“Come in, come in.” Aimee ushers her inside. Gwen follows her into the living room, where Lisa is sitting. Lisa springs up and gives her a hug. She smells like vanilla and musk. Aimee leaves the room to make tea while Lisa peppers her with questions about the boys and how long they are staying at Barb’s. The more concern Lisa shows, the colder Gwen becomes. She can’t help it. There’s something about Lisa’s warmth and enthusiasm that has always felt forced to Gwen, like an act she’s putting on. She’s seen Lisa smile enthusiastically, laugh and joke, and then the moment she doesn’t think anyone is looking, her face turns to stone. But she has Aimee completely snowed.
Aimee comes back with tea.
“Where is everyone?” Gwen asks.
“Scott took the kids to Norwood,” Aimee says. “Even Noa.”
“The police came by our house today,” Lisa says. “Asked Marcus and me about Friday night. I wish we could have been more helpful. They asked if we had a doorbell camera, which we don’t, although now I think we should get one. You have one, Aimee. Did the police ask to see the footage?”
Gwen looks at Aimee, who shifts, visibly uncomfortable. “Yes. I’m sure they’re asking everyone.”
“Is there anything on it?” Gwen asks.
Aimee looks down at her hands and spins her wedding ring.
“Aimee,” Gwen says, the skin on her neck prickling. “What was on it?”
Aimee glances up at her and then looks away. “Well, Anton came to our house Friday night. Late. After I had gone to bed.”
“What? You didn’t tell me that.”
“I didn’t have a chance, and honestly, with everything going on, it didn’t seem that important.”
Gwen’s breath catches in her throat. “How could that not be important? You might have been the last person to see him. And you didn’t tell me?” The room falls quiet, the only sound the revving of a leaf blower from somewhere nearby. Aimee and Lisa exchange a glance, which infuriates Gwen. She knows that look. She’sgiventhat look. It happens in trios when one person is acting badly. But how is she acting badly? Her husband was murdered, and her friend is withholding important information. Gwen sinks into herself. She feels more alone with her friends than she did when she was by herself at her house. She doesn’t understand how Aimee can’t see that she’s done something wrong. “You should have told me.”
“I am truly sorry,” Aimee says. “I didn’t mean to hurt you or hold anything back from you.”
“We’re on your side,” Lisa says. “We’re not against you.”
Gwen brings the steaming tea to her face and inhales. Lisa is the bonus that comes along with friendship with Aimee, whether she wants it or not, and there doesn’t seem to be anyroom for negotiation. If she kept Lisa at arm’s length, she could tolerate her, but she has never trusted her. She is one of those women who is always on high alert, looking for slights or insults, or opportunities to compete. At the beginning of the summer when Gwen mentioned that she wanted to enroll the boys in the local swim team, Lisa regaled her with Kai’s swimming triumphs. “Just like you, all I wanted was something for him to do in the summer, maybe learn how to swim. One thing leads to another and now two years later, I’m driving all over the place taking him to regionals here, and state finals there. Who would have guessed he would be a champion swimmer!”
“I know you’re not against me,” Gwen says. “I don’t think that. I hate being blindsided by information.” She tries to smile and smooth things over. They don’t know what she’s discovered in Anton’s study, and she’s not going to tell them. She worries that if she starts talking about that, she might accidentally divulge Anton’s other secret. “What did Anton want?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t talk to him,” Aimee says. “Scott was the one who answered the door.”
“Well, what did he say to Scott?”
“I don’t think anything important. Scott was on his way out to meet a friend for a drink. He said Anton seemed—” She stopped, a guilty look on her face. “Do you really want to talk about this?”
“I need you to stop trying to protect me, stop trying to be so nice, and just tell me,” Gwen says. She knows her tone is harsh, her words direct, but she doesn’t care at this point.
Aimee nods. “All right. Scott said that Anton seemed really drunk and he walked him back to your place. That’s all.”
“Where was Scott going for a drink?”
Aimee pauses, unable to meet her eye. “Bethesda.”
“Aimee?”
“Fine. Villain & Saint.”
Gwen feels like she’s been punched in the throat. She gasps forair. Lisa rushes over, taking the tea from her and patting her on the back. Gwen’s mind is racing now, galloping off into dark territory. Would Anton have been foolish enough to confront Scott? He was so drunk on Friday, willing to spill his secrets to assuage his conscience. But even he would not have been that stupid. And even if he did talk to Scott, did confess everything, would that be enough reason for Scott to kill him? It’s crazy. She’s going insane with this train of thought.
“I’m fine now, thanks,” Gwen says, pushing Lisa off her. She needs space. Lisa is smothering her.
“You okay? We don’t need to talk about this. We don’t want to upset you,” Lisa says.
“Maybe we should talk about something else,” Aimee says.