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Lilah

The message came while Lilah was in the enormous bath. She’d put some of the hotel’s luxury bath soap in it, which helped her relax a little bit, maybe. Well, it meant that she could stop pacing around and sit in one place, submerged. But she kept her phone close by on the lip of the tub, even though this was a foolish place to put an expensive electronic item because it could fall into the water.

Zachary had messaged her earlier saying he had to work late tonight, and then he hadn’t messaged again. This was unusual and she should be worried, but frankly, Lilah was a little relieved. She wasn’t ready to talk with him about what she’d been told today. Even though it was probably a hoax and these women didn’t even know Zachary. Even though there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything, like deep fakes or Photoshop. People could do anything with computers these days.

She wasn’t ready to discuss it with Zachary. Not even in a bright, breezy way, like “Can you believe the crazy thing that happened today?”

Because...what if it was true, and she’d lost not only her money, but everything she cared about? Her father, the man she loved, her sense of what was real?

She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about anything. She had not checked any of her remaining bank accounts yet. She wanted to stay in this bath forever.

But the message might be Zachary, with a perfectly reasonable explanation.

She dried her hand and picked up her phone, but the message wasn’t from Zachary; it was in the WhatsApp group that Opal had set up. Marina had sent a pinned map of a location in Richmond. No message attached to it.

At the sight of Marina’s name, Lilah had a twinge of conscience. She was a moral person. And she had slapped that woman. Actually slapped her!

Violence was never the answer. She could hear what her Dad would say. Even if you were provoked, there’s no excuse. You’ve got to apologize to Marina .

“All right,” she said out loud. “But I’m only doing it for you, Dad.”

She reached for a towel.

* * *

She walked through the iron gate in the hedge and towards the house. In the dusk, it was difficult to see the house properly, but it was detached and tall with huge windows that glowed invitingly. It was older than hers, a grand old London house with wisteria growing over the front door. It was a very beautiful house, which sort of made Lilah wish that she’d chosen something older and more graceful for herself. But Dad had said that with a new build, you knew what you were getting, and he did have a point.

It was only after she’d rung the doorbell that she realized that this could be some sort of trap to lure her to a private place, that all of this was a ruse concocted by whoever had murdered her father.

To her relief, when the door was opened, it was only Marina. “Is Opal with you?” Marina asked, peering out.

“No, should she be?”

“What do you want?”

Lilah wanted to squirm, but she remembered what her dad said, and stood strong. “I owe you an apology.”

Marina seemed to be considering. After a pause, she opened the door wider. “I suppose since you’re here, you’d better come in. My children are asleep, so we have to be as quiet as we can.”

The entranceway had patterned tiles on the floor and a floorto-ceiling gilt-framed mirror on the wall. A sweeping staircase led upwards. Lilah noticed for the first time that Marina was wearing a little red dress and she had her hair piled on top of her head so that soft tendrils fell around her face.

Zachary’s jacket was hanging on the coat rack. The nice one, that he wore when he took her out to a fancy restaurant. The sight was painful, so Lilah averted her eyes.

“Is he here?” Lilah asked.

“We need to talk about that,” said Marina, which Lilah took as a no, and he’d just forgotten his jacket.

She brought Lilah through to the kitchen, which was huge and cluttered with things like bunches of herbs hanging from the ceiling, old copper-bottomed pots and a very large basket containing an implausible number of champagne corks. There was also an old pine farmhouse table with several chairs around it, including two high chairs.

“How many children do you have?” Lilah asked. For the first time, she was aware that this woman, whom she’d called a hussy, had a whole life outside of sleeping with Lilah’s fiancé. She was a mother. Though for a mother she seemed to also drink a lot of champagne.

“Three. All five and under.” She gestured at a platter of cold meats and cheeses on the table. It was beautifully arranged, with grapes and other fruit in a basket beside. “There’s some food if you’re hungry.”

“Is that why you sent a pin to your house?” Lilah asked. “You wanted to invite us for nibbles?”

“No, but you might as well eat them.” Marina chewed on a nail. “I actually only meant to send that pin to Opal.”

There were only two wineglasses.

“Are the two of you planning something together?” asked Lilah. She felt left out, which was irrational. She didn’t even like these women. Opal was a bully and Marina was sleeping with other people’s fiancés. They were worse than Evil Alice.

“Not exactly.”

A doorbell rang. Marina left the kitchen to answer it.

Lilah picked up a slice of cheese and nibbled on it. She wasn’t hungry, but it was laid out so prettily, and she didn’t know what else to do. She heard the door open and a bit of conversation, and Marina appeared a few minutes later with Opal. This time, Opal was wearing workout gear, which made her look even more fit.

“What’s up?” Opal asked, seeing Lilah and the platter of nibbles. “We’re not having a dinner party, are we? I would’ve brought wine.”

“Your Instagram profile says you used to be a nurse,” Marina said to her. “Is that true?”

“Briefly. Why?”

“It’s easier if I show you. And since you’re here, Lilah, I guess you need to see it too.”

She went to the side of the room where there was a shut door that Lilah hadn’t noticed before. It had a sliding bolt on it, which she opened.

“Be really careful going down the stairs,” she said. “They’re rickety. Hang on to the banister, okay?”

Opal went down first, and Lilah followed, with Marina at the rear. A bulb hung over the staircase, but it didn’t throw much light and Lilah had to concentrate to make sure her feet were placed safely. Down in the cellar it was hardly any brighter; there was another single bulb dangling from the ceiling and the walls were lined with shelves and shadows.

She didn’t see it at first, until Opal said, “Holy shit.” And then she did.

Zachary lay on the floor. His eyes were closed and there was some blood on his face. And even though he looked nothing like her father, even though he was in a different position, all Lilah could see was her dead father as she’d discovered him on the worst day of her life.

She gasped. Her throat closed up, squeezed by phantom hands. And she felt herself falling as the room went dark.