“But…” I hesitated, letting a note of frantic panic bleed into my voice. “Mom, he woke up.”
The kitchen went entirely still. The three wealthy friends awkwardly excused themselves, sensing a family drama unfolding, leaving me alone at the island with Patricia and Sophie.
Patricia’s smug smile faltered slightly. “He woke up? Well, that’s… good news.”
“He said he didn’t fall off his bike,” I whispered, taking a step closer, my eyes wide, playing the confused victim to perfection. “He was really disoriented, Mom. He said he fell off the tall metal ladder. While he was hanging Sophie’s banner.”
Sophie rolled her eyes dramatically, taking a sip of her drink. “Oh my god, Claire, please don’t start with the drama. He’s obviously just concussed and making things up. Do you know he practically knocked over the entire floral arrangement when he fell? It was a disaster. Mom had to call the florist back to fix it.”
“He fell from the ladder?” I pressed, ignoring Sophie and staring directly at my mother. “Mom, he was bleeding from his head. Why did you move him to the sidewalk? The police said he was found by the street. Why didn’t you just call 911 from the patio?”
Patricia’s jaw clenched. The annoyance of having her perfect party interrupted by my “whining” overrode her basic survival instincts. She felt invincible in her own home, surrounded by her wealth and her friends. She leaned in over the marble island, lowering her voice into a harsh, commanding whisper, eager to assert her dominance and put me in my place.
“Because, Claire, if the ambulance came screeching into the backyard with the sirens blazing and the lights flashing, the neighbors would talk,” Patricia hissed, completely admitting to the crime without a shred of remorse. “The caterers wouldn’t be able to set up. It would have been a chaotic circus.”
“So you dragged him?” I asked, my voice barely audible.
“I handled it!” Patricia snapped, her ego blinding her to the trap. “I dragged him to the curb and put his bike next to him so it looked like a normal accident. I bleached the patio myself before the blood could stain the concrete. I saved your sister’s party, and I made sure he got to the hospital. You should be thanking me for managing the crisis while you were at work. Now, stop whining, wash your hands, and go pass out the appetizers. The guests are hungry.”
