"It couldn't be ..." Her voice trailed off as she set the picture down and dug in her purse. She produced something wrapped in a tissue, her eyes lighting up as she unwrapped the tissue and looked inside.

"It is!"

"Is what?" Lexy asked.

Nans laid the object flat in her palm and Lexy recognized it as the bloodied scrap of fabric she'd found under the dumpster.

"The pattern on this fabric matches the pattern on that guy's shirt in the picture ... exactly." Nans emphasized the last word by stabbing her index finger at the man standing next to Marchesi in the picture.

Lexy squinted, comparing the two fabrics and her stomach lurched ... Nans was right.

Ida gasped her eyes riveting between the scrap of fabric and the picture. "That's it! He's the killer!"

"Shhh!" Nans looked at Ida. "This doesn't prove that he's the killer ... just that he has the same shirt."

"Actually, we don't even know that swatch is from the killer," Lexy said.

"It could have been there before the murder," Ruth reminded them.

"We probably shouldn't have taken it." Lexy's stomach sank. "Now Payne will have no way to tie this to the scene of the crime."

"Yeah, it's unlikely that he'll believe us if we suddenly come forward and say we found it there," Ruth said.

"Maybe the best thing to do is to give this to Weasel. He had a cousin on the police force. He might know what to do about it."

Nans frowned down at the swatch. "Yeah, probably. I guess we'll just have to find some other evidence or get Marchesi to admit to it."

"Too bad we couldn't catch him trying to steal the recipe or threatening Rat and the gang."

"Does he even know that Rat is Dugasse's son?"

"Not according to what Rat said earlier," Lexy answered.

"So, for all we know, he thinks he's got the contest all tied up since Dugasse is dead," Ruth said.

"Which is good because when killers think they are in the clear, they tend to let their guard down," Ida added.

"Well, let's get this swatch back to Weasel." Nans wrapped the fabric back in the tissue and put it in her purse. "We can come back to the booth tomorrow when Marchesi is sure to be here and see if we can get him to admit to being the killer ... or at least having his henchman do it."

As they turned to head back down the aisle, Lexy's heart jolted when she caught a glimpse of someone ducking out of sight at the end of the row.

"Hey! You!" She ran toward the person but when she got to the end no one was there-just a crowd of people milling about the area looking in the various booths.

"Damn!" She stopped and waited for Nans and the ladies to catch up.

"What is it?" Nans asked.

"I thought I saw someone watching us." Lexy stood on her tip toes scanning the crowd. "I've had the feeling someone has been following us all night."

Nans pursed her lips together. "Interesting ... why would someone follow us?"

Lexy shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with Dugasse's murder."

Chapter Nineteen.

Lexy kept herself busy the next day making extra batches of brownies and cupcakes to keep her mind off the chili contest that night. She was jittery with the feeling that something was going to happen and a little nervous at what Nans might to do try to expose Marchesi.

She'd expected detective Payne to show up and read her the riot act about the swatch of fabric. The bikers had been happy to hear about how they had found it and the picture that showed Marchesi's friend wearing it. Weasel had even whipped out his cell phone and tried to call his cousin on the spot, except there'd been no cell phone service.

Payne hadn't graced the kitchen with his appearance by the time Lexy was done with her kitchen duties and she breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know if that meant he just didn't know about it yet or if she was off the hook, but either way she wasn't going to have to deal with him today ... at least not until they could get a confession or some other clue from Marchesi later on that night.

Rushing to her cottage to change, Lexy wondered how she was going to get away from Jack to go to the Marchesi booth. Jack wouldn't approve of Nans interrogating him and she certainly wasn't going to let Nans and the ladies go without her. God only knew what kind of trouble they could get into.

She showered and changed into a blue tank top and faded jeans. She fed Sprinkles and dug out a big blanket for them to sit on to view the fireworks which were supposed to start shortly after dark.

Lexy felt the corners of her lips curl in a smile thinking of how romantic it would be to lay on the blanket with Jack and watch the fireworks ... and also of how leaving Jack on the blanket to save their spot' would provide the perfect excuse for her venturing off with Nans.

By the time Jack finished showering, Nans, Ruth, Helen, Ida and Ida's fiance Norman had come to collect them. They put Sprinkles in her harness and then they all started off toward the field.

"I figure Norman and Jack can get some chili and then save our spots on the blankets." Ida winked at Lexy. Apparently the older woman had the same idea Lexy did.

They made their way into the event and walked around to a few booths. Lexy wasn't surprised when Nans went straight to the "Chilin Chili" booth and grabbed margaritas for everyone. The salty tang of the drink flirted with Lexy's taste buds as the pungent tequila soothed her nerves.

The air was filled with a festive vibe and the smell of spices. Lexy felt good, walking hand in hand with Jack and surrounded by her grandmother and friends, but she still couldn't shake that niggling feeling that she was being followed.

"It's getting crowded up on the hill." Ida pointed to the hillside which was starting to fill up. "Why don't you and Jack grab some chili, then take the blankets and save us a seat? Us girls wanna walk around a little more."

"Okay by you?" Norman asked Jack who nodded. Jack and Norman both loved fishing and the two of them had spent most of the vacation doing just that and becoming close friends in the process.

Lexy knew Jack wasn't much for milling around in crowds so he was more than happy to take the blanket and Sprinkles and set out for more spacious territory. He gave Lexy a quick peck on the cheek and off they went.

"Now, let's get down to business," Nans whispered after they were out of hearing range. She turned and walked briskly toward the very last row where Marchesi's booth was. Taking a detour to breeze by Rat's booth, she stopped only long enough to wish him good luck, then continued on to the last row.

Lexy felt a jolt of apprehension as they turned into the last row. The crowd had thinned and it made her feel exposed. She got that hair standing up feeling on the back of her neck again and wished she'd had two-or more-margaritas.

Her heartbeat picked up speed as they approached the Marchesi tent. The crowd seemed oddly disinterested in it which was strange considering Marchesi was supposed to have one of the best chili recipes. As they got up closer to the tent, Lexy found out why.

The tent was closed.

"What the heck?" Nans turned around to face them her arms extended at her sides, palms out.

"Is anyone in there?" Lexy tried to lift one of the flaps but the tent was buttoned up tight as a drum. She managed to lift a corner flap to get a peek inside.

"It's empty." She shrugged at Nans and the ladies.

"Well, where could he be?" Ruth looked around.

"Maybe out killing someone else that he thinks might steal the win from him," Ida whispered.

"Let's look inside." Nans tugged on the corner of the flap that Lexy had opened and a few more snaps unsnapped making the opening big enough for them to squeeze in.

Lexy's heart pounded against her ribs as she followed Nans inside. She looked around at the tables-crockpots were simmering and the tent smelled deliciously like molasses and spices. She noticed Chef Marchesi had all the most expensive equipment from the stainless steel crockpots to the high tech convection ovens. Everything was top notch right down to the premium mahogany handled knife set.

Lexy's stomach lurched and she sucked in a breath as she stared at the knife set ... the handles were identical to the knife she'd seen sticking out of Dugasse's chest.

"What is it?" Nans turned to her.

"This knife set-it matches the one that killed Dugasse." Lexy pointed to the set. "And it's missing the chef's knife."

"It's too bad you're so nosey."

Lexy whirled toward the sound of the familiar voice, her heart jerking in her chest when she saw who it was.

Brad Meltzer ... and he had a gun pointed right at Nans.

Chapter Twenty.

Lexy's heart hammered in her chest. Too late, she realized they'd made a mistake coming into the closed off tent-no one could see them. But would they hear her over the din of the event if she screamed?

"Don't even think about screaming or the old lady gets it," Brad said as if reading her mind.

"Old lady?" Nans bristled at Brad.

"Shut it!

Brad let out a low whistle and a flap on the other side of the tent opened. A large man wheeled in dollies stacked with boxes and burlap sacks. Lexy's blood froze when she recognized him as the man with the plaid shirt in the picture-the killer.

Nans, Ida, Ruth and Helen stood frozen in their tracks Lexy's heart jerked as Brad started toward the ladies. She lunged toward Brad to prevent him from getting to them, but plaid shirt came at her from the left. She turned to the left, leaping at him to catch him off guard but he lowered his head and smashed into her mid-section sending her plummeting to the ground.

She kicked out and heard a grunt as her foot connected with hard bone. His knee. It merely slowed him for a second and he reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back.

Lexy felt his arm squeeze around her neck as her clouding vision registered Brad advancing on Nans and the ladies. She struggled against him but he was like a brick house.

She tried to cry out for Brad not to hurt Nans but the hold on her throat was too tight.

And then everything went dark.

Lexy opened her eyes but she couldn't see a thing.

She was rolled up in something and she was moving. Then, the movement stopped. She strained to hear something-anything-that would give her a clue as to where she was but all she could hear was the sound of her heart thumping in her ears and heavy clanking metal. Like chains.

Next thing she knew she was falling, a fall which ended in an explosion of pain in her right shoulder and hip. Then the sound of a door slamming shut and more metal clanking.

Where was she?

She tried to sit up but was restrained by whatever it was that held her. She wiggled, feeling the course fabric that was loosely around her. Raising her hands up, she realized she wasn't rolled up in something ... she was in a burlap sack!

Fumbling for the top, she managed to push it open and poke her head through. She was in what looked like some sort of dark, windowless shack. She could barely make out four large sacks lying beside her.

Nans!

She wriggled out of her sack and ran over to the one beside her. She could hear grunts from inside and see movement-at least they were alive. She undid the strings and looked in.

"Where the hell are we?" Nans blinked up at her.

"I have no idea. In some building."

"Hey, help me out of here," A muffled voice said from one of the other sacks and Lexy rushed over to free Ruth while Nans unwrapped Ida. Helen managed to get out of hers by herself and they all stood looking around.

"What is this place?" Ruth asked.

"Anyone have a light?"

Helen rummaged in her purse, producing a box of matches. Lexy took them, striking one against the side. The smell of sulfur spiced the air and the match provided a swatch of light which Lexy used to look around the place.

"It's some sort of storage shed." She walked toward the rows of shelving looking at the boxes. Bringing the match closer to a box, she read the writing ... her heart seized and she dropped the match stepping on it as fast as she could.

"Shit!"

"Lexy, dear. There's no need for that kind of language," Nans said.

"This place is full of fireworks! I could have blown us up." Lexy's hand shook as she picked up the match.

"Oh, this must be where they store the fireworks. I think the ones they are using for tonight are already setup though so these must be extra," Ruth said.

"Why do you think they brought us here?" Ida asked.

"I heard Brad say something about getting us out of the way until after the contest when they can dispose of us." Helen rubbed her hands on her upper arms.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to wait for them to come and dispose of us," Nans said.