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 wantedto 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?”
She didn’t say anything for a long moment, but then finally, she nodded. I brought my hand to the back of her head, drawing her close and kissing her forehead. Some of her tension had subsided, and she let me kiss her, though I could see in her face that she remained perturbed.
After Zara was safely at school, I drove back to my parents’ house and parked my car in the drive. I went inside, searching for my dad, but the place was empty. Then remembering that he and Mam sometimes went for brunch with their friends Jessie and Michelle on Mondays, I exhaled a frustrated sigh. I was antsy to move on this, and my dad was the best person to help. However, when I called him, I only got his voicemail. Too geared up to wait for him to get back, I decided I’d get started on my own. First, I needed to understand why Margie might be doingthis—ifshe was doing it—and there were only two people who could give me answers.
Still feeling off kilter, I asked Dixon if he’d drive me to Cai’s parents’ house. I was too amped up to be behind the wheel. Cool as always, Dixon agreed, not asking any questions about why I was going back to the house after the memorial on Saturday.
When he pulled up outside, I got out, and he said he’d wait at the end of the street for me, that I should call him when I was ready to head back.
Cai’s mother, Nina, answered the door, doing a double take when she saw me.
“Jace, I wasn’t expecting you. Is everything okay?”
“I need to talk to you about your daughter, Melanie,” I said, and if my dad hadn’t taught me so much about micro expressions over the years, I might’ve missed it. The slight widening of her eyes, the tense mouth, and raised eyebrows.Fear. The mention of her daughter had Nina frightened, and that wasn’t a normal reaction.
“You’d better come inside.”
