Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield

Author:Kathryn Foxfield
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2021-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Olly was standing high on the rocks with Teddy’s cage swinging behind him. It was empty except for a single piece of paper on the rust-eaten floor: the remains of Teddy’s invite, water-sodden and plastered to the metal. Olly was staring down at the carnival, toward the circular tent right at its center. He was cradling one of his hands in the other, a dirty cut across his palm just beginning to clot.

“We should clean that, mate,” Noah said, stepping closer. “It looks nasty.”

“The wheel slipped while I was winding it up,” he said, not looking up. “Teddy wasn’t inside. Maybe he escaped and…” He trailed off. They all knew there was no chance he was still alive.

“Did you throw the lever last night?” Ava said quietly.

Olly didn’t reply. He just stood there, staring. Like his thoughts were spinning so fast he didn’t have the energy to move. Ava knew what that felt like, to be trapped in your own head and frozen on the outside.

“It’ll be okay,” Noah said.

“No, it won’t!” he cried. “I let the voices in. They were telling me to kill Teddy, and I did.”

“I’ve heard them too. Telling me to hit Jolie back when she pushed me. Telling me to lose my temper with Clem and break every bone in his face,” Noah said. “The voices are assholes. It’s not your fault.”

“But I listened to them,” Olly said. “And now they just won’t stop.”

“What are they saying?” Ava said.

“‘Confess and you’ll be free,’” he said, choking on the words.

He staggered and stepped closer to the precipice.

“Just come away from the edge, okay?” Ava said.

Olly frowned and glanced down, like he was only just realizing how close he was to falling from the cliff. He stared at the water, mouthing silent words.

“Olly,” Noah said. Olly didn’t appear to hear him. “Olly!”

Olly turned with a start. Stared at Noah and Ava like he’d forgotten they were there. His eyes were strangely hollow and his voice slurry. “I cheated. My trainer gave me some pills. Steroids. To help me build up my muscles. I knew they were illegal, but I didn’t have enough time to train for the bodybuilding competition.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Noah.

Olly’s invitation was made up to look like a prescription for something called trenbolone acetate. On the back:

Eight o’clock, Portgrave Pier. Can you keep a secret?

This was Olly’s secret. His confession.

“Olly, stop!” Ava said. “Don’t tell us any more.”

Olly looked at her with unfocused eyes and continued. “The worst thing, though? My brother found out the week before he died. He was so mad at me. He called me a coward and a cheat. We never made up.”

“It was a mistake,” Noah said.

“That doesn’t stop me from feeling guilty. Shit, bro, I’m so sorry.” He clasped a hand over his mouth and sobbed loudly, staring at something neither Ava nor Noah could see.

Ava and Noah exchanged looks. This was what had happened to Scarlett and Teddy.

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