turning her face into his chest.
“Are you sure there isn’t anyone else in the house?” Alex asked.
Meredith shook her head. “No, this is everyone.”
“But are you sure of that,” Alex pressed in what Tom imagined was his hardnosed reporter voice. “This is a massive place. There’s no way there could be someone else here that you don’t know about?”
Meredith hesitated, seeming to consider the idea. At the sight of that pause, Tom could practically feel the tension in the room go up another notch.
“We’re so isolated that anyone would have needed a car to get up here, and I haven’t seen any unexpected vehicles around. Have you, Rick?”
The man shook his head. “No.”
“Have you had any trucks making deliveries for the wedding?” Alex asked. “Is there a chance someone could have come with someone else and simply not left?”
Meredith paused again, but this time was quicker to answer. “It’s possible, but very unlikely. For one thing, someone would have had to get into the house without Ellen, Rick or I noticing. I honestly don’t believe there’s anyone else here.”
Tom fought a frown. Given the size of Sutton Hall, there could be any number of places someone could have sneaked in unnoticed. He kept his mouth shut, not about to bring that up now. The group was tense enough as it is. And she was right, it did seem unlikely. Still, it was something they might have to consider.
“Then who could have done this?” Rachel said.
Tom watched several heads turn toward Rick and Ellen, viewing them with suspicion. Rick and Ellen looked back at the group with equal distrust.
“Maybe it was her, ” Jessica said sullenly, looking straight at Meredith. She leaned back in her seat, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes narrowed to slits.
“It couldn’t have been Meredith,” Tom said, barely managing to keep a hold of his temper. “She was with me.”
Tom sensed the others’ attention shift to him and Meredith. Jessica’s eyes widened, her brows shooting sky-high as she glanced from him to Meredith and back again. “I didn’t realize the two of you were so close .”
“We’re not,” Tom said, though as soon as the words were out they felt wrong somehow. “We were in the kitchen. I went down for a snack. We both came when we heard you screaming. And she was right earlier. If you don’t have anything helpful to contribute, you might as well be quiet and let the rest of us work this out.”
“This isn’t your damn TV show, Tom,” Jessica sniped. “We’re not part of some production for you to manage, Mr. Producer. You’re not in charge here.”
“No, I am,” Meredith said. Tom thought he heard a tremor in her voice, so light he wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined it. She glanced around the room at the others, her gaze steady. “Unless anyone has a problem with that?”
No one voiced an objection. Jess’s eyes narrowed, her face going red, but she held her tongue, pressing her lips together tightly.
“Good,” Meredith said. Tom could practically sense her relief. “Now I think we should all try to get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and sitting here throwing around a bunch of accusations isn’t accomplishing anything. Hopefully after we get some rest, we’ll all be thinking clearer and we can figure out what to do next.”
“An excellent idea!” Greg proclaimed, raising his glass in acknowledgment. Tom noted that his hand shook as he made the gesture. “I could use some shut-eye myself.”
“I’m not sure how much sleep I’ll be able to get,” Rachel said quietly. A few others murmured in agreement.
“That’s why it helps to have a drink,” Greg said.
Rachel shot him a look, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “I don’t think it would help at all if the rest of us started drinking as much as you.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised. It’s very good at helping you forget things. For a little while at least...” he added almost as an afterthought, his
“Are you sure there isn’t anyone else in the house?” Alex asked.
Meredith shook her head. “No, this is everyone.”
“But are you sure of that,” Alex pressed in what Tom imagined was his hardnosed reporter voice. “This is a massive place. There’s no way there could be someone else here that you don’t know about?”
Meredith hesitated, seeming to consider the idea. At the sight of that pause, Tom could practically feel the tension in the room go up another notch.
“We’re so isolated that anyone would have needed a car to get up here, and I haven’t seen any unexpected vehicles around. Have you, Rick?”
The man shook his head. “No.”
“Have you had any trucks making deliveries for the wedding?” Alex asked. “Is there a chance someone could have come with someone else and simply not left?”
Meredith paused again, but this time was quicker to answer. “It’s possible, but very unlikely. For one thing, someone would have had to get into the house without Ellen, Rick or I noticing. I honestly don’t believe there’s anyone else here.”
Tom fought a frown. Given the size of Sutton Hall, there could be any number of places someone could have sneaked in unnoticed. He kept his mouth shut, not about to bring that up now. The group was tense enough as it is. And she was right, it did seem unlikely. Still, it was something they might have to consider.
“Then who could have done this?” Rachel said.
Tom watched several heads turn toward Rick and Ellen, viewing them with suspicion. Rick and Ellen looked back at the group with equal distrust.
“Maybe it was her, ” Jessica said sullenly, looking straight at Meredith. She leaned back in her seat, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes narrowed to slits.
“It couldn’t have been Meredith,” Tom said, barely managing to keep a hold of his temper. “She was with me.”
Tom sensed the others’ attention shift to him and Meredith. Jessica’s eyes widened, her brows shooting sky-high as she glanced from him to Meredith and back again. “I didn’t realize the two of you were so close .”
“We’re not,” Tom said, though as soon as the words were out they felt wrong somehow. “We were in the kitchen. I went down for a snack. We both came when we heard you screaming. And she was right earlier. If you don’t have anything helpful to contribute, you might as well be quiet and let the rest of us work this out.”
“This isn’t your damn TV show, Tom,” Jessica sniped. “We’re not part of some production for you to manage, Mr. Producer. You’re not in charge here.”
“No, I am,” Meredith said. Tom thought he heard a tremor in her voice, so light he wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined it. She glanced around the room at the others, her gaze steady. “Unless anyone has a problem with that?”
No one voiced an objection. Jess’s eyes narrowed, her face going red, but she held her tongue, pressing her lips together tightly.
“Good,” Meredith said. Tom could practically sense her relief. “Now I think we should all try to get some sleep. It’s been a long day, and sitting here throwing around a bunch of accusations isn’t accomplishing anything. Hopefully after we get some rest, we’ll all be thinking clearer and we can figure out what to do next.”
“An excellent idea!” Greg proclaimed, raising his glass in acknowledgment. Tom noted that his hand shook as he made the gesture. “I could use some shut-eye myself.”
“I’m not sure how much sleep I’ll be able to get,” Rachel said quietly. A few others murmured in agreement.
“That’s why it helps to have a drink,” Greg said.
Rachel shot him a look, her nose wrinkling in distaste. “I don’t think it would help at all if the rest of us started drinking as much as you.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised. It’s very good at helping you forget things. For a little while at least...” he added almost as an afterthought, his
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