“Hello, Vinnie,” he said cordially. “How are you?”

“I’m quite well. Isn’t this a nice surprise?”

As she ran back to her apartment, I unlocked my door and pushed it open.

“Suzie,” Vinnie cried. “Brooklyn is at home and Derek—Remember Derek? He is with her. Come quickly and say hello. Bring the wine bottle.”

“Oh, dear God,” I whispered, then laughed as Derek pounded his head against the wall. I walked inside. He followed close behind me and grabbed me at the waist, turned me around and kissed me. I sank my fingers into his hair as my knees grew weak.

Derek’s breath came in ragged gasps as he broke away from the kiss just as Suzie’s steel-toed boots clomped against the hardwood floor outside my door.

Suzie walked in. “Hey, Brooklyn, hey, Derek.”

“Suzie,” he said cordially, and gave her a hug. “You look as lovely as ever.”

How he could sound so cool and debonair after a scorching kiss that had left me shaking was a mystery for the ages?

“Uh, yo, looking good,” Suzie said, flustered and blushing from Derek’s hug. Even a steel-toed lesbian was no match for his charms.

“Come on in,” I said, waving them into the living room. “Make yourselves at home while I put my tools away in the office.”

“You sure?” Suzie asked. “You guys rushing off somewhere or can we hang for a while?”

“Hang away,” Derek said generously, and I flashed him a grateful smile. They were, after all, my favorite neighbors and dear friends.

Still, that whole karma thing was getting on my nerves.

Vinnie walked in a minute later with a large bag of leftover Thai food. As I said, they were my favorite neighbors, and the free food was just one reason why.

I walked with her into the kitchen and she went to work emptying the bag, finding places in my refrigerator for all the little white boxes to fit.

“Anybody home?” a voice called from the door.

“That’s Robin,” I said, mystified.

“Lovely,” Vinnie said, folding the bag. “You’re having a party.”

“That’s what it looks like,” I said, flashing Derek a bewildered look before running to the door.

Robin was already inside, hanging her coat up in my front closet, so I grabbed her for a hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you, too.” She held up a bottle of wine. “My date canceled so I thought maybe you could use a friend to listen to you rant some more. But I can hear you’ve already got a full house.”

“Yes,” I said, then whispered, “Derek is here.”

Her eyes went wide. “He’s here?”

“Yes.”

“Should I get everyone out?”

I laughed. “No, we’re fine. Fabulous, in fact. Please don’t say anything about the other night.”

“Why would I do that?”

“You wouldn’t do it on purpose. I’m just saying.”

“Hmm. Well, now I can’t get the idea of blackmail out of my mind.”

“Don’t even think about it,” I advised her as we walked back into the living area.

“You’re right,” she said with a sad shake of her head. “You’ve got way more dirt on me than I could ever scrape up on you.”

“Which is another sad commentary on my life,” I conceded. “Still, don’t you forget it.”

Everyone greeted each other and more wine was poured. I met Derek’s ironic gaze and laughed. He chuckled. What else could we do but accept the inevitable?

“How’s Gabriel doing?” Robin asked as she topped off her wineglass. “And how’s your little friend, Alice? Did she have fun in Dharma before all the fireworks started?”

I filled everyone in on Gabriel’s recuperation, Alice’s spa treatment, and the latest body count. Everyone wanted to hear details of the latter, especially.

“Do you think Gabriel’s attack is related to these other murders?” Robin asked.

“Absolutely not,” I insisted. “I mean, the only thing the BABA murders and the Dharma attack have in common is me. And I refuse to accept that any of this is connected to me. That would be off the scale.”

“Truly, Brooklyn?” Vinnie said. “You’re the only one who was in the vicinity of all three attacks?”

“Yes.”

“No,” Derek said. “Gunther was there, as well.”

“Gunther?” Shocked, I turned to him. “Do you really think your client had anything to do with Gabriel being shot?”

“No, of course not,” he said, relaxing back in the red chair. “I’m just pointing out that you’re not the only common denominator, as you keep insisting.”

“Okay, let’s leave Gabriel out of the equation,” I said. “So you have Minka being attacked. Then Layla is killed, and now the mysterious Mr. Soo ends up dead. They’re all connected to BABA. So we have a pot full of suspects to choose from.”

“Well, let’s figure out who did it,” Robin said eagerly as she pushed herself up off the couch. “I’m going to get a notepad and we’re going to make a chart.”

“I love party games,” Vinnie said.

I laughed, then glanced over and caught Derek shaking his head at me.

I shrugged. “Hey, it beats Trivial Pursuit.”

“Don’t deny it. You’re in heaven,” he said in a half-accusing tone.

“And I’m glad you’re here with me,” I said softly.

He reached over and squeezed my knee affectionately. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“Suzie, aren’t they a cute couple?” Vinnie said, gazing fondly at both of us.

“They’re freaking adorable,” Suzie said drolly. She stood and grabbed the empty wine bottle off the coffee table. “Come on, Vin, let’s get some more wine.”

Derek tried not to laugh. I felt my cheeks burning. I’d always hated when couples made googly eyes at each other in front of their friends. Now I was doing it. I’d lost all sense of dignity and didn’t mind at all.

“Here we go,” Robin said, walking back in with a legal pad and pen. “We’re going to solve a murder.”

“Two murders,” Vinnie corrected, as she put a freshly opened bottle of wine on the coffee table. “Plus the attacks on your friend Gabriel and that evil cow, Minka.”

Robin snorted with laughter and Suzie grinned with pride. “Gotta love her.”

“Forgive me,” Vinnie said, scowling. “I should not speak ill of cows.”

After Robin had written down the long list of suspects and motives, Derek stood and took the list from her. He studied it for a moment and a speculative gleam appeared in his eye.

“All right, let’s do this,” he said decisively, patting the back of the red chair. “Brooklyn, darling, you sit over here so you can concentrate more fully.”

I was suddenly apprehensive, but I brushed it off and switched chairs. I tucked my legs under me and shifted until I was comfortable.

Derek touched my arm. “Now, I’m going to take you step by step through both Minka’s and Layla’s attacks. Will you be okay with that?”

“Sure,” I said, hoping for the best.

He glanced at my three friends. “You’ll all take notes and point out inconsistencies, won’t you?”

Vinnie nodded eagerly.

“Coolio,” Suzie said, and settled into her corner of the couch.

“We’ll start with the night of Layla’s murder,” Derek said. “You were in your classroom, correct?”

“Yes. The signatures had dried and we were hammering the spines to round them.”

“Fine,” he said, hunkering down in front of me and resting his hands on my knees. “Close your eyes, darling, and think back. Who was in the building that night?”

I thought of Naomi and Karalee, Marky and Ned. Minka was back from the hospital, although I didn’t see her until later. I assumed all her students were there with her.

“Now, you’re in your class,” Derek murmured. “Can you see it?”

After a moment of concentration, I could picture my classroom, the students, the smell of PVA glue.

“Now, where were you standing?” Derek asked.

I answered him, and we went back and forth. What tool was in my hand? Who else was in the room? Picture the students. Go around the room and name them. I did as he instructed.

“Now you hear the gunshot,” he said. “Who’s in the room with you now?”