“I know. I couldn’t believe it.” Her face twisted with anger. “Robin? Robin was worse than Heidi.”
“So how did you get rid of her?” Angie asked. “You put something in her drink, didn’t you?”
Cheryl suddenly stopped advancing. She took a step back and gave Angie an assessing stare.
“Oh, come on,” Angie said with a tentative smile. “You know I have no proof. You got rid of the martini glass the minute Robin started to show symptoms.”
“How long have you known that it was me?” Cheryl looked at her as if she were a new type of threat.
“I didn’t,” she admitted. But she wouldn’t dare mention Cole’s observations or how he had been investigating the accident. “I thought Robin hurt Heidi because she deserves the maid-of-honor role.”
“Deserves? Are you kidding?” Cheryl’s voice overpowered the organ music coming from the church. “Robin didn’t deserve it at all. All she cared about was getting lucky at the wedding. Like being the maid of honor would give her the extra edge. Right. A little peanut oil in the martini took care of that.”
Angie was amazed at Cheryl’s blaze attitude. “You could have killed her.”
Cheryl snorted at the suggestion. “Why do you think I asked you to look for her? You and your stripper boyfriend had jumped into action at the bachelorette party. I knew you’d find her.”
“And you got me kicked out of the wedding.”
Cheryl laughed. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. That was a stroke of luck and I thought I had finally protected Brittany’s dream wedding. This was my chance to be the bridesmaid. It was my reward. I could be part of Brittany’s special day. Everything was working in my favor.” She frowned. “But Patrick talked Brittany into letting you back in the wedding.”
“And now you’re after me. Why?” Angie asked. She took a step to the side and was no longer trapped between the hedges and Cheryl. “Why don’t you take out Robin? She’s weak.”
“She’s extra cautious now. Not to mention everyone is fussing over her all the time. Also, Brittany wanted Robin in the wedding.”
“And Brittany doesn’t want me here,” Angie concluded. The bride would be happy to have her out of the wedding and thus be more willing to add her assistant in at the last minute.
“Exactly.” Cheryl’s smile sent chills down Angie’s spine. “She doesn’t want you anywhere in her life. Expect to slowly fade from Patrick’s social circle.”
“I can’t believe you did all this to be a bridesmaid.” She pressed her hand against her head and discovered that half of her updo was falling out. She blew a chunk of hair out of her eyes. “It’s a horrible job.”
“I’m doing this because I care about Brittany,” Cheryl argued. “I got rid of all of the fake friends and backstabbing bridesmaids. Brittany deserves to be surrounded by people who actually love and adore her.”
“You have a strange way of showing friendship. And, honestly, being a bridesmaid is a test of will and patience. Think about it,” Angie stressed as she took another side step. “You have to be at the bride’s beck and call. You have to put your life on hold and put up with the bride’s rages. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Oh, wait. Maybe you do.”
“But this way everyone will know that I’m more than her employee,” Cheryl said, raising her voice. “I’m her friend.”
“No, she will never think that.” Angie was reluctant to share this with Cheryl, but the woman had to know that Brittany would never see her as an equal. “Brittany said so herself. When the suggestion was made to replace you for Heidi, Brittany made it very clear that you were only the assistant.”
“She wouldn’t say that!” Cheryl shouted. “Brittany likes me. She likes me more than any of her bridesmaids.”
Angie took another step. She was almost in the clear to make a run for the stone steps. “Even if you did get rid of me, she won’t add you to the ceremony.”
“Yes, she will.” Cheryl grabbed her arm and squeezed tight. “She’ll be in a panic and she’ll want me right there.”
“Fine.” She tried to shake off Cheryl’s hold but it was no use. “You know what? You don’t need to take me out of commission. You want to take my place? Go for it.”
Cheryl looked at her as if she sensed a trick. “You’re not going to fight it?”