Page 88 of The Situation Ship
“I knew nothing. Martha used me as an excuse to hide her true nature.” Poppy shook her head. “I wouldn’t have cared. Iwould’ve been happy to learn I had a cousin.Shewanted you to stay hidden. She didn’t want her image tainted, because she wanted you to stay with Calliope and use any information you discovered living with Calliope against her.”
“You only know all that because she told you. You aren’t going to turn me against my mother by twisting what happened,” Sophia argued.
“No – it’s because she raised me. I know how she loved to twist and manipulate the truth until you don’t even recognise right and wrong anymore,” Poppy said. “The version of herself that Martha showed you was nothing but fiction. She was an award-winning actress who tricked you into hiding and feeding her secrets about others. You can kill me, but you deserve to know the truth about her.”
To her surprise, Sophia only sighed. “Maybe you’re right. My mum might have manipulated me and used me, but that’s the only side I’ll ever know of her, becauseyoukilled her. You stole her from me. I can’t confront her, argue with her, or ask her why she didn’t love me or why she gave me up but took you in – because you killed her! I was there that night. I saw you at the top of the stairs. I’d had a fight with Calliope because I knew of her involvement in the plans to kill my mum, to kill you, and I was coming over to warn the both of you. She gave me the access code to the back gate so I wouldn’t be seen, but when I went to the side of the house, I saw you standing over her body. I saw the blood.”
Poppy listened, understanding what she had taken from her. She couldn’t blame Sophia for not being able to realise what it had taken Poppy years to. It didn’t matter what Poppy told her or the horror stories she could share; Sophia couldn’t grasp what she had experienced, because her desire to know her mum outweighed all other reasoning or explanations.
“I understand why you hate me. I can’t bring her back. I wish I had known about you, and I’m sorry that you had to witness her death in the way you did, but that’s all I’m sorry for,” Poppy stated.
“You’re sorry you took her from me, but not about killing her? She made you what you are now,” Sophia snapped. “You would’ve been nothing without her.”
“I was just a living doll for her to play with, to manipulate. A chess piece to move around a board she controlled and designed. I know what it’s like to lose a mother; I know the pain you’re feeling, but she never would’ve been what you imagined,” Poppy argued.“I never wanted fame. Is that what this is about? Do you think I stole your life in the spotlight? You were her daughter, and you think I replaced you? You’ve made a terrible mistake. You had the chance at a great life, free of her tight grip.”
“She gave you the chance to be someone!” Sophia cried.
“She didn’t give me a chance at anything; it was beaten into me, whether I liked it or not. I’m sorry she gave you up, but that was her choice. I wish she had kept you and you had taken my place, because you deserved the life I never wanted. Maybe since you shared the same dreams, she wouldn’t have been so cruel or controlling– but she gave you up. That was her choice. A choice she made years before I landed on her doorstep. You can blame me for her death, but not for the life she forced upon me.”
“You call my mother cruel, manipulative, and controlling, but don’t forget that I know what you did. I know about the dance teacher, the maid, and your old driver. You’re hardly innocent,” Sophia scoffed. “You’ve taken as many lives as I have, so don’t act like you have the moral high ground. When Mum told me you didn’t want anything to do with me, I followed you. Turns out we both have a killer instinct.”
“I had my reasons– ones I don’t have to share with you.”
“And yetI’mthe monster for saving you. Duggery had planned to kill both you and my mother. At first I wanted to protect you, but then you killed my mother, and I couldn’t let them get to you first. I started with Duggery– best to start with the head of the monster – but sadly, Joshua walked in when I was slitting his throat.” Sophia shrugged it off like such a gruesome act was normal.
Hearing that Duggery was dead was a shock. Poppy wished she were sad, but she wasn’t. That probably gave them another thing in common. She didn’t admit it, instead letting Sophia continue her story. Sophia clearly derived pleasure from her brutal acts.
“Joshua freaked, and I gave him a choice: help me or die. He had already agreed to kill you once, so I didn’t think it was much of a choice. Still, Joshua panicked and backed out like a coward. I didn’t expect he’d have the balls to bribe Patrice and tell Calliope what I was up to. Patrice should’ve known better than to record their conversation; Calliope didn’t mind when I took her out. However, she was upset when I left the body in your tub. I didn’t think she would be so upset, and despite her using me to blackmail Martha, I didn’t want her dead. I didn’t expect her to be the one to attack me. I didn’t even have a weapon on me, and the old bird had some fight left in her. The night was ruined – I’d hoped we would run into each other at the opera. I thought my dress was a nice little easter egg, but after fighting with Calliope, it got blood on it so I couldn’t wear it.” Sophia rubbed her scalp, and Poppy recalled the hair fibres Isaiah had found in Calliope’s fist. “I had already given Joshua a chance, and like they say, fool me once, blah blah. So he had to die.”
“How did you get the dress? That was one of Martha’s most prized possessions. I doubt she gave it to you,” Poppy said. Davide must have told her about the colour damaging thecamera’s ability to identify her. Using her dress, Martha had helped Sophia with her plot from beyond the grave.
Sophia chuckled, taken aback. “That’s what you want to ask after all I’ve told you?”
“Does it matter? They’re already dead. You killed them because they got in your way and left a trail to you, and you couldn’t have that.” Poppy didn’t want her to have the satisfaction of getting to tell her story, to feel like she was some god who had outsmarted them all. She was just as cold-hearted and twisted as Martha.
“You’re right, I couldn’t leave any loose ends. However, you’re wrong about the dress. Perhaps you didn’t know Martha as well as you thought. She gave it to me the first day we met. She told me that she’d worn it when she won her first award, but that I was more important than any prize or fame. It was her promise to me to make up for the time we lost.”
Sophia’s smile nearly killed Poppy. She really believed every word Martha had told her.
“And you promised her in return never to reveal who you were and never let Calliope do the same,” Poppy said, understanding Martha’s motives better than anyone.
“You really have to ruin everything with your negativity.”
“It’s how I was raised,” Poppy said, but her tongue felt heavy.
Sophia glared at her. “With you dead, Martha will have the daughter she needs to continue her legacy. A legacy I will commit to upholding once I reveal my identity to the world. You resented who she was, but I’ll make sure she never dies.”
She was right. Poppy had killed Martha, but her memory would live on forever. Vilified or sanctified, depending on who told her story.
“I think we’ve had enough stalling. I know you’re waiting, hoping Isaiah will return and play the white knight. Still, I’m afraid all that’s left is for you to die.” Sophia stood like she wasbored by their conversation. “But you should know – I’ve been stalling too.”
“You’re not going to lay a hand on me,” Poppy said, picking up the knife. To her confusion, the sudden movement made her woozy, and the knife clattered against the tiles as her hand refused to grasp it. Poppy stared at her numb hand, then looked at the tray of food.
“I don’t have to. I hope you enjoyed the strawberry milkshake. It looked delicious when Isaiah was so kind as to make it before he left. It was so easy to slip in a little something extra special. I won’t need these anymore.” Sophia tossed the empty bottle of pills onto Poppy’s lap.
She read her aunt’s name on the bottle.That explains why she didn’t have a weapon.Poppy had already drunk it. She forced herself to stand, to put distance between them, but her legs trembled as she backed away towards the pool.
“Poetic, isn’t it?” Sophia said, following her. “I thought you should go out the same way as my mum. An accident, a tragedy. You’ll be found in the pool, having sadly drowned after consuming too many pills. With that nasty shoulder wound and all you’ve been through, it would make sense if you took a few too many painkillers.”
