Chương 7
He had used variations of that sentence in conference rooms for thirty years.
Madison almost told him to stop looking proud.
Instead she turned back to Daniel.
“Room 614.”
Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“Fine.”
Nobody spoke.
“I booked it.”
Madison felt Elena stiffen.
“Why?”
Daniel looked at the floor.
“I didn’t know where the night would go.”
Madison heard the answer but could not understand it.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel’s voice became quieter.
“Elena and I had talked about seeing each other one last time.”
Elena stood.
“That is not true.”
Daniel looked at her.
“You said you needed closure.”
“I said I needed to tell Madison.”
“You said we needed to talk.”
“Because you kept calling.”
“You didn’t block me.”
Elena stared at him.
There was something ugly and familiar in the sentence.
You didn’t block me.
As if access were permission.
As if failure to build a wall were the same as opening a door.
Madison looked at Elena.
“Did you know about room 614?”
“No.”
Daniel laughed softly.
“Come on.”
“No.”
“You think I booked a room for myself?”
“I don’t know why you did anything.”
Daniel looked at Madison.
“She’s lying now because Richard knows.”
Richard rose.
Madison did not stop him this time.
He did not approach Daniel.
He walked to the window and stood beside Elena, leaving several feet between them.
“Do you have the reservation?” Madison asked Daniel.
He frowned.
“What?”
“On your phone.”
“I deleted it.”
Richard turned.
Madison held up a hand toward him without looking.
“Why?”
Daniel shrugged.
“Because I wasn’t using the room.”
“You checked in.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Then why did you have the sleeve?”
“I checked in before I changed my mind.”
Madison nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
Daniel looked almost relieved.
Then she asked, “What time?”
“What?”
“What time did you check in?”
He hesitated.
“I don’t know. Ten?”
Elena looked at Madison.
Madison saw it.
“What?”
Elena swallowed.
“He came to my room at ten-fifteen.”
Daniel’s mouth tightened.
Madison said, “So you booked another room in the same hotel fifteen minutes before going to hers.”
“I told you. I thought we were going to talk.”
“In your room?”
“I didn’t know.”
Madison rubbed her forehead.
Her tiara shifted.
She had forgotten it was there.
She pulled it out.
Thirty-two tiny diamonds.
Her grandmother’s.
Madison set it on the coffee table beside the hotel sleeve.
The gesture felt obscene, like emptying evidence from different crimes onto the same surface.
“I need to get out of this dress.”
Claire nodded.
“Okay.”
Daniel stepped toward her.
“Madison, please.”
She looked at him.
“What?”
“We need to talk alone.”
“No.”
“Your father is turning this into—”
“My father is not the reason your initials are inside a bracelet hidden in Elena’s dress.”
“She hid it.”
“Because you tried to take her phone.”
“That’s her version.”
Madison stared at him.
Daniel’s eyes were still wet.
He looked exhausted now rather than frightened.
For one dangerous second, she saw the man she had planned to marry.
Not a stranger.
That would have been easier.
Daniel was still Daniel.
He bit the inside of his cheek when cornered. He used the word ridiculous when he was afraid. He pushed his hair back with three fingers instead of his whole hand. He hated being interrupted and pretended not to.
The person who betrayed her had not replaced the person she loved.
They were the same person.
That was the part Madison could not fit inside her body.
“I need ten minutes,” she said.
Daniel nodded.
“Okay.”
“Not with you.”
His face changed.
Claire led Madison through a staff corridor to the bridal suite.
Nobody followed.
The suite looked untouched.
That offended Madison.
Her champagne glass was still beside the makeup station. A plate of strawberries sat beneath plastic wrap. Somebody had arranged her perfume, lipstick, tissues, and vow cards in a neat row.
On the mirror, Claire had written in lipstick that morning:
DON’T TRIP. DON’T CRY. DON’T LET RICHARD REDESIGN THE CEREMONY.
Madison stared at it.
Then she laughed.
Claire watched her carefully.
“I’m not losing my mind.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“I know what that face means.”
“I’ve had this face since eighth grade.”
Madison sat.
Claire began unfastening the wedding gown.
Neither spoke for a while.
The zipper caught halfway down.
Claire swore under her breath.
Madison said, “You’re going to rip it.”
“I’m trying not to.”
“I don’t care.”
Claire stopped.
Madison looked at herself in the mirror.
Her makeup was still perfect.
That seemed impossible.
“I care,” Claire said. “You paid twelve thousand dollars for this thing.”
“Fourteen.”
Claire stared at her reflection.
“Jesus Christ.”
Madison smiled despite herself.
A real smile this time.
Small.
Gone quickly.
Claire worked the zipper loose.
Madison stepped out of the gown.
She stood in shapewear and stockings while Claire found a robe.
The ordinary humiliation of the moment helped.
Nothing made tragedy feel less cinematic than struggling out of compression underwear while your best friend complained about luxury tailoring.
Madison sat on the edge of the makeup chair.
“Did you know?”
Claire’s hands stopped.
“No.”
“Anything?”
“No.”
Madison looked at her in the mirror.
Claire crossed her arms.
“I knew Daniel was weird around Elena sometimes.”
Madison turned.
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“You just said it.”
Claire sighed.
“He paid attention to her.”
“He pays attention to everyone.”
“No.”
Claire looked uncomfortable.
Madison waited.
Claire sat on the counter.
“At the lake house in May, Elena went inside to get ice. Daniel watched her walk away.”
Madison stared.
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Tell you what? Your fiancé looked in the direction of a woman leaving a patio?”
Madison looked away.
Claire continued.
“I noticed it because Ben noticed it.”
Madison looked back.
“Ben?”
“He made some joke.”
“What joke?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Try.”
Claire thought.
“He said something like, ‘Careful, man, Richard has cameras.’”
May you like
Madison’s skin went cold.
“What did Daniel do?”
