Chapter 7 - Celeste's Concern
Celeste arrived that evening with flowers and a basket of food. She kissed my cheek and asked to see Lily. I told her Lily was resting and not ready for company. Her smile held for a second too long.
"You can't keep her wrapped in cotton forever, Daniel. Children need routine. She needs to learn that one frightening afternoon doesn't mean the world is dangerous."
"She nearly drowned."
"And Nora was there. What more do you need?"
"I need to know why the camera was disconnected."
Celeste set the basket down. "You think someone planned this? That's a serious accusation."
"I haven't accused anyone."
"Not yet." She lowered her voice. "I know you're grieving. I know anniversaries make you look for patterns. But Emily is gone, Daniel. You can't let the past run this house forever."
She had used Emily's name as a lever before, gently suggesting that keeping the locket and old photographs only made Lily's grief worse. I had agreed to put some things away. I had not asked why Celeste was so interested in what remained.
"Did you tell Lily the locket was by the pool?" I asked.
Her face barely moved. "Of course not. Why would I?"
"You wore a blue scarf yesterday."
"Half the women in this town own a blue scarf." She laughed, but her eyes had gone flat. "Are we really doing this?"
When she left, she forgot her umbrella. I carried it to the entry table and noticed a pale blue thread caught in the brass hook beneath the mirror.
May you like
The thread matched the scarf in the photograph from the front-door camera.
Celeste had first come into our lives at a foundation dinner, when she remembered Lily's favorite book and brought her a signed copy. I had taken the gesture as proof of patience. Now I wondered how many of her kind acts had been designed to make me stop asking questions.
