Page 32 of Her Dark Lies

I do not want to cross Elliot. He’s someone to keep on my side, for sure. When he’s angry, I sense he is no longer in control. That could make him very dangerous. Amelia is watching him as well. She gets up and sets her plate on the sideboard, leaves without a backward glance. She’s done her duty for the night.

“Wait, I’m getting a message.” Elliot taps on the screen. “Oh, son of a bitch.”

“What does it say?”

Elliot turns the phone around. “It says,‘You have twenty-four hours to tell them what you’ve done, or I will.’”

18

Into the Labyrinth We Go

I’ll tell you this. Ana Compton is a seriously cool customer.

The dining room feels like a battleground. Elliot is freaking out, pacing back and forth, Brice is speaking urgently into his phone, Jack is holding on to my hand so tightly the blood supply is cut off and the bones crunch painfully.

But Ana simply takes a long, deep breath and smiles, sanguine and calm, and holds out a hand to me. “Claire, why don’t we take a walk.”

I glance at Jack, who looks as shocked as I feel at this display. He releases my hand immediately and nods.

Okay. I’ll bite.

I set down my champagne and accept Ana’s outstretched hand. She draws me from the dining room into the hall. We walk in silence back to the main stairs, then past them to the French doors that lead to the main floor courtyard. The first of the promised breaks in the rain is upon us, so that’s a bonus, but the air is scented with brine, thick and oppressive.

She shuts the doors behind us and falls into step beside me.

“You’ve had quite an eventful few days. Henna told me about your dress. I am very sorry. She’s going to do what she can to make it presentable again. Still... What can I do to help? Shall we have another flown in? Your family is still in Rome, I believe. If you give me your size, perhaps Henna can coordinate a replacement.”

This is such a kind offer I find myself fighting back tears. “I honestly don’t know what to do, Ana. I’m starting to worry...” I trail off, but she urges me on. We’re at the edge of the labyrinth now. The boxwoods rise at least eight feet—it’s impossible to discern the path through by sight. The hedges didn’t seem so high from the landing window. There are marbles statues everywhere. They must be the signposts for how to navigate the maze.

Ana knows what she’s doing, though. She strides right into the opening, past two ancient statuary, so I follow. She chats as we take the turns.

“What are you worried about, my dear?”

I can’t take this level of solicitude. When I’m upset, compassion always sets me off. I choke back the sob.

“I think someone’s trying to stop the wedding. First someone breaks into our house. Then my dress is ruined. Now the servers are hacked?”

“It has been a difficult couple of days.”

We turn left, right, left again. Ana walks purposefully, but slow enough that I wonder, for a moment, if we’re lingering on purpose.

But another few turns and we’re out the other side, and on the path to the artists’ colony. We’re close to the edge of the cliff, and I don’t dare look down. I can hear the sea crashing against the rocks.

Ana stops, and we stand together, staring out over the water. The air is sultry with the oncoming flow of another round of storms, the humidity rising again. It looks like it’s raining hard on the mainland; the horizon is opaque, and I can’t see the mountains in the distance anymore. A low-lying fog is creeping up the path, covering the ground so the cottages look like they’re floating. It makes me uneasy, and I shiver.

Romulus and Remus appear at our sides. They’ve made a stealthy approach. Romulus sits on my foot, and I scratch him behind the ears.

I realize Ana is staring at me.

“That dog likes you.”

I smile. “I know. He was all over me when we arrived. He’s a sweetheart.”

We stand a moment, the four of us, the dogs’ tongues lolling. It is surprisingly comfortable.

“I always wanted a daughter,” Ana says quietly. “After three boys, we stopped trying, but I so wanted a girl. I figured, my boys will marry, they’ll bring home their partners, and out of the three I’ll probably get at least one girl to bond with. When Elliot met Amelia, I had such hopes. But Amelia and I have never seen eye to eye.”

“She doesn’t look so good.”