by Laura Wolfe
I lowered my eyelids. Poor Frida.
“The funny thing was, I felt so powerful, leaving her there to die. It was like I’d finally stood up for myself. I’d finally made someone pay for wronging me.”
My feet wobbled beneath me. I stretched taller, setting my jaw. Stories Charlotte had shared with me long ago surfaced in my consciousness—her father had beaten her for her younger brothers’ wrongdoings, and her mother had been an emotionally distant alcoholic. Parenting like that could cause irreparable damage to a child’s psyche.
Charlotte frowned and blinked several times. “I didn’t get the job, even though I was overqualified. It was Frida’s fault. After everything I’d done for her.” Charlotte shook her head. “Seeing Frida again reminded me how I don’t have any real friends. Her accident got me thinking about how easy it would be to do the same thing to the rest of you.”
I pressed my heels into the floor, struggling to keep my face still. “You do have friends, Charlotte.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “When Jenna sent the email about the weekend away, I knew the cabin was the perfect spot to get back at the rest of you for ruining my life. I didn’t want to kill anyone else.” Her eyes blinked rapidly. “Really. I didn’t. But I did want to scare you enough to teach you a lesson. I wanted to watch you turn on each other, to show you our so-called friendship was a sham, and to make sure we never planned one of these ridiculous weekends again. But Sam couldn’t stop provoking me, and one thing led to another.”
Tears burned my eyes at the mention of Sam’s name. “It sounds like Frida really hurt you. But what did Sam do?”
“Sam stole MedTech from me.”
“What?”
Charlotte jutted out her chin. “MedTech was my idea. It was my company. I described the entire concept to Sam back in college one night at Campus Café. She stole it from me. She never gave me any credit or offered to compensate me. Instead, I’ve struggled my entire professional life. I’ve had to stay in unhappy marriages just to make ends meet.”
I swallowed, noting Charlotte’s faulty logic. Sam had worked for years to build MedTech into the successful business it was. She’d completed medical school and worked in a research hospital while Charlotte chose to take a break and stay home and raise her son. But Charlotte was balancing on the edge of something dangerous, and I didn’t dare to argue.
“Sam should have given you a seat on the board,” I said, hoping to appease her. “I never realized the company was your idea.”
“Sam never told anyone that part. It felt so good to sneak up behind her in the woods and loop that cord around her neck. It felt like I was taking back everything that should have been mine.”
I gasped, raising my hand to my mouth. Poor Sam would never have suspected Charlotte of being violent. She wouldn’t have thought to run or fight back.
“With Travis living next door, I knew the rest of you would assume he was the one who killed Sam. Especially after I saw that tattoo. Man, you’re all so predictable.” Amusement danced in Charlotte’s eyes. “And when you shot Travis, that was beyond perfect. I thought I had it made. Travis wouldn’t even be around to defend himself.”
I thought back to the way I’d snatched Travis’s gun from the floor and pointed the barrel at him, deciding not to shoot. But Jenna and Charlotte had lunged toward me when Travis jerked forward. I’d never been sure who had squeezed my hand, but now I knew Charlotte had done it.
“I couldn’t have foreseen what happened with Kaitlyn afterward. I had no choice.”
“Why Kaitlyn?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice from cracking. “How could you hurt her?”
Charlotte scowled. “She had such a perfect life, didn’t she?”
My throat was so dry I couldn’t make a sound.
Charlotte shifted the rifle to her other arm and shook out her free hand. “Kaitlyn brought her fate on herself.”
“How do you mean?”
“She was on the couch, still awake, and waiting for the non-existent tow truck when I came downstairs for a midnight snack. She told me again how she saw me in the woods near the spot where Sam died. She’d seen my orange shirt and heard a struggle. Kaitlyn kept asking questions about what I was doing out there. She practically accused me of killing Sam. I told her she was wrong. I said I could explain everything, but I needed to get a glass of water from the kitchen first. Instead of getting a glass, I took the rifle from the cellar and forced her down to the lake. I used the same cord to strangle her, holding her head under the water. Then I hid the gun in the woods so you and Jenna wouldn’t get your hands on it. You have to understand. I couldn’t risk having Kaitlyn expose me.”
I gasped. Kaitlyn had been on to Charlotte before any of us. She had known Charlotte killed Sam. Even if she’d only had a lingering suspicion, I wished she would have come to Jenna or me instead of confronting Charlotte directly. But that was just like Kaitlyn. She always wanted to see the best in people. She never wanted to talk behind anyone’s back.
“But even if Kaitlyn hadn’t seen me, I had reason enough to hate her.”
“Why?” I held my breath, unable to imagine how anyone could hate Kaitlyn. She was kind to everyone. Not in the fake, over-the-top, stab-you-in-the-back way of so many suburban moms; she had been genuinely compassionate and down-to-earth.
“Kaitlyn stole the man I was always meant to be with.”
My heart raced. “Reed?”
“No. Not Reed,” Charlotte huffed. “Derek!”
“Derek.” My mind reeled, struggling to make sense of Charlotte’s explanation. “Kaitlyn’s husband?”
“Yeah. Derek was supposed to have been mine. I was the one who invited him to our party the night he and Kaitlyn met. He was in my chemistry study group and we’d been hanging out for weeks. We were only friends, at first, but there was so much more there. We talked and laughed so easily together. Sometimes he even walked me home after class. I was the one who ran into him standing in line for coffee at the student union the day before. I invited him to the party because we had such a strong connection. And he liked me too because he showed up to see me. But then Kaitlyn butted into our conversation with her tall, skinny body and perfect teeth. Her big boobs were practically hanging out of her tight sweater. Derek never looked at me again.”
I swallowed. Charlotte’s delusions were even more severe than I realized, but I played along. “That must have been hard for you. Especially at their wedding.”
“I didn’t go to their wedding, remember?”
I nodded, although I’d forgotten that Charlotte hadn’t been there. “At least you have Reed,” I said, immediately wishing I’d veered toward a different subject. I felt like a wild animal caught in traffic, narrowly avoiding the crushing wheels of a car only to find a semi-truck barreling toward me from the other direction.
“Reed and I were happy for a while. But it’s not the same life I would have had with Derek. Kaitlyn was so smug with her charity benefits, garden clubs, and all-inclusive vacations. Derek was too good to her. Derek wouldn’t have lost interest in me the way Reed has.”
I shifted my leg, at a loss for words. Charlotte’s version of events skewed so far from reality that I couldn’t speak. I worried about what Charlotte would accuse Jenna and me of doing, and I pressed my heels into the floor, dialing into therapy mode.
“It’s going to be okay, Charlotte. You didn’t mean to kill anyone. Frida was an accident. Sam was in the heat of the moment, and Kaitlyn was an unfortunate witness. I’ll keep your secret. You know I will. So will Jenna. This nightmare can end right here. We can blame the deaths on Travis. No one will question our story, just like you said.”
Charlotte chuckled and readjusted the barrel of the gun toward my forehead. “Do you really think I’m that stupid? You and Jenna. You two are unbelievable. So high and mighty. I should thank Jenna for helping me, though. She made things so much easier for me when she twisted her ankle. Once I’d punctured my tires, there was no way anyone was leavin
g. Her injury trapped you here.”
I gulped for air. “You’re going through so much, Charlotte. Do you want to talk about your relationship with Reed some more? Or your unexpected job loss? It helps to talk about things.”
“I don’t need your fake tears. Or your useless marital advice.”
“I’m sure Reed can support you until you find other work. I can lend you some money.”
Charlotte’s lip peeled back. “Reed doesn’t know I got fired again. He thinks I already found a new part-time job. We keep separate accounts. But he’ll leave me when he finds out I was lying. He was already on his way out the door. A stupid vacation isn’t going to fix that.”
“People can be more forgiving than you realize sometimes,” I said, hoping it was true.
Charlotte only stared at me.
“Charlotte, where is Jenna?”
“I tied her to a tree and gagged her. Her hands and legs are bound. She won’t escape.”
Jenna was alive. I hid my relief out of fear that Charlotte would fire the gun if I made any sudden noises. I could still save Jenna. “Charlotte, you need to let me and Jenna live. We’ll promise to backup your story. You’re going to need corroborating witnesses.”
Charlotte glared at me. “I can’t. I’ve already headed too far down this road. There’s no turning back now. Besides, I don’t trust either of you. Not after what you did.”
“What did we do?”
“Like you don’t know.”
“I don’t.”
“You and Jenna are equally responsible for what happened to me. You two are the worst friends of all. You think you can toss me aside like a piece of garbage on the side of the road.”
A cold sweat prickled across my skin. I forced myself to breathe. “Charlotte, can you tell me what we did so I can apologize? I know I’ve made mistakes, but I promise I never did anything intentionally to hurt you. I’m sure Jenna didn’t either.”
“You should have apologized twenty years ago.”
Twenty years ago? I looked at my hands, equal parts confused and terrified. “For what?”
“For leaving me at that party!”
My mind tumbled backward through the years, struggling to recall a specific party. “Which party? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It was spring of junior year. You and Jenna invited me to go to a fraternity party at Sigma Delta Epsilon because Jenna knew someone there. It was a Hawaiian luau-themed party. Do you remember now?”
A photo from Kaitlyn’s album flashed in my mind. Charlotte and Jenna wore flowered shirts and shell necklaces. I did remember the party. It was the night Jenna bolted after seeing Pete. But I didn’t understand what Charlotte was getting at. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember it. Can you tell me what happened?”
Charlotte shifted the rifle to her other shoulder, keeping it aimed at my face. “You abandoned me at the fraternity. I didn’t know anyone. I went to use the bathroom, and you and Jenna left without bothering to tell me. I didn’t have a cell phone back then. I couldn’t find you.” Worry lines creased Charlotte’s forehead. The painful memory still affected her. “I wandered all around that enormous old house, checking the upstairs bedrooms for you. A guy was sitting alone in one of the rooms. I told him my friends ditched me, and he felt sorry for me and invited me inside. He seemed nice. I drank a couple of beers with him, but then he told me he wasn’t a student. He was a few years older and happened to know someone who lived there.” Charlotte paused, lowering her gaze. “The guy put his hand on my leg. I wanted to leave, but he blocked me and locked the door. He wouldn’t let me out. He squeezed my throat and pinned me down. You can guess what happened next.” Tears slid down Charlotte’s face, and I could see how raw the memory still was for her. I didn’t like where the story was going.
“Charlotte, I’m so sorry. I believe you when you say that guy attacked you. But I don’t remember leaving you at a party. I had no idea anything like that ever happened.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Some therapist.”
I shifted my legs, thinking again of the photo album in the cabin, thinking of a way to make Charlotte question her memory. “You said it was the Hawaiian luau party at Sigma Delta Epsilon?”
“Yeah.”
“I didn’t go to that party.”
“Yes, you did. You were there, and then you left.”
“No. I didn’t. I have proof. It’s in the photo album back at the cabin. Jenna and Kaitlyn took you to that party. There’s a photo of you and Jenna before you left.”
“I know. You’re in it too.”
“No. Kaitlyn and Jenna went with you. I had a babysitting job that night. Remember the Maloneys? I was so bummed I had to miss the party to watch over a spoiled six-year-old.”
Charlotte didn’t respond.
“Jenna was in the photo with you. You were wearing Hawaiian shirts, and Jenna had a big blue flower in her hair. I’m probably the one who took the picture. Maybe that’s why you remember me being there.”
“I know it was you who walked through the door to that fraternity with me. That’s why I don’t feel too bad that I have to kill you.”
“It’s been twenty years, Charlotte. Memories fade, even for people with sharp minds. They’ve done studies on it. Can you at least let me show you the photo before you kill me? I have two kids. Remember Marnie and Wyatt? Don’t you want to make sure you’re killing the right person before you take their mom from them?” A sob rose in my throat at the thought of my sweet children, but I swallowed the emotion. Keeping my composure was essential if I wanted to see them again.
Charlotte’s eyes flickered toward the window, and she lowered the gun. Something I’d said had gotten through to her. At a minimum, she was willing to hear me out. “You can show me the photo, but it won’t make a difference.”
I nodded, slowly standing from the bed. “Okay. I guess we’ll see who is right.”
She motioned with the gun. “Put your shoes on.”
I forced my feet into the wet shoes and tied them.
“You go first. Keep your hands raised.”
“Can we get Jenna?” I asked, attempting to keep my voice light and airy.
“No. I’ll be pointing this gun at your back. I’ll shoot you if you try to do anything stupid. We’ll cross the lake in the canoe you brought over here.”
I shivered, imagining how Charlotte must have been lurking in the trees and watching me the night before. I thought I’d been so clever. My legs lumbered forward, marching across the campground in the light of dawn like a prisoner of war. At least I’d bought myself some time. I could tell from the desperation in Charlotte’s eyes that she needed a friend. She wanted to believe my version of events—that I hadn’t been to the Hawaiian luau party. But when she saw the photos in a few minutes, there was an equal chance the images would bolster her memory because Charlotte’s recollection was correct. Jenna and I had been with Charlotte that night at the fraternity house. And we’d left her there.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Smile!” I held up the camera and clicked. Charlotte and Jenna leaned close to each other and flashed exaggerated smiles. We wore Hawaiian-printed tops and shell necklaces, and we’d tucked cheap plastic flowers behind our ears.
“Do you want to be in it, Megan?” Kaitlyn asked, pulling her work apron over her clothes. “I can take another one.”
“Nah. I’m good.” I waved her off and adjusted the grass skirt I’d secured over my jean skirt. “Wish you could come with us too.”
Kaitlyn hoisted her backpack onto her shoulder. “I have to serve pizza to drunk college students who leave crappy tips. I swear, I’d rather be studying all night like Sam.”
Jenna chuckled.
“We’ll catch you next time.” I turned toward Jenna and Charlotte. “You guys ready to go?”
“Are you sure it’s a luau theme?” Charlotte asked. “Because it would be embarrassing if we showed up dressed like this if it wasn’t.”<
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“Yeah. It’s definitely a luau. Let’s par-ty.” Jenna balanced on her crutches as she clapped her hands together and laughed. It had been nearly three months since the car accident, and I was relieved to see how well she was getting around on her own.
Charlotte applied a fresh coat of lipstick, and the three of us tumbled out the door. We trekked across the dark sidewalks toward fraternity row, the fifteen-minute hike taking longer because of Jenna’s leg. None of us had the money for a cab.
“Too bad Sam and Kaitlyn are missing out,” Jenna said as she limped along.
The bass thumped inside my chest as we approached the party. Tiki torches lined the walkway to the front door. Despite the chilly April night, women in bikini tops and grass skirts stood in clusters on the small front lawn, talking to men wearing Hawaiian shirts.
“Let’s go inside,” Jenna said.
Charlotte went first, approaching the front door where two frat boys stood guard.
“Evening ladies.” One of them waved us forward. “Welcome to the tropics.”
“Nice flowers,” the other said.
Jenna glanced back at me and made a face, and I stifled my laugh. Charlotte held the door for Jenna. I followed behind her.
People swarmed the two front rooms, where a line of partygoers snaked from a keg. Steps led to a dance floor in another room. Reggae blared from the speakers. Lights flashed along with the beat of the music, and a DJ bobbed his head behind a turntable. The air swirled with the odor of stale beer and occasional whiffs of weed.
We joined the line, waiting for our drinks. Charlotte recognized a woman from her Organic Biology class and introduced us. A few minutes later, Charlotte’s classmate returned to her crew, and the three of us got our beers. We wandered into the next room where a couple of guys approached us and asked Jenna how she injured her leg.
“A car accident,” Jenna said. She didn’t mention that I was the driver, and I thought again about how she was the best kind of friend. After the two men discovered Jenna had played on the soccer team, they offered to get us refills and wandered toward the keg.