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slammed the cash drawer shut. He had a grave look on his face. He picked
     up the receiver of the bar phone and punched in some numbers.
    “I just called home for my messages. You better listen to this one,” Randy said.
    Hayley grabbed the phone and listened.
    After a beep there was a woman’s cheery voice. “Hello, Hayley Powell, this is Christina.
     I work in the production office of Wild and Crazy Couponing, here in New York. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your selection to be
     a contestant on our show, which will be shot next Tuesday in your hometown of Bar
     Harbor, Maine, at the Shop ’n Save on Cottage Street.”
    Hayley glanced up to see Randy and Mona beaming from ear to ear. Randy was jumping
     up and down slightly on one foot, unable to contain his excitement.
    She had listed Randy’s home number on the application as an alternate contact number,
     since her cell service at his house was always spotty.
    She couldn’t believe they picked her.
    She was Queen for a Day!
    Now Hayley found herself jumping up and down. Randy raced out from behind the bar
     and enveloped his sister in a bear hug. They were both jumping up and down in unison.
     Hayley rolled her eyes over to Mona, who lifted her beer bottle and toasted Hayley
     before chugging down what was left of it.
    “Mona, did you . . . ?”
    “I’m first runner-up. That’s what they called me, like I’m some airhead beauty pageant
     contestant. Though I do clean up pretty good and could probably win Miss Maine if
     I didn’t have so much belly fat left over from popping out all those kids,” Mona said.
    “What does first runner-up mean?” Hayley asked.
    “Anything happens to either of the two contestants they picked before the taping of
     the show, I take his or her place,” Mona said.
    “Well, do we know who else they picked?” Hayley asked, excited and breathless.
    Randy shrugged. “Don’t know. But if I were a betting man . . .”
    “You are a betting man,” Hayley said. “You drive up to Bangor with me every weekend to play
     the slots.”
    “It has to be Candace Culpepper, don’t you think?” Randy said.
    Mona slammed her beer down on the polished-hardwood bar. “Looks like I’m going to
     have to take out Candace. Never liked that sourpuss anyway, ever since high school
     when she bad-mouthed me after that championship soccer game.”
    “Don’t even joke about something like that, Mona,” Hayley said, laughing.
    “Who says I’m joking?” Mona said, gesturing to Randy to fetch her another beer. Her
     face was cold and expressionless. “I can’t kill you. You’re my best friend. That leaves
     Candace.”
    After a few seconds Mona broke into a smile and winked at Hayley and Randy.
    Mona was only joking.
    But the few customers in the bar seated behind her, eavesdropping, didn’t see her
     smile or her wink. Just the back of her head.
    And to them, she sounded dead serious.

Chapter 9
    Hayley felt his lips press firmly against hers. His strong hands were gripping her
     upper arms, pulling her close to him. She thought he was going to suck her lips right
     off her face. She tried desperately to keep them shut, because her biggest fear at
     the moment was opening her mouth to scream and giving him the chance to thrust his
     purplish tongue down her throat. That was something she was never going to allow to
     happen.
    He was tall and obviously worked out. He had a rock-hard chest, curly grayish hair,
     and a Tom Selleck mustache. He almost looked a bit like a younger version of Alex
     Trebek from Jeopardy! Which would make sense. They both made their living as game show hosts. But there
     was something seedier, less polished, about Drew Nickerson, who now held Hayley tightly
     and didn’t seem to notice her trying to wriggle free from him.
    It had all started so innocently.

    Earlier that morning when Hayley arrived at work, Sal called her into his office and
     announced she would be interviewing Drew Nickerson, the