“You’ve lost me.”
“My mother got the feeling that Candace was about to get dumped,” Bethanny said, shaking her head. “So she sent me here, like always, to make sure she’s okay. Didn’t matter that I had plans. We gotta make sure Candy is okay. And make up some ridiculous story in the process, so she doesn’t know that’s what we’re doing.”
“So, this is a bit of a pattern?”
“Yeah, you could say that,” she said, getting to her feet and walking back to the window. “How well do you know Candace?”
I shrugged. “Um, well enough, I guess? She’s always struck me as a really sweet person.”
“Oh yeah, she’s sweet.” Bethanny crossed her arms over her chest. “And kind. And full of sunshine and lemon drops.”
I waited for her to go on. I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of this speech, but the emotions were real. And kind of scary.
“What Candace is not—at least according to my mother—is able to take care of herself. It’s like she believes my sister is just too precious for this world.”
I waited again as Bethanny resumed her pacing. Suddenly she whirled around and asked, “Did you know Candy was seriously overweight when she was younger?”
I blinked.
“My parents would kill me if they heard me say that. But it’s true. She didn’t exactly have an easy time making friends.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. “I’m pretty sure that’s why my parents adopted me. So there would always be someone to look after Candace. They wanted to make sure that she’d never be alone.”
“Wow.” It was all I could think of to say.
“So yeah, now it turns out I may be getting dumped by a really great guy because once again my parents demanded I take care of my sister.”
“I’m sorry about your boyfriend, but I don’t think … I mean, Candace doesn’t strike me as the type of person who needs a round-the-clock babysitter.” You know, except for when she did. “She has a lot going for her.”
“Tell my parents that.” Bethanny took a deep breath. “Growing up I tried so hard to be perfect. To make my parents proud. But it didn’t matter how spectacular a report card I brought home, or what event I won in track and field, the question around the dinner table was, How was your day, Candace? And you know what’s crazy?” She shook her head. “I got it. I mean, like you said, she’s a nice person. For so long I did my best, but…”
“But?”
“I have to start taking care of me.”
Again with the ominous tone. “I get that. I mean it sounds fair.” As long as taking care of me didn’t include taking care of her sister. I was going to leave it at that—it wasn’t my business—but I kind of felt that I had to say something to defend Candace. When she was doing all that weeping in the snow, she genuinely seemed upset about not being there for Bethanny … among all the other things she was upset about. I really got the impression that she did want to do better by her sister. Be that big sister. The timing was just bad. “Look, I get where you’re coming from. I have a similar relationship with my mother. I always thought she needed taking care of … but it turns out she’s doing just fine on her own. Candace has done pretty well for herself in Otter Lake. A lot of people care about her. Your parents may think you all need to take care of Candace, but I think she’s doing a pretty good job taking care of herself.” Again, crying in the snow aside. But who among us hasn’t been there once or twice? “I really think she’d like to have a different sort of relationship with you. She was just saying earlier that she wanted to—”
Suddenly the door burst open.
“Freddie?”
He rushed in with Tyler … and Bean?
“What’s going on?”
“We gotta go.”
“Why?” I asked, rising to my feet.
“I’ll explain outside.” Freddie’s eyes darted to Bethanny. “Good thing we found you. Now you can take care of Candace.”
I winced and shot a look over my shoulder. Ouch.
“Why is Candace’s sister laughing?” Freddie asked lowly.
“It’s a long story.”
“Okay, well, come on. We’ve got to go.”
I heard Bethanny get to her feet behind me. “Where is Candace?” she asked. “I probably should go check on her.”
Freddie snapped his fingers in the air. “Tyler, take Bethanny to Candace.”
“Oh, um.” Hmm, this was awkward. Okay, it’s not like I was thinking Bethanny was the one behind Candace’s so-called accidents, but I couldn’t exactly ignore the fact that she did have motive and Candace was incapacitated.
“What?” Freddie asked.
I shot him my best, most intense, panicked eyes.
“I don’t understand,” he said with a little shake of his head.
I put even more intensity into my gaze.
“Timmy’s in the well?”
“Um…” Think fast, Erica. “Bethanny, here, has kind of had a rough night. I think maybe it’s better if she takes some time to have some fun?”
Freddie looked at me sideways. “Except that would be really weird because her sister was just in an accident, and she’s probably worried about her.”
“It’s okay,” Bethanny said, walking past me. “Thanks for the advice, Erica, but I know my job.”
She left with Tyler, and I whipped out my phone.
“Who are you texting?” Freddie asked.
“Rhonda,” I muttered, quickly typing the words Do not leave Candace alone with anyone. Even her sister.
“Why?”
“Because I just had a long talk with Bethanny, and her and Candace are not exactly on the best of terms, so I need to give Rhonda a heads-up.”
“Seriously?” Freddie asked. “You think she’s the killer and you just let her walk off with my charge?”
“No, I don’t really think she’s the killer, but—”
My phone buzzed. I looked at the screen.
Ack.
That was Rhonda’s short form for acknowledged. The woman really did know how to take an order.
I looked back up at Freddie then quickly back down and started typing.
And don’t tell her I told you that.
I almost added, And don’t ask any suspicious questions, but quickly thought better of it. Telling Rhonda not to ask any suspicious questions might guarantee that she did.
“Now,” I said, looking up. “What’s your lead?”
Freddie blinked. “It seems kind of anticlimactic now.”
“Seriously?”
“No.” He grabbed my elbow. “It’s awesome. Let’s go!”