Page 65 of The Weekend Getaway

“I don’t care if you believe me,” Mia said. “I know what I saw. Just like you insisted that you saw Grace. And Grace saw Alex. And none of us lied. Phil killed Alex, Grace, and Chris. He promised to destroy us. He’s making good on that threat.”

Jason sighed. “I think so, too. We need to get off this island. Now. I’ll call a water taxi.”

Mia nodded. “I’ll go pack.”

“Pack?”

“We don’t have time to pack,” Jason said.

“I have things that are important to me, and I am notleaving them on this island,” Mia said. “So I’m going to get my things.”

As Mia walked away, Sarah glanced at Jason. “Can you believe her?”

“I can’t believe anything,” Jason said, collapsing into one of the chairs at the island.

Sarah joined him. “Be honest with me. Do you think Phil is behind this nightmare? You think he killed Alex, Grace, and Chris.”

Shrugging, Jason dropped his head. “Can’t think of any other explanation.”

Sarah took a deep breath. “They’re dead because of me …”

Jason looked at her. “What?”

“Because I told Phil that Alex wanted to kill him,” Sarah said, wringing her hands, wishing she had a drink. “I warned Phil. I gave him a heads up.”

Jason asked, “What exactly did Phil say when you told him that?”

Sighing, Sarah said, “He said he was going to make sure he didn’t get himself killed.”

“What did he mean by that?”

“I assumed he meant he was leaving the island,” Sarah said. “But now I think …”

“That Phil decided to kill all of us,” Jason said.

Sarah took a deep breath, struggling not to scream. “I should never have said anything to Phil. If I had known?—”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Jason said. “If anyone is to blame, it’s Alex. He never should have brought up the idea of Phil having an accident, even if he wasn’t serious. He never shouldhave planned this ridiculous getaway. I knew it wasn’t going to work. I never should have come to this island.”

“I know Alex made you do it,” Sarah said.

Scoffing, Jason glanced away from her. “Fifteen years and I still don’t have a mind of my own. Still didn’t know how to say no to Alex.”

Sarah said, “I’m not talking about Alex’s idea to come to this island.”

Jason frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“The plan to blackmail Phil’s father,” said Sarah. “I know Alex forced you to go along with it. You didn’t want to do it.”

“And yet I did …”

“So did I,” Sarah said. “Worst decision of my life. But, also the best, considering…”

“Considering … what do you mean?”

“It was wrong to make Mr. Richart pay for something that Phil didn’t do,” Sarah said, feeling strangely confessional, longing to unburden, to reveal the secrets she’d kept hidden. “But I was glad for the money. Hungry for it. Thirsty for it. You know what it was like, going to a school like that. Relying on a scholarship that only covered tuition and books, not room and board. Always worrying about having a place to stay. Food to eat. Clothes to wear. And doing it all in the lap of luxury, under the critical, judgmental eye of kids whose family could buy and sell you.”

Jason said, “Just because we had it rough there doesn’t mean we should have blackmailed Mr. Richart.”

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