SCORNED EX WIFE Queen Of Ashes (Camille and Stefan)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

ROSE'S POINT OF VIEW

The shoe sat on Detective Ramirez's desk between us. A woman's size seven pump, once black, now gray-

green from three months underwater. The heel had broken off, but the designer's red sole remained visible. Louboutin. Unmistakably Camille's.

"Is this your sister's shoe, Ms. Lewis?" Detective Ramirez asked, his tired eyes watching my reaction carefully.

I reached for it with trembling fingers, a calculated tremord practiced that morning. "Yes," I whispered, breaking on cue. "She wore these the last time I saw her. A gift from our parents for her birthday." The lie slid out smoothly. In truth, I'd given Camille those shoes when she

landed her first job, playing the generous big sister while privately mocking her pathetic excitement over my hand-

me-downs.

"Does seeing this personal item bring up any new thoughts about your sister's state of mind before her disappearance?"

An Interesting question. Not "accident" or "drowning," but "disappearance." The detective's word choice revealed his lingering doubts.

"Your parents mentioned Camille kept journals," he continued. "Have you had a chance to read them?"

So Mom had spoken to the police about the journals. This was worse than I thought. voice

mentioned she found some, but she's been very

"We were friends before he and Camille dated. After a respectful period of

family's trusted fixer. "I need everything you can get on Detective Ramirez. And I need to know exactly what my mother told the police about Camille's journal Then I headed to my parents' house. Mom was at her weekly therapy appointment, an

antidepressants.

empty space. Mom's

"Looking for something?"

from the doorway froze

months.

more sober and

into my voice. "I didn't expect you

unlocked it, and withdrew a journal. September 14th, ten years ago: 'Rose told Jason I stuffed ny bra before the dance. Now he won't talk to me. She says she

back. Jason Parker, Camille's first crush. I'd spent weeks helping her get his attention, only to whisper

drama,” I said dismissively. "Camille

ago Got my Stanford acceptance today. Rose says it's probably a mistake. Now I can't stop worrying they'll realize

me."

protect her from disappointment," I

the journal shut. "You know what happened next? She called the admissions office to 'confirm' they wanted her. They thought

had problems none of us understood. The last time we spoke, she said things that

"What things?"

feeling watched" The lies flowed smoothly, tailored to match symptoms I knew Mom feared. Her own mother had suffered from paranoid delusions. "That's not possible," Mom

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