Sylvia turned and walked toward Carnie. "Where's the bracelet?"

"In my room."

"I want to see it."

"Right now?"

"Right now. Go get it."

Elmo and Macy were standing in Carnie's doorway, looking at the hole in the floor.

Elmo led her into the room and showed her the stairs. "It goes down to the sub-bas.e.m.e.nt."

"How could I have been living here for 15 years and not know about this?"

"We wanted to forget about it, so we closed it off."

"Forget about what?"

"There's a laboratory down there. My dad built it so he could do his experiments."

"Underground?"

"Yeah. It's a long story. Look, I've gotta go down and find out what Carnie's up to. You stay here. Okay?"

"Okay."

Elmo went down the stairs, through the hallway and into the lab. He didn't see anybody, but he heard a woman's voice. It sounded as though it was coming from the bathroom, so he went over to check it out.

The bathroom was empty, but the voice was louder. He noticed that the mirror had been pulled away from the wall on one side. He moved closer and discovered that the mirror was also a door. The house had secrets even Elmo wasn't aware of.

He opened the mirror door and stepped into the hospital ward. "What's going on here?"

Sylvia had been hara.s.sing Greg. She spun around and smiled. "Oh, Elmo. I was wondering how long it would be before you joined us."

"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

"My name is Sylvia Slitherstone. I went to college with Mallie Mae. We were suite mates."

"That doesn't explain why you're in my bas.e.m.e.nt. Slitherstone? Are you related to Carsie and Carnie?"

Cynthia shouted, "We've all been kidnapped. She's planning to kill us."

Sylvia's smile disappeared.

Elmo turned to run upstairs and call 911.

But then he saw Carnie. She was pointing a gun at him. "What are you doing, Carnie?"

"If you had just gone ahead and married my sister, this wouldn't be happening. Move over there by that table."

"You mean Carsie'sin on this?"

"Yes. Well, sort of. She was supposed to seduce you into marrying her so we could get our hands on your money."

"I can't believe this."

"But in the process, she fell in love with you."

Sylvia chimed in. "A fairy tale love story, huh, Doc?" She laughed.

Carnie kept her gun pointed at Elmo as she walked to Ellen's bed and removed the handcuff from her right wrist. Then she moved away from the bed and ordered Elmo to walk over and handcuff himself.

Elmo looked at Sylvia. "You couldn'tbe a friend of my mother's."

"Oh, I never said we were friends. I said we went to college together. I suppose we were friends at first. But that ended when she stole your father away from me."

"So, my dad dumped you way back in college, and now you want money? Is that what this is all about?"

"No, not really. It's more about getting even. About getting what's mine. Morford should have been myhusband. You should have been myson."

"Are you really that petty? To hold a grudge for over 50 years?"

Sylvia stopped smiling. "I want what's mine. And I'm gonna take it."

Mallie Mae was still standing near the bottom of the stairs watching Macy in Carnie's room, when she heard somebody come in the front door. Then she heard footsteps coming down behind her. She knew that at any moment Macy would hear too, and turn around. But there was nowhere to go but down.

"Mallie Mae?" said Macy. She rushed to her. "What are you doing up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just-"

"-what's going on around here?" Carsie said as she stepped off the bottom stair. "Why is everybody up in the middle of the night?"

Macy and Mallie Mae looked at each other, but said nothing.

"And I think my grandmother is over here too. Where's Elmo?"

Before they could answer, Carsie saw that Carnie's bedroom door was open and the light was on. "And where's Carnie?"

Carsie ran to her sister's bedroom and saw the hole in the floor. "What's this?" Then she heard somebody below. "h.e.l.lo?"

"It's me, Sis." Carnie walked up the stairs and into the room.

"Carnie, what's going on here?"

"We're having a little party down in the bas.e.m.e.nt."

"I thought thiswas the bas.e.m.e.nt."

Carnie looked at Mallie Mae and Macy. "Come on, Ladies. Elmo wants you to come down too."

As they were approaching Carnie's room, she reached into her suitcase, pulled out a little plastic bag and put it in her skirt pocket. "Follow me."

When they entered the lab, Macy looked around and said, "Where's Elmo?"

"He's in here." Carnie led them into the big bathroom and sent them through the mirrored doorway.

Sylvia was standing at the far side of the room holding the pistol. "Welcome, Ladies. Now the fun begins."

"Who are you, and how dare you break into our home?" said Mallie Mae.

"Don't you recognize me, Mallie Mae?"

"No. Should I?"

"We went to college together. I was one of your suite mates."

"Sylvia?"

Sylvia's grin scared Macy.

"Yes. So, I'm sure you know why I'm doing this."

"I have no idea."

"You stole my boyfriend, Mallie Mae! I'll never forgive you for that!"

"Stole your boyfriend? Morford?"

"Yes, of course, Morford. When your roommate dumped him, I was there to pick up the pieces. But then she decided to play matchmaker, and introduced him to you. She was determined that I didn't get him. She hated me."

"Martha didn't hateyou."

"Yes, she did. Bring it over here, Carnie."

Carnie reached into her pocket and took out the little plastic bag as she walked to her grandmother. Sylvia exchanged the gun in her hand for the bag in Carnie's hand. Then she reached into the bag and pulled out a silver bracelet. "But I finally took my revenge on Martha." She held up the bracelet and walked over to Mallie Mae.

"What's that," said Mallie Mae.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize it."

"It can't be the bracelet Morford gave her."

Sylvia turned it over and held it close to Mallie Mae's eyes so she could read the inscription.

"How did you get that?" The horrible truth sunk in. "Somebody murdered her last week. It was you!"

Sylvia started laughing. "She had it coming."

"Just because she got me and Morford together-over 50 years ago? Because of that you murdered her?"

Carnie spoke up. "Actually, I killed her. And her nurse."

"And you've been living in my house?" said Mallie Mae.

"That's right, Old Lady." Carnie pointed the gun at her. "Now get over there against the wall and sit down! You too, Macy!"

Carsie was dizzy with confusion. "Carnie, why did you have to ruin everything? Elmo and were going to get married."

"Wrong," said Carnie. "Elmo wasn't going to marry you."

"Yes, he was. He just needed a little time to work things out for Mallie Mae and her Alzheimer's."

"I don't believe Mallie Mae even hasAlzheimer's disease," said Carnie. "I think she was faking it to break up you and Elmo."

"That's not true, is it Mallie Mae?"

Mallie Mae didn't answer.

"Besides," said Carnie, "tonight I caught Elmo making out with Macy."

Carsie looked at Macy. "They're great friends. I'm sure Elmo was just giving her a friendly hug."

"Well, let me see if I can paint the picture for you, Sis. They were in his study. And her blouse was unb.u.t.toned, her bra was flipped up and he was kissing her on the b.o.o.bs. And if I hadn't walked in when I did-"

"-Elmo, how could you?" said Carsie.

She looked at Macy. "And I trusted you." She began to cry.

"Quit being a baby, Carsie," said Sylvia. "Can't you see that the Mobleys are all alike?"

Horatio jerked from his sleep when Hadley tapped him on the shoulder.

"What's the matter, Ben?" said Horatio.

"I'm going home."

Horatio put on his gla.s.ses and looked at the alarm clock. "But it's 1:45 in the morning."

"I know. I'm sorry, but I've got to get home. Something's just not right. I called the house phone and n.o.body answered."

"They're sleeping."