Page 86 of The Time of My Afterlife

‘This is insane,’ exclaims Clark, running a hand through his hair. ‘She believed they should pay for what they had done, and she was their judge and executioner.’

‘She doesn’t want the families of the missing men to suffer any more. They have no idea what happened to their husbands, sons, brothers… She says they have a right to know about her crimes and why she did what she did.’

Clark is looking at me. ‘Was this the task the afterlife wanted us to do all along? Is this the big thing that all our small changes lead to?’

My heart skips a beat. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’

He nods. ‘This is about justice and confessing sins. Mary’s book was the task we had to complete to pass. We just didn’t realise why.’

‘You’re right,’ I gasp. ‘And it was so simple. All we had to do was just read it.’

Excitement ripples through us both. The end is finally in sight. He opens his arms. ‘I know we shouldn’t be celebrating Mary’s crimes, but this book could somehow help us pass the test.’

It’s turned into a tight hug, and I don’t want it to end. Clark pulls me closer, and all I can think about is how we’ve wasted our time irritating each other. We could have been sharing amazing hugs like this one and making each other laugh. Eventually, he releases me, and we both exchange an awkward glance. I clear my throat and look away.

‘Do you think Pearl knows Mary was hiding something?’ he asks.

I remember the peculiar comment Pearl made on the street: ‘Pearl said Mary had deep pockets, and her mother always claimed that people with deep pockets hid dark secrets inside them.’

‘What do we do now?’

‘It’s not really about making it a bestseller any more.’ I run my hand over the front cover. ‘She wanted the families of her victims to find some answers and for the book to be a way to confess her sins.’

‘What do you think?’

I look at him. ‘We should speak to Pearl and do the right thing – hand it to the police.’

‘But her last wish was…’

I stop him. ‘I think we should respect the loved ones of her victims.’

To my surprise, he nods. ‘You’re right. We should do the right thing.’

As Pearl lets us into her house, Clark glances back at me. I wonder whether this is to say he also felt that new sensation when we were on Pearl’s path, and it wasn’t just me.

Clark makes us all a cup of tea and suggests we sit at the kitchen table.

‘We have some news,’ he says, handing Pearl a cup. ‘It’s about Mary.’

I watch Pearl’s face change. Her smile fades, but it’s not replaced by one of nervous anticipation. Her face darkens. ‘She was hiding things – wasn’t she?’

I slide Mary’s book to her. ‘Yes, Pearl, she was.’

Pearl nudges it back to me. ‘I don’t want to read it. I’ve had a feeling for a long time that Mary wasn’t who I thought she was. But she was a fabulous friend to me. She was kind and caring, and she brought so much needed laughter into my life. So, I buried my thoughts at the back of my mind and scolded myself for doubting her.’

Clark puts his hands over Pearl’s. ‘Mary was a serial killer. She’s written a full confession at the back of the book.’

Pearl looks at Clark. ‘She murdered those men who hurt her – didn’t she? I know her first husband did some horrible things. He was a cruel and vicious man.’

Clark nods. ‘She also killed the men who had been cruel to her friends.’

Pearl gasps. ‘Oh, Mary.’

I point to the book. ‘She wanted the book to be read widely so she could confess her sins and put the families of her victims out of their misery.’

Pearl nods. ‘She stressed to me how important it was for me to make the book a bestseller. That was her last wish.’

‘We should hand it to the police, Pearl,’ I say. ‘That’s the right thing to do for the sake of the families of her victims.’