Thinking this might be her only chance to stay somewhere so luxurious, Liv nipped back downstairs and hung a Do Not Disturb sign on the door to her own room. She didn’t want hotel staff to notice no one was using it.

Back in Essie’s suite, guilt tainted her mood about enjoying this experience alone, so she texted Jake and the boys to let them know she’d arrived.

Have fun! Jake messaged back, though she assumed he didn’t really mean it.

Liv hitched herself up onto the bed and let herself fall backward. Jake liked to lie on a hard surface, insisting it was better for his back. Some mornings, she felt like she’d been sleeping on the streets. This mattress hugged her body and she grinned up at the ceiling, not quite believing her luck.

Maybe Essie would have invited me anyway, she thought. If she leaves me anything substantial in her will, I can take the boys somewhere like this. All she had to do was keep the author’s secret for another three months. She was already halfway there.

After a while, she heard footsteps and saw a shadow shift across the gap underneath the door. When a note swished along the carpet into the room, she padded over to pick it up.

Hello Essie

I’m pleased you’ve arrived safely. Let’s catch up in the lobby for a drink at 7:00 p.m. Looking forward to meeting you in person.

Best,

Marlon

Liv stared at the note and a sword of doubt thrust inside her. Marlon’s words confirmed her deception, and she smoothed her hand across the Egyptian cotton sheets, pressing down imaginary creases.

For the next couple of hours, she wanted some peace and quiet, and not think about her meeting with the agent that evening.

What on earth was she going to tell him about Essie?

Liv tried not to stumble as she descended the grand staircase. Her gourmet lunch on the plane had been several hours ago, and she felt shaky from hunger.

Wanting to be punctual, she arrived in the lobby fifteen minutes early. To kill some time, she headed into a room she thought was a bathroom. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she made out the silhouettes of several long tables piled high with books. There was a box of bookplates and lines of name badges in front of her. Several featured author names she recognized and her eyes shone at the thought of spotting some of her favorite writers in person.

She picked up the badge for Essie, pinned it to the lapel of her jacket and performed a pretend handshake to see how it felt being a real writer. “Hi, I’m Essie Starling. Pleased to meet you...” She stopped herself and furled her hand into a fist, embarrassed by her own action.