Angie was again working the crowd in the lobby. She seemed to have made a few friends and Mel saw her chatting up people as she passed out the cupcakes. Today's specialty was the Pretty in Pink, a strawberry cupcake with a dollop of vanilla buttercream rolled in bright pink sprinkles around the edges.

Cici Hastings was working her way through the lobby. She looked amazing in an emerald silk blouse and black capri pants with her hair and makeup done to perfection.

Mel knew that the minimum amount of personal maintenance required to stay as well preserved as Cici meant that she would never look anywhere near that good at any age, but still, Mel hoped she had a little of the pizzazz Cici had when she was in her advanced years.

"Looking good, Cici," she called as the older lady went by her.

"Thanks," Cici paused. "Have you seen Mariel? We were supposed to start the swimsuit competition fifteen minutes ago, but she hasn't shown up yet."

"No, come to think of it, I haven't seen her all morning," Mel said. She had been surprised, too, because after yesterday's kerfuffle in the lobby, she had fully expected Mariel to make another scene today.

"She's probably sulking." Cici sighed. "A total diva, that one."

"Why would she be sulking?" Mel asked.

"Because in reviewing her scores from yesterday, it became apparent that she is playing favorites. She lowballed anyone who might provide competition for her chosen one, especially Lupe Guzman, who was scoring very high with the other two judges," Cici said. "So I made the decision to throw out every contestant's lowest score and I let her know I'd do it again, too. That should keep the voting honest."

"Nicely done," Mel said.

"I thought so, except now I have a big poutypants for a head judge and I really don't have the time or patience for it," Cici said. "Honestly, I should have brought Anka Holland in as the judge, but given that she was always number two to Mariel's number one spot on the pageant circuit, Mariel seemed to be the better choice. Ugh, live and learn."

"Can I help you look for her?" Mel asked. "I can check the prep rooms."

"Oh, would you?" Cici asked. "Then I could cover the same ground twice as fast."

"No problem," Mel said. She turned and signaled to Angie that she was going to leave the tower. Angie nodded in understanding. Mel knew that Angie would come and keep an eye on the goods for her.

Mel and Cici split up in the main lobby, with Mel taking one side and Cici the other. Mel entered the large room that was used for a dressing room. Several harried-looking mothers and their daughters were in there prepping their bathing suits for showtime.

One exasperated-looking woman was using double-stick tape on her daughter's bottom to keep the young woman's swimsuit from riding up. The girl didn't seem fazed as she stood texting on her smartphone, and Mel looked away, feeling embarrassed for the both of them.

She glanced around the room, got pushed aside by another mother and daughter bolting out the door, leaned against the wall, and looked for a head of dark hair and a frowning face. She simply could not envision Mariel with a smile.

She checked the next two rooms, but still no Mariel. Mel crossed the hall and continued checking, opening every door on her way back to the lobby. Some rooms were empty and some were full of people, but there was no one who resembled the missing judge.

She hoped Cici had better luck. She was closing the door to the last room when an ear-piercing shriek sounded from the lobby. Mel knew that shriek. She had heard it every time she, Angie, and Tate had ridden the Zipper at the Arizona State Fair. It wasn't Tate and it wasn't her, so that left-Angie!

Mel ran to the lobby. Her heart was pounding, her hands were sweating, and she could feel the icy clutch of dread grabbing at her as she came around the corner.

What could have happened to make Angie scream like that? Had someone knocked over the cupcake tower? Did Angie get into a fight? Had Tate broken up with her?

When Mel reached the lobby a crowd was forming around the cupcake table. She saw Lupe and her mother on the fringe and yelled, "What happened?"

Joyce gave her a scared look and for the first time in months she spoke directly to Mel, "I don't know, honey. We can't get in there."

Mel glanced at the crowd that was five deep ahead of her. There were shrieks and gasps but no one was moving. She used her elbows and began to force her way through the crowd.

When she reached the front, she stopped in her tracks. Angie was kneeling on the floor, holding up the navy blue tablecloth that covered their circular table.

A head of dark hair was sticking out from under the cloth. It was Mariel Mars, and Mel knew with the unwelcome knowledge that comes from seeing too many bodies up close and personal that she was dead.

Eleven.

"Finding the body is not my job," Angie said. "That's supposed to be you."

Mel put an arm around her friend's shoulders. She knew it was shock making Angie babble.

"I wouldn't say it was my job exactly," Mel said. "Did you call the police?"

"Lydia is on it," Angie said. She gestured to the far side of the table and Mel saw Lydia, the pretty woman from the front desk, on her cell phone. She looked stressed as she paced back and forth in the narrow area.

"Are you sure she's dead?" Mel asked.

Angie gestured for Mel to look closer. Mel took a deep breath and leaned over Mariel's still form.

There was no rise and fall to her chest. No warmth coming off of her body. Her bloodshot eyes were unseeing. A wide pink satin sash was wrapped around her neck and Mel could see scratch marks along her throat, as if she'd been clawed by something or someone.

"The police are on their way," Lydia said as she crouched beside them. "I've had security paged to move the crowd out of the lobby."

As she spoke, a big burly man in a navy blue uniform with a radio on his hip arrived and began pushing the crowd back. Lydia rose to go and speak with him.

"How did you find her?" Mel asked.

"I dropped a cupcake," Angie said. "When I couldn't find it, I thought it rolled under the table. When I lifted the cloth, there she was."

"That was quite a scream you let out," Mel said. "I'm pretty sure they heard you all the way out to the main road."

"And I'm pretty sure I'm going to have nightmares tonight and for many nights after," Angie said. She shuddered and lowered the cloth, letting it fall carefully around Mariel's middle.

"Melanie, Angela, what's happening?" Joyce Cooper hissed. She ignored the arm of the security guard as he tried to keep her back.

They looked from Joyce to the body. Mel wasn't comfortable leaving but she didn't really want to keep watch, either.

"It's all right," Lydia said, rejoining them beside the body. "Go talk to her. I'll stay with-her. I can't get any more freaked out than I already am."

Mel and Angie studied Lydia. She looked as if she was fighting to keep it together. Mel was pretty sure they didn't have a course for this in hospitality school. Angie met her gaze and Mel knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Call us if you need us," Mel said.

Lydia nodded with a grateful glance.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you've got to keep back with everyone else until the police arrive," the security guard said to Joyce.

"That is my daughter," Joyce argued, pointing at Mel. "And I will not back up until I know what is happening."

The security guard glanced behind him just as Mel and Angie joined them. The look he gave Mel was one of relief, and she nodded. Having been the one to hold her mother back a few times, she commiserated with the poor guy who was obviously out of his depth.

"I'm here, Mom," Mel said. "It's okay."

Lupe was standing behind Joyce and the two of them followed Mel and Angie off to the far side of the lobby. Lupe's eyes were huge and she was biting her lower lip as if to keep herself from crying. She was knotting the belt of her robe in her hands and Mel wondered if she should send her to go and change. Surely, they wouldn't be going ahead with the pageant now.

"I'm sorry this happened, Lupe," Mel said. They each sat down on the edge of a large planter with precisely arranged bromeliads in it.

"What happened exactly?" Joyce asked. "All we heard was that a woman was found underneath the cupcake table. Is that true? Who is it?"

"It's Mariel Mars," Angie said.

"What? But how? Why?" Joyce stammered, looking stunned.

"From what I saw, I'm guessing she was strangled with a sash," Mel said. "No idea why, though."

She reached out and took her mother's hand. Joyce's skin felt cold, and Mel squeezed her fingers tight as if she could transfer some warmth. Joyce squeezed back letting Mel know that it was appreciated. Joyce reached out and hugged Mel.

"I'm sorry, honey," she said. "That must have been awful."

Mel heaved a huge sigh. It felt so good to have her mother speaking to her again. Joyce squeezed her tight and then let her go so that she could do the same with Angie. Mel sat back and watched as her mother comforted her best friend.

She felt movement beside her and glanced over to see Lupe rise to her feet. She started backing away with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Lupe, where are you going?" Joyce asked.

"I have to get out of here," Lupe said.

"I don't think anyone will be allowed to leave until the police have talked to us," Mel said.

"Oh, that's not happening," Lupe said with a shake of her head.

"I don't think you have any choice," Angie said.

"That's why I need to leave now before the cops get here," Lupe said.

"Lupe, honey, what are you afraid of?" Joyce asked.

Lupe looked at Mel. "She really doesn't get it, does she?"

"And neither do I," Mel said. "What's got you so worried?"

"Look at me," Lupe said. She pointed to herself. "I'm a Latina in a room full of white blondies. Who do you think the cops are going to suspect first?"

"No," Joyce said with a shake of her head. "My brother-in-law Stan is a longtime detective with the Scottsdale PD, and he's not like that."

Lupe shook her head. Her long dark hair hid her face, and Mel wondered if she missed the colored bangs that used to hide her from the world.

"And if you don't believe that," Mel said, "Uncle Stan's partner is Hispanic and he isn't like that, either."

"It doesn't matter," Lupe said. Her voice quavered and she sounded on the verge of crying.

"Why not?" Angie asked.

"Because even if the color of my skin doesn't make them suspect me, what happened yesterday will. We had a fight with Mariel Mars in a room full of witnesses. I threatened her! How long do you think it will take them to look at me after they find out about that?"

"Find out about what?" a voice asked from behind Lupe. Mel glanced up to see Detective Manny Martinez standing there. He did not look happy to see them.

Twelve.

"Manny!" Mel greeted the tall, dark, and annoyingly handsome detective. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not checking the flower arrangements," he said, giving her a look that made her feel flustered and not just because she had evaded his question.

"Oh, right," Mel said. She stepped forward and gave him an awkward half hug. He looked amused, as if he knew she was uncertain how to behave around him. "Homicide detective. Body. It all adds up now."

"The hotel manager said you were the one to find the victim," he said. His black eyes looked concerned and Mel gave him a rueful smile.

"It wasn't me this time," she said. "It was Angie."

"Hi." Angie rose from her seat on the planter and gave him a small wave.

Manny and Angie had an uneasy relationship. Mel knew it was mostly her fault. With Joe being Angie's older brother, Angie felt a certain loyalty to him to not like any man who showed an interest in the woman Joe wanted to marry, which would be Mel. On the other hand, Angie was Mel's best friend and wanted her to be happy, so she tried to be extra nice to Manny on the off-very off-chance that Mel and Manny ended up together.

"How are you doing?" he asked. He gave Angie the same concerned look he'd given Mel.

"Not great," Angie said.

"Understandable," Manny said. "Can you talk about it? We can wait for Stan if you want. He's coming here from another call."

"No, it's fine," Angie said. "I can do this."

It sounded to Mel like she was talking herself into it.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah." Angie gave her a stiff nod.