Kate didn’t mention how the Pack had worked to break her and the lawyer up. Willa seemed to be remembering good things about the past. “How was your date?”
Willa closed her eyes for a moment. “Wonderful! He’s like I remember. Smart and funny and caring.”
“Did you tell him about Renewal?”
“Yes. And he said—” She took a breath. “He said he’d always known I had potential. I just needed to get away from the leeches.”
“That being Nicky, Byon and Nadine.”
“And Clive. Eddie thinks he strung me along, that he was after my fortune. Eddie doesn’t like Clive much.”
“No one seems to,” Kate said.
“Eddie is coming tonight. Your aunt invited him.”
Kate stared at her. Does Aunt Sara think Eddie the lawyer is a suspect? “Have any other outsiders been invited?”
“The gossip is that the police inspector is coming.”
“Really?” The would-be writer? Kate thought. “When did you hear all this?”
“At breakfast. It was a feast of food and information. Where were you and Jack and Sara?”
“At Puck’s,” Kate said quickly. And searching inside Sean’s remains. “That’s where we met Diana. If your new boyfriend is here, will you be Willa or Meena?”
Willa put the album down and stood up. “I think it’s time to reveal my true self. What do you think?”
“Honestly? I think you should be Willa until after the play. Then when you take your bows, strip off to reveal Meena. It will be deliciously dramatic.”
“Ohhhh. I love it! There are lots of ugly clothes in boxes around here. I’ll just use one of them. I can—”
“Here you two are!” It was Nadine.
Willa jumped behind the screen and frantically motioned for Kate to toss her the padded dress.
Nadine plopped down in the chair Willa had been using. “You can come out. And you don’t have to pad yourself.”
When Willa said nothing, Nadine let out a sigh of exasperation. “Did you really think no one would see the difference in you? Well, I did anyway. I doubt if Byon or Clive noticed anything.”
Willa took a moment to make her decision, then she walked—no, she strutted—from behind the screen to stand in front of Nadine.
The woman gave Willa a quick look up and down. “Same as always. Still sneaking, still hiding the truth. Nothing has changed.” She picked up the photo album, seeming to dismiss her.
For a moment Willa looked like she was going to revert to who she used to be: the bottom member of the group, the one everyone looked down on.
Kate took a step forward, ready to intervene.
“Found a husband to support you yet?” Willa asked. “Sure you can get one at your age?”
Nadine looked up with eyes that sparkled. “The rabbit grows horns.”
“Horns made of gold,” Willa said. “What are you planning to wear tonight?”
“Since I have no part to play, it doesn’t matter, does it?” Nadine went back to looking at the album.
Kate, standing to the side, let her breath out. It had been a short, terse conversation, but she could see that the dynamic between the two women had changed. They seemed to be equals now.
“It’s going to be filmed,” Willa said. “I’m sure you’ll be introduced as the ‘real’ Nadine. Wear something conservative but sleek. And pearls. You still have those with the jade clasp?”
“Actually, I don’t know.” Nadine hesitated. “Were you grilled, interrogated and threatened by the writers?”
“Thoroughly.” Willa looked at Kate. “I think your aunt might be worse than Byon.”
“Did you answer all her questions?” Kate asked. “Or did you leave out key elements?”
“I told all.” The two women looked at Nadine.
“I confessed everything, complete with tears for the past. That pearl necklace? It’s part of my story.” She looked at Kate. “Since you’ll be playing me, you’ll find out everything later.” She looked back at the photos. “Here’s Nicky and Byon. I remember that day. We all went swimming.”
“Not me,” Willa said. “If I’d shown up in swimwear, Byon would have slashed me to pieces.”
“But darling, you couldn’t have looked worse than him. Even at that age, he was as flabby as a deflated balloon. Look at him.”
Willa took the album. “So he is. But Nicky... I forgot how beautiful he was.” She handed the book to Kate.
Kate looked at the photo—and the blood drained from her face. “This is Nicky?” she whispered.
“No one showed you any pictures of us?” Nadine asked.
“No.” Kate slipped the photo out of the little black corner holders. “I have to go. I have to—” She couldn’t explain. With the photo in her hand, she ran out of the attic and down the stairs to her aunt’s bedroom.
As Nadine said, Byon had made the door dramatic. He’d taped on handwritten signs: keep out. do not enter. death to those who knock.
Kate pounded on the door with her fist.
“Go away,” Byon yelled. “We’re working.”
“I have to see Aunt Sara,” Kate shouted back. “It’s important.”
Sara flung open the door. “Jack?” Her voice held fear.
“He’s fine,” Kate said. “I guess.” She showed the photo to her aunt.
Sara barely glanced at it. “I know. I have to get back to work.”
“But Nicky is—”
“I know!” Sara said. “Now I know many things.”
“So who killed Sean?” Kate demanded.
“That’s the one thing we don’t know,” Byon called from across the room.
“Please,” Sara said to Kate. “We’re trying to get the scripts ready and we need every second. How’s Chris? Has anyone fed him? Have you eaten?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember. I guess he’s fine.”
Sara clasped Kate’s wrist. “Go find Chris. Have a picnic. Clive is on his way back, so he and Jack will be creating the sets.”
“He’s with Teddy.” Kate didn’t like that she sounded like a petulant preteen.
“Diana is going to take her into town to buy a dress. It’ll have to be shortened.” Sara’s eyes were pleading. She’d often complained that time to write was one of the biggest problems of her life.