Delia Owens Books Novels & Stories

“Right after the dinner started.” Freeda leaned in. Subject: CO-CHAIR ACCEPTANCE: FREEDA JAMES (SIGNED) Attachment: Acceptance Graphic: Approved Sender: r.owen.foundation@ Winnie’s breath caught. Kris went still. Freeda lifted her eyes to Delia. “That came from him.” Delia stared at the sender line like it had just appeared. Then her voice slipped, small and helpless. “It… it came straight from Mr Owen’s office.”

I read the message three times. Each time I read it my thumb pressed harder against the screen, like pressing harder would change the words or rearrange them into something less terrible. They stayed the same every time. Your mother is in more danger than you know. Delia had written that. Delia, who had spent two years sitting across from me at dinner tables and sharing hallway bathrooms and borrowing my umbrella without asking. Delia, who had been sleeping with my boyfriend the entire time. Delia, who had smiled at me with Roland's eyes and her mother's mouth and I had never once looked closely enough to see what was underneath all of it.