“You’re wearing my earring.” Madison gestured toward the single gold-and-turquoise hoop swaying from Heather’s left lobe.
“What else?”
“Your tattoo.”
“Which one?” Heather grinned. “I’ve collected a few.”
“The one on the inside of your arm—the shooting stars. It’s a symbol for Shooting Star Ranch, isn’t it?”
For a handful of seconds, Heather looked shocked, but just as quickly she recovered. “As you know, not all scars fade.” She raised her arm to display the intricate ink that marked her flesh in a way that mimicked Madison’s burn scar. “Go ahead, explain it to your friends and the fans at home watching this feed.”
Madison glanced over her shoulder toward the others cowering in the corner, warning them with her eyes not to do anything heroic or stupid. Returning to Heather, she said, “Shooting Star Ranch is where they sent Heather to live after her dad, Gerald Rawlins, went to jail for killing my parents.” From behind her, someone gasped. Madison suspected it was Aster. “You changed the spelling of your last name,” Madison said. “But you are his daughter, aren’t you?”
Heather nodded. The gun shook in her hand, setting Trena on edge. Trena was tied, gagged, and rendered completely defenseless.
“What I don’t understand is why you’d risk everything for this.”
“Watching you fail is worth it.”
“But is it? Is it really?” Madison cocked her head and squinted.
“You don’t even remember me, do you?”
Madison stared.
“I babysat you once. I’m only three years older, but I think we know how negligent your parents were. Though I can’t say I blame them. Even back then you were a brat, so it’s not the least bit surprising to see the sort of person you grew into.”
“So, what now?” Madison made a gesture around the room and the forced situation they found themselves in.
“Now you confess,” Heather said.
“Confess to what?” Madison feigned confusion.
“Pretty sure you know.” Heather glared.
Madison stared blankly in return. Her goal was to drag this out for as long as possible. At some point, someone had to show up to help. If not, they were doomed.
“I need you to look into the camera and tell your fans how you shot your own parents along with my dad. Then you and Paul set the house on fire and walked away, leaving my dad behind to die. Only he didn’t die like you planned, so Paul framed him for a double homicide and an arson he didn’t commit and sent him away to jail, where he died just last year.”
“He was a drug runner!” Madison spat.
“He was all I had,” Heather said. “And while you went on to live your posh life with your fancy new name and family, I was left with nothing. They shipped me off to a life of menial labor until I could finally make my escape.”
“Seems to me you should feel proud of how far you’ve come and everything you’ve accomplished. And yet, you’re choosing to throw it all away.”
“I’ll admit, it wasn’t supposed to end like this,” Heather said. “I was supposed to enjoy my success while you spiraled down to the point of no return.”
“Then you sadly underestimated me.”
“I may have made a few miscalculations,” Heather shot back.
“But in the end, I’ll get what I came for.”
From behind her, Madison was aware of Ryan creeping forward. As subtly as she could, she shook her head and waved him away.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Heather said. “Why don’t you just go watch from the other room with Ira and James?”
Madison watched as Heather punched a few prompts onto an iPad, causing the door to slide open just enough for them to slip through.