Chapter Thirty-Three

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

There are two wildly divergent possibilities I can think of in answer to Ian's question.

Rose could be trying to process her trauma.

Or she could be reliving the thrill of the experience.

"I don't know why she did it," I tell Ian. "But if Beth and Harriet keep running the show, we may never find out."

Ian swallows the last of his beer. I take another small sip of mine. I'm glad he's had a couple. Alcohol may strip away his ability to mask his natural reactions.

"I need to spend a big chunk of time with Rose," I continue. "I can bring in a fresh perspective. But you'll have to arrange it because I doubt Beth and Harriet will like it."

"I was going to take Rose to the Baltimore aquarium tomorrow."

Ian and I settle on a plan: He won't tell Rose until they're in the car that morning that I'll be meeting them at the aquarium. After a while, Ian will conjure an excuse and peel away, and Rose and I will be alone for much of the day.

It strikes me anew how comfortable Ian is with colluding with different people to throw up blinders about his true actions and intentions. He did it with Tina, Beth, and now me.

Ian's phone buzzes, and he scoops it up and frowns at the screen. His chair makes a scraping sound against the floor as he pushes it back. He stands and nods toward the restrooms. "Excuse me."

His absence gives me the opportunity I've been seeking.

It takes me only a few seconds to set things up. When he returns to the table, my eyes stay riveted on his face.

He doesn't see it for a minute or two. Then he points. "Did you drop an earring?"

The gold hoop I took from Tina's room is next to my glass.

Ian's expression is guileless, his eyes clear and questioning. His tone is casual. Either he's an astonishingly accomplished liar, or he isn't the one who took the earring.

"Must have." I scoop it up and tuck it back into the inner pocket of my shoulder bag.

Ian's phone buzzes again. This time he doesn't look it at. "Sorry, I have to run. Need to get home."

"Everything okay?"

He holds my gaze and nods. "It's nearly Rose's bedtime, and lately that's been hard for her…"

"I need to head out, too." I pretend to quickly tap something into my phone, then slide the strap of my bag onto my shoulder.

When we reach the exit to the parking lot, I pause in the doorway and pretend to check my phone. "My Uber is seven minutes away. I'll wait here."

"Mind if I don't wait with you?" Ian runs a hand through his hair. I don't need that signal to tell me he's agitated; it's written all over him.

"Of course. I'll see you soon."

Ian takes off, and I watch through the big glass pane in the door as he climbs into a red pickup truck. As soon as he pulls out of the lot, I race out and jump in my Jeep.

Ian is a master at deception; there's no other way he could have hidden his affair with Tina from the other adults in the house.

I want to see how honest he's being with me right now.

I turn right out of the lot, just as Ian did. At this time of night, the streets aren't busy, and Ian's vehicle has distinctive taillights. It's easy to keep him in my line of sight without getting too close.

I follow as he crosses from DC into Maryland and heads north on River Road. It's the route that leads to the Barclay estate. Perhaps my intuition is off, and the thread I really should be chasing is what happens with Rose at bedtime.

Then Ian picks up speed. Instead of taking River Road all the way to Potomac, he veers right, onto the Beltway.

I hit the gas and follow, edging closer as we merge onto the four-lane highway. Even at this time of night, there's light traffic on the Inner Loop.

Ian weaves in and out of lanes without signaling, going ten miles above the speed limit. He veers onto I-270 before taking an exit that leads to Gaithersburg.

His route is eerily familiar. I followed this precise path only days ago.

I know Ian's destination even before he makes a right at the next stoplight. But I still can't quite believe it.

This is one of the last places I'd ever expect him to show up.

Luckily there's a grocery store and a drugstore in the strip mall, so the lot isn't completely empty. I park behind a big SUV and kill my headlights.

Ashley exits JUMP! in her blue-and-red uniform. She locks the door behind her. The party place is dark inside now. She must have been cleaning up.

I watch as Ashley climbs into the front seat of Ian's vehicle, as naturally and confidently as if she has done it many times before.