After the party
This turned out wrong.
I told Kovacs, bring them to my office after the party, but—I can’t remember, something about an arrest. My head is foggy, but I need to get this down. I was sitting here just a little while ago at this desk when there was a knock at the door. It was Connor, with Juliet right behind him. You wanted to talk to us, Connor said. Yes, that’s right.
But why was I alone with them? That wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
Kovacs left me alone, and I was afraid. I picked up the letter opener from the desk to defend myself. She laughed. That’s when I knew this was bad bad bad.
Everything echoes.
Nina, what is it? You don’t look well, he said.
You did something to me. What did you do?
He looked at her. What is she talking about? What did you do? Did you do something?
She denied it. Juliet denied it.
He doesn’t believe her, I can tell.
How could she—what was it? How did she manage—? She makes my drinks. But tonight, no. I thought I was careful. But something’s wrong. It’s hard to keep my eyes open and my hand doesn’t want to write. Julissa did something. Julissa is her real name. It’s all in the report. Read the report.
I said, I know who you are. You’re not Juliet. You’re Julissa. Call 911.
You call, she said.
Where’s my phone? You’re my assistant. Find my phone.
Find it yourself.
You’re together; you’re both lying. It’s all a fraud. She came here under false pretenses then she brought you so I would fall for you. Lies lies lies. Get out of my house.
Your house? This house is mine by right. It’s mine.
And I understood.
The baby crying. Was that you, I asked. Were you the baby? Funny, I was just talking about you earlier tonight. Edward said you weren’t real. I thought you were a ghost.
You knew, she said.
No, never. I didn’t know. I did not know!
You sent me away.
Not me. It wasn’t me. It was him.
You ruined my life.
Connor said he was going to call a doctor, and Juliet said, don’t you do that. You reap what you sow. She should pay the price.
I blacked out. Then I woke up again with my face on the desk and took out the book to write. The report is here. Read the report.
JULIET!
They left. They’re gone now. Where’s my phone? Did she take it? I need a doctor. Call 911.
Gloria. Somebody. Help me.