couldn’t have spiked that PowerUp. I’m pretty sure she was front and center the whole time we were at the airport—someone would’ve noticed and said something if she’d disappeared off by herself, even for a few seconds.”
George nodded, leaning back against the wall. “And when she did go outside right before it happened, Candy was with her, remember?”
“True.” I’d already thought of that myself. “But she could have an accomplice or something.”
Bess waved her hands. “What are we doing, sitting around here discussing this like it could actually be true?” she exclaimed. “I mean, come on! Even if Syd did want to get out of this wedding, she’d never do something so horrible. Vic could have died if he’d swallowed that jet fuel!”
“You’re right, you’re right. It was just a theory.” I sighed. “So where does that leave us?”
“Well, there’s that director guy,” Bess said uncertainly. “Do you still think he’s a suspect?”
“A pretty weak one at best,” I admitted, my gaze roving around the waiting room. “The trouble is, no better suspects are leaping out at me based on what we saw today.”
There was a burst of sudden laughter from across the room. Glancing that way, George wrinkled her nose. “What about Pandora?” she said. “Everyone knows she and Vic were an item during their season of the show. What if she’s still in love with him?”
“It’s possible, I guess.” I looked over at Pandora, who was once again goofing around with her two fellow Daredevils. “Then again, if we’re speculating about motives, we could also say that Bo or Dragon could be envious of Vic’s huge popularity on the show and trying to get back at him.”
“Basically, we don’t know most of the people involved well enough to start guessing at stuff like that,” Bess pointed out. “Shouldn’t we stick to the facts and go from there?”
I smiled. “You’re right, detective,” I said. “So let’s talk about the facts. Who could have slipped away long enough to poison the PowerUp?”
“I don’t know, but I just remembered something else,” George said, straightening up. “Some people weren’t exactly jumping forward to join in the PowerUp toast.”
Bess glanced at her. “Yeah. Like us.”
“No, that’s different,” George said. “Nobody cared if we got up there for the photo op—we’re nobodies. But people were trying to get all the celebs to join in, remember?”
My eyes widened as I realized she was right. “All the Daredevils stepped up,” I said. “And a few others, too.”
“But not Akinyi,” Bess finished. “But are you sure that means anything? She said she didn’t want the extra calories. That certainly seems like a valid reason coming from a professional fashion model.”
George glanced across the room at the statuesque model, who was talking with Candy and Deb and a couple of other people while the burly bald cameraman with the bushy eyebrows filmed their every move. “Yeah,” she said. “But Akinyi definitely looks like the type who comes by her skinny naturally. I can’t imagine she couldn’t spare a few calories in honor of her best friend’s wedding.”
Bess still looked doubtful. “I just can’t believe one of Syd’s best friends would do this. It’s not like Akinyi was the only one who refused the PowerUp—Deb didn’t want to drink it either, remember? And you guys aren’t jumping all over her about it.”
“Maybe we should.” I glanced at Deb, who appeared keyed up by the latest excitement as she chattered at the others. “I just don’t think we can write off anybody as a potential suspect until we figure out what’s going on.”
“Except for Sydney,” Bess said. “Like I was saying before. And I guess that lets out Candy, too, since she was with her when it happened.”
At that moment I spotted Sydney and Vic emerging once again from the back hallway. His arm was still around her, and he was murmuring quietly
George nodded, leaning back against the wall. “And when she did go outside right before it happened, Candy was with her, remember?”
“True.” I’d already thought of that myself. “But she could have an accomplice or something.”
Bess waved her hands. “What are we doing, sitting around here discussing this like it could actually be true?” she exclaimed. “I mean, come on! Even if Syd did want to get out of this wedding, she’d never do something so horrible. Vic could have died if he’d swallowed that jet fuel!”
“You’re right, you’re right. It was just a theory.” I sighed. “So where does that leave us?”
“Well, there’s that director guy,” Bess said uncertainly. “Do you still think he’s a suspect?”
“A pretty weak one at best,” I admitted, my gaze roving around the waiting room. “The trouble is, no better suspects are leaping out at me based on what we saw today.”
There was a burst of sudden laughter from across the room. Glancing that way, George wrinkled her nose. “What about Pandora?” she said. “Everyone knows she and Vic were an item during their season of the show. What if she’s still in love with him?”
“It’s possible, I guess.” I looked over at Pandora, who was once again goofing around with her two fellow Daredevils. “Then again, if we’re speculating about motives, we could also say that Bo or Dragon could be envious of Vic’s huge popularity on the show and trying to get back at him.”
“Basically, we don’t know most of the people involved well enough to start guessing at stuff like that,” Bess pointed out. “Shouldn’t we stick to the facts and go from there?”
I smiled. “You’re right, detective,” I said. “So let’s talk about the facts. Who could have slipped away long enough to poison the PowerUp?”
“I don’t know, but I just remembered something else,” George said, straightening up. “Some people weren’t exactly jumping forward to join in the PowerUp toast.”
Bess glanced at her. “Yeah. Like us.”
“No, that’s different,” George said. “Nobody cared if we got up there for the photo op—we’re nobodies. But people were trying to get all the celebs to join in, remember?”
My eyes widened as I realized she was right. “All the Daredevils stepped up,” I said. “And a few others, too.”
“But not Akinyi,” Bess finished. “But are you sure that means anything? She said she didn’t want the extra calories. That certainly seems like a valid reason coming from a professional fashion model.”
George glanced across the room at the statuesque model, who was talking with Candy and Deb and a couple of other people while the burly bald cameraman with the bushy eyebrows filmed their every move. “Yeah,” she said. “But Akinyi definitely looks like the type who comes by her skinny naturally. I can’t imagine she couldn’t spare a few calories in honor of her best friend’s wedding.”
Bess still looked doubtful. “I just can’t believe one of Syd’s best friends would do this. It’s not like Akinyi was the only one who refused the PowerUp—Deb didn’t want to drink it either, remember? And you guys aren’t jumping all over her about it.”
“Maybe we should.” I glanced at Deb, who appeared keyed up by the latest excitement as she chattered at the others. “I just don’t think we can write off anybody as a potential suspect until we figure out what’s going on.”
“Except for Sydney,” Bess said. “Like I was saying before. And I guess that lets out Candy, too, since she was with her when it happened.”
At that moment I spotted Sydney and Vic emerging once again from the back hallway. His arm was still around her, and he was murmuring quietly
Similar Books
