Page 143 of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding

“Yes.”

“Who bought it?”

“Vicki.”

My blood runs cold. “Vicki as in Vicki my editor?”

And Oliver’s. Jesus.

“Yes.”

“Holy shit.”

“And last week I optioned the film rights for high six figures. So I amfinefinancially. I agreed to some detective work for Tyler, yes, because I like to keep my hand in, and the book deal payment hasn’t gone through yet. He was willing to pay a handsome finder’s fee if I recovered his money—”

“Connor loves a finder’s fee,” Harper says.

“I do. But murder? No. Absolutely not. And I certainly wouldn’t confuse Fred and Ken. Please. Give me that credit, at least.”

Another flash of lightning, and a loud clap of thunder that’s even closer this time. It feels like it shakes the building to its roots.

Emma gives a little squeal.

“It’s okay, Emma,” I say.

“No, it’snot.”

Fred makes that shushing sound again. If Oliver did that to me, it might make me break up with him. But it seems to soothe Emma.

“It’s true about the book deal, El,” Harper says.

I look across the circle to her. “How do you know?”

“I’ve been, um, working with him on it.”

Wait,what?

“Working on it, how?”

“You know, editing, working through the dialogue with him. Like I do for you.”

“Oh,” Oliver says. “That’swhat you were talking about on the phone.”

“You’ve been listening to my phone calls?”

Oliver looks embarrassed. “Not on purpose. I just heard...”

Harper’s eyes widen. “The read-through. Oh my God. You thought I was with Connor?”

“I didn’t know what to think.”

She looks at me. “And you, El? You thought that?”

“You were defending him! Telling me he’d changed. What was I supposed to think?”

“Ugh. No.”

“No need to be quite so disgusted, surely?” Connor drawls.

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