Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108362 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
I waved her off, then shut my front door, marching back down the hallway to confront him.
“Okay, what’s up with you? You were acting so weird with Margie just now.”
Jace ran a hand through his hair, still damp from his shower, his expression perturbed. He didn’t answer right away, and something about his demeanour had me worried. “Jace?”
His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and I noticed the colour had completely drained from his face. “Shannon, I don’t quite know how to put this, but your friend isn’t who she says she is.”
19.
Jace
“What are you talking about?” Shannon demanded, and I struggled how to frame what I was about to tell her.
I could be wrong, but I’d been looking at those photos on Cai’s parents’ wall only a day ago. They’d showed a chubby teenage girl with brown hair, holding her little brother in her lap. There was no denying the resemblance. It had niggled at me. I’d thought she’d just seemed familiar because she’d looked like Cai, but that wasn’t it. I’d recognised her because Cai’s big sister was Shannon’s best friend. Sure, she was older and much thinner and had dyed her hair a different colour, but it was her. I was certain. My gut told me I was right on this.
The question was, why had she lied? And why had she singled out Shannon and ingratiated herself into her life? Was it revenge? Did Margie blame me for Cai’s death, quite like their parents had back when it had happened? Was she the catfish? Was this all part of some master plan of which I didn’t yet know the intended outcome?
Seriously, I had a splitting headache coming on.
I swallowed thickly. “You know Cai had a sister, right?”
“Yes. We never met her, though. She was older and moved abroad when Cai was still a kid.”
I reached across the counter and took her hands in mine, making my voice as gentle as possible when I said, “It’s Margie, Shannon. Margie’s Cai’s sister.”
She stared at me for a long, tense moment, blinking several times before she began to shake her head. “No, that can’t be. The sister’s name wasn’t Margie. It was …”
“Melanie. She could’ve had it changed by deed poll. It’s not that difficult once you’re an adult.”
“But why … why would she—”
“I think she might be the catfish, Shannon,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady. I knew this news would be hard for her, especially since she only had a small circle of close friends as it were. She pressed her lips together, a pallor draining her complexion. I felt like a piece of shit for doing this, hated that I could be destroying her friendship with Margie, but she needed to know. Keeping her in the dark would be too dangerous, especially if Margie was unstable.
“It makes sense,” I went on softly. “If she blames me for Cai’s death, the success the band went on to have after he passed … I know it’s difficult to get your head around at first, but it’s not that farfetched.”
I watched as her eyes grew shiny with tears before they hardened, and she tore her hands from mine. “No. It’s not true, Jace. Margie is my best friend. She wouldn’t do this.”
Fuck, she was taking it badly. I tried to touch her again, but she stepped away, keeping her distance. My heart plunged all the way into my shoes. “It’s someone close to one of us, Shannon. Someone who knows things the public doesn’t.”
She barked a disbelieving laugh. “Right, so what if I suggested to you that it could be Elias? He’s got a gambling addiction. Catfish scams are normally built to steal money from the victims. He’s got a perfect motive, too.”
I stared at her, knowing she was simply hurting and lashing out. “You’re accusing my cousin? You know Elias. He might have problems, but he’s got the biggest heart of anyone I know. He’d never do this.”
“Your dad considered him a suspect in the beginning, along with the others, didn’t he? Besides, even if Margie is Cai’s sister, maybe she befriended me because she missed him and wanted to be close to the people who knew him. Maybe she never intended to lie but just couldn’t bring herself to tell me the truth.”
“Are you seriously trying to rationalise a lie that big?” I challenged, and her features turned to stone.
She didn’t get a chance to respond because Zara came downstairs, ready for school.
She glanced between the two of us, a frown tugging at her lips. “Are you fighting?”
“No, we’re not fighting, honey,” Shannon was quick to reassure her. “Just having a little discussion. Are you all set for school?”
Zara nodded, and I moved to grab her bag. “Come on, kiddo. Let’s get going.”
She moved by me and headed for the door while I brought my attention back to Shannon, my voice quieter when I said, “Look, I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn. It’s only a theory right now, but think about it, give it some credence just for a minute. For me, please?”