in? Oh yes, they’d lost their evidence.
Well, Charly had more than enough information to prove Veronica was a jewel thief—from a Google search! Darcy and Dominic were definitely not professionals. Mikey watched her with worried eyes. He handed her his drink. “You look like you need this more than I do.”
Charlize looked inquiringly over it, still trying to work out the mystery.
“I wasn’t going to drink it.” Mikey took on a conversational tone. “I can’t stand strawberry spritzers. Aaron loves them, so I thought I’d push it off on him. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
She was still trying to figure out how to break this to Aaron as she downed the drink. She set it down. “Where’s Aaron?”
Mikey nodded, turning serious. “I’ll get him.” Mikey left while Charly tried to figure out what Veronica was planning. She didn’t contemplate it long before her mind got fuzzy. She was so tired. Too tired. What was going on? Her eyes drew to the clock, and she saw it was almost an hour before they were supposed to finish up the Murder Mystery. And she was supposed to do something else, too. It was on the edge of her consciousness. Her mind wouldn’t work right.
A smooth, pale hand slid over hers, and she glanced up and saw Veronica, who rolled her big green eyes at her. “That wasn’t meant for you.” Veronica’s voice sounded warped. Her face came in and out of the fog. “You weren’t supposed to drink that.”
Charlize squinted up at her. “You’re—you’re a jewel thief!”
Veronica’s expression tightened, and she looked around. “Here, I’ve got you.” She wrapped her arms over Charly’s shoulders, helping her find her feet. Charly clung to her, grateful for the support or she’d have fallen to the ground. Staring at Veronica, she had a sinking sensation that maybe she shouldn’t trust her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t remember why when she was being so nice.
The scenery moved as a blur before Charly; her feet felt heavy, and she could hear the sound of her shoes colliding against the ground with each crashing step before she stumbled and felt the world disappear.
CHARLIZE WOKE UP, FIGHTING through the fog. Her heart beat dully as she stared up at a room with rock walls and ceiling. She was in a cave, but where was she? Desperately she tried to figure out her surroundings, and managed to link them to a memory of Mollie and her ghost tours. A burst of panic shook her. This looked like the underground tunnels at the bottom of the hotel. Veronica’s face appeared before her. Charly jumped.
That’s right! Everything rushed back to her. Veronica was a jewel thief. Adrenaline rushed through Charlize and forced her mind to work, even if her body didn’t yet. The Autumn Molinero designs were everywhere. If Dominic and Darcy were to be believed, Veronica was going to clean the place out. Charly fought to move her hand and brushed her shaking fingers against her sapphire necklace to see if it was still there.
Veronica let out a harsh laugh. “I don’t want your necklace.” She sneered and grabbed Charly’s arm instead. Veronica’s lips twisted, her expression battling with helplessness and disdain; her every move making her seem like an angry cat lashing out.
Charly was too weak to fight her. She could only watch Veronica tie her hands together. This was bad. Really bad. Her bound hands fell against her stomach. “Why are you doing this? Why did you drug me?”
“I didn’t. I mean... I did, but you weren’t supposed to get that.”
Who was? Mikey said that the drink was meant for Aaron. Veronica paced the length of the underground tunnel. It stretched only a few hundred feet before it was blocked off. The hotel couldn’t have real thieves wandering down here. So ironic. “I wanted a new life, okay!” Veronica cried. “Is that so wrong? I was only a kid when I stole the royal Czech Princess necklace; I worked at the museum and I got in with some bad people. I had no idea what I was doing. Why won’t anyone give me a break? I just wanted to be normal again.”
Charly’s stomach tightened at Veronica’s bleak face. Maybe she could talk sense into her. “You can!”
“Oh, so innocent! Playing the Girl Next Door until the bitter end. You have no idea how life works, do you? Well, I do, honey, and it’s all about money. It always is, and I’ve got to do my part.