Back in the boat on our way to Tern, Tim had said there were easier ways to take your own life on an island. There were easier ways to fake your own death, too. That didn’t mean it was impossible—but if all this was a ploy designed to goad Bebe and Flynn, why would Jasper bring his girlfriend along for the ride? Why set the scene in the bedroom and risk Abby getting the blame?
I gave a small shake of my head to clear my mind. There were buckets of blood upstairs on that bed, and it was the real thing. The smell of it hung in the room like a fog. Of course it was Jasper’s. Wasn’t it?
I reached for the mug Norton had left for me. Earlier, he’d served the family coffee with a side of cream, but to mine he added the cream in the kitchen. It lay on the surface of the coffee, refusing to blend in, and when I took a sip I found it oddly bitter. Flustered, I set it down. I didn’t know Philip Norton. Why should I trust him? What if the drink was spiked?
I tried to chase the idea from my mind. It wasn’t logical. I’d already eaten an entire meal cooked by Norton and was fine, but that didn’t matter. It was happening again. This time the flashback was physical, moving like a worm under my skin. I was light-headed and itchy. My skin crawled, just as if there really was a drug back in my veins.
The room was unfamiliar, with no windows. A bare bulb hung above me, its pull string emitting a tinny clink as it swayed. It felt like someone cracked open my skull and filled it with hot, shifting sand. I tasted blood and realized my lips were chapped and split. Where was I? What day was it? I didn’t know.
“Shay.”
It took me a minute to find him in that too-bright room. Bram shifted his messenger bag and took out a bottle of water. “You thirsty? Hey, don’t be scared. We know each other. Remember, Shay?”
“—support the family business our entire careers, and Jasper swoops in and starts derailing all our work.”
“What?” I blinked, and Bebe’s face swam into view, but I couldn’t process her words. Meditation. That’s what Carson would prescribe at a time like this. See these anxious thoughts, acknowledge what they’re doing to my body, and zero in on my breathing. Give the brain an object to focus on. Quiet that jumpy monkey mind.
“I said Jasper’s already tried to sabotage Sinclair Fabrics,” said Bebe, “and now he’s moved on to sabotaging our private lives.”
Mindfulness. Awareness. A crazy woman in my face. Snap out of it, Shay. “Just . . . slow down.”
“Try to keep up,” Bebe said with a roll of her eyes.
“What she’s saying,” said Miles, studying me with an expression of concern, “is Jasper isn’t following Flynn and Bebe’s rules and they’re pissed as hell.”
He’d hardly spoken a word since we sat down. Miles obviously expected me to glean some information from Bebe’s account. Either she wasn’t getting there fast enough for him, or he was starting to worry she wouldn’t get there at all. “What she’s not telling you,” he said, “is without Jasper the business would already be sunk.”
Bebe looked aghast. “That’s a lie.”
“It’s really not.”
“Business isn’t going well?” I said, finally coming around.
“We’ve had our ups and downs. At the moment we’re down. It won’t last.” Bebe retrieved her coffee. Took a sip, made a face, put it back on the table.
“I thought Jasper’s marketing campaign was working. Ned’s a big star on social media, right? That must be good exposure for your brand,” I said.
“Ned’s good at what he does,” said Bebe.
“Can’t be that good if the company’s tanking.” If I wanted to get anywhere with her, I couldn’t go easy anymore. My cut-to-the-chase strategy inspired a reaction, at least. Bebe shot me a venomous look.
“Come on, Bebe,” said Miles, “you think she won’t find this out for herself?” He turned to me and squared his shoulders. “Sinclair Fabrics is on the brink of bankruptcy. The problem is the competition. The Sinclairs are getting crushed.”
Bebe’s mouth dropped open in shock. “They’re a flash in the pan. It’s dumb luck. They don’t have the selection we do, or the expertise.”
“She’s talking about Attitude,” said Miles. “They’re a new fabric retailer in the Garment District. They have a partnership with a reality-TV show, and every episode the contestants shop at the store for their fabrics. Attitude signage is front and center. Their sales are through the roof.”
A competing business muscling in on the Sinclairs’ turf. Jasper’s area of expertise was marketing and PR. “Is that why Jasper joined the company when he did?”
“Bebe and Flynn tried to stop the bleeding on their own. Tried and failed,” said Miles. “Jasper thought he could save the day, and he boosted sales by a lot, but the company’s too far gone. Not even Ned’s gorgeous face can pull it back from the brink now. Such a shame.”
Flynn hadn’t mentioned any of this, but neither sibling seemed the type to admit failure, especially if their little brother came out ahead. How had Camilla described it? Things come more easily to Jasper than the others. It puts a strain on their relationship. Bebe and Flynn may have needed help, but I couldn’t imagine they’d be thrilled to get it from their faultless little brother.
“But that didn’t stop you from showing Ned how much you appreciate his help,” Miles said, facing his wife once more. With a lewd expression he added, “Ned’s just so good at what he does.”
“Shut up,” said Bebe. “You shut your mouth.”
“She may not be worried about Jasper,” said Miles, “but I am, and my daughter is, too. There could be a killer in this house, and I’m not going to sit around and wait for another attack. You had your chance, Bebe. You should have told them the second they got here. And if you won’t, I will.”
My eyes narrowed as I listened to Miles rant. A few minutes ago he’d suggested Jasper’s abduction was on par, stress-wise, with moving house. Now there was a murderer hiding in the curtains, and he and Jade were quaking with fear.
“Stop it,” Bebe said, digging her fingernails into her knees. “I’m warning you, Miles.”
“Christ, Bebe, you couldn’t wait until you were back in the city? You had to do it here, in full view of the house with your whole family watching? Honestly, you’d think a person who’s fucking her brother’s boyfriend would try to be a little more discreet.”
“You bastard,” said Bebe. “You absolute beast.”
“Was that part of the fun? Did you get off on the risk? She saw you. Jade saw you with Ned.”