What Kate really wanted to do now was go for a run, but of course, there was no way she could with her sprained ankle. Instead, she went to the pantry and pulled out her stash of Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapping one and popping it into her mouth. She had always made sure her family had healthy, organic meals. She ran every day—it kept her centered and cleared her mind as well. She didn’t drink alcohol anymore, which was for other reasons, but it certainly contributed to her health. But chocolate—chocolate was her weakness, especially when she was stressed.

She thought about what Detective Anderson had told her. There had to be a reasonable explanation. Her father had always worshipped her mother. She unwrapped another chocolate and thought about a time when Lily and Harrison had taken a teenage Kate and Blaire to the beach house. They’d spent that sunny June day on the beach, swimming, reading, and relaxing. That night, Lily and Harrison had taken the girls to dinner in Ocean City at Fager’s Island, a beautiful restaurant with windows overlooking the bay side of the small barrier island. They’d both worn white jeans and tank tops, Blaire’s a hot pink and Kate’s turquoise, to match her eyes. Kate smiled to herself as she remembered the two of them getting ready—applying thick mascara and shiny lip gloss. And then Lily had appeared, stunning in a cool white shift and simple gold earrings, her blond hair swept up with a few loose tendrils brushing her neck. Kate had felt like a grown-up as they’d all walked to their table and noticed heads turning. Even the waiter, who was around eighteen or nineteen, seemed to linger when he took their order and returned often to check on them once their meal had arrived. It had soon become apparent, however, that the object of his admiration was Lily. Harrison had chuckled after the waiter left the table and turned to Lily, smiling. “You are an enchantress, my love. I’m so lucky to be the one taking you home.”

Later, as Blaire and Kate lay next to each other in the queen bed, Blaire had said to Kate, “That waiter was into your mom big-time. It was kind of weird.”