“At your sister’s,” Mom answered.
I straightened up and looked them both in the eye. “You always stay here,” I pointed out. My hands landed on my hips. “You know I didn’t actually kill Alan, right?” I said with anervous chuckle.
“Of course we know that.” She looked offended that I would even joke about it.
“We normally stay with you because we never know if Sadie might have someone over. A parent never wants to stay in their child’s home and risk hearing...” My mother grimaced, and I looked at my father, whose face had turned red as he scowled at my mother’s words.
“And you thought I was less likely to have someone here?”
“Yes,” my father said.
“But not for the reasons you think,” Mom quickly added. “You were always the one more likely to put your life on hold when we came to visit. And you never mentioned you were seeing anyone, and wethoughtthat if you were in a serious relationship, you would have mentioned it to us.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. What could I say? I nodded, knowing they were right. I was the more responsible one. The one always willing to accommodate everyone else. Even if it meant putting my own feelings and desires on the back burner.
Just like I did with Tony.
The salon was busier than ever. Carly had arrived before my mother and me to open up, and she handed me a list of messages the moment we walked in.
I thumbed through them, shaking my head.
“Call them all back and schedule them in order, but no more than four a day. I can’t do more than that by myself.”
Carly nodded and rushed to the back room to make the calls.
“Simon, why don’t you shut down until after the trial?” Mom asked.
“And do what, Mom? Sit in the house and dwell onsomething I can’t control?”
“You can control it,” she said, lowering her voice so Carly didn’t hear.
“I’m not recanting,” I insisted.
My mother’s face crumpled slightly before she composed herself. “Simon—”
“Mom, please.” We had already discussed this, and I refused to hash it out again.
Carly returned from the back room, her expression bright and oblivious to the tension between my mother and me.
“Everyone is scheduled for the next few weeks. Mrs. Patterson wanted to come in today, but I told her you didn’t have any openings.”
“Thank you, Carly.” I forced a smile. “Mom, why don’t you go with Carly over to the bowl so she can wash your hair?”
My mother pressed her lips together, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. But she stayed quiet and followed Carly. I took a breath and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t recognize the man staring back at me. His eyes were dull and lifeless. His complexion was pale, and he wore defeat like a favorite sweater.
I hated disappointing my parents, but this was my sister. Their daughter. Maybe they had more faith in the justice system than I did. But I had more faith in Tony.
He would fight for me.
Maybe not enough to be with me out in the open, but he would fight to keep me out of prison, using every legal maneuver in his arsenal. I wasn’t certain he would fight the same way for Sadie, though. Sure, he would do his best if Sadie were on trial. He would want to win for me. But it wasn’t the same as fighting for me. I used his feelings for me to keep my sister out of prison, and I hated myself for it.
But I did what I had to do; I just hadn’t counted on Rosalind Winthrop coming in and charging me with murder.
The bell over the door jingled, and Mrs. Henderson walked in for her appointment. She was one of my regulars, a sweetwoman in her sixties who always tipped well and never asked invasive questions.
Until today.
“How are you holding up, Simon?” she asked as she settled into my chair.
