Then, time-stamped an hour later, the video picks up again with Scott returning. Alone. Aimee is stunned, but she tries to keep the surprise out of her face. Her gut tells her she needs to play it cool. Showing this video to the detective may have been a mistake, but she won’t make it worse.
“Did you know that Anton had come to your house last night?” the detective asks, straightening up.
Aimee shakes her head. “No. I must have been asleep by then.”
“Was that your husband who left with him?”
“Yes.”
“Any idea where they went?”
Aimee jostles the keys in her hand. “I’m sorry, no. Look, I have to drop my daughter somewhere, and then be at work.”
“That’s fine.” He holds his hands up and smiles. “Is your husband at home now?”
“He had to go into work.”
“No problem, I can stop by later. In the meantime, mind emailing that video to me?” He pulls out a card and passes it to her. “My email is in the corner.”
“Sure.” She takes the card.
“Would you mind doing it now?” His tone is gentle, but she gets the message. What choice does she have?
7
LAST WINTER BREAK
Lisa tried to hide the smirk she felt spreading across her face as soon as she entered the condo in Stowe. The walls, the enormous lounging couch, the fluffy rug in front of the roaring fire were all shades of oatmeal, beige, and blond—just as boring and basic as Gwen was.
“What a beautiful place!” She dropped her bag on the floor to let herself be embraced by Gwen. Behind her, she could hear Marcus muttering under his breath as he struggled with the skis. Gwen had told her that her parents had “gifted” her and Anton a ski cabin as their wedding present. The wordcabinmade her think of some rustic dump with dark wood paneling and drafty windows. She wasn’t expecting a luxury modern chalet.
She disentangled herself from Gwen’s embrace. Gwen smelled like pine.She probably has a special Vermont perfume that she only wears up here, Lisa thought.
“Come in, come in! You must be exhausted. How was the drive?”
“Oh, fine.” She followed Gwen into the heart of the large A-frame condo, where she was accosted by two stories of glass overlooking the village center and Mt. Mansfield. It was like peering out at an Alpine village covered in freshly fallen snow. She gasped, despite herself.
Gwen appeared by her side. “I know. Every time we come up here, I just pinch myself. We’re just so lucky to have this.” She squeezed Lisa’s arm. “And so blessed to be able to share it with friends.”
“Yes, you’re so blessed.”What a phony, Lisa thought. Gwen wasa classic Libra. So obsessed with how she looked to the world. The whole reason people thought Gwen such a great hostess was because of her ability to pretend to like people she hated. But Lisa wasn’t fooled. As an Aquarius, she saw right through Gwen’s games.
“Oh, wow. This is amazing.” Marcus headed toward them, passing the roaring fire. “And the ski lifts are right there? It’s like a fairy tale!”
Gwen pointed. “Yup. Ski lifts are right there.”
Marcus walked right up to the plate glass window and stretched. “Sure beats skiing in the Poconos like when I was a kid. Magical.”
Lisa clapped her hands, as if the noise might break the spell her husband was under. Why was everyone so easily seduced by this woman? “We better get Kai settled.”
“Of course!” Gwen said. “The kids are all downstairs in the bunk room. Hope Kai doesn’t mind being with the younger kids. If he hates it, he is welcome to sleep up here in the living room. And you and Marcus are down there, too. Don’t worry, you have your own bathroom.”
“Are all the bedrooms downstairs?” Lisa asked.
“There are two upstairs, and two down below.”
“Great!” Message received. Gwen and Aimee would be on the top floor, no doubt enjoying spectacular views and privacy, while she and Marcus were relegated to the basement with the kids. Gwen was really enjoying this, Lisa thought. She had wondered why she was invited at all, and now she realized it was simply to humiliate her. “Marcus? Bags?” Lisa grabbed one small bag while he took the rest. As soon as her feet hit the lower steps, she could feel it was a few degrees chillier down here, and there was a dank smell.
“I can’t believe she stuck us in the basement,” she said as soon as they entered the large bedroom.