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“That’s what they’re trying to find out. From the looks of it, someone wanted to find something.”
    â€œAre you saying this is connected to her death?”
    â€œI honestly don’t know. But it does look suspicious. Can you think of any reason anyone might want to kill her?”
    â€œNo!” said Nicole. “No one would want to kill Dana. She was so sweet. I mean, you met her. Can you imagine anyone not liking her?” She was searching my eyes for some sort of agreement, but I just bobbed my head in a not-quite-nod. I myself had wanted to kill her a little bit, and I’d only known her a week.
    â€œEveryone loved Dana. Right, Vince?” She looked to her new husband for support.
    â€œUm, yeah,” he enthused, shuffling his feet while playing with the fringe on a throw pillow. Zoe had turned her attention to a small statue in a nook near the bed, deeply engrossed in its craftsmanship, no doubt.
    â€œOh, God, this is all my fault,” Nicole said.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Zoe asked. “How is this your fault?”
    â€œI’m the one who brought her here. If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened!”
    â€œNicole,” I said, “this isn’t anyone’s fault. Well, it may be someone’s fault, but it certainly isn’t yours. Or mine. Let’s be very clear about that.”
    Zoe set down the statue. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s—”
    â€œIt’s no one’s fault,” said Vince brusquely, interrupting a sentence I kind of wanted to hear the end of.
    Right as I opened my mouth to ask Zoe what she meant, Mrs. Abernathy swooped into the room without so much as knocking. So much for privacy, I thought, forcing a smile onto my face.
    â€œMom, someone went through Dana’s room!” Nicole said.
    â€œIt figures, with all the hoodlums I’ve seen loitering around the plaza. Why I allowed you to drag us to Mexico, I’ll never know.” She hadn’t directed the comment at me, but I was pretty sure she wouldn’t have phrased it that way if she’d been talking to Nicole.
    â€œMrs. Abernathy, this wasn’t a break-in. Someone was looking for something. They destroyed Dana’s room.”
    â€œHow common,” Mrs. Abernathy said, waving a perfectly manicured hand in the air. “Well, there goes our deposit.”
    How was it that Mrs. Abernathy was so skilled at missing the point? I didn’t know how the girls put up with her. The woman should come with her own warning label.
    â€œOkay, then,” I said. “So that’s what I know. I need to go tie up a few loose ends so we can get out of here. I’ll be sure and tell you if the police find anything. In the meantime, if you can give me contact information for Dana’s next of kin, I’ll make sure the proper arrangements are made for her things.”
    Nicole’s eyes were wide. “But what about…?” The question hung there for a minute, unfinished.
    â€œWhat about what?” I asked.
    â€œYes, spit it out, dear,” added Mrs. Abernathy.
    â€œHer … you know. Her body.” Nicole’s voice was barely audible. “Does she have to get buried here?”
    â€œDon’t be silly, darling. Kelsey will fly back with the body.”
    I would? No thanks.
    â€œI don’t know how these things work,” Nicole said. “I’ve never known anyone who’s died before. Well, one of my grandmothers died, but she was really old. She had dentures.”
    â€œLook, Nicole, it’s really sweet of you to be so concerned, but don’t you worry about it. What happens with the, the—with Dana is up to her family.” And no one else, I wanted to add. “They’ll take care of it. Now let’s get you guys all packed up. The limo will be here at four, and Evan will be waiting at the airport to fly us to Mexico City.”
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