Fifty-eight

Clara Addas





Facing my reflection in the mirror, I wait in silence.
It says, "Gloat. You've earned the right."
"Yes," I answer. I'm on autopilot. "You probably expect me to bore you with the details of how I killed Daniel's girlfriend and how I buried her and ultimately got away with it. I am not that fucked up.
Wendy Sherman does not exist.
What I mean by that is: I needed Daniel to believe I've lied for him. Kept his secret from law enforcements. For my plan to work Daniel needed to be on board. Needed to believe he blacked out. Did some messy shit while he was another person.
Best way to prime brother? Be supportive. Love him regardless. Daniel's loyalties veered towards Mama. I needed him on my side. I fed him lie after lie. Daniel values unity. Honesty(or so he believes).
I created Wendy Sherman by taking pictures of a well-known celebrity (Ms. Hollywood will remain unnamed), and photo-shopped them. From brown her to blonde. Straight to Wavy hair. Blue to black eyes. Genius.
Step 2: Buy Wendy Sherman a phone.
Step two very important. This wouldn't have worked if I hadn't bought a phone on the black market, stole Daniel's phone will he slept and exchanged a few messages and calls between them.
Step 3: (For the record this should be the step two). Buy some painkillers. Fix brother a cup of coffee just before bed. Knock him dead for the night. Plant empty whiskey bottles, cigarette buds, evidence of a wild night out. No memory.
Step 4: (very crucial). Buy under wear. The sort of underwear a girl like Wendy Sherman would wear. The one that digs between the butt cheeks. Irritates the hell out of you.
I had to wear it because I needed dirty underwear to plant in his bedroom.
Daniel actually smelled them, which was so weird. He picked them up. Put them to the nose. Inhale. Deep. (Why do men always do that? Like they expect to know whose vagina tainted the panties). Dirty underwear is dirty underwear. Full stop.
Step 5: (Again, very crucial). Store as many brother's used condoms as you can find. Follow him to the hotel, if need be. I will state, so that you know what I know, my brother is fucking stupid.
He brings his conquests to the guest house out in the woods, some five minutes away from the main house, fucks around and leaves the dirty condoms there.
He never cleans after himself. Never questions where his 'babies' disappeared to. And oh, if you haven't worked it out yet, here it is, my brother doesn't have OCD.
He's a filthy baboon. Like all other men.
Daniel requires looking after. Him and Papa were the same. I had to constantly pick up after them. Is there a place where men meet like once a month to discuss how disgustingly filthy they should be? It's like they were born with this filthy Manual engraved deep. Marrow-deep. It's apart of who they are now. Comes natural. As breathing.
Step six: (the conclusion). Befriend a nurse who finds you attractive (or rather the allure of breaking your virginity). Steal a bag of blood. Drench twin in blood.
You're perfect Clara. You never lie. You're a great storyteller. You conjure one up: "I found you next to a dying Wendy. You strangled her. Had sex with her corpse. I buried her. You passed out."
With the blood all over him. No memory of last night. My brother had no choice but to believe me.
And that's how I got my brother to believe he sometimes wanders off at night on killing sprees. He's forever indebted. I saved him from going to jail. I'm the Perfect sister. Clara. The girl that fights to be invisible. Perfect Clara.
"I met Wendy online. As John. We fell in love. I killed her. The police discovered her body."
This is what I prepped him to do. This is the confession. Obviously the police know a Wendy doesn't exist. At least not a Wendy Sherman that is dead. And if there is one, it is not in the hands of my brother.
Why did I lie to Daniel is the million-dollar question.
One, I needed to forefront Papa's murder. Nothing screams out scandal worse than a death at the hands of a loved one. I needed the national media on this, like vultures. Waiting. Picking. Descending. This is the most followed case with hastags like #danielmustfall/ #daniel'sguilty/ #freedaniel/ #daniel_innocent.
Now that the media is waiting for a verdict.