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The packing of the Tillard-Helston party became a thing of legend at the Golden Ash. Never had the staff moved so swiftly or so decisively, scouring through Tranquility and Serenity Villas like an army of ants, removing any trace that either group had spent time there. Now that the authorities had cleared the party to leave, the staff wanted them gone. Before Poppy could even arrive to supervise, with alacrity the bags were packed, the sheets stripped, and the windows left open as if to rid the place of the stink of Diana’s bullshit.

There was no hope of a tip. The staff had nothing left to lose.

It was a strange juxtaposition, seeing the porters lugging Diana’s matching luggage up the hill while the uniformed forensics teams from several counties trooped into the woods beyond them, looking for further evidence. Even with Sev’s help, it would take search and rescue teams, drones, and cadaver dogs some time to find Emma Lee’s remains.

It chilled Jess’s blood to picture Sev chasing Emma Lee from the trail. She would have torn through the trees like her life depended on it. Because it did. Had Emma Lee known that she would never make it out of the woods? That she would never see her home again, such as it was, and that she’d never see Dean again?

Emma Lee had been a complicated girl who had done things that she shouldn’t have—shouldn’t have had to do—to survive in a world stacked against her. While Jess didn’t have it nearly as hard, she could certainly understand the choices Emma Lee made.

There was some talk of a memorial, organized by the Osbournes, to give people who had known and loved Emma Lee some closure. But there would be time to plan later. When they were found, the remains would be evidence. No one seemed to know who would be in control of them once they were released by the state. Emma Lee’s father hadn’t been seen in years. She had no family left, no next of kin.

Between the remains and the accidental confession—recorded by Blister, which Sev’s legal team were fighting like demons to get thrown out—Sev was denied bail. His family had proven themselves more than capable of providing the means for flight.

Dean had been heartbroken, of course. Jess wasn’t sure if it was an invasion to go anywhere near him when he was mourning all over again, but Sis had shoved her through his cabin door and told her, “Stop being an idiot.”

The Osbournes made her part of their circle as it enclosed Dean. And while Poppy and Jonquil’s parents were confused by her presence, they’d accepted it without question. It helped that Dean and Sis’s parents were still in Florida, so that emotional hurdle was somewhat delayed.

According to the elder Osbournes, the people of Chickenhawk Valley were not thrilled with the attention that the murders were bringing to their sleepy little town. Between the lure of old-money dysfunction, bizarre poisons, and the link to a decades-old cold case, the press and the true-crime podcast community had descended, and they weren’t very polite about it.

While the hospitality community begrudgingly accepted money from news crews and celebrity legal analysts, Sev’s legal team, sent by his father, had been rejected openly. The associates of Benson, Morton, & Rhyne were welcome to dine and stay in establishments one town over in Blue Patch, but not in Chickenhawk. Locals weren’t going to hinder Sev’s defense, but they weren’t going to make it easy for some spoiled rich boy to explain away hurting one of their own. And that was Sev’s mess to handle.

Jess stood with the Osbournes on the porch of the main lodge, watching the sheer pageantry of Aubrey trying to corral the members of the Tillard-Helston party into a stretch limo near the guest gate. Trenton had ordered another tank-like monstrosity that would be difficult to maneuver around the winding roads. Diana was griping at the porters about how her bags were handled. Now that he was allowed to use his phone openly, Trenton was wandering around, barely missing walking face-first into a tree, trying to find a phone signal near the gate.

“Are you sure you’re OK watching this?” Jess asked Dean. “I mean, do they really deserve your attention?”

“In a way, they’ve done me a favor, even if they were absolute dicks about it,” Dean said. “Without them, I never would have known what happened to Emma Lee. And they brought you to me, so in a way, I guess I owe them.”

“That’s very generous of you,” Poppy said.

“Oh, no, they can go fuck themselves,” Dean said. “I’m just saying, their stay hasn’t brought exclusively bad things.”

“Shouldn’t we be a little more polite, at least while some of them are within earshot?” Jess whispered. She didn’t know about mountain acoustics and how far they would carry Dean’s exasperated words. Trenton might be able to hear.

“Nope, the payment agreement Trenton signed when he completed the reservation is pretty much an unbreakable route into his bank account. He and his guests used services, and now he has to pay for them. As for the tip…” Poppy grimaced. “I don’t expect much beyond the requisite fifteen percent…which is maybe why the kids aren’t being particularly careful with the party’s belongings.”

“The thin veneer of polite service has been shattered, got it,” Jess observed.

“Pretty much,” Jonquil agreed. “I’m not even giving them their complimentary sugar scrubs before they leave.”

“Jonquil gets burns in, in her own way,” Sis said, patting her shoulder.

Diana waved to Jess frantically behind Trenton’s back. Jess threw up her hands in the internationally known gesture for What do you want? This only made Diana gesture even more wildly.

“You don’t have to go down there,” Poppy reminded her. “You don’t owe them anything.”

“Well, it ought to be entertaining,” Jess said, rolling her eyes.

“Just be careful—she hangs out with a lot of criminal types,” Dean called after her.

Diana led her a good twenty feet away from the limo, and after the week she’d had, Jess checked their surroundings for convenient drowning hazards. Diana was looking worse for wear. Her eyeliner was minimal. Her lip gloss had been chewed off. And her hair was pulled back into a simple ponytail. Diana had never worn her hair in a ponytail, not even for Sis’s grueling yoga classes.

“What?” Jess asked. “What could you possibly want from me right now? I’m pretty sure proposing is the last thing on Trenton’s mind.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Diana sniffled. “The whole story is going to come out. Kiki is running her mouth to the cops about why she killed Chad.”

Jess tilted her head and stared at Diana. Did she not think Trenton knew about her sleeping with Chad? Jess was nearly certain that she heard some porters talking about it outside the main lodge that morning. Everybody knew. Also, Kiki just confessed to double homicide, and Diana had somehow made it about her. “Well, yeah, that was sort of inevitable.”

Diana’s doe eyes were endlessly glassy with tears. “You’ve got to help me. If I lock him down with an engagement now, it will make it that much harder for him to break it off with me.”

“You’re delusional,” Jess told her. “Your cousin killed Trenton’s best friend because you were sleeping with that best friend !”

“ Shhh! ” Diana hissed at her, looking frantically toward Trenton. “I know he’s going to find out eventually, but as long as I tell him in the right way, he’ll know it didn’t mean anything! And I know I’m what he wants! It was just a slipup! People have indiscretions! He knows that. Trenton the Third is a hound, but you never hear his mama complaining about his cocktail waitresses. Marriages have run for decades on worse.”

“If you think that Trenton will tolerate the behavior that his mama tolerates from his dad, you have failed to grasp anything about traditional Southern gender politics,” Jess told her. “I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want any part of it.”

“If you walk away from me right now, you’re out—” Diana swore. “I’ll make sure Trenton doesn’t pay you a dime!”

After the last few days, Jess had processed the fact that she probably wasn’t going to be paid for this job. Trenton’s legal team was probably going to figure out a way to get out of compensating her for her role in this debacle. She understood that her chance to buy the TonyCakes building was gone and that she was going to have to find a new place to make her life. But when compared to poison-y death in the deep, dark woods, losing a building was just…losing a building. Jess would figure it out.

Jess took Diana’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “Diana, do me a favor. The next time you convince a man that you kinda-sorta want to marry him—even if you’re not fucking his best friend— don’t call me. ”

“ Jessie! ”

But Jess had already walked away. She’d tried. But it turned out there were limits to what she could and would do for her clients.

Trenton and Aubrey were waiting at the base of the lodge stairs when Jess reapproached the Osbournes. She returned to Dean’s side, giving Trenton a lukewarm smile. Trenton appeared to be pretending that he hadn’t heard Jess yelling about Diana sleeping with Chad. And that was his choice. Jess was more than happy to let someone else protect him from himself.

“Obviously, I didn’t deliver on the contract,” Jess said. “And I’m sorry about that. Given what I just said to Diana, I would appreciate it if you don’t mention my name to any of your friends.”

“Oh, no, Jess, don’t say that. You did your best.” Trenton gave her a confused frown. “And even before he was arrested, Sev said it would be a good idea to award you a financial settlement, considering that we sort of emotionally traumatized you with Chad’s body and all. And then, you know, Kiki tried to kill you, which probably wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t insisted you come up here.”

“Of course, Sev gave you that advice before he tried to kill me,” she noted.

“Yeah, that’s why my dad gave me permission to add a bit more to Sev’s number,” Trenton said. “Dad said you almost being murdered by one of our executives doesn’t look good for Tillard Pecans. Bad for business.”

He showed her a piece of scrap Golden Ash villa stationery with a big red circle drawn around a big red number.

“Oh,” Jess said, nodding slowly. “That is quite a figure.”

“You deserve it, for all this mess,” Trenton assured her.

The collection of numerals would be just enough for Jess to make a very nice offer for the TonyCakes building, without a loan.

“Don’t sign anything before Beth reads it!” Jonquil shouted from the porch.

Even Trenton smiled slightly at that. “I’ll have one of our legal guys drop by your office to have you sign the papers.”

“Maybe just have him email them to me,” Jess said. “I’ll do a digital signature. I haven’t enjoyed my interactions with your legal team so far.”

“Fair enough.” Trenton nodded. “Jess, when we get back to town, how about we meet up for lunch? I’d like to talk a little bit about what got Sev so wound up.”

Trenton was looking at her with that hopeful puppy expression, the “take care of me” stare. This was the stare that got Jess dosed with experimental drugs—the official face of Trenton and his need to be managed. He really needed to cut that out. Jess didn’t think it was a coincidence that at that very moment, Diana decided to join them and wind herself around Trenton’s arm.

“We have the family jet waiting for us at the airport,” he said when she didn’t respond. “You sure you don’t want to come home with us?”

“I’m more comfortable here,” Jess told him, taking Dean’s hand. “Have a good flight.”

Trenton shrugged, smiling amiably. “All right, then, call me when you get back to town.”

Oh, Trenton Tillard the Fourth. He didn’t get it, and probably never would. And that was fine. As soon as the Tillard check cleared, it wouldn’t be Jess’s problem anymore.

There was a prolonged awkward moment during which the two groups just stared at one another. Jess wondered if Trenton thought he was owed an apology somehow, for two members of their party being arrested during their stay. And suddenly, the headline of Trenton’s potential Yelp review—“0 Stars, I found out my girlfriend is a cheater and my lawyer is a murderer, would not go again”—made Jess start giggling. And she couldn’t stop. The laughter went on and on until Jess had tears rolling down her cheeks and she was leaning against Dean—who was only too happy to let her snicker-snort her way through the awkwardness.

“You done?” Poppy asked, grinning wryly.

Jess nodded, wiping at her wet cheeks. “Yeah, and I’m not sorry, I swear.”

“Good. Never apologize for emotional honesty here,” Jonquil told her, looking right at Diana. “It’s a quality that’s all too rare in today’s world.”

Jonquil did indeed get her burns in, in her own way.

“We hope you enjoyed your stay at the Golden Ash,” Poppy said. “Please leave with our wishes.”

“Isn’t it supposed to be ‘our best wishes’?” Trenton asked, his brow furrowed.

“No.” Poppy continued smiling as she pointed at the limo.

“We hope you get exactly what you deserve in life,” Sis said, smiling with a saccharine edge that sent a shiver down Jess’s spine.

Ouch.

Apparently, this was too much for Diana. She took a stomping step toward Jess. Dean pulled her behind him, making Diana roll her eyes.

“This is ridiculous. I won’t let poor sweet Trenton put himself out like this. You’re being so dramatic , Jessie. I’m going to give you this one last chance to apologize and make things right,” Diana hissed. “For the awful service we’ve received, the lack of attention, and your terrible attitude. And then , Trent will pay half of your original contract fee, after you’ve delivered the proposal I deserve. We couldn’t let you fly home with us on the jet, of course. It wouldn’t look right. But we don’t want to leave you stranded. I was raised better than that.”

Jess gaped at her.

Apologize .

The fucking gall of it, the absolute lack of self-awareness or accountability. It was as if, in the last few minutes, Diana had mentally edited every single thing that had happened since they arrived at the Golden Ash until she was just a poor innocent victim who sat still and had facials while Jess ran amok and ruined Diana’s life. Jess couldn’t help but laugh again, her head dropping until her chin almost rested on her chest. She felt Dean’s hand on her shoulder, keeping her connected to the earthly plane so her scalp didn’t pop right off. “I’m not going to apologize for any of that. I don’t owe you anything, much less an apology. You need to go.”

Bold words from a woman who was basing that on a scrap-paper promise, but Diana had referenced her upbringing. The gloves were off.

“Diana, that’s enough,” Trenton told her in the sternest tone Jess had heard him use, well, ever. “I would still like to pay for your ticket. It’s the least I can do for you, financially speaking, because I don’t think we’re gonna be needing help with a proposal.”

“Trenton!” Diana whimpered, gripping his arm like a panicky sea creature.

He patted Diana’s hand absently. “I’m not saying it’s off forever, Di, I just think we need to do something quiet, if we’re gonna do it. It would be in poor taste otherwise, with everything that’s happened. I mean, if you think my family was iffy about you before…Come on, let’s just get to the airport. We can talk about it on the plane.”

Jess could see the two factions of Diana’s ambitions at war behind her lovely face. Her dreams of comfort and the need for her family’s approval versus her desire for social media clout and life-affirming clicks. She’d been rendered immobile while Trenton ambled off to talk to their driver. Then she tottered over the gravel driveway without looking back, and Jess was fine with that.

Jess turned to Aubrey, who was face-deep in her phone. “You win. She is all yours.”

Aubrey slipped her sunglasses on and flashed Jess an unapologetic smile. “I think we both know this wedding isn’t ever going to happen now. And even if it does, any contacts I get—not worth living in this trashy drama-tornado. But call me when you get back to Nashville. Maybe we can do lunch.”

“You—wha—After the bullshit of the last week?” Jess cried.

Aubrey waved airily. “I told you. It’s not personal. This business is a gladiator pit and you’re my new favorite opponent, even if I’m punching down a bit.”

“Aubrey, I feel very comfortable telling you that you are the fucking worst.”

Aubrey shrugged, unflappable, and slipped into the limo. When Trenton climbed in, the doors slammed shut and the car practically peeled out. Soon, the only thing left of Trenton and Diana at the Golden Ash was a puff of road dust.

Jess turned back to Dean, frowning. “So…everybody I know is insane.”

“That’s OK, I come with my own insane people,” he said, gesturing behind him. “Might even call them a package deal.”

“I resent that,” Jonquil gasped.

“No, you don’t, you don’t resent anything. It’s not in your nature,” Sis told her.

“I resent that you’re right,” Jonquil retorted, now pouting thoroughly.

***

Almost a week later, Jess was still delaying the inevitable, avoiding her flight back, keeping her cell phone turned off to avoid the messages of industrious reporters who tracked her from her business’s social media. She knew that she would have to go back home eventually. Nana Blanche’s riverboat was docking soon. Jess could only abandon Mavis to the phones for so long. And she had to have an earnest discussion with the Anellos about the TonyCakes building.

But for now, she needed this quiet.

The Osbournes had moved up the spa’s autumn closing routine while the media attention died down. Fortunately, Chandra, the handsomely paid Nashville PR guru, had managed to focus cable news outlets’ attention on Kiki’s method of murder and her history with botany and chemistry to downplay the location of Jeremy’s and Chad’s deaths. She tried to recast it as a Snapped episode rather than Agatha Christie.

Meanwhile, Jess was enjoying the hands-on work of shutting down the thermal spa, cataloguing and storing any body products that would still be usable come spring. She spent her evenings with the Osbournes, watching Dean and Beth battle it out for culinary domination. Occasionally she slept over at Dean’s, but they were taking things slow.

Jess wasn’t ready to uproot her entire life yet, but maybe there were people in this part of Tennessee who needed help planning out the most important question of their lives. For right now, she was happy to be deadheading flowers that needed it, under the close supervision of Jonquil. Sis was helping because she figured there was a sixty percent chance of Jess hurting herself with the gardening shears.

That seemed fair.

The autumn sun beat down on her shoulders. Poppy was working away in her office, the sound of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” barely audible through the windows. Jess could hear Jamie and Dean arguing good-naturedly in the kitchen while the delicious scent of baking bread drifted toward her. She couldn’t remember a time she was this content.

It was probably a sign that she needed to use some vacation days.

Jess’s Big Book of Life Plans: Make having a real life a priority.

Behind her, Jess could hear a car rolling up the long drive, crunching over the gravel.

“I thought the gate was closed,” Jonquil commented, putting her gardening shears aside.

“If it’s another reporter, you might have to break out some bail money for Sis,” Jess commented dryly, without looking up from her flowerbed.

“You know, it shouldn’t take almost being murdered by a mad scientist to get you gardening. That’s just sort of sad,” a familiar voice said behind her. “I feel like I’ve failed you a little bit.”

Jess stood, damn near tripping over her own feet as she turned around to find two small elderly ladies staring down at her. Fortunately, she dropped her shears as she gasped, “Nana! You cut your trip short?”

“I hopped off the boat a few stops early,” Nana said, as Jess threw herself into her grandmother’s arms. Nana Blanche was resplendent in a pale-yellow twinset and dark blue slacks, even if her tote bag was a casino giveaway proclaiming Tunica the “Las Vegas of the South.” Jess was starting to wonder if Nana Blanche really spent her time playing bridge.

Mavis was looking around the property as if trying to absorb every detail. As usual, she had matched her sensible navy-blue bag to her even more sensible shoes and pantsuit.

But instead of questioning aloud, Jess simply launched herself at them and threw her arms around both. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“I’ve been worried,” Nana Blanche told her sternly, her bobbed silver-white hair falling back as she looked up at Jess. “Particularly when I started seeing news coverage of a grisly murder at the ‘perfectly safe’ and ‘world-renowned’ spa I’d sent my grandbaby up to. Poor Mavis had to talk me down from chartering a helicopter.”

“I told you, she’s fine,” Mavis said, waiting her turn for a full hug.

Nana Blanche squeezed Jess tight and leaned back, her dark brown eyes made to look even larger by her thick glasses. She placed her hands on either side of Jess’s cheeks. “No more remote jobs, all right, sweetie?”

Jess nodded as Nana passed her over to Mavis, who hugged her tight. “Agreed.”

“It sounded like you needed some backup,” Mavis whispered into her hair. “I don’t want to say ‘I told you so’ about isolating yourself out here with questionable characters. I’m willing to sing ‘I told you so.’?”

“She’s absolutely serious,” Nana told Jess. “She even has a shuffle-step dance routine to go along with it.”

“That’s hurtful, Mavis,” Jess said.

Mavis shrugged. “Life is nothing without celebrating the little moments of victory. At your expense. Because I was right. And Diana Helston is a spoiled, awful bit—”

“All right, let’s keep it clean,” Nana Blanche protested. “Jess learns by bitter experience, and she just had to experience this particular lesson up close and personal, and under extreme circumstances.”

“I know, Nana, you don’t have to talk about me like I’m not here.” Jess sighed. The Osbournes and Jamie had drifted out of their respective spaces to gather on the porch of the main lodge and watch the proceedings. “I get it. You told me so.”

“We told you sooooooo!” her family chorused together.

Fortunately, they loved her enough not to add the little dance.

“Fine,” Jess said, hugging Nana to her side. “You were right, I was wrong. I love you.”

“We love you, too,” Mavis said. “Even if we did tell you so.”

“You were right,” Jess sighed, turning them toward Jonquil and Sis. “And I want y’all to meet some of my new favorite people.”