Page 20 of One of Us Is Guilty

Only one, she thought.

She swallowed the white capsule, then examined the Tylenol she’d left by the sink. Same shape, same color. Only if you closely examined it would you notice the difference.

She popped it into the bottle of Vicodin, then closed it and returned it to the cabinet. She didn’t want Patrick to know.

‘I might have to cancel that Hamptons thing,’ said Patrick, from the bedroom.

Her breath caught in her chest. The callous way he had thrown out that statement. No regard. No thought for anyone but himself.

She looked again at the gift bag, just visible behind the mouthwash.

‘By thing, you mean our anniversary party?’ she said, eventually. ‘I’m going to the house this morning to check out the new décor. Let me know,’ she said.

‘Mel, I might have to cancel the party at the house,’ said Vanessa.

She was kneeling on the tiled floor of the upstairs main bathroom in the Hamptons house. The phone was on the floor, on speaker beside cleaning products, cloths and two other items.

‘Is there something wrong? Are you okay?’ asked Mel.

Melissa managed the house in East Hampton. Vanessa had spent a lot of time and money getting the house ready. New furniture, new lighting, new appliances. A refresh. The house would have a new, nautical theme. Mel had helped oversee the work and organize the anniversary party, including all the invitations.

‘I’m fine, Mel. I’ll let you know. I saw the kitchen is nearly finished.’

‘If we do cancel and the caterers ask why we’re postponing, is there—’

‘Just tell them it’s Patrick’s campaign. Something came up. Thanks, Mel.’

She hung up the call.

Vanessa had already cleaned the sink and toilet, taking time to clean around the back of the toilet cistern. Now she looked at the other items on the bathroom floor. A six-inch flathead screwdriver and a roll of duct tape. Vanessa tore off a strip of tape about five inches long, put the screwdriver handle in the center and then crawled over to the toilet bowl. Reaching around, she placed the screwdriver on the back of the toilet cistern, then pressed the tape down.

Peeling off another section of tape, she placed this over the first section, to make a cross, ensuring that there was no way the tape would peel away. It had to be secure.

She picked up the tape, got to her feet and gave the bathroom one final look. This would work.

Stepping out of the bathroom into the wide second-floor landing, she put the duct tape back into the bag of supplies she’d picked up from town. As part of the nautical theme, Mel had ordered decorative ship’s lamps – ornate glass domes with metal handles thattraditionally burned kerosene. They looked like hurricane lamps, with their glass chimneys. Vanessa filled the four lamps on the landing with the oils she’d bought, then put the bottle back into the bag beside a two-hundred-milliliter bottle of her favorite perfume and a can of engine starting fluid.

Not that there was anything wrong with the engine in her Mercedes.

Before she left the bathroom, she checked the lock. It was an old-style mortice lock, with a keyhole on either side, and the key kept in the lock on the bathroom side of the door. She tested the lock from both sides of the door. Made sure it was working. Sometimes the old handles or latches on the doors became stiff.

She was ready for the party. At last.

She grabbed the bag, went downstairs, picked up her coat and locked up the house. Pressing the car fob, the trunk of her Mercedes opened.

Vanessa placed the brown paper bag inside, next to her gym bag.

It was a Nike bag.

Black.

With a white swoosh.

She got into her Mercedes and switched on the engine.

A text came through as the car connected to Apple CarPlay.

The text was from Molly Green.