Page 30 of Twisted Lies

The box on my desk is an old-fashioned gift box—a long cardboard rectangle with a lid. The top of the box reads Serenella, and I run my hand over the embossed letters.

“Open it.” Roni stands beside me. “I’ve been dying to see what’s inside.”

I have to work the lid off the box. Whatever’s inside, it’s packed in there. I pull the tissue paper back, and inside is a camel coat.

“Fancy,” replies Roni as I lift it out of the box. “Is it a gift or something?”

“Don’t think so,” I reply. It is a lovely coat. It wraps around like a bathrobe and ties with a matching belt. It’s heavy, too, and almost goes to the floor.

“Try it on,” she tells me.

The coat stops mid-calf, and it feels as warm as it looks. The pockets are deep, and there’s a button inside to keep it closed. I spin around on my heels and admire myself in the closet mirror.

“There’s a notecard,” says Roni, pulling it out of the envelope, “To Astrid. From your loving father.”

I freeze and hold my breath, waiting for Roni to continue speaking, but she says nothing. I take the note out of her hand. There’s no last name—only the business card for the shop is attached.

Roni fingers the coat. “It is a beautiful coat. And from your dad.”

Her words hang there, but I won’t give her an explanation. I can’t, and I feel us growing farther apart.

“I better hang it up,” I reply, “I need a shower before I go to bed.”

“Long workout?” she asks.

“Yeah, you can say that.”

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