Page 42

Chapter 41

Margot

Predictably, glass-half-full Anna is jumping to BFF Liv’s defence.

‘It’s just not in her to ...’ She trails off.

‘Stalk someone? Send them hate mail?’

‘Well, yes. She’s a good person. She has children.’

‘And so does Rosemary West, but I don’t hear anyone calling her mother of the year.’

‘You’re being silly. Liv’s the furthest thing from a serial killer.’

‘Are you not just scared to admit you might be a very poor judge of character?’

‘Liv doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body. And you said those packages started arriving about eighteen months ago, yes?’ I nod. ‘And Liv only moved here just before Christmas, didn’t she?’

‘Which is even more of a concern,’ I say. ‘Because it means she arrived in this street knowing full well who I was and pretended she didn’t.’

‘But why?’

‘How do I know?’ I reply, exasperated. ‘I’m not privy to the inner workings of a psychopath’s mind! Perhaps our paths once crossed and I pissed her off. Believe me, there are many skeletons in my closet.’

‘Such as?’

Caught off guard and in the moment, I almost lose myself and say something I’d regret. I gather myself quickly.

‘All that matters is what I found,’ I say. ‘That bloody envelope.’

‘Liv could have had that envelope for any number of reasons. Maybe Brandon found it in the street. It could have been posted by mistake to their house instead of yours. Whatever was inside it could’ve fallen out in transit. It happens all the time. Look at my order of gemstones. You found the box dumped by the side of the road.’

I can’t tell her why that’s a poor argument.

‘Well let’s see how you feel if someone starts smashing your jewellery to pieces and posting it back to you, shall we?’ I reply instead. ‘And do you really believe she just happened to be driving past me on the Wellingborough Road? There are many different routes she could have chosen.’

‘I thought you said that wasn’t you?’

Shit.

‘The point is, how well do we really know her? Because I’ve heard things about Liv she’s kept quiet from us that might surprise you.’

‘Like what?’

‘That she didn’t really work in banking, but as a PA.’

‘So? Most people embellish their CVs.’

‘Not all of us have needed to,’ I say with a hint of superiority. ‘From what I hear, she’s airbrushed from hers how she funded her studio by making sex videos.’

‘What?’ exclaims Anna in a way that again says she doesn’t believe me. ‘Who told you that?’

‘A very reliable source.’

‘And have you seen these videos yourself?’

‘Well, no, but I’m assured they’re out there.’

‘I’m sorry, but no.’

Liv makes her way back into the garden and takes a seat with us.

‘Sorry about that. Wellness studio stuff. What have I missed?’

‘Nothing,’ we say together.

When the truth is, everything.