Chapter 1

I was standing in as maid of honor for my best friend when an anonymous message scrolled across the wedding's live comment wall:

At 11:20, the bride will cry that her heirloom necklace is gone.

Most of the guests figured it was just a prank, and a few were even holding up their phones to film the screen. I couldn't force a smile.

Ten minutes earlier, I'd placed that necklace in the jewelry box myself. I'd snapped the lock shut myself, too.

The key was still on my wrist. The box was empty.

At 11:20, right on cue, Cora Pruitt came bursting into the bridal suite, waving the empty box, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

"That was my in-laws' heirloom, passed down four generations!"

She jabbed a finger at me, red-eyed, her fingertip trembling.

"You were the only one who touched it, Cornelia. What are you trying to do?"

Ezra James's face darkened, and he had security lock the doors of the banquet hall.

"No one leaves. Search everyone, one by one."

The crowd had barely started to stir when another line scrolled across the wall:

【The necklace is in the photographer's spare telephoto lens case.】

I lifted my eyes to the photographer behind Cora. He didn't say a word, but he quietly nudged his camera bag half a step back with his heel.

"Hold on."

I reached out and stopped the guard just as he moved to open my bag.

"The bridal suite's on the third floor. There are cameras at both ends of the hallway. Whoever went in or out, one look at the footage and we'll know."

The first person to change color was Cora.

"You're just jealous of me!"

"Ever since college, you've been after my man—"

"Fine. Then call the police."

I cut her off and pulled out my phone.

…

"And while we're at it, let's have the officers see exactly what's in the photographer's bag."

My gaze went past Cora and landed on Toby Dickerson.

Toby's face went white in an instant, his hand jerking to shove the black backpack behind him.

"Miss Fox, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just the photographer. I got paid to do a job. You people lost something, so why drag me into it?"

His words were hard enough, but his forehead was already damp.

Cora took a step forward, planting herself right in front of Toby.

"Cornelia, don't try to shift everyone's attention!"

"You took the necklace, and now you're framing an outsider. What are you scheming?"

I didn't bother arguing with her. I turned to Ezra.

"Weren't you the one who said search everyone, one by one?"

"Since we're searching everyone anyway, starting with him seems perfectly reasonable, doesn't it?"

Ezra didn't answer right away. His eyes moved between me and Toby, twice.

"Nellie, Cori's upset. Don't make this worse."

"Security's just doing a routine check. If you didn't take it, your name will be cleared."

It sounded fair. But the words already assumed the necklace was in my hands.

I gave a slight tug at the corner of my mouth.

"You can search my bag, but only after the officers get here."

"Until they arrive, nobody touches my things, and nobody thinks about leaving."

A low rustle of murmurs spread through the banquet hall.

"The maid of honor's got quite the temper, huh?"

"Right? What's the harm in a quick bag search?"

"Still, that comment wall is strange. How did it know the necklace was with the photographer?"

A few minutes later, sirens came up from downstairs.

Two officers pushed open the banquet hall doors. The one in charge swept a glance around the room.

"Who called it in?"

"I did."

I held up my phone and pointed toward Toby.

"What's missing is an emerald necklace worth three million dollars. I suspect it's hidden in the photographer's camera bag."

The officer walked straight over to Toby.

Toby clutched the bag against him, knuckles white.

"Officer, I don't know anything. I'm being wronged here, I swear."

"Open it."

Two words. No room to negotiate.

Toby stalled for a few seconds, then, hands shaking, pulled the zipper open.

The officer went through a few compartments and drew a black telephoto lens case out of the very bottom.

He twisted off the cap. An emerald necklace lay in the padded lining, blazing green under the lights.

The whole room went silent.

Cora stared at the necklace. It took her a long moment to find her voice.

"How… how is it with you?"

Ezra's face went hard too, his glare bearing down on Toby.

"Toby, you'd better explain yourself."

The guests' tune changed at once.

"So it really was the photographer who stole it?"

"And the bride just tore into her like that. Turns out she wronged the maid of honor."

"Stuck with a best friend like that. Rotten luck."

I looked at Cora.

"I was the only one who touched it?"

"Cora, do yourself a favor and go see an eye specialist."

She bit her lip, eyes still rimmed red, but she couldn't squeeze out a single word.

It seemed the matter was settled.

Then, the next second, thud, Toby dropped to his knees on the floor.

"Officer, I didn't steal the necklace!"

His head snapped up, his eyes fixing on me.

"Cornelia told me to hide it!"

My brow twitched.

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Toby scrambled for his phone, fumbling the unlock code twice.

"I'm not lying. She gave me twenty thousand!"

"She said all I had to do was put on a scene in front of the bride, and there'd be more money after!"

He pulled up a record and shoved the phone forward.

"The transfer's right here!"

The officer took the phone and studied it for a moment.

"There is a transfer of twenty thousand. The payer's verified name is Cornelia Fox."

Cora spun toward me, her stare making my scalp prickle.

"Cornelia, what is it you actually want?"

"First you steal the necklace, then you pay off the photographer. Are you really this set on ruining my wedding?"

Every eye in the room pressed back down on me.

I drew a breath. My palms were already sweating.

"I didn't send that money."

Toby sneered and opened the chat.

"You're this far in and still won't admit it?"

"I've even got a voice message you sent. Want to hear it?"

He pressed play.

The banquet hall was too quiet. My own voice came out of the phone, clear down to every breath.

"After 11:20, put the necklace in the lens case."

"When I call your name, act like you don't know anything."

My back went rigid.

It was my voice, all right. The tone, the pauses, even that little habit of taking a breath right before a name, all of it the same.

But I never said those two lines.

Last night's rehearsal came flooding back.

What I'd actually said was:

"After 11:20, put the champagne in the ice bucket."

"When I call your name, act like you don't know anything, and bring the wine up."

Someone had cut and spliced my recording.

Ezra looked at me for a long time, the disappointment in his eyes done to perfection.

"Cornelia, the evidence is right here in front of us."

"Do you have anything left to say?"