Page 46

46

OPAL

“We brought her back to her apartment, and I tucked her into her bed. I sat with her for a little while. I’ll never forget how she looked.”

The three of them were sitting on the patio as Opal finished her story.

“It was my fault,” Opal said. “That poor girl.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” said Lilah. “Zander gave her the pills.”

“I hired her. I brought her to my home. I liked her.”

“What happened?” asked Marina in a soft voice.

“They discovered her two days later. By that time, Zander was gone. And all of my money with him. Of course I couldn’t go to the police.”

“It was a pyramid scheme?” asked Lilah. “Your business?”

“Yes,” Opal said. “I’m a con woman. I’ve been one all my life, ever since I was a kid. That’s how I knew Zander’s game: I’m the one who taught it to him. And I am responsible for that girl’s death. I didn’t mean for it to happen, but it was ultimately my fault. I covered it up. After Zander disappeared with all the money, I destroyed the records, I shut up the business, I changed my name, and I moved to London and got into fitness in a big way.”

“But...the fitness stuff isn’t a con, is it?” asked Marina.

“No. I went straight after Cora died. All the health and exercise advice I give online now are things I do myself, based on actual science, and they are meant to make you feel good and live longer, not make you skinny.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t live a lie anymore. I owed Cora that much.”

“You’ve been lying to us, though,” said Lilah. “By omission, at least.”

“Yes. I gave Zander that sleeping pill so that he wouldn’t tell you who I was. I’d also reached a deal with him. If we let him go, he couldn’t go to the police to inform on you, because if he did, I’d tell them about Weight&See and Cora.”

“But that would get you in trouble, too,” said Lilah. Opal shrugged.

“Is that why you turned up here yesterday?” Marina pointed at the newspaper that was lying on the table between them. “You knew this was going to break?”

“There was a reporter outside my flat. I was pretty sure the police were next. I needed somewhere safe, and I didn’t have cash for a hotel because I’d given it to my assistant. That’s another story.”

“What’s going to happen?”

“I don’t know. There might be a warrant out for my arrest, but I’m thinking not yet. It takes some time to put together a case, whether that’s for fraud or manslaughter. Anyway. Thanks to your Wi-Fi and the only credit card I haven’t maxed out yet, I have a cheap flight to Dubrovnik late tonight. I’ll work it out from there.”

“Tonight?” said Lilah in dismay.

“But you just got here,” said Marina.

“And I have no desire to lead the cops to your door.”

“I don’t want you to go. The kids are just getting to know you.”

Opal steeled herself. “There’s something else I need to tell you. And then you’ll be glad to get rid of me.”

“Shoot,” said Lilah, and then wrinkled her nose. “I mean...go ahead.”

“I went into this whole thing for revenge, like I said. I couldn’t bear the thought of Zander cheating and stealing from another woman. But also...I needed money. And I have gone straight up till now. But the idea of two gullible rich women...to a reformed grifter, that’s like a suitcase of free heroin.”

“You were going to try to con us ?”

Opal nodded. “At first I was. Then, after Marina pushed Zander down the stairs, my thoughts were turning more to blackmail. I reckoned I could have the two of you paying me for years, to keep it quiet that you were kidnappers.”

“That probably would have worked,” said Lilah. “On me, anyway.”

“When did you decide not to?” asked Marina.

“Honestly? It was when I spoke with Zander, and he accused me of planning to do it. Then it became a matter of pride. I might need money, but I’m damned if I’m going to conform to what a man expects me to do.”

“Patriarchy,” said Marina. “Didn’t mean to interrupt you. I’ve been listening to podcasts.”

“That’s okay, you’re right. But the main reason, more important than my own pride, was that I like both of you. And I don’t like anyone. I haven’t liked a single person since Cora.”

Lilah let out a huge and audible breath. “I’m so glad you said that. I find it hard to make friends, and then when you said that the three of us shouldn’t be in touch anymore, I felt terrible. I’ve been really sad.”

“Me too,” said Marina. “It’s been lonely.”

“Anyway. Now you know everything. You know that I pretended to be your friend so that I could fleece you for all you were worth. I can’t be trusted, and I’ve got the press and probably the police on my tail. So.” Opal stood up. “Now that you know the kind of person that I really am, I’ll let you get on with the rest of your lives.”

She turned to walk away.

And then, something extraordinary happened.

Marina grabbed one of Opal’s hands. Lilah grabbed the other. And both held tight, not letting her leave.

“Why are you going?” Lilah asked. “We only just got back together.”

“Because I’m a liar and a crook.”

“Yeah,” said Marina, “but the three of us did...you-know-what. That’s much worse.”

“I was going to make your lives miserable and take whatever money of yours I could get. I was literally doing the same thing that Zander did, without the benefit of sex.”

“I keep on telling you, I don’t really care about money,” said Lilah. “If you need some, I’d be happy to give you some. Cash, no questions asked.”

“You don’t have any left.”

Lilah snorted. “Do you think the lottery gave me sixty-seven million pounds all at once? They spread it out. I’ll get another payment in April, for the new tax year.”

“I don’t have much cash, but you can lay low here for as long as you like,” said Marina. “My kids like you.”

Opal stared at them both.

“But I’ve just told you that I’m a terrible person, and that I’ve always been a terrible person, and I’m about to have my life ripped, quite rightly and very publicly, to shreds. Why would you be so nice to me? Are you both idiots?”

“We’re not idiots,” said Lilah. “We’re your friends.”

Then, quite unexpectedly and for only the second time in her adult life, Opal burst into tears.

She hadn’t cried when she miscarried, or when she lost all her money, or when Cora Neale died, or when either of her estranged parents died, or any of the other times over the past thirty years when she’d been angry or sad or desperate. She was too strong for that. She had only cried when Zander was dead.

But crying because she was happy: that was a completely different thing.

They hugged her. Archie came over from his dirt pile and patted her on the arm. “S’okay,” he told her. “Do you want to see the baby hamsters?”

“No thanks,” Opal said, and hiccupped. “I’m fine. I’m sorry...I was afraid you two would never want to see me again.”

“Stop apologizing,” said Marina.

“Stop being a scared little bunny rabbit,” said Lilah.

“Well,” said a strange male voice. “This is a touching scene. Mind if I join?”