Page 311 of The Sinner: James

And yet, she doesn’t comment.

“Someone saw the two of you that day. Whoever it was, she or he took pictures of you and sent them to me. The person must’ve known our history, and it’s only fair to assume they wanted to hurt you.”

Her jaw locks, anger flashing through her eyes.

“Do you have any idea who it was?” I ask.

“Yeah, I think I know,” she says, irritated. “What about you? Have you been affected by it?”

“Badly,” I say, smiling bitterly.

Her eyebrows tilt up in surprise, but she offers nothing more, and that thing alone makes my stomach clench.

“Who was it?” I ask evenly.

Her eyes turn dull, and sadness drapes over her face.

“My sister.”

“What did she think she’d accomplish?”

“I have no idea why she did it. Most of the time, she does bad things because she’s evil.”

“Have you seen her since?”

She shakes her head.

“No.”

“What was she doing in New York?”

“She dropped out of school and was looking for opportunities to make some money,” she says.

I get a hunch.

“Did she know what you were doing?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… I see. So, back to your other business,” I say, placing a cigarette between my lips.

Silently, she observes me as I light it and take a drag, her eyes glued to my lips as I blow the smoke out.

“It’s an online business,” she says.

“That provides...?”

“It’s a membership-based website that offers…” She pauses, stifling a smile. “It may sound funny to you, but it makes good money. There’s a demand for it, so please don’t laugh.”

“Try me,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

“It’s a company that offers fake boyfriends.”

A smile tickles my lips.

“Fake boyfriends?”

“Uh-huh.”

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