Don't Trust Her
Page 26
Today is the six-month anniversary of our surviving. I’m hosting a party at my house for us and our husbands. It’s August and the air is thick enough to swim in. The cicadas chirp all day, their buzzing a welcome reminder of life.
The doorbell rings, and Jonas whizzes by. “I’ll get it!” He’s wearing a red cape that sweeps behind him. He just finished playing an online game with his friends. Apparently there was role-playing involved.
Tal sidles up and kisses my temple. I smile and he winks. “Ready?”
He knows nothing of what happened, and I’ve had time to rebuild our savings, putting back the money.
I squeeze his hand. “Of course I’m ready. This will be fun.”
“First time you’ve all been together since it happened.”
This is true. For the past half year there has been an unspoken agreement between the three of us—we each needed time to heal and couldn’t be together. But it’s high time we rectified that.
Blanche sails into the house, all smiles. “Court,” she calls. “I’ve missed you.”
We hug and she looks fabulous in a white eyelet dress. Perfect for summer.
“Aunt Bwanche,” Haley Ray calls, throwing herself at Blanche.
“Precious,” Blanche says, sweeping Haley into a hug. “Y’all remember Derek.”
Derek Varnell enters behind Blanche. They smile at one another, that sweet we’re-in-love look. He shakes Tal’s hand. “Good to see you. Court, thank you for inviting me.”
He hands me a bouquet of flowers, and I thank him. Tal leads him away with Haley Ray chasing them.
Blanche and I go to the kitchen. “Is she here yet?”
I dig a vase out from under the sink. “No. But she promised to come.”
Blanche taps her fingers on the counter. “She’s kept quiet this long.”
“She’ll keep her mouth shut.”
Blanche gnaws the inside of her lip. “I don’t know.”
“I do.”
She exhales. “I need to use the little ladies’ room.”
“You know where it is.”
She gives me a quick squeeze and eyes me tenderly. “It really is good to see you.”
“Same here.”
As soon as Blanche disappears into the powder room, the doorbell peels. My insides tighten.
She’s arrived.
When I open the front door, Faith is standing there with Scott and the kids. She throws her hands up.
“Court!”
We hug and I cuddle the kids. Jonas and Haley show up, and the children begin a game of hide-and-seek.
“Drink?” I ask, leading Faith into the kitchen.
“I quit.”
Her eyes are clearer, and her hair shines more. Her skin, even the puckered, angry part, is shining with life. “You look good, Faith.”
“Thank you.”
Blanche enters and they hug, exchanging pleasantries. The three of us stand in uneasy silence, waiting.
Faith speaks. “I thought about it, you know, revealing what we’d done.”
Blanche’s gaze skirts to me. “But you didn’t?”
Faith touches the scar and winces. “No. That weekend hurt us enough. There’s no point in making any of it worse.” She looks at me. “For any of us.”
An ocean of air exhales from my lungs. “You made the right choice, Faith. We’re here for you.”
We catch up on our lives and laugh about what our kids are doing. Blanche explains that it’s Jeremy’s weekend with the kids.
And as we laugh, I can’t help but think that Faith might, she just might change her mind and reveal our secrets to the police.
That’s why I have spent afternoons following Faith unnoticed. While she shoplifts, I stay far away, taking hundreds of pictures of her stealing.
Because you never know when you’re going to need that sort of insurance.
Faith cannot be trusted, not completely. And if she ever thinks about tattling, I’ll send her the pictures I have, along with a copy of Paige’s letter.
That should remind her what I’m capable of.
After all, my family is the most important thing in my life. I would do anything for them.
Would I murder again to keep them safe?
Hell yes, I would.
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Check out ARRANGEMENT ACRES, a Liar’s Island novella from Elizabeth Boles.
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Welcome to Liar’s Island… a stand-alone series of interconnected, novella-length domestic thrillers set in the picture-perfect community of Liars Island. Here, nothing is quite as it seems.
On this island, families, and friendships are more than meets the eye … secrets, deceptions, and jealousies threaten to ruin everything these influential people have built. But it isn’t only the rich that live here … and power comes in all shapes and sizes. Everyone here is a liar … just how far would you go to get what you want?
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Also by Elizabeth Boles
Don’t Trust Her
Arrangement Acres
About the Author
Elizabeth Boles is the pen name for a cozy mystery author. She lives in Alabama with her husband, two children, and cat named Little Bit. You can find out more about Elizabeth and her books at elizabethboles.net.