smelled

he expensive perfume of people who came to gawk at their tragedy. T

s was black. Her stockings were b

placed on a sofa to complete

fense mechanism. She went bac

shb

nd a plane on. Joyce sat at the head. Jarre

thing else was different. Jarret sprawled in his chair, taking up space. Jayd

," Joyce said, cutting her steak.

across the table at his brother. "Maybe Jayden can l

e. He was wearing his dress uniform

nder the table, Elise saw Jarret's p

sip of water. His eyes met Elise's

Flas

agi

ped Elise back

e's cousin, technically. A distant relation on her mother's side wh

blue dress that was too tight across the chest

her. She went straight to the mirror abov

to her reflection. She smacked her

didn't look like she had been crying. She looked...

looked haggard, her skin gre

e went to Cristine and hugged her

eras," Joyce said, pulling bac

" Cristine said. She wa

ded rusty. "When is the funeral? I

ise slowly. Her ey

she said. She spat the name Jayden like

re," Elise said.

he scrolled through something, a

s screen in the mirror. It was a text me

ime li

Elise asked, sharpnes

antly. "Just condolences, Elis

amily lawyer, walked in. He was carrying a brief

derson nodded. H

, waving a hand at Elise like she wa

" Elise said,

mean, tinkling sound. "For two mon

y guard standing in the hall. He to

e mother, the cousin, th

y. But she stopped at the landing. The acoustics in this house were stran

the banister, hidd

nk from the crystal decanter. She

ead," Joyce was saying to the lawyer. Her voice w

gnature," the l

the banister. Her heart

And they were plotting to cut her out before

find her copy of