Chapter 2

"Irma, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Maura."

I made myself take the glass of milk.

"It's cooled down now. Drink up."

My best friend's mother pressed me to finish it.

If I didn't, she'd get suspicious.

So I drank it down in one go, right there in front of her.

A strange smile crossed her face. "Good girl. You'll sleep well tonight. Good night."

"Good night, Maura."

I turned and went back to my room, and once the door was shut,

I rushed straight to the bathroom and forced my fingers down my throat.

The milk I'd just swallowed

came back up in seconds.

Ten minutes later.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone was at my door.

Then

her mother's voice came through it.

"Irma, are you asleep?"

My eyes were open, but I didn't answer.

After a moment,

Lucretia's brother's voice came from the hall.

"Mom, is the little heiress out?"

"She's asleep."

"But she's locked the door from the inside."

"What? Locked it?"

"Then how am I supposed to get the jewelry?"

"Relax. I've got a way."

I don't know what her mother did,

but somehow that dead-bolted door swung open.

I lay on the bed with my eyes shut, not daring to move a muscle.

I heard them clearly, creeping into my room.

And just then,

Lucretia came in too.

"Keep it quiet, get in and get out. Don't wake her."

"She won't wake up. I put sleeping pills in the milk she drank."

"She's out cold, sleeping like the dead."

"Don't believe me? Look."

Her mother walked to the bed.

She even lifted my hand and swung it around a couple of times.

When I didn't react,

Lewis laughed.

"Ha, dead to the world, all right."

"Mom, how much did you put in?"

"Careful she doesn't wake up at all."

Lewis said it without a care. "Better if she never wakes up."

"She's just lucky, born into a rich family."

"Never wanted for a thing her whole life. Everything she owns is expensive."

"Look at this gold necklace. Worth a hundred grand, easy."

"If I had money like hers,

my girlfriend would marry me in a heartbeat."

Lucretia patted her brother's shoulder.

"All right, quit feeling sorry for yourself."

"You want a car, you want a house, you want money for a dowry."

"Haven't I handed you a fat sheep to fleece?"

"She's dumb as a rock, no brains at all."

"A whole drawer of expensive jewelry."

"She'll never notice a few pieces missing."

"Grab it and let's go."

Lewis scooped up a few gold pieces,

and just as they were about to leave,

her mother said suddenly, "Sweetheart, we've come this far anyway."

"Why not..."

"In for a penny, in for a pound."

"Just make her disappear."

Lucretia's voice dropped. "Not yet, Mom."

"Why not?"

"Haven't I been working like crazy to copy her handwriting?"

"There are still a few flaws."

"If something happens to her now,

I can't promise the suicide note will fool the police."

Her mother asked, "So we keep waiting?"

"Mm. Give it a couple more days."

"You can't rush these things."

"She's already in the bag."

"No hurry over a day or two."

Her mother mulled it over for a moment,

and in the end she agreed with her daughter.

Once the three of them had left the room,

once I heard the door close,

I couldn't hold it in any longer and gulped for air.

Cold sweat poured off my whole body.

A little closer,

and I'd never have seen tomorrow's sun.