"What?" Emily looked confused.

"How did you know that Rita had a c.o.ke machine in her living room?" Josie asked. "You've never been in her apartment."

"Molly told me about it," she said. "It's all Rita talked about."

Now Josie knew exactly who killed Rita. She pressed 911 on her cell phone and left the line open. She could hear the 911 operator asking, "What is your emergency?" Josie raised her voice to cover the query.

"Molly didn't tell you anything," Josie said. "That vintage c.o.ke machine was delivered after Molly Deaver was murdered." She tried to state as many facts as fast as possible to let the 911 operator know exactly the nature of her emergency.

"You shot your sister in the parking lot at the St. Louis Mobo-Pet Clinic," Josie said. "The one in Rock Road Village. Molly didn't run away when she saw you. She thought she had nothing to fear from you, Emily."

"You're crazy," Emily said. "I didn't kill Molly."

"You did," Josie said, raising her voice even louder. "Then you beat-" What was Rita's last name? She needed it for 911. "Rita Marie Kutchner to death in her apartment. Rita knew you killed your own sister. What happened, Emily? Did Rita find out how badly you needed Molly's money?"

"She was blackmailing me," Emily said. "She got what she deserved. Rita said she'd tell the police unless I gave her eight thousand dollars for that stupid c.o.ke machine. I said we didn't have that kind of money. She said I'd have to find it somewhere."

"And you did," Josie said. "You embezzled it from the food bank committee for the Estates at Wood Winds. Shame on you, Emily Deaver." Good. She'd told 911 her attacker's name and the location.

"I borrowed the money," Emily said. "I'm paying it back."

"Now that you've shot your sister and inherited her money, you can afford to," Josie said.

"Rita lied," Emily said. "She said she'd stop after I gave her the eight thousand, but she didn't. She wanted more antiques."

"Why did you kill your sister?" Josie asked. "Molly wasn't blackmailing you."

"She was ruining my life," Emily said. She was sobbing now. "I needed money, and she spent everything on clothes and those weddings and she got richer. I asked her for a loan and she said no."

"But she was your sister," Josie said.

"Half sister," Emily said. "She was a lunatic, stalking strangers and saying she was engaged to them. She was hurting Brad's business. n.o.body wants an accountant with a crazy relative. We were going broke because of her. Because she wanted this junk."

Emily yanked the ma.s.sive soup tureen out of the box. Insane rage lit her eyes and reason fled her face.

"Don't!" Josie screamed. "Put that down. You could kill me."

"Exactly," Emily said, and hurled it at Josie.

The tureen shattered against the orange wall like a bomb. Josie hoped the 911 operator heard the noise. She shrieked as loud as she could, picked up the closest cardboard box, and held it in front of her like a shield.

A Waterford vase crashed into the makeshift shield, and Josie's defense crumpled. She dropped to the carpet and crawled to the pile of Macy's presents. Josie hurled the six-pack of Lenox winegla.s.ses. They hit the folding table and shattered.

Wedding presents were flying everywhere. She ducked as the toaster sailed past, and reached for the blender.

It missed Emily and bounced on the thick carpet.

There was nowhere for Josie to hide. She crawled backward, hoping to break for the back door.

More crystal shattered against the wall near Josie. She made it to the bone china place settings and tossed dish after dish, like a drunk at a Greek restaurant. One plate glanced off Emily's shoulder, but it barely stopped her.

Josie ducked behind another pile of boxes, searching for more weapons. She threw the coffeepot at Emily. Emily charged, swung a silver candlestick at Josie's head, and gouged the wall.

Josie felt for something else to throw and connected with the pizza stone. She held the heavy piece by the handles like a shield, turned, and whapped Emily on the head with it.

There was a sound like a gong.

Emily dropped senseless to the carpet.

Chapter 34.

Thursday, November 1 Josie stood over the killer's body, still holding the pizza stone. She was prepared to clobber Emily again if she moved.

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket with one hand and said, "Operator, it's me, Josie Marcus. I called you. I was being attacked by a killer. It's Emily Deaver Destin. She killed two people: her sister, Molly Ann Deaver, and Molly's coworker, Rita Kutchner. I need the police and an ambulance. I'm at Emily's home in the Estates at Wood Winds. It's a big gla.s.s house. I'm not sure of the address."

"The police are on the way, ma'am," the operator said. "So you need medical a.s.sistance?"

"No, but I think the woman who attacked me does. She's out cold on the floor."

"You should leave the house immediately, ma'am. Go outside and stay on the line until the police arrive."

Josie heard sirens slicing through the subdivision's sleepy silence and saw Alyce sprinting across the lawn, screaming, "Josie! What's happened?" She ran into Emily's living room shouting, "Are you hurt?" Alyce had gone even whiter with worry, and her pale blond hair was flying straight out. Her chest was heaving after the short run from her house.

"I'm okay, Alyce," Josie said. "Go home to Justin."

"Ma'am?" the 911 operator said. "Are you still on the line? Are you in danger?"

"I'm here," Josie said. "I'm fine."

"I've asked you to leave the house immediately. Go outside and stay on the line until the police arrive."

Three patrol cars slammed up the double driveway.

"They're here," Josie said, and hung up. She and Alyce watched the officer emerging from the car. He was about thirty, with a strong jaw and a shaved head. His name tag said RICE.

Officer Rice and another uniformed officer with a soft face entered the front door, hands poised over unsnapped holsters. They walked like prowling cats-poised and alert.

"It's okay, Officers," Josie said. "The killer is pa.s.sed out on the floor there."

After a quick sweep of the house, they returned. Josie and Alyce followed behind them. "Stay back, ma'am." It was the soft-faced officer. His name tag said DAVIS. Officer Davis had a slight paunch and a five o'clock shadow at three in the afternoon.

"I'm representing Ms. Marcus," Alyce said. "My client has that right."

She was careful not to identify herself as an attorney. Alyce probably knew as much about criminal law as her lawyer husband. Jake's specialty was contracts. While he was in law school, Alyce had audited his early-morning criminal law cla.s.ses. Her course notes got him an A.

Now she'd successfully bluffed her way into staying inside Emily's house with Josie.

Emily, flat on the floor amid gla.s.s shards and shattered china, moaned softly. Josie could see a plum-colored egg forming on her forehead.

Officer Davis directed Josie and her "attorney" to sit in the breakfast room. Alyce didn't correct the man about her t.i.tle.

"You'll need to surrender your cell phones," he said.

"I live down the street," Alyce said. "I didn't bring mine."

"Mine's right here in my pocket," Josie said, and handed it over. Davis took it and nodded.

"I'd like to speak to my client," Alyce said. "Alone."

A uniformed woman officer stayed in the kitchen, watching them. Officer Davis joined the other policemen in the living room.

From the breakfast room, the two women couldn't see Emily, but they heard her. Sound echoed in the empty, curtainless living room. "Let's listen now and talk later," Alyce whispered.

Josie and Alyce watched three paramedics open a portable stretcher in the entrance hall, then heard it crunch across the ruined wedding presents on the carpet.

"She seems okay, but she should be checked for a concussion at the hospital," one paramedic said.

"Not before I tell these officers how that woman attacked and robbed me," Emily said.

"You're refusing treatment?" the paramedic asked.

"No, but I insist on talking first," Emily said. "Then you can take me to the ER. Give me that paper and I'll sign it."

There was a pause. Josie guessed she was signing the EMS medical release.

"Will you also sign a search waiver?" Officer Rice asked.

"Of course," Emily said. "I have nothing to hide."

Next, Officer Rice cautioned Emily. Both policemen stayed silent as Emily wept and spun her story about "that woman's vicious attack."

"She tried to steal my poor dead sister's money," Emily said through her tears.

Josie's eyes opened wide at the lie. Alyce squeezed her arm. "Don't say a word," she whispered. "Let the police handle this."

"Molly Deaver is my sister," Emily said. "She was shot to death by some woman from Boca, Lenore Something Hall, in the parking lot at a veterinary clinic. She's in jail. Somehow that woman in my breakfast room found out my sister had had her wedding presents delivered here and tried to rob me. I came into this room around three o'clock and caught her red-handed. She'd opened all the wedding cards. I think there was more than fifty thousand dollars in checks in them-gifts for my poor sister. You'll find that woman's fingerprints all over the checks."

Josie started to protest, but Alyce shook her head, warning her to stay silent.

"I don't even know her name," Emily said. That was the only truth in her fantastic tale. "She attacked me with my sister's china and crystal. See that box of broken winegla.s.ses? She threw them at me. I was forced to defend myself with that soup tureen. That's what's left. It was painted with big roses."

Oh, she's good, Josie thought. My prints are on those gla.s.ses and the checks. Hers will be on the tureen.

Emily took them on a tour of the war of the wedding presents. "I think I threw that toaster at my attacker," she said. "She tried to hit me with the blender, but she missed. She threw all Molly's china-ten place settings-at me. Her aim wasn't very good. She only hit me once, in the shoulder.

"She also hurled that heavy coffeepot at me. I tried to defend myself with a silver candlestick. I swung at her and missed. You can see where I gouged my wall there.

"I was fighting for my life. I don't think she was injured at all. I tried to run out of the room to call for help, but she slammed me in the head with that heavy pizza stone. It's there on the floor. That's all I remember until I woke up and saw you."

Josie wished she could see the officers' faces.

"What made you decide to come into the living room?" Officer Rice asked. "Did you hear a sound?"

"I'm not sure," Emily said. "This is a big house. More than five thousand square feet. I think I had a bad feeling."

"Was your front door locked?" Rice asked.

"We don't lock our doors in this neighborhood," Emily said. "It's a gated community."

"How did the attacker get past the gate guard?" Rice asked.

"I don't know," Emily said. "You'll have to ask him."

The officers gave no hint they knew about Josie's 911 call for help.

Emily signed a statement swearing her fairy tale was true. Only then did she let the paramedics wheel her away. A uniformed officer was sent along with the paramedics.

"She's getting her head examined," Alyce said.

"Should have done that years ago," Josie said.

"Want to tell me what really happened?" Alyce asked.

Josie did, then said, "Shouldn't you be home with Justin?"

"He's asleep," Alyce said. "His nanny is watching him. Justin's fever broke about noon."

"I'm so glad," Josie said.

"Me, too. He's as cranky as his daddy when he has a cold," Alyce said. "Must be a guy thing."

Josie thought it was sweet that Alyce seemed proud of her son's so-called manly behavior.

"I can't believe I let you go alone to a killer's house," Alyce said. "I thought she was the sane sister."

"She probably is," Josie said. "That's the sad part."

The two police officers were back in the breakfast room.

"Ms. Marcus will be happy to talk to you," Alyce said. "I'd like to use a phone first to call my nanny. I need to ask her to stay late with my two-year-old son."