Page 146 of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding

“Congratulations.”

The room falls silent, the only sound the close grumble of thunder and the clatter of the rain and the party that won’t end, though I don’t blame them.

I’d rather be out there doing bad dance moves to hits from three decades ago than in here with a bunch of people tossed together because they have the means, motive, and opportunity to kill someone.

“I think we’re all forgetting something,” Oliver says, scratching at his chin in the way he does when he’s working on one of his uber-detailed book outlines.

“What’s that?”

“Maybe Fred wasn’t the intended victim.”

“You think it wasKen?” I say.

“No, that theory seems wrong to me—sorry, Harper.”

“Then who?”

But as he says it, I know.

There’s one other person that could be mistaken for Fred.

“Connor.”

There’s another massiveCRACK, and then the lights flicker again and go out. Emma squeals and Mrs. Winter starts to mewl like the cat she almost killed yesterday.

Oliver tells everyone to remain calm, but we’re sitting in the dark with a murderer.

We all know how this is going to go.

The lights will come back on and one of us will be dead.

I hug myself, keeping my ears and eyes as alert as possible.

But it’s total darkness. The wind is howling now, a primal shriek. The hairs on my arms are standing straight up as I hear the sound of a chair scraping back, then a door opening.

Oh, shit.

“Don’t do it,” I say. Though I don’t know who I’m pleading to.

And then there’s a whine and a flicker as the generator kicks in and the lights come back on. I search the circle as my eyes adjust to the light. Everyone’s still here, alive.

But in that moment of darkness, somethinghaschanged.

There’s a figure in the doorway, a silhouette.

A woman is standing there, wet to the bone, holding what looks like a club above her head as if she’s about to strike.

It’s...Crazy Cathy?

76Not that I’ve ever been to an AA meeting. In case you were wondering.

77The next one might be, though.This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyonemight beexactlythat kind of book.

78I mean, sure, if the movie is a success, I’ll probably sell some books. And there’s a formula in my contract that means that if it makes a ton of money, I might see some more. Then again, maybe not. Studios are famous for their creative accounting.

79Sorry if I spoiled that for you. But how have you not read that book yet or at least seen the movie?

80I learned in Italy that Connor was writing a rom-com with a plot like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies. Small-town girl returns home to hometown boy, etc.

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