“Your brother is fine,” Mr. Dalby snapped. “No, this is about you, Reva.”
“Me?” Reva’s mind raced as she tried to figure out what she could possibly have done to make her father so upset.
“Your cousin Pam and her friend paid me a visit about an hour ago. They had some interesting things to say. Interesting—and disturbing.”
Uh-oh. It’s about the scarves, Reva thought. They came over here and blabbed their mouths off!
“I’m extremely disappointed in you,” Mr. Dalby declared. “You led me to believe that you had designed those scarves. How could you lie to me like that?”
“Daddy, I—”
“And then you refused to draw up a business contract with the real designers!” her father interrupted. “You were going to cheat them, Reva! How could you even think of doing such a thing?”
“Daddy, you don’t understand!” Reva cried. “I’m sorry, really. I didn’t mean to make you think I designed the scarves. And I didn’t refuse to make a business arrangement with Pam and Willow. I planned to be very fair with them. It’s all a big misunderstanding. I was going to tell you everything!”
“Oh? Why didn’t you?”
“I just got so busy,” she explained. “I want the scarf show to be absolutely perfect. And it’s a lot of work to do in just a couple of days. And then . . .”
“Yes?”
Reva lowered her eyes and sniffed. “Then Traci was killed,” she continued in a quivery voice. “It was just so horrible I forgot to tell you about Pam and Willow!”
Mr. Dalby remained silent.
Reva kept her head down and peered up at him through her eyelashes.
Good. He didn’t look so grim anymore. He was definitely softening up. “I’m sorry,” she repeated softly. “I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”
“Well. . .” Her father cleared his throat. “I know Traci’s death was a shock. But really, Reva, you should have told me about Pam and her friend at the very beginning.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I planned to, but—”
“They were upset and they had every right to be.”
“Yes.” Reva clenched her teeth.
“I worked out an arrangement with the two girls. A generous arrangement,” he added.
“Oh, good!” Reva gushed. “Thanks for taking care of it, Daddy.”
Her father nodded.
So Pam and Willow have their precious contract, Reva thought. Big deal. I’ll still be running the show.
“Listen, Daddy, I’d better go get ready for bed,” she told him. “I have to be at the store early. Tomorrow is the first show, and I want it to go really well.”
“It better,” her father warned. “Because if one more thing goes wrong—just one more thing—I’ll have no choice. I’ll have to cancel the show.”
“Don’t worry, Daddy, everything will be perfect,” she assured him. “I promise.”
Reva kissed her father on the cheek, then quickly hurried from the living room.
Climbing the stairs, she seethed with anger as she thought about everything that had happened in the past few hours.
The threatening phone call from Daniel. Sitting in that hideous police station. Being chased by Grace’s crazy ex-boyfriend.
And to top off the totally horrible night, her own cousin had gone behind her back. Pam had actually snitched on her about the scarves!
Now Daddy is angry at me, she thought. He said he would cancel the show if anything else happens.
And he meant it!
Humiliated, Reva marched down the hall. The guest room door opened.
“Is everything okay?” Grace murmured anxiously.
“You don’t have to whisper!” Reva snapped. “This isn’t a funeral parlor!”
“Sorry.” Grace looked hurt. “Your father seemed upset and I wondered what was wrong.”
“What could be wrong?” Reva asked sarcastically. “Everything’s perfect. Just perfect!” She frowned. “You really should put some of that makeup on your eye,” she added bluntly. “That bruise makes you look like a panda bear.”
Grace nervously touched her eye. “I was going to put some makeup on. Then Rory called and I forgot. I guess I didn’t realize how ugly it is. Sorry.”
“Oh, forget it.” Reva took a deep breath. “I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.”
Grace slipped back into the guest room, and Reva strode away, still annoyed. Grace was such a mouse! She probably shouldn’t have snapped at her like that, but she couldn’t help it.
On second thought, maybe she should keep snapping at her. Then Grace might pack her bags and go home.