14

 

Billie woke up alone.

She looked for Diana, but the room was empty, and for a moment she panicked, thinking the killer kidnapped her. But Dianas clothes were gone and her shoes were missing, and Billie relaxed. She must have gone for coffee. Diana needed to mainline it first thing in the morning.

She lounged for a moment, then threw the covers back. Billie put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, slipped on her high top Chucks and left, locking the door. Diana would never forgive her if something happened to Closet Sidney, like being torn, or someone seeing he existed.

The building was eerie and quiet. Every step sounded loud. In the dining room, a high-pitched whistling drilled into her skull. It came from the kitchen. Dread building, she rushed inside. The room was empty.

A tea kettle sat on a pot stand over a lit can of Sterno. Billie set it aside and blew the flame out. A tea cup with a tea bag sat nearby, the coffee pot was full, and a broken mug was shattered on the floor.

“Diana?”

Billie crept around the kitchen, looking for any sign of her friend. She was worried. Di didnt let coffee sit out. She went into the dining room and saw Miles, his hair freshly washed.

“Have you seen Diana?”

His face clouded. “Just keep her away from me, alright?”

“Why, whats wrong?”

“Is that coffee?” Richard stumbled into the room, his hair spiked up. “Oh thank God, I smell coffee. Elyse kept me up all night.”

Billie frowned, unsure how to take that. “Coffees in the kitchen. Have you seen Diana?”

“No, I have not seen Satans Right Hand this morning,” Richard went into the kitchen and came out with a mug of coffee a minute later.

“I cant find her.”

“She probably took off and left us all here,” Richard said morosely. “Were going to be trapped forever. Theyll find our skeletons scattered all over this place soon.”

“Whats got into you?”

“Elyse wasnt a calming presence. I tried everything to shut her up about our impending doom.”

A commotion at the French doors made Billie jump and turn around. She jumped at every noise now. Someone was trying to get in, and she realized it was Diana.

“Oh my God!” Billie ran toward the doors Diana was pushing against and flung them open. Diana stumbled inside, her eyes wild and red from crying.

“Diana! What happened?”

“Who did you kill now?” Miles asked. “See what Im talking about? No one else around here gets covered in blood as much as she does.”

Diana shook her head. She had blood all over her blouse and skirt and smeared on her skin, and her shoes were caked with mud and grass.

“Leave her alone.” Billie ushered Diana into a chair. She hadnt seen her this shaken since sophomore year, and theyd seen some shit since then.

“Its Judd and Cassie,” Diana managed to say. “Blood everywhere. Why were they outside?”

“What?” Miles asked. Without another word, he headed out the door and Richard followed.

“Youre just going to make yourself sick!” Billie yelled after Richard.

“Make who sick?” Fay stood in the doorway, the rest of the girls behind her, save Serena.

“Judd and Cassie are dead,” Billie said.

Fay looked at Diana. “Oh my God.”

They rushed to the door and Brandi cried out at the sight of the figures slumped beneath the trees. Miles was braced against a tree, devastated.

“Oh, no. Oh, poor Miles.” Elyse slipped out the door and ran to him.

“You dont want to see.” Diana sighed. “Its not pretty.”

Claudia, Brandi and Jenny stared at Diana like she just grew a tail. Billie shielded Diana from their view.

“Why dont you go upstairs and have a shower?” Billie helped Diana up and guided her toward the door. “Stay right here for a sec.” Billie popped into the kitchen, poured Diana a cup of coffee, then walked her up to the room. “Ill lock the door behind me. You should lie down.”

She opened the closet door to cheer her up, and Diana smiled at her gratefully.

“Ill check on you in a little while.”

 

When Billie returned downstairs, everyone had gathered around the crime scene. Billie watched from the dining room as the group moved a body toward the lodge. Billie went to unlock the freezer and make sure there was room.

They moved Judd, then Cassie. Judd had deep marks in his throat, but Cassie was a mess.

Richard sat down, his face pale, deep in thought. “Weve got to get out of here.” He looked around, presumably for Elyse, but she was attempting to talk to Miles in a corner.

Miles got up and left the dining room; a moment later, his footsteps echoed on the stairs.

“Wheres Serena?” Billie asked.

“Still asleep,” Fay said. “We checked her pulse before we came down and made sure she was lying on her stomach so she wouldnt choke if she threw up.”

All they needed was an accidental death.

“Im gonna go check the vans,” Richard said.

“Ill see if the phones are working. Maybe Joe has some ideas,” Fay said.

“Ill go with Richard,” Claudia said. “I know a little something about cars. We might be able to fix it.”

Brandi and Jenny huddled together, crying over Cassies fate, then went upstairs to lock themselves in.

Billie looked around the empty dining room. So much for the buddy system. She wasnt setting a good example. She went into the kitchen, got herself a cup of tea and made another cup of coffee and some toast. She went upstairs and knocked on Serenas door. Serena answered and Billie staggered back, gagging over the smell of alcohol pouring off her skin.

“Is Miles here?”

Serena shook her head. “He was. He went to Judds room. Dunno why.

“Judd and Cassie are dead.”

Serena nodded. “Well all be dead soon. I never shouldve come here. Richard promised this was the movie that would make him big time, and he would take us all with him. I should have known better; the only place were going is hell.” She shut the door in Billies face.

Billie went two doors down and knocked, and Miles answered the door. “I brought you some coffee and toast.”

For a second she thought he would shut the door in her face, too, but he opened it and gestured for her to come in. She didnt think he was a killer, but Diana would lecture her when she heard she came in here alone.

“How are you doing?”

Miles shrugged. “Id worked with Judd before. He was a good guy.”

“Im sorry.”

“Sorry hes dead or sorry your friend killed him?”

“Dianas as much a killer as you are. Dont talk that way. You know she couldnt have done that.”

“So why is she always finding bodies? Why is she covered in blood half the time? Shes one of the most unpleasant people Ive ever met, which is ironic, considering shes so pretty.”

Billie raised an eyebrow. “Its complicated. Like Richard said, were unlucky charms.”

“Or the cause of everything.”

“Look, I did something nice, bringing you some food. I felt bad your friend died. But you cant go around accusing my friend of killing people with no proof.”

“Shes doing the same thing.” Miles took a bite of toast. She hated him and the smug look on his face.

“You better lock your door after I leave, just in case youre afraid of her—and I think you are.” Billie stood up and opened the door. “But not because you think shes a killer. Youre afraid for other reasons.” Billie closed the door behind her and crossed the hall. She paused, then went downstairs and made up another tray. At least Diana would appreciate it.

She unlocked the door and walked in. She had seen a lot of crazy things walking into rooms she shared with Diana over the years, from walking in on her with men to a kirtan karaoke party with their roommate Shivani, to finding seventeen handguns on Dianas bed and a note that said “Ill explain later.”

This beat them all.

Diana laid on her back, looking at the ceiling. At least, Billie thought she was. Closet Sidney had been removed from his post in the closet, and was on top of Diana.

“Um, Di, what are you doing?”

“Hes re-energizing my life force, Bils,” she said from under the life-sized poster. “I need his protective energy.”

Billie stared. “Okay. Whatever works. I brought coffee and toast.”

“That also will re-energize me. But let me finish the end of the meditation mantra I have going here.”

“You got it.” Billie set the tray on the nightstand.

A moment later Diana got up and put Closet Sidney back in the closet, but left the door open. “We could both do with some re-energizing.”

“You know, Im good getting re-energized from here.”

“I thought as much.”

Billie fiddled with the bedspread. “Miles thinks you did it.”

“Miles is a moron.”

“He said you were pretty.”

Diana cocked an eyebrow. “Did he?”

Billie nodded.

“I suppose you still think Dick did it?”

Billie shrugged. “He wouldnt have any reason to kill Judd. But he and Cassie . . . I think they slept together.”

Diana sat up straighter. “Do tell.”

 

The phones still were out. No cell reception. No electricity. And the vans were trashed.

Dick and Claudia stared helplessly at the vandalized motors before admitting major automotive repair wasnt their forte. Joe made a big deal of rolling his eyes and sighing, but at least he understood what he was looking at—and it wasnt good. Joes verdict was, not only were some of the electrical harnesses yanked out, but the gas and brake lines were cut for good measure. In short, the vans werent going anywhere.

They were still trapped. The only change was the freezer had two new occupants. Billie assured her the freezer was locked, and Diana was grateful. Things were bad enough without imagining the dead opening their eyes, getting up and shuffling out of the freezer . . . .

Diana stayed in their room for lunch, but Billie brought her a sandwich and told her everyone was arguing about how best to escape. It would be a hours-long hike, if they could scramble over the landslide. No one admitted it, but none of them wanted to be in the woods at night with a killer. Saying the meal was tense was an understatement.

Someone suggested they take the kayaks, but the creek was high and swift, and no one but Miles and Joe had gone kayaking, so that was a bust. Diana wouldnt mind if Miles paddled out of their lives, but he was pretending he wasnt a psycho.

Arm-in-arm with Billie, Diana went downstairs for dinner. She could stay upstairs, but that wouldnt stop them from talking, and she wouldnt let Billie face them alone a second time.

The dining room fell silent when she and Billie walked in, and every eye was on her. She held her head high and ignored them. One of them was a killer, and the rest thought she was the killer. It was unfair; she wasnt a murderer, she was unlucky.

She and Billie sat down. Brandi, Claudia and Jenny got up, amid loud scraping of chairs, and joined Fay, Dick, Miles and Elyse. Diana rolled her eyes. She was glad she didnt have to sit next to Miles. Elyse didnt look like she minded, but she was blinded by lust. Diana couldnt blame her—Miles was lust-worthy. Too bad he was crazy.

Dick stopped picking at his sandwich long enough to take note of their entrance. “Youre like a praying mantis, arent you? Sex, then you kill them? Im relieved Im safe.”

“Not as relieved as I am.” The idea of seeing Dick naked gave her the all-over willies.

“Diana didnt do anything,” Billie said hotly. “If she had, dont you think she would have left them for someone else to find? Besides, can you really see her dragging Cassie around and hoisting Judds body up like that?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck you, Dick,” Diana said.

Billie put a restraining hand on Dianas arm.

“Why? So you can kill me?”

“Strange, but you fucked Lark and she dies. You hit on Jordyn, and the same day, shes attacked. Did you screw Cassie, too?”

Dick went white. “What about Tiny and Judd? I didnt screw them, and theyre dead, too. I sure as hell wasnt screwing Pam.”

“No, but you have a better motive for killing her than anyone else does.” Diana stood up, and Billie pulled on the sleeve of her blouse.

Miles stood up, too. “You had a good motive to kill Cassie. Everyone knew the two of you argued over Judd and he left you for her. Whoever killed Cassie was really pissed with her.”

“How does everyone know that, if the only people who witnessed the argument—” she utilized air quotes “—were you and Dick? So, not only are you a killer, youre a gossip, too.”

Miles blushed.

“Number one—” Diana held up a single finger “—he didnt leave me for anyone. We werent having a love affair, we were on-set fuck buddies. I had Judd alone several times; if I wanted him dead, it would have happened a long time ago. Number two—” she held up a second finger “—I wasnt upset about it. See item number one. Number three—” a third finger “—we didnt have an argument, she ambushed me. Totally different. Like it was worth my time to argue with her over a relationship that would be over when the shoot ended. And number four—” a fourth “—no way I got Judd up in that tree or managed to slash Tinys throat. Tiny was two and a half feet taller than I am, what do you think I did? Levitated? Its fucking ridiculous.

“You know whats not ridiculous? You are strong enough to have killed Tiny and Judd. You have a motive to attack Jordyn. I saw you coming out of the woods this morning right before I found Judd and Cassie. And you threatened me. I was in fear of my life!”

“I didnt threaten you!”

“You loomed. It was pretty fucking creepy! And you called me a murder!”

“Because you killed Cassie and Judd!”

“That was before we even knew Cassie and Judd were dead! If I killed Cassie and Judd, then who killed Tiny, Pam and Lark? Who attacked Jordyn? Do you think we have two killers on set? Three?”

“Maybe you killed all of them. Maybe it was you and Billie. People seem to die wherever you go!”

“Ive been cleared by the police at least three times!”

“Cleared by the police doesnt mean innocent!”

“Please, you are so desperate to divert suspicion. No one here is dumb enough to believe your stories!”

Diana looked around the room. No one met her eyes, until she got to Billie. Billie looked her in the eye and took her hand. Diana smiled. As long as she had Billie in her corner, everything would be okay.

“Maybe,” Brandi said suddenly, “we ought to lock you up. If we did that, and no one else dies, then we know its you.”

Diana stiffened. “No fucking way am I letting myself be isolated and at the mercy of any of you.”

“You might not have a choice.”

“Come get me, then.”

Billie stood up and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her. Diana squeezed her hand, and Billie squeezed back.

“Im not letting you hurt her,” Billie said.

Fay slammed a hand down on the table. “Enough!”

They all turned to her.

“We arent locking anyone up unless we are absolutely sure they are the killer!”

“How many more have to die before youre sure?” Brandi asked. “Cassie was my friend.” She sobbed, and Jenny hugged her. Brandi cried harder, grabbing Jenny like she was a life line.

I will keep an eye on Diana and Billie myself. None of you think its me, I hope?”

Everyone shook their heads. Diana wanted to protest she didnt trust anyone other than Billie, but Bils gave her The Look, which she rarely did, so Diana was quiet.

“This is how well do it. Me, Diana and Billie are a group. You two have somewhere I can sleep?”

“Di and I can share a bed.” Billie elbowed Diana to keep her quiet.

“I dont think this is a good idea, Fay,” Dick interjected. “Sleeping in the same room with those two.”

“Why? Do you think Billie did it?”

Dick looked startled. “Camera Girl? No, but those two are as thick as thieves.”

“If I end up dead, at least youll know who to blame.”

Diana fervently hoped nothing happened to Fay. With their luck, anything could happen.