Page 282 of The Sinner: James

“What kind of people take breaks from school?”

“People who don't have money,” she throws back at me sourly.

“Isn’t Dad helping you?”

“Yes, he is. But he has a new family to take care of. With a new wife and a kid, there’s so much he can do with his salary.”

“What about...? Dick... or Joe... or... What’s his face?”

“Haha. Funny. I’m single,” she says.

That’s scary.

“So, you’ve moved to New York?” I ask.

A secret smile creases her lips.

“Something like that.”

“What made you stop by?”

She shifts in her seat, pointing to the flowers.

“It’s a no-brainer, little sis. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday.”

“Why can’t you use your phone like everybody else?”

A knowing smile beams on her face.

“Lex Harrington didn’t use his phone. Why would I?”

My heart pounds in my throat, and my hands sweat as I swallow hard.

My reaction registers with her and puts a smile on her face.

The satisfaction glinting in her eyes makes my stomach clench.

“Anyway... Mom blabbered something about you finding a good job, and I wanted to find out more since I’m strapped for cash right now. At first, I thought it was silly chatter––you know, wishful thinking––but then, she mentioned where you lived, which grabbed my attention. I know a thing or two about this neighborhood. Has she been here?”

Silently, I frown.

“Right... That’s what I thought,” she continues. “So she doesn’t have a fucking clue her offspring, the little golden goose, set her new residence in one of the most luxurious places in Manhattan. Had she known that she might have been interested in finding out where her beloved princess got her money from.”

She blows the smoke to the side and dunks her cigarette into my glass of water, her eyes turning dark.

“But see, I’m not Mom. What makes perfect sense to her doesn’t fly with me. This whole bullshit about you being a luxury real estate broker didn’t cut it for me, sweet pea. Frankly, I’m surprised she bought it. It doesn't make much sense even for someone clueless like her, but hey... That’s our mom.”

A wicked smile lines her lips.

“So, I decided to dig deeper into this story and maybe come here and see for myself. And then–– call it luck if you wish––a man I met the other night showed me your picture on his phone while we were having dinner. He didn’t know your name, and later, I found out why. He had a drink too many and talked too much, some high-powered executive whimpering that he hadn’t made it on your... list?”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I step to the side and sink into an armchair. I cross my legs and look at her, poker-faced.

She smiles, feigning amusement.

“It turns out the man was on your shortlist initially, but he got kicked off by a younger stud. So there he was, licking his wounds, trying to comfort himself with a bottle of scotch. And me.”

She pauses.

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