Her heart raced as she stared at the hair tie, a feeling of unease settling in. She quickly grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of it, unsure what to make of the discovery. Was it Claire’s? Or had someone else been in the room?

Lily’s mind was racing as she headed back to the living room. She needed to gather her thoughts. But as she straightened up, tidying the coffee table, she noticed something odd. The top page of the notepad that she had set on the table for guests had a piece torn off of it. The jagged edge of torn paper stared back at her. Her breath caught as she recalled the piece of paper the police had shown her earlier—the one with her address on it.

Was this where it had come from?

Before she could think further, the front door burst open. Claire rushed inside, her face pale and eyes puffy, as if she’d been crying. "Lily," she gasped, breathless. "I... I need to leave."

Lily’s heart skipped a beat. "Claire, what happened? Where have you been?"

Claire shook her head, her voice trembling. "I met up with my sister before my yoga class yesterday," she began, her voice breaking. "She... she’s the woman who died at the festival, Lily. That was my sister, Ashley."

Lily’s eyes widened. "Your sister?"

Claire nodded, wiping away her tears. "She didn’t tell me much, but when we met at the juice bar, she said she was going to reveal something at the festival—something that would ruin someone’s career. She said it was dangerous, but she wouldn’t tell me any more."

Lily was silent, her mind reeling. "I'm so sorry, Claire," was all she could manage to say, but she meant it sincerely. Lily couldn't imagine what Claire must be going through.

"She told me to stay out of it," Claire continued, her voice shaking. "But we were supposed to meet here after the ceremony when my class was over. I should have stopped her... and now she’s dead." Claire’s breath hitched. "I don’t know what to do. I’m scared, Lily."

"Why didn’t you tell the police?" Lily asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Because I think whoever killed her is still around," Claire responded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just need to leave town. I’m going back to Portland."

Lily felt a chill run down her spine. "Claire, what was she planning to expose?"

"I don’t know," Claire said, shaking her head. "But I think she was killed for it. I need to take her back home, to our family. Please, Lily, watch your back."

Before Lily could respond, Claire turned and rushed out the door, leaving her standing alone in the empty room, her heart pounding.

The truth is closing in, but can you solve the mystery before the killer is revealed? Tomorrow, the police return with a shocking revelation, and one guest’s hidden agenda comes to light.

Prepare yourself—Part 4 is on its way, and it will be time to make your final guess!