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By 8:00 they were all there It was crowded in iven the best seats and the others perched on chairs fro on the floor, like the lovebirds, Melanie and Bankston I hadn&039;t called Robin, because he had only been to Real Murders one ti apart fro to no one, his dark face deliberately blank Gifford had brought Reynaldo, and they were huddled together with their backs pressed against the wall, looking sullen Gerald still looked shocked, his pouchy face white and strained Benja to be buddies with Perry Allison, as openly sneering Sally was trying not to watch her son, and carrying on a sporadic conversation with Arthur, who looked exhausted John&039;s crea quietly

Even under the circuuess you&039;re wondering why I called you all here," but I didn&039;t quite have the nerve And after all, they knehy they were here

I had assumed John would take the lead, since he was the president of our club But he was looking at me expectantly, and I realized that it was up to s of conversation stopped as though they&039;d been tri to hts, and Gifford said, "Stand up so we can see ya" I saw several nods, so I stood "First," I resurieved, about Ma the murmur of sympathy with a nod of his head

"Then," I went on, "I think we need to talk about what&039;s happening to us" I had everyone&039;s undivided attention "I guess you all know about the tampered-with candy sent to me and my mother I can&039;t say poisoned, because we don&039;t know for sure it was; so I can&039;t be sure the intent was to kill But I suppose we can assuree No one did "And of course you all also know that Mamie&039;s purse was put in Melanie&039;s car" Melanie looked down in e forward to hide her face Bankston put his arm around her and held her close "As if Melanie would do such a thing," he said hotly

"Well, we all know that," I said

"Of course," Jane chinantly

"I know," I went on very very carefully, "that Sally and Arthur are in a delicate position tonight Sally ht want to report to the paper that we met, and Arthur will have to tell the police that he was here and what happened I can see that But I hope that Sally will agree that tonight is off the record" Everyone looked at Sally, who threw back her bronze head and glared at us all "The police want me not to print that the murder was a copy," she said in exasperation "But everyone in Real Murders has been telling other people anyway I&039; the best story I ever had Now you all wantArthur not to be a policeman for a couple of hours"

"Then you won&039;t keep this off the record?" Gifford said unexpectedly" &039;Cause if this isn&039;t off the record, I&039;m out the door" He stared at Sally, and sht," Sally said Her tan eyes snapped as she glared around the roo you all, this is the last ti said to me about these murders is off the record!"

That reduced us all to speechlessness for a moment

"Just what did you want us here for, dear?" Jane asked

Good question I took the plunge

"It&039;s probably one of us, right?" I said nervously

No one moved No one turned to look at the person beside hiathered power in that silence That presence was fear, of course We were all afraid, or getting there "But it may be an enemy of someone here," said Arthur finally "So, who has enemies?" I inquired "I know that sounds naive, but for God&039;s sake, we have to think, or we&039;ll be mired in this until so this," said Melanie She actually had a little social smile on her lips

"How, Melanie?" asked Perry suddenly "How could Roe possibly be overstating this? We all knohat&039;s happened We sure don&039;t have to be geniuses to figure out that Mamie&039;s murder was meant to be like Julia Wallace&039;s One of us is nuts And we all know fro so much about it, that a psychoticloony inside What about Ted Bundy?"

"I just an uncertainly, "I just meant thatthis, and it really isn&039;t tied in to us at all Maybe the presence of a group like ours sparked all this in sos can fly," hed It wasn&039;t a nor around the roorab the first person it lit on Everyone was getting more andnothing

"If any one of you does have an enemy, someone who knows about your me your club handouts or reading your books, getting interested in e study, now is the time for you to think of that person," I said "If we can&039;t co of Real Murders" This brought another silence, that of shocked realization

"Of course," breathed Jane Engle "This is the end of us" "It ure this out," Sally said bluntly "Whoever this is, is going to go on Can any of you see this stopping? It isn&039;t in the picture Soreat ti sos to do than sit in a roo around," Benjamin said "I&039;m in politics now, and I would have quit Real Murders anyway Don&039;t anyone co to killfor hi, and before he was quite out my back door, Gifford said audibly, "Benja What an asshole" We were all feeling soine "I&039;ht I could accoether, we could re that would help solve this horrible ather up whatever or whoever they&039;d come with

John Queensland exhibited an unexpected sense of dra of Real Murders is now adjourned," he said formally