Before long, I’d removed all my clothes, my spectacles, and my beard and entered the water. It was the most pleasant sensation I’d had in weeks. Without the corset pressing against my chest, I was free. I wished I could stay here all night, swimming, relaxing, not having to think about who was hiding what and whom I could and couldn’t trust in this town.

It was exhausting.

Worse yet, the guilt of my deception grew exponentially as I got to know these people more intimately. Only one of them had most likely paid Franco to kill me, and yet, I was deceiving all of them. That, and the constant fear of getting caught, added to my distress, to my long nights of restlessness.

I must have spent an hour there, imagining what could’ve been had my father done things differently. By the time I got out of the water, my fingers had turned into prunes. I gathered all my clothes and got dressed. Obviously, my goatee wouldn’t attach itself to my wet chin, so I would have to run the risk of going home without facial hair. If needed, I could always say I’d shaved it off. But I really hoped it wouldn’t come to that; I was exposed without the beard.

The house was as still and dark as I’d left it and all the bedroom doors were shut. I quietly entered my room and locked the door. Nobody seemed to have noticed my absence.

* * *

In the morning, I joined the family for breakfast. I hadn’t seen Laurent since Bingo Night. I tried not to stare while he cut his cantaloupe, but I was drawn to him. He wasn’t feminine; just sophisticated. The details from the other night were fuzzy and I couldn’t recall what I’d heard in that room and what I’d imagined.

He wasn’t too attentive to Angélica, but there was a kinship between them. She always anticipated his desires—she would hand him the tray of bread without asking and added more juice to his glass. Laurent finished her sentences without lifting his gaze from the weekly news and patiently corrected her pronunciation when she said “croissants” or “confiture” as if this were his daily duty.

Although Angélica seemed less tense around me now, she wasn’t as relaxed as she’d been with her guests on Bingo Night. Catalina, on the other hand, had warmed up to me and wanted to make sure I was satisfied with the meal and had slept well.

I assured her I had a splendid night. After the swim, I’d rested like I hadn’t in weeks.