Chapter 49

Simon doesn’t even read the contract as he swipes his finger across the screen to sign it electronically. His lawyer assured him that the nondisclosure agreement with Kyla is as airtight as the previous one, though it’s going to cost Simon an extra five hundred thousand to forgo the written apology that she had been demanding. That doesn’t matter to him. He has more money than he will ever want or need. And besides, he has no family or loved ones to spend it on or leave it to. What the hell? Why not support these parasites in a lifestyle that would’ve otherwise been completely foreign to them?

While Simon feels relieved that Kyla now poses less of a threat to him, he can’t say the same for Dr. Danvers. That last ketamine session still eats at him. He can’t shake the feeling that Dr. Danvers didn’t share everything he had disclosed to her. And he doesn’t understand why she felt the need to erase his memory of it.

Moments after he emails the signed contract back to his lawyer, a group text pops up on his screen.

Salvador:CAN YOU FUCKING BELIEVE THIS?!?

Attached to the text is a link to a tweet from the Newport Beach Police Department. “#Missing. Newport resident, Dr. Liisa Koskinen. Age forty-eight. Last reported in Monterey yesterday.” It went on to list the department’s contact details and included a photo of Liisa. She is as unsmiling as ever in the shot, but her hair is longer. Simon can’t tell if it was taken in the last year or over a decade ago.

Simon:Why Monterey?

Baljit:That’s the part that concerns you?!

Salvador:IS LIISA DEAD, TOO????

Reese:Why would you jump to that conclusion?

Baljit:Because clearly we’ve become the cast of some cheap Agatha Christie knockoff!

Baljit:And then there were four!

Reese:How is that helping??

Simon:Maybe Liisa is a suspect in Elaine’s or JJ’s death?

Reese:Why would you suggest that?

Simon:A detective came to see me after JJ’s death. Then, when I saw Dr. D last time, she got all bent out of shape about the texts Liisa sent us before she went dark.

Salvador:Liisa did say she was going away!!

Baljit:But she never mentioned anything about faking her own death or whatever the fuck this #missing tweet is about.

Reese:Maybe Simon’s right? Maybe the police are looking for Liisa in connection with what happened to JJ or Elaine?

Baljit:There’s only one common denominator here: Dr. Danvers. Her patients. Her therapy.

Salvador:Dr. Danvers?? You think she’s behind this?!

Baljit:With this group of fuckups? All the weird bullshit? Nothing’s out of the question.

Simon can’t help but think of his last ketamine session again.

Simon:Did Dr. D give any of you that midazolam along with the ketamine?

Baljit:The stuff she gave Elaine? For panic attacks?

Simon:I’ve never had a panic attack in my life. But Dr. D pumped me full of that crap during my last session. Wiped my memory clean.

Reese:Why?

Simon:She said I was having a bad trip. She told me it was her fault, too. For pressing me too hard. But I don’t remember shit from our actual session.

Reese:Nothing?

Simon:I feel like she was grilling me about the tribe.

Reese:What kind of questions?

Simon:Don’t remember.

Baljit:Of course not. Why would you become helpful at this point, Simon?

Salvador:Put the broom away, Baljit!

Salvador:Liisa will turn up. And I 110% guarantee she is no killer! Same goes for Dr. Danvers!

Reese:Let’s hope you’re right, Salvador.

The text chain goes quiet. But the change in the group dynamic is palpable. No one seems certain of anything, least of all Simon. None of them know whom to trust. And no one is talking about restarting ketamine therapy.

Even though Baljit’s joke was tasteless and totally on point for her, Simon wonders if she might be right about Liisa. Maybe there are only four of them left now? And if so, will it end there?