Obsessed

by Jo Gibson

Genres: YA Horror; YA Mysteries & Thrillers

Synopsis

From master of suspense Jo Gibson comes two heart-stopping novels of romantic obsession--where the love never dies. It kills. . . The Crush Michael Barton is smart, sweet, gorgeous--the total package. Which is why some of the girls have decided to have a little contest. Whoever hooks up with Michael first will be the winner. There's just one problem. One of the girls has been harboring a secret crush on Michael for years. She'll do anything to be his girlfriend. She'll play the game. She'll win his heart. She'll beat the competition. . .to death. The Crush II Michael Barton has experienced the dark side of love. He has survived the advances of a psychotic stalker. He has endured her deadly game of obsession. And now he is free from her web of lust and lies. But Michael has a surprise waiting for him. His secret admirer is still out there. Watching. Waiting. Plotting her next move. And if Michael thinks he can escape her this time, he's wrong. . .dead wrong.

Release date: June 1, 2014

Publisher: Kensington Teen

Print pages: 385

Sample

Deana Burroughs beat her fists against the steering wheel in pure frustration. This had been the absolute worst day of her life, and now her car had conked out on her. The old black Nissan had started making strange chugging sounds right after she’d turned left from Olive Street, and she’d barely managed to make it over to the curb before the motor had given a gurgling cough and died.

She stared out at the deserted residential street with small, one-level bungalows that were so common in Southern California and thought about the horrible day she’d had. For starters, she’d overslept. And then, when she’d hopped out of bed, knowing she’d be late for her summer session Spanish class, she’d stubbed her toe on the dresser. That little incident should have warned her. She should have gone back to bed, pulled the covers up over her head, and slept the day away. But she hadn’t. She’d raced to the shower, turned on the water, and the cold water knob had twisted right off in her hand. She’d wasted valuable time attempting to re-attach it, so much time that the hot water had run out and she’d finished washing her hair in an icy stream. And from that point, things had just gotten worse.

Deana rested her forehead against the fake sheepskin steering wheel cover and mentally added up the disasters. The zipper on her favorite pair of jeans had broken, her left shoelace had snapped, and the watch band she’d been meaning to replace had finally given up the ghost. And all that had happened before she’d even left her room!

She had arrived at summer school twenty minutes late, and found her class taking a surprise quiz. Since it was oral, she’d missed the first fifteen questions, and ended up flunking. So much for her first class. Algebra had been next, and naturally, she’d forgotten her homework . . . again. Miss Berman had been so angry, she’d called Deana’s mother at work, pulling her out of an important conference.

Deana had been ready to give up right then and skip her last class. But Miss Berman had personally escorted her there, forcing her to sit through another of Mr. Scharf’s boring lectures. She’d dozed off a couple of times, but to her surprise she had managed to answer the three questions he’d written on the board at the end of the period.

Deana had stared at the questions, and groaned along with the rest of the class. What was the date of the Battle of New Orleans? Who led the American troops? Which river did they travel? It was all Greek to her. But then she’d remembered their last rehearsal at Covers, the teenage nightclub their speech and drama teacher owned. Michael Warden, the featured singer at the club, was fascinated by vintage rock ’n roll and he’d sung a number called “The Battle of New Orleans.” The lyrics had been so catchy, Deana had remembered them.

Deana had written down the answers. 1815, Colonel Jackson, and the Mississippi River. And Mr. Scharf had been so pleased, he’d complimented her in front of the whole class. Deana had walked out of the room with a smile on her face. Could her luck be changing?

No. She’d gone down to Chuckie’s Wagon for a burger with a couple of girls, and Sally Hornaby had squirted catsup all over her new peach silk shirt, the one she’d been planning to wear the next time she went out with Michael.

Surprisingly, Deana’s afternoon hadn’t been all that awful. The cable had gone out during Oprah, but she hadn’t really been into interviews with women who beat their husbands anyway. And she’d remembered to put in the roast and baked potatoes the way her mother had asked her to. Of course she’d forgotten that the oven was fifty degrees hotter than it said on the dial, but she’d turned it down just as soon as she’d remembered. Naturally, her bratty brother had complained, but her father had said he didn’t think the roast was that dried out, just a little crispy around the edges.

Deana’s mother had come home late. She’d been crabby because she’d had to work overtime, and she hadn’t forgotten about Miss Berman’s call, though Deana had hoped she would. Deana was grounded—for a solid month. She couldn’t sing at Covers again until her summer school classes were over. And if she got into any more trouble with Miss Berman, or any of her other teachers, she could forgot about that new guitar they’d planned to buy her for her birthday.

Even though her mother had been angry, Deana had tried to appeal to her sense of fair play. Yes, she’d messed up. And she wouldn’t do it again. But she’d made a commitment to perform at Covers. Couldn’t her mother see that it wouldn’t be fair to quit now, without any notice or anything? Deana’s mother had pointed out that her commitment to pass her summer school classes was a lot more important than singing at a teenage nightclub. First things first. Then she’d marched Deana up the stairs like a naughty child, and locked her in her room to do her homework and go to bed.

Deana had watched the clock. Her parents always went to bed early on Thursday nights. When they’d come up the stairs at nine-thirty, she’d hopped into bed with all her clothes on, and waited until her mother had opened the door to check on her. The minute she’d heard the television click on in their bedroom, she’d gone into action. The old apricot tree outside Deana’s window had been her secret escape route for years. She’d shimmied down without doing too much damage to her clothing, hopped in the Nissan which was parked a couple of houses down the block, and headed for Covers. She hadn’t been scheduled to sing until ten-thirty, and she’d figured she could get there by ten at the latest.

But the fates had conspired against her. The Nissan needed gas. Deana stopped at the Shell station on the corner, charged the gas to her father’s account, and arrived at Covers at ten-twenty-five. But she’d forgotten to look at the new schedule they’d posted at the last rehearsal. She’d missed her first set, and someone had been forced to fill in for her. Mr. Calloway had been very upset with her, and he’d told her that if she was late again, she was out. And then Michael Warden had positively glowered at her when she’d told him she hadn’t had the time to learn the lyrics to the duet he’d planned to sing with her.

Deana glanced at her reflection in the rear-view mirror and frowned. Now Michael was mad at her, and she had to think of some way to make it up to him. They’d gone out the past three Sundays in a row, and she was crazy about him. He wasn’t that much older, only two years, but he’d just finished his freshman year at U.C.L.A. All her high school friends were envious because she was dating a college guy, and it had given her some real status around the high school campus.

Michael was tall, dark, and handsome, and the best singer Deana had ever heard. There was no doubt in her mind that he’d make it big someday. Since Covers was in Burbank, only a stone’s throw from the studios and the big record companies, Michael had managed to make some good contacts. Mr. Calloway had connections and he sent out tickets to lots of people in the biz. When you got up to perform at Covers, you never knew who might be in the audience.

Had she blown it with Michael tonight? Deana frowned. She’d had plenty of time to learn those lyrics, and now she could kick herself for putting it off. When she got home tonight, she’d do it. If she got home tonight.

Deana’s frown deepened. She didn’t dare call her parents to come and get her. They’d be mad she’d sneaked out of the house in the first place, and when they found out she’d spent the money they’d given her for the auto club on clothes, she’d never be allowed to leave her room again! But what should she do? She couldn’t sit here all night. It was almost midnight, and there was no traffic. That meant there were no cars to flag down. This area was relatively safe, but she still didn’t want to try to walk home alone.

A car rounded the corner, its bright headlights illuminating the interior of her car. It pulled over to the curb to park behind her, and Deana shivered. A rapist? A murderer? But then she recognized the car, and she smiled in relief. Her luck was changing. Help was here!

It took Deana only a moment to grab her purse and lock up her car. Seconds later, she was standing by the open passenger door. “Boy, am I ever glad to see you!” she said. “My car conked out. Can you give me a lift home?

“No problem. Climb in.”

Deana climbed into the passenger seat with a smile on her face. She’d be home in a couple of minutes.

“What’s wrong with your car?”

“I don’t know. It just died.” Deana frowned. “It sounded like it was out of gas, but I know that’s not it. I just filled the tank.”

“Do you want me to stop at a gas station?”

Deana shook her head. “Don’t bother. I’ll take care of it in the morning. All I want to do right now is get home.”

As they headed down the street, Deana glanced at her watch. Eleven-forty-five. This awful day was almost over, and tomorrow was bound to be better. Things were always rushed in the morning, and if she was lucky, her parents wouldn’t even notice the Nissan was gone. One of the guys from school could help her fix it, and her parents would never know.

But this wasn’t the way to her house! Deana turned to the driver in surprise. “You know where I live, don’t you?”

“Yes. I’m taking a shortcut.”

“Great,” Deana said. Anything was fine with her, as long as she got home as fast as possible. An experience like this could make her swear off sneaking out of the house for life!

But suddenly they pulled over to the side of the road, and Deana frowned. “What’s the matter?”

“Car trouble.”

Deana almost groaned as she looked at her watch. Two minutes to midnight. This day wasn’t over yet, and this area was really deserted. No houses, just warehouse buildings that wouldn’t open until morning. Her rotten luck was still with her. But at least she wasn’t alone.

The trunk opened, and then the hood popped up with a solid clunk. Deana didn’t bother to get out to help. She didn’t know anything about cars, anyway. What good would it do?

“Deana. Come here a second, will you?”

Deana sighed as she got out. She supposed she was expected to hold tools or something, and she’d get her hands all greasy. She might even break a nail and she’d just spent a fortune having them done. “What do I have to—”

Deana’s question died on her lips as something hard struck the middle of her back. There was a burst of horrible pain, and she fell heavily to the pavement. The last thing she saw was the bright moonlight glinting off a heavy tire iron as it arced down toward her head.

Judy Lampert put her eye to the screen and peeked out through the mesh at the audience. It was a full house tonight, but that wasn’t surprising. Covers had been very popular since it had opened last year. She’d really lucked out when she’d landed this job.

There was a mirror on the back side of the screen, and Judy checked her reflection. She looked good tonight. Her wavy blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was wearing her usual stage manager’s outfit, a black turtleneck sweater, black jeans, and black sneakers. She was responsible for adjusting the microphones, prepping the stage between numbers, and handling the props. They didn’t have a curtain, so they cut the lights between acts, and no one really noticed her up on the stage as long as she wore black.

“Ready, kid?” Michael Warden walked up behind her and slipped a friendly arm around her shoulders. Judy felt such a rush of pure pleasure, she knew she would have purred if she’d been a cat. But Michael was only being friendly. She’d lived next door to him for enough years to know that he wasn’t interested in her, except as a sort of kid sister. He hadn’t paid attention when her hair had grown long and wavy. He hadn’t commented when her braces had come off and her smile had turned out picture perfect. He hadn’t even noticed when she’d lost her awkward baby fat, and started wearing the clothes that would show off her new svelte figure. Sometimes Judy felt like the invisible woman. Michael never seemed to really see her. It was frustrating to be in love with a guy who didn’t seem to know that she existed.

Judy glanced at her watch. Michael was right. It was time to start. She gave him a quick hug. He didn’t seem to mind that, and then she walked to the old-fashioned light box on the wall. During the year she’d been working at Covers, Judy had learned a lot. The first time she’d brought up the lights, they’d clicked and blown a fuse. Now she knew the right way to handle the finicky old equipment. She brought the stage lights up slowly, gradually illuminating the painted flat that formed the backdrop—dark green with a pink Covers logo. Several students from the Burbank high school art class had completed it last summer.

When the lights were up all the way, Judy cued Michael. He gave her a thumbs up gesture, and walked quickly to the black stool that sat on the apron. Michael was tall, and he didn’t have to climb up on the stool. He just slid on with one fluid motion, crossed his long legs, and grabbed the hand microphone while the audience applauded. All the regulars knew Michael. He was the closest thing to a star they had, and there were rumors about possible singing and acting contracts coming his way.

For a moment Judy felt almost jealous of Michael’s success. But that was ridiculous. She knew she had no performing skills. She couldn’t sing, act, do stand-up comedy or play a musical instrument. She didn’t know how to juggle, and she couldn’t do magic tricks. But she was good at her job, and that was all that counted. Mr. Calloway had told her that she was the best stage manager he’d ever had.

“I’m Michael Warden. Welcome to Friday night at Covers.” Michael grinned and went into his opening speech, the one he gave every night except Sundays during the summer. When school reopened in the fall, Covers would only be open on Saturday nights. But it was summer now, and they were in full swing.

“I see some regulars out there,” Michael said as he waved at a group of people he knew. “I’m glad you’re back, Bill. Hi, Mary. Nice sweater.”

Judy tuned out for a minute. Michael always greeted the regulars by name. It made them feel important. But she started listening again when he went back to the script.

“It’s always good to see new faces in the crowd, and that’s why I’m up here . . . to tell you about Covers.”

That was Judy’s cue to bring up the back-lighting on the Covers logo. It began to gleam vividly against the dark green background, and she smiled. Back-lighting the logo had been her idea, and once she’d shown Mr. Calloway the effect, they’d used it every night.

“Covers is our nightclub, staffed by teens with teen entertainment. But Covers isn’t owned by a teen. I’m telling you that right up front, because sometimes my former teacher, Mr. Stan Calloway, tries to pass himself off as a high school sophomore. Stand up, Mr. Calloway, and show everybody how young you look after that last face lift.”

Judy swept the spot toward Mr. Calloway, and he stood up to take a bow. The audience applauded, and there were a few predictable chuckles from the regulars. Stan Calloway was a short, bald-headed man in his forties, and absolutely no one would mistake him for a teenager.

“Covers serves the best burgers this side of the Burbank River.” Michael paused, waited for the puzzled expressions, and continued, “That’s the concrete drainage ditch that runs right by the back of the building.”

There was a burst of laughter, and Judy nodded. Michael had given this speech so many times, he could probably do it in his sleep. But Michael was a good actor, and he had the ability to make it sound fresh each night.

“But seriously folks, our burgers are great. Andy Miller, our short order chef, just won several prestigious awards from the California Council of Intestinal Medicine.”

There was another burst of laughter and Judy was ready with the spot. As he did every night, Andy poked his head out of the kitchen and waved a spatula at the crowd. He was a high school senior who looked like he enjoyed his own cooking. His face was freckled, and his curly red hair was almost hidden under a high chef’s toque that Judy had found in a gourmet shop. Andy hated the white, puffy hat, and he only wore it when Michael did his introduction.

“Your menu’s on the table, under the glass. Order from Ingrid Sunquist, she’s the stunning Scandinavian blonde in the pink blouse. Or you can flag down our lovely Latin beauty, Nita Cordoza. Nita’s brother, Alberto, will also take your order. He’s the big, dark-haired guy in the pink shirt. And I wouldn’t say anything about the color of Berto’s shirt, folks. He’s a fullback on the Burbank High football team.”

Ingrid curtsied, Nita waved, and Berto gave one of his tough-guy smiles. Judy held the spot on them for a moment, and then she dimmed it.

“And now for the good news. Just in case you didn’t know it, we have a bar!”

The audience burst into applause, but they stopped abruptly when Michael followed it up with his next line. “The bad news is, it’s a non-alcoholic fruit juice bar. But our bartender, Vera Rozhinski, makes a very mean virgin Piña Colada, so belly on up between acts and tell Vera your troubles.”

Judy swiveled the spotlight to Vera, a classic Slavic beauty with coal black hair and blue eyes so dark, they were almost purple. Vera was short, only a little over five feet, and Mr. Calloway had built a slatted platform behind the bar so that she could reach the glasses.

“It’s almost time to say ‘on with the show.’ But first, Mr. Calloway has a few words. As some of you may know, one of our best singers, Deana Burroughs, died last night.” Michael’s voice faltered and he cleared his throat. “Mr. Calloway would like you to join us in a moment of quiet reflection.”

Judy picked up Mr. Calloway with the spot, and followed him to the stage. Then she dimmed, and leaned back, half-listening to the words of praise about Deana. Just last night, Mr. Calloway had been mad enough at Deana to kill her. She’d thrown them all off schedule by being late. But now he was praising her, and telling the audience how much they’d all miss her. It was ironic, and Judy almost smiled until she realized that smiling would be terribly inappropriate. One of her first nannie’s favorite phrases had been, “Don’t think ill of the dead.” But Miss Hopkins had never been able to explain why. Judy had never liked Deana, and she thought it was wrong to claim she’d liked her, now that she was dead.

Mr. Calloway had prepared a touching speech, using words like sweet, and beautiful, and talented. Judy frowned as she thought about her own experiences with Deana. As far as she was concerned, Deana had been a bitch. Deana had always complained about the way Judy had lit into her, and she’d been positively nasty one night when she had worn a yellow blouse that looked orange under the lights. Judy had tried to explain that it wasn’t her fault. Deana had bought the blouse that afternoon, and she’d been late so there hadn’t been time for a light check. But Deana had blamed her anyway. And what she’d tried to do to Michael had dissolved any positive feelings Judy had begun to harbor for Deana.

Judy glanced at the stage. Mr. Calloway was still speaking about what a wonderful girl Deana had been. Maybe she’d been wonderful to other people, but she certainly hadn’t been wonderful to Michael. Of course, Michael hadn’t been in a position to know Deana’s plans for him. But Judy had been.

She knew she’d never forget the day last month, when all the girls at Covers had gone out to lunch. Summer school hadn’t started, so Deana had been with them in the corner booth of the little Mexican restaurant down the block.

“So what do you think we should do with Michael?” Vera had asked. “He’s been really depressed since he broke up with that college girl he was dating.”

Nita had shrugged elaborately. “What can we do? I’ve tried to cheer him up, but nothing works.”

Judy had nodded. She had noticed Michael’s depression, but she didn’t have any idea what to do to cure it. But then Mary Beth Roberts, the tall blonde dancer, had spoken up.

“I think we should all make a big play for him. If we all treat him like he’s the sexiest thing we’ve ever seen, he’ll perk right up.”

Mary Beth had leaned forward across the table, and a bus boy had almost dropped his water pitcher. Mary Beth had been wearing a blouse with a scoop neckline, and when she’d leaned forward the tops of her breasts had been clearly visible.

“You think all of us should come on to Michael?” Vera had looked confused.

“Why not?” Mary Beth had warmed to her plan. “We can have a contest. And the winner will get the biggest prize at the club. Michael Warden.”

Carla Fields had frowned. She was the student manager at Covers, a thin, quiet girl with glasses and mousy-brown hair. Carla did all the office work, and no one really knew her very well. They’d only invited her because she’d happened to be standing there when they were making their plans. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Mary Beth had laughed. “Why not? I’d like to go out with him, and so would every girl at this table. Am I right?”

“Of course.” Nita had flashed a big smile. “Michael is primo.”

Mary Beth had grinned, and then she’d started to poll the girls at the table. “How about you, Vera?”

“Well . . . sure.” Vera had looked slightly uncomfortable.

“Me, too.” Ingrid had sighed. “I’d love to date Michael.”

“Becky?”

Becky Fischer, Covers’ short, dark-haired resident comedian, had shrugged and nodded. Even Linda O’Keefe, the pretty redhead who sang torch songs, had blushed and smiled her agreement. The only girl who hadn’t agreed was Carla. And Judy, of course.

“Are you in, Carla?” Mary Beth had grinned at Carla, a mean sort of grin that let everyone know she didn’t think Carla could get a date with Michael if she was the last girl left on earth.

“No.” Carla had folded her napkin and stood up. “I like Michael. He’s a very nice person. And I don’t think it’s fair to treat him like a prize we’re all competing for.”

Judy’s eyes had widened as Carla had turned and left without another word. She’d been thinking the same thing, but she hadn’t had the nerve to say it.

“Carla knows she couldn’t get a date with him anyway.” Mary Beth had given a nasty little laugh, and then she’d turned to Judy. “Come on, Judy. You haven’t said anything. Are you in?”

Judy had taken a deep breath. She’d wanted to leave, right along with Carla, but then Mary Beth might say the same thing about her.

“Not me.” Judy had laughed, a laugh that said she didn’t care one way or the other. Of course she wanted to go out with Michael. She’d been trying to attract him for the past two years. But she’d never admit it in front of the rest of the girls.

And then Linda spoke up to save her. “Michael treats Judy like his kid sister. He’d know something was up if she started coming on to him. Maybe she could be the scorekeeper or something.”

Mary Beth had given Judy a long, hard look, and then she’d nodded. “Okay. If you don’t think you could get him to ask you out, we’ll let you keep score. Deana? How about you?”

“Count me in.” Deana had grinned at them all, and then she’d turned to Judy. “Mark me down as the winner. I’ve got a late date with Michael on Saturday night.”

There had been absolute silence at the table, and then Mary Beth had spoken up. “That’s only one date, Deana. You haven’t won yet. I think we should agree on a definite time limit. Michael has to date you for two solid weeks before we declare you the winner.”

“And it has to be exclusive.” Ingrid had declared. “If Michael goes out with anyone else during that time, you lose.”

“That’s fine with me.” Deana had laughed, and tossed her head. “Why should Michael look at any of you, when he’s got me? You girls might as well give up right now, because you don’t stand a chance!”

Several of the girls had exchanged glances, and then Mary Beth had snorted disdainfully. “I’m not giving up. And neither is anyone else . . . right, girls?”

“Right!” Nita had leaned forward to glare at Deana. “Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.”

One by one, the girls had turned to glare at Deana, but it hadn’t seemed to faze her. She’d just fluffed her hair, lifted her eyebrows, and laughed. “Knock yourselves out, girls. It doesn’t bother me at all. But I’m warning you . . . I’m going to play dirty. And I’m going to win. Michael’s so handsome, he’s to die for!”

“Would you?” Judy had given Deana a long, level look. She hated that stupid phrase.

“Would I what?”

“Would you die for Michael?”

Deana had stared at Judy as if she were crazy, and then she’d laughed. “Don’t be silly, Judy. That’s just an expression. But I’m going to win that contest. You can count on it!”

Judy shivered a bit as she remembered that conversation. Deana had said that Michael was to die for, but she hadn’t known she’d actually wind up dead. It was scary to think that a careless slang phrase could foretell the future, but it had.

Suddenly, Judy realized that Mr. Calloway was introducing Michael’s first number. She’d almost missed her cue! She flicked a switch and the Covers logo began to change colors, all the way from red to violet and then back again. Judy called it her rainbow effect, and Mr. Calloway had loved it when she’d tried it out at rehearsal that afternoon.

“And now . . . the star of Covers . . . Michael Warden!”

Judy dimmed the lights as Mr. Calloway left the stage, then rushed out to move Michael’s stool into position. When Michael was seated, his guitar in his lap, and his microphone live, she hurried back to the light box to bring the lights up again.

Michael strummed a series of chords on his guitar, and then he pulled the microphone closer. “This is a song I wrote for Deana. I’d like to think she’s listening, wherever she is right now.”

Judy blinked back tears as Michael started to sing a slow, dreamy ballad about a beautiful girl with ebony hair. There were tears in Michael’s voice, too, and they made his voice deep and almost foggy. It was clear he’d liked Deana a lot; maybe he’d even started to love her. Her death had been a blow to Michael, and Judy wished there were some way she could comfort him. Then she thought about the contest, and she didn’t feel like crying any more. Deana had used Michael, and he was much better off without her.

Was there some way she could tell Michael about the contest? Warn him that the girls were all after him, like vultures fighting over a choice piece of meat? No. It would only hurt Michael’s pride if she told him. He probably thought Deana had loved him, too. It would be much too cruel to tell him the truth.

Carla slipped behind the screen to join her, and Judy turned to give her a smile. Carla always watched the first song that Michael sang, and then she went to the office to total the receipts from the ticket sales.

“Is he all right?” Carla leaned close to whisper in Judy’s ear.

“I think so.” Judy whispered back. “It’s a song he wrote for Deana.”

“She didn’t deserve it!” Carla sighed deeply. “Do you think they’re going to call off that contest now?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Me, too.” Carla nodded, and then she frowned. “You’re not in it, are you?”

“Of course not! You were right, Carla. The girls don’t really care about Michael. He’s only an object to them, the prize they’ll collect if they win the contest. I just wish I’d had the guts to say it like you did.”

Carla looked surprised, and then she smiled. “Sometimes you have to stick up for what you believe. And I knew that stupid contest would end up causing everybody a lot of grief. I just hope the girls learn a lesson from Deana, and drop it!”

“What do you mean?” Judy felt a twinge of alarm. “Do you think Deana’s death had something to do with the contest?”

“Of course. Deana wasn’t supposed to be here last night. Her mother grounded her. But she sneaked out of the house. Deana didn’t dare miss a performance. She was afraid somebody else might move in on Michael if she wasn’t here to look after her interests.”

Judy nodded. “I see. If Deana hadn’t been so determined to win that contest, she would have stayed home. And if she had, she’d still be alive.”

“Right.” Carla sighed deeply. “I tried to warn them that the contest was a bad idea, but nobody listened. And now Deana’s dead, and they’re still going on with it.”

Carla left, and Judy thought long and hard about what she had said. She agreed with Carla. There was a lesson to be learned from Deana’s death, but she didn’t think any of the girls were smart enough to learn it.

After Covers closed at eleven, everyone sat at the big round table in the center of the room, waiting for Mr. Calloway’s nightly critique. But he didn’t seem up to the task tonight. He just sat down, and sighed.

“The show was fine .