Page 45 of Count My Lies

Sloane blushes. “Thanks to you. I was precariously close to shaving my head when I looked in the mirror yesterday morning. And I’m certain that would have been an even bigger mistake. Huge.”

I wave my hands dismissively like it had been no trouble at all. In truth, I promised Nolan five hundred dollars on top of the price of a cut and color if he made himself available when I called. I left the store-bought box of dye on my counter, hoping it would get her gears turning, which, to my pleasure, it did.

“Come in, come in.” I usher Sloane inside, motioning for her to follow me into the kitchen. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee—want a cup? An afternoon pick-me-up? I know Thursdays are long.”

On Thursdays, Sloane picks Harper up from gymnastics, shuttles her to swim, then takes her to the park so I have a few extra hours of “studying.” Usually I go home, spread out the law books I ordered, then turn on a podcast.Crime JunkieorMy Favorite Murder, you know, for inspiration. Today, I asked her to come to the house under the guise of having forgotten to pack Harper’s swimsuit. In truth, there’s something I need to ask her. Something important.

Sloane nods and takes a seat at the counter, setting her bag on the bar stool beside her. “Hey,” she says. “Has Harper ever been to Coney Island? I loved it there when I was younger. I’d love to take her!” Then her brow furrows. “Can she go on roller coasters, with her heart?”

I nod. “Actually, we took her last year and she had a blast. No problems on the roller coasters at all!”

That’s because her heart is, in fact, completely fine. It always has been. We had a scare when she was a baby—the doctor thought heheard an irregular heartbeat—but the echocardiogram was clear. But when Sloane told Jay that she was a nurse, well, I just couldn’t help myself. It was the perfect excuse to offer her the nanny position.

“Great!” Sloane says. “Maybe we can go again? Harper has all of August off from school, right? Isn’t her last day a week from Friday? We can go next weekend!”

I feel my heartbeat accelerate. Here it is. The opening I was hoping for.

“That sounds so fun!” I say, setting a mug of coffee down in front of her. “But…”Gently, Violet, take your time. Play it right, go slow.“… we’re not going to be here that weekend. Or the weekend after that, actually.”

“Oh?” Sloane’s face falls, the corners of her mouth turning down. She looks like she’s been punched in the gut. Just the reaction I was hoping for. “Where are you going?” she asks bleakly.

“Up north, off the coast of Rhode Island. A little town called Block Island—tiny, only like a thousand people, but beautiful. We spent a weekend there last summer when we first moved and I’ve been dying to go back. It’ll be our last vacation before Harper starts kindergarten.” I sigh dramatically. “I can’t believe I’m going to have afive-year-old.”

Sloane forces a smile on her face. “It sounds fun,” she manages. “Maybe we can do Coney Island when you guys get back.”

“Well, I’m glad you think so,” I say, smiling. “Because I’ve been meaning to ask you…” I pause for dramatic effect.Get ready.“… if you wanted to come with us.”

“Come with you?” Sloane echoes. Her eyes widen, round as saucers.

I nod enthusiastically. “It’s a big house, three bedrooms, so you wouldn’t have to shack up with Harper.” When she doesn’t reply, Iadd, “Ocean views! And only a two-minute walk to the beach. What do you think? We could all use a vacation!”

I hold my breath, waiting, hoping I don’t sound too eager.

Sloane swallows hard. “I’d love that, but…” She shifts uncomfortably in her chair. My breath catches. Is she going to say no? “I’m not sure I can afford it.”

Oh, that’s all?I relax. I upped her hours when I found out she’d been fired, wanting to weave her into our family as best I could. That had been my intention when I’d given Allison the Rose & Honey card, telling her I’d found thebestmanicurist. “The cutest little place, too—youhaveto go,” I’d said. “On Mondays, that’s when she’s there.” I’d hoped there would be a scene—shrieking, maybe. Allison seemed like the shrieking type. When I called the spa later that week, pretending I wanted to schedule an appointment with Sloane, I was pleased to hear: “I’m so sorry, she’s no longer with us.” I hung up thrilled; it left her free to become our full-time nanny, available to join us on the trip to Block Island.

I dropped the card at the hair salon yesterday as another provocation.Look how easily you could be found out, I wanted to remind her.Here, people know you. They know you’re Sloane, not Caitlin. As long as you are in Brooklyn, there is a chance I’ll discover that, too.But I didn’t think it would take much convincing. The summer heat alone was enough to drive anyone out, steam practically rising from the sidewalks, the city and everyone in it baking.

I shake my head. “Oh, I’d pay you!” I say, smiling apologetically. “Sorry I didn’t make that clear. I mean, you’d be our guest, of course, but I’d still need your help with Harper. Same rate! Jay is going to have to work while we’re there, so it would be great to have an extra set of hands. And—”

Sloane lights up. “Then yes!” she says, not waiting for me to finish. “I’d love to!” She’s grinning broadly.

“Really? Oh, I’m so glad!” She has no idea how glad. My body is vibrating with an electric energy. It’s happening.

“Jay will be glad, too,” I say, knowing how happy this will make her. “He’s the one who suggested it, actually. He knows how much help you’ve been lately, and when I told him how much I’d miss you when we were gone, he said I should invite you. That it would be silly not to.”

Sloane’s cheeks redden at his name. She’s smitten. She thinks she’s discreet, I’m sure, but it’s written all over her face. It doesn’t bother me, though. It makes it easier. I want her to want him. In fact, I need her to. It’s also why I’ve told her about Danny, ease her guilt by pulling back the curtain to show her the cracks in our deteriorating marriage. If you can even call it that anymore. The word in my mouth makes me want to retch.

Of course, Jayhadn’tsuggested inviting Sloane. He was apprehensive about the whole trip. In fact, convincing him to go was one of the hardest parts of my plan.

I brought it up last week as he was eating breakfast with Harper, both of them distractedly spooning cereal into their mouths, Jay on his phone, Harper staring at the comic strip on the back of the box. “Let’s take a trip,” I said casually. He looked up at me, confused. “Back to Block Island.” I offered him a smile.

He had cocked his head, eyed me suspiciously. “Together?” he asked. A few months earlier, shortly after Sloane came into our lives, I told him I wanted to work on things. He agreed, but he was wary. He was right to be. In fact, if he knew how hard it was for me to even look at him, how the mere thought of him made me seethe, he would have been terrified.

I nodded. Then I bit my lip, softened my face, and smiled, hoping to look a little nostalgic. “I think Harper would love it,” I said. “We had so much fun last time.”Well,youdid, prick.Jay always has fun. He can’t seem to help himself. At least, that’s the excuse he gives.

Then I said, louder, “Harpie, do you want to go to the beach with me and Daddy?”

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