrieve the SIM card." She searched around until she found the bit of phone that still held the SIM card. When she picked it up she saw something familiar under the bed.
"Zack," she said, "come look at this." She pointed to the scrap of fabric wound into a ball under the bed.
"Isn't that the same fabric as the scarf that was twisted around Sylvia's neck at the lake?" He bent down to look under the bed but then was down on his hands and knees using a pencil to slide the material from its hiding place.
"Does fabric retain fingerprints?" Sadie asked.
"Some do. This one probably not, at least if it was in the water with Sylvia for any length of time." He slid
"It's okay, Chief," Sadie said. "I've been rescued."
"Sadie, thank goodness. Your phone went dead and I had no idea where you were." He holstered his weapon.
"You need to file flight plans, so I know where to go looking when you are missing."
He reached down and helped her up from the floor. "Are you all right? Your neck is bruised."
"I'll be fine," she said. "Although I think I might be hoarse for a while."
"And who are these young women?" he asked, indicating the group on the bed.
"They live across the hall. I haven't had the chance to get their names yet, but apparently they've made it their mission to rescue folks from Candy Foster.” They finger waved at him.
"Candy's rolled up in the quilt. She's a real nutter," Sadie said, absently rubbing her neck.
"I can hear you," came the muffled voice from inside the bedroll, "and I am not a nutter."
"I'm sure she has a much nicer name for herself," Sadie said, "but I could say a lot worse than nutter."
"We studied narcissists in psychology," one of the girls chimed in. "I'm pretty sure Candy is one Classic symptoms."
"I am not!" The bundle of covers rocked as Candy tried getting free.
"It's not my fault people like to get in my way. If they didn't do that, I wouldn't have to retaliate. Not my fault."
Zack looked at his officers. "Take her out of here," he said. He looked at Sadie, "Did she confess to murdering Sylvia?" he asked.
"She said she would kill me like she killed her. I don't know if that counts as a confession or not."
The officers released the girls from their roles as Candy suppressors. As they slipped off of her and out of the room, Candy exploded from the quilt.
"Of course, I killed that stupid girl," she shouted as she jumped up and tried to dash past the police officers.
"She deserved it!"
She dodged one officer but smacked right into the other. They had her on the floor with her hands cuffed behind her back before she could even blink. Sadie was happy Candy wouldn't be trying her throat hold on her again. That was not pleasant.
"I should be in charge of that sorority," Candy said from the floor.
"They didn't even let me pledge." The two police officers grabbed her by the upper arms and hefted her to her feet.
"That's discrimination," she said as they frog-hopped her from the room.
"They discriminated against my clear superiority." Candy continued talking as they led her down the hall to the elevator, but Sadie stopped listening, preferring to focus on Zack.
"Thank goodness you showed up when you did," Sadie said. "I was going to have to murder her if she talked for much longer."
"While I can sympathize with the sentiment, I can't condone the action," Zack said, but then he grinned. "And anyway, they are going to have a field day with her in court. It'll be a three-ring circus."
"Speaking of three-ring circuses," Sadie said, "we can spring Justin from jail now. Surely Steve Ryan will have to let him go now that Candy confessed? Don't you think?"
"Hard to say, but if you like, we can ride up there in my jeep and talk to him about it." He smiled down at her. "I'd love to take a ride with my girl. Especially as I nearly had a heart attack when your phone went dead!"
Sadie pointed to the bits of phone scattered over the floor. "That's what's left of my phone. I probably should retrieve the SIM card." She searched around until she found the bit of phone that still held the SIM card. When she picked it up she saw something familiar under the bed.
"Zack," she said, "come look at this." She pointed to the scrap of fabric wound into a ball under the bed.
"Isn't that the same fabric as the scarf that was twisted around Sylvia's neck at the lake?" He bent down to look under the bed but then was down on his hands and knees using a pencil to slide the material from its hiding place.
"Does fabric retain fingerprints?" Sadie asked.
"Some do. This one probably not, at least if it was in the water with Sylvia for any length of time." He slid
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