Page 60 of Circle of Strangers
But who set it up?
“No, it doesn’t,” Will agrees, leaning back with a sigh. “But I swear to you, Camille, on my life—Mara has no reason to leave me wine or thank me for anything. I barely know her.”
“Sozi ...” I don’t finish my thought.
Will looks at me, his brow furrowed. “What about her?”
“Things aren’t adding up,” I say, crossing my arms. “I looked her up last night. There’s no mention of a husband named Austin or a son named Ezra. None of it. And her family? They’re estranged. They haven’t heard from her in years.”
Will stares at me, processing.
“Sozi’s always seemed a little ... off,” he admits. “But I thought you two were friends, and I was glad you were making friends so I never said anything.”
I think of the comments her relatives made, about her fooling people, about her obsession with Mara’s obsession with Will. It’s exactly the kind of master manipulation Lucinda would’ve done.
I hate that I underestimated her, that she insulted my intelligence. I, of all people, should’ve seen through it with X-ray vision precision. It’s infuriating.
She’s lucky I’m a woman with too much to lose.
“You think Sozi did that?” Will scratches at his brow, seeming genuinely perplexed.
This timeIwalk away, leaving his question unanswered.
I don’t think Sozi’s behind this—I know she is.
47
Mara’s standing on the front lawn the next afternoon, watering the small patch of jasmine flowers near her porch. She glances up when she sees me walking toward her, her expression flat and unwelcoming when she does a double-take. The chill in the air between us is unmistakable.
“Can I help you, Camille?” she asks, voice steeped in annoyance.
I stop just a few feet away, not daring to get too close. “I need to talk to you. In confidence.”
Mara lets out a small, humorless laugh. “What now? Another demand? Another accusation?”
“I just want the truth.” I look her in the eye. “Are you in love with my husband?”
Mara stares at me, stunned for a moment, then scoffs. “God, no. Where is this even coming from?”
I hold out the ripped thank-you note. “To be fair, you have an extensive history of lying.”
And that’s what this is about. She’s nothing but an obnoxious liar. A nuisance. A sad, desperate, broken woman, and I’ve got more important issues demanding my attention. This whole issue needs to be put to bed, and that’s exactly what I’m here to do.
“That’s not even my handwriting,” she says. “And why would I thank Will for something? What did he do for me exactly?”
“Sozi said—”
Mara cuts me off instantly, her eyes flashing wild. “Sozi?Did Sozi give you this impression?”
I pause, thrown by the sudden venom in her tone.
Mara lets out a bitter laugh, crossing her arms. “Let me give you some advice that’s the God’s honest truth: Sozi is the last person you should trust.”
“What do you mean?”
Mara looks down, rubbing her temple as if exhausted by the whole conversation. “I feel stupid even admitting this, but ... she’s what I’d call a master manipulator. She actually helped me disappear that week. It was her idea. She orchestrated the whole thing.”
My heart skips a beat. “What?”
