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kept the reaction off her face. She held the woman’s gaze, staring her down.
    “You don’t have to believe me,” she said, her voice even and steady. “I’m telling the truth. What you choose to believe is up to you. But if you don’t have anything helpful to contribute, please keep quiet while the rest of us work through this.”
    Jessica actually did recoil at the statement. Out of the corner of her eye Meredith saw a few eyebrows go up on the several of the others’ faces, too. Good, she thought. Better they all know right now that she wasn’t messing around. Not only would it be easier for her to keep things under control, it would make them all calmer knowing someone was.
    “Besides, Jess,” Greg said with a wobbly grin. “That killer went after brides, not maids of honor. Right, Meredith?”
    “Shut up, Greg,” Scott said darkly. “You’re not helping.”
    “Why not?” Greg asked. “That should make her feel better.”
    “Jess,” Tom interjected. “Did you see anyone or anything in the hall when you found Haley?”
    Jessica appeared to consider the question. “I—I don’t think so. But I really wasn’t paying attention. I came out into the hall, and that’s when I saw her. I didn’t really notice anything else.”
    “What were you even doing in the hall in the middle of the night?” Alex asked.
    “I had to use the bathroom,” she said with a touch of defensiveness. It was a believable explanation. Sutton Hall had been built in the 1870s and only the larger suites, both in the towers and right next to them, had en suite bathrooms. Scott and Rachel’s room had one, but the rest of the wedding party were using the two bathrooms along the hall.
    “What do you want to do?” Tom asked, directing the question to Meredith. He’d risen to his feet and stood facing her. The sound of the calmness in his voice soothed her nerves just as much as she hoped hers did for the others. She nearly smiled at him in gratitude.
    Meredith thought quickly. “First we need to call the police. I don’t suppose anyone’s cell is working?”
    Several of the group shook their heads. Tom dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After a moment of staring at the screen, he shook his head. “Mine still isn’t.”
    “I tried the landline a little while ago to test it and it was still working. Hopefully it still is.”
    “Even if you reach them, will they be able to get through in this weather?” Scott asked.
    Meredith hesitated the slightest moment before admitting, “Maybe not.” She saw the panic flash across several faces and quickly added, “But I don’t know that for sure. Let me call and see what they say first. This is my first time up here in a storm this bad. The locals might be better at getting around in this kind of snow.” She wasn’t holding out much hope, but for the time being, it was better if everyone had at least a little. “Why doesn’t everyone come down and wait in the living room while I make the call?”
    “What about Haley?” Rachel asked quietly. Meredith saw she was still staring at her fallen friend. “We can’t just leave her lying there.”
    Meredith glanced down at the body. Haley’s eyes were now closed. Tom must have done it, a gesture of respect Meredith appreciated. “At the moment, this is a crime scene. We shouldn’t move anything until I speak with the police and see when they might be able to get here and how they’d like us to proceed. Let’s all go downstairs and I’ll make that call.”
    She turned and started for the stairs, hoping the others would follow. A few moments later, she heard their muffled footsteps on the carpet behind her and exhaled slightly in relief.
    The chandelier was aglow in the main foyer, shining sparkling rays of light across the staircase and marble floor below. Still, as Meredith reached the top of the stairs and peered down, she had to suppress a shudder. With no lights coming from the front windows or side halls, the