didn’t?” His voice dripped sarcasm. “Are you saying you didn’t slip a garter snake into her car, knowing what might happen while she was in traffic? Hoping the worst might happen?”
“Dad!” Andie burst out, shocked. “Mom wouldn’t do that! How could you even say that?”
He swung toward her, paling slightly. “I thought I told you to wait outside.”
Andie tipped up her chin, furious at him, a smart reply springing to her lips. Before she could utter it, her mother jumped in. “This is Andie’s home. Unlike you, she has a right to be here.”
He looked from one to the other, as if just realizing how his accusation made him look to his daughter. “She could have been killed,” he said again, voice shaking. “She’s in the hospital, for God’s sake. She’s—”
“Seems to me,” Raven said from behind them, “those are the chances you take when you decide to screw somebody else’s husband.”
Andie gasped and swung around. Raven stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed, mouth set. Julie stood a few paces behind her, her face bright with embarrassed color.
Dan Bennett turned, too, trembling with rage. “How dare you, young lady. You have no business here. You are not a member of this family.”
“Family?” Marge repeated, stepping forward. “You’re the one who’s no longer a member of this family. I’d like you to leave.” She crossed to the door and swung it open. “And don’t you ever enter this house without an invitation again.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something further, then closed it, turned on his heel and stalked past Raven and Julie. Moments later, he backed out of the driveway, tires squealing as he did.
For a full minute no one said anything, then, as if realizing everything that had occurred, Marge cleared her throat. “I’m sorry you girls had to see that.” She shifted her gaze to Raven, then hesitated, as if unsure what to say to her.
Raven beat her to it. “I’m sorry I said that, Mrs. B. It just makes me so mad, what he did to you.”
The woman’s expression softened. “Thank you for caring, Raven. But I can … and should, fight my own battles. All right?”
Raven nodded, and Julie reached out and touched Marge’s hand. “We think you’re the greatest, Mrs. B.”
“That’s right,” Raven added. “He’s the one who should be apologizing. We love you.”
Her friends’ words seemed to calm her mother. Once again Julie and Raven had come through for her and her family. And once again she wondered what she would do if she ever lost them.
“Thank you, girls,” Marge murmured, smiling, though not, Andie saw, without effort. “You’re all very sweet. And I … I—” She turned to Andie. “Go on now. I know there are things you girls are wanting to do, and hanging out with an old lady isn’t one of them.”
Andie’s chest tightened. “You’re not old, Mom.”
“Older than you three,” she said firmly. “You go. I have work to do around here, and you’re keeping me from it.” She gave Andie’s shoulders a quick squeeze. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “Really. Go on now. We’ll talk later.”
Andie nodded, turned and led her friends outside. They took their places under the maple tree, not speaking for long moments.
After a time, Julie leaned over and caught Andie’s hand. “I’m sorry, Andie.”
“Yeah,” Raven murmured. “Me, too.”
“Thanks.” She blinked against tears. “You guys are the best.”
Raven leaned back against the grass and smiled up at the blue sky. “At least the little slut learned a lesson.”
Andie turned and looked at Raven. “What?”
“The little slut. Leeza. She had it coming.”
She had it coming. Andie caught her breath, remembering. The three of them sitting on her bed and talking about ways they could get even with Leeza. Discussing the things they could do to her to make her pay. Discussing the kind of car Leeza drove and where she parked it.
But that had been just … talk. Just the three of them joking around.
Hadn’t it been?
A sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, Andie looked from Raven to Julie. Julie was staring at Raven, her expression horrified.
Maybe not.
“Raven,” Andie whispered, “you didn’t … I know we talked about making Leeza pay, but that was just … we were just kidding around. Right?”
Raven met Andie’s eyes. “Were we? Just kidding around? Don’t you hate her guts?”
“I do. But … but she could have died.”
To that, Andie was greeted by complete silence. Then Raven shook her head. “You said you wished she was dead, Andie. So, why do you care? What if she had died? If you ask me, the little bitch got what she deserved.”
For a moment, Andie couldn’t speak. She hated Leeza for taking her father away. She did. But … saying she wanted her dead wasn’t the same as meaning it.
Surely Raven understood that.
“Gosh, Andie, don’t look at me like that.” Raven laughed and sat up. “I didn’t do it, for heaven’s sake. I’m only saying that I don’t care that it happened and neither should you. Look what she’s done to your family. To your mom.”
“That’s right,” Julie piped in, looking relieved. “Rave wouldn’t do something like that. But I don’t feel bad for that little witch, either.”
Andie brought a hand to her chest. “For a moment there, I thought you …” She let the words trail off. Something about Raven’s expression, something bright in her eyes, made her uneasy. She cleared her throat. “But … how do you think the snake got in her car?”
Raven shrugged. “You said she leaves the top down all the time. I bet that stupid little snake dropped out of the trees she parks under and curled up under her seat for a nap.”
“I bet you’re right.” Julie giggled. “The same thing happened to Mrs. Beasely, from church. Only it was bird poop. It landed right on her head. She got nearly hysterical.”
Raven hadn’t done it. Of course she hadn’t. Andie laughed weakly. “What would I do without you guys?”
“Go crazy.”
“Become a total spaz.”
The three laughed. “So what do we do now?” Andie asked.
“I say we get back to our little mystery.” Raven lowered her voice to an excited whisper. “We watch the house. We figure out what he’s
