Kira chimed in quickly. “And we’re not going to let you kill Isabel. We’re just not.” Selena and I nodded in agreement. Isabel looked at us gratefully, tears streaming down her face.
I finally found my voice again. “Vanessa, none of us are perfect. But how can you blame Isabel for what Connor did? He was an abuser and a predator. And like Selena said, we’re not going to stand by and watch you kill Isabel.”
Vanessa turned to face me. “Then you’re going to find yourself in a tough spot, Jenn. Because your fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t touch that knife. I didn’t even know it was there until—”
“You did, in fact. Earlier today, when you were cutting Allison’s birthday cake? Today really is her birthday, by the way. Go figure. Your fingerprints are there, too, Kira. Remember, the pieces Jenn was cutting were too small, so I had you take over? I put the knife right back in the knife stand without washing the handle. And then I moved it to the living room when I arrived here tonight so I’d have easy access when the time came. I’ve been wearing gloves this whole time, by the way.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers, and sure enough, there was a tight plastic glove covering it. “So if any of you refuse to go along with this, you’re going to have to come up with a really good explanation as to why your prints and Connor’s blood are all over this knife. You’ve also all got a motive, obviously, what with your storied pasts with the victim. Hate for all that to come out, too.” Her eyes were wide with false sympathy. “But that’s not all. Not only are your fingerprints on the weapon, I also have you on a voice memo from Montauk saying that you want to kill Connor. It’s a very choice segment. Something about, ‘He’s a bad person. He deserves to die.’ Selena, I think that might have been you. Sounds familiar, right? Unlike you guys, I actually do cover my bases.” She looked so pleased with herself. “So, if you help me finish this and stage it, we can all leave together, and then it’s like we were never here. If not . . .” She paused ominously. “Then there’s a good chance that one, or all, of you will be on the hook for Connor’s murder.” She shrugged. “And knowing how selfish all of you are, I’m guessing that’s not a chance you’re willing to take.”
The three of us were silent. Shamefully silent. Deadly silent.
Isabel was sobbing and could barely speak. “What about Naomi? Think about her. You care so much about Phoebe. Enough to murder your own sister. But Naomi is an innocent baby, too. Just like her. And you’d be leaving her without a mother.”
“Thought you’d never ask. Finally, you think of your daughter. Took you long enough.” She shook her head reproachfully at Isabel. “Of course I’ve considered Naomi. She does deserve a family, and she’ll have one. She has a sister, who she should be with. I’ll come forward with Phoebe’s paternity and offer to raise both girls. It’ll be the right thing, an amazing opportunity for them to grow up together as sisters. I’m a fit parent, a friend of the family—I see no reason anyone will object.” She practically glowed with excitement. “It’s so wild—I thought I would never have even one baby. And now I’m going to be the mom of two beautiful girls.” Her smile made me nauseated.
Tears streamed down Isabel’s face. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m not the best mother, or the strongest person. Maybe Naomi could do better than me. But you’re not a good mother, either. You’re a manipulator and a liar. And a judgmental bitch. And a murderer.”
“In other words, I’m a strong woman who knows my own mind and goes after what I want.” She sounds just like Connor, I thought. “I’ll take it. I’ve been called worse. And I’ll raise those two girls to be tenacious women, too. Which is more than you could ever do.”
Kira spoke again, desperation seeping into her voice. “Vanessa, we’ll tell the police what you did. We’re all witnesses to what’s really going down here. You won’t get away with it. You’ll go to jail.”
Vanessa laughed mirthlessly. “And where will you be if you tell, Kira? The cell next to mine!”
Selena said, bravely, “We would just tell the truth. Their prints are on the knife because they cut a cake at our group meeting. There’s no reason that police and a jury wouldn’t believe that, because it’s actually what happened.”