“Right. From the start then. I sat at the bar of the Carlton hotel…”
I laid out the entire story for them. The high I was flying on when I arrived in Cannes. The acting career of my dreams splayed open in front of me. Everything I’d ever wanted would be at the top of that red carpet. Except it was all fake.
“And in a few hours, if the movie wins the Palme, everyone is going to find out that I’m not who I’ve been pretending to be. I’m definitely not Dorian Fisher’s new girlfriend, and even less of a rising star in an award-winning movie. Instead, I’m forever going to be remembered as the girl who watched one of the most famous men on earth die. At a party I had no business attending, because I should never have been in Cannes in the first place. How am I supposed to recover fromthat?”
I didn’t expect them to have an answer, but I would have appreciated some comforting words. Neither of them had any, so I kept talking.
“And yes, it’s three of us against her. We all saw the same thing, and maybe I’m being paranoid, but I’m terrified of going after someone like Odetta Olson. I know her reputation hasn’t always been the best, but she has so much more power than all of us combined. I’ve already losteverythingand if the police don’t believe… Even if they do, we’re not innocent. We let it happen. We made no attempt to stop her. And then, we got off that yacht and didn’t tell anyone. We’re still here,hourslater, not telling anyone. There, that’s everything I’ve got. If you two believe we should goto the police, I’ll follow you. Whatever happens, I deserve it.”
We sat there in awkward silence. My head hurt so freaking much. I wanted all of this to be over, but maybe not if that involved getting locked up.
Eventually, it was Constance who spoke.
“Before we do that, I also have a confession to make.”
Constance
The words came furiously. From the ride to Tyler Charles’s mansion outside of Cannes to my threatening Dorian in front of Carly Wolf less thanan hour before his death.
It all poured out of me. How desperate I was to relaunch my career as a solo stylist after getting fired. How much I was lying to myself, because what I hadreallywanted to do in Cannes was to see Dorian again. I left no detail out, from falling for him to the depression I fell into after he and Carly found me naked in his suite.
The dozens of photos and videos I’d sent him might still be on his phone. There was no hiding from any of it.
“Carly Wolf is probably speaking to the police right now, telling them everything I did and said last night. She’s going to paint me as a crazy stalker who wanted him dead.”
Marnie grimaced. Lou bit her bottom lip, like watching me was actually painful.
“You think I’m pathetic, don’t you?” I asked. “I pretend to be a feminist, so passionate about my career. But the truth is, I believed this thing with Dorian was real. That he might love me. I even thought we couldbe together, with a happy ending and all that shit. I would have given up everything for him. Actually, I did. I got myself fired from my dream job. Iampathetic.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
Lou took off her sunglasses and put a hand on mine.
“I don’t think you’re pathetic at all. I think you were coerced by a man with a lot more power than any of us could ever hope to have. I think he manipulated you. He hurt you over and over again.”
“And I think,” Marnie continued, “that he did it all on purpose from the beginning. Maybe it was just a game for him, to feel so big, towering over the little people like us. Or maybe he was a sick fuck. Maybe we’ll never know for sure. I’m so sorry for what he did to you.”
Their words cracked me open, their light beaming through me even though I wasn’t quite ready to believe that they might be right.
“It wasn’t you,” Lou said. “Everything you describe is… It’s all on him. It’s nice to believe that we’re strong women, but who’s going to say no to someone like Dorian Fisher?”
“No one,” Marnie agreed. “But we do have a big problem, because I agree with you. It all sounds like a good motive for wanting him dead. At this point, I don’t even think it matters if we’re innocent.”
Marnie
“At this point, I don’t even think it matters if we’re innocent,” I said, popping a strawberry into my mouth. This would keep my hands busy, andthe hint of sugar would help me feel alive.
“If?” Lou said.
“No one gives a crap about the truth. It sucks, but that’s how it is. I’ve worked in public relations for years now. The internet mob doesn’t want the truth. The media doesn’t care about it, either. The truth doesn’t sell. I’m no expert in the legal system but I don’t think bad people always get what’s coming to them, and good people definitely don’t get off scot-free every time. I’m just stating facts.”
An older couple on bicycles was climbing up the hill toward us, and we all straightened up. When they arrived at our level, the couple greeted us with an enthusiastic wave and a smile.
“Bonjour!” the woman said.
“Bonjour!” we all responded in tandem.
I let the air clear before continuing.
