“She was special,” I said vaguely. Charisma, you might call it, though this word doesn’t explain the mystery, because charismatic people are all different. It’s the feeling they evoke in others, that tipsy glow, that tidal pull, that they share. It’s Edwin Hastie with a passel of children scrabbling over him in the sand. It’s a dozen men falling in love with Aunt Caroline as she peels a tangerine in the Luxembourg Gardens. Who was Nika to tell me about Alison’s power? I thought with irritation. But I composed myself.

“Every time she was going to a party or an event or anything, she invited me,” Nika continued. “I must have said no to her a hundred times. I was just scared. Finally one night she grabbed my arm and said, ‘You’re coming, Nika Nika’—she used to call me that, like the Singing Nun song?—and she dragged me out of our room. We went to this dorm party. I was so freaked out. I’d never had a sip of alcohol. Your sister didn’t leave my side the whole night. She introduced me to everyone like I was this extremely cool person who had finally deigned to grace them with my—Sorry.” Her hand pressed against the receiver again. Jackson, why do I hear video games?… Don’t “I don’t know” me … Five minutes … Fine, eight. She sighed. “Sorry. Where were we?”

“My sister took you out with her.”

“Right. Anyway, after that she basically adopted me into her friend group.” Nika was speaking more hurriedly now. The video game business had pulled her out of the sea of memory and back onto the shore of her busy life. I could sense she was eager to be off the phone, to check this task off of what was surely a long list.

“And when she died?”

“We were shocked. Devastated. The way it happened. I still feel bad I couldn’t go to the funeral. I was home in Illinois for break and I couldn’t afford the ticket. Our group stayed together, though. We’re all still friends. We go to Steamboat every winter with our kids. My husband, Alex. Alison was always teasing me that he had a thing for me and I never believed her.”

“That’s so great.”

Nika’s hand went over the receiver again. We don’t interrupt people on the phone, sweetheart. “Sorry. What was that?”

“I said it’s nice to know all of this.”

“Listen, I’m really sorry, but I have to go. But I have a few pictures and notes and things. I can send you color copies for your memory book.” I told her I would like that very much and gave her my address. “I really am sorry to dash off. I need to help my son with this project. We’re working on a Prezi about the chaparral,” she said dryly.

“I miss the days of the shoe-box diorama,” I replied, as if I, too, were a harried mother befuddled by my child’s Information Age assignments.

Only after I hung up did I realize that my entire body was clenched. This wasn’t a nice story about the good my sister had done in her short life. It was a story about Nika’s life. Alison was merely the device by which the universe had conspired to ensure Nika’s destiny as Nika (Ivanova) Cunningham, mommy to Jackson and Logan. The dead’s stories are lifted away from them; they are sentenced to an eternity as deus ex machina in the stories of others.

“Alison Thomas Autopsy Report, Abridged Text,” Special to the New York Post, June 20, 1996:

Decedent: THOMAS, Alison Brianne

Authorized by: Cardigan Ralston, Coroner

Assisted by: Diandra Young, M.D.

Identified by: Thomas, Ellen, and Thomas, Richard parents of decedent.

Date of Birth: September 8, 1977

Race: Caucasian

Sex: Female

Length: 165 cm

Weight: 52.6 kg

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Reddish brown

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION

The body is presented in a black body bag. The victim wears no clothing. Jewelry includes three pierced earrings in the left ear: one gold hoop, one gold stud, and one small blue gemstone, and two pierced earrings in the right ear: one gold hoop and one gold stud. Fingernails and toenails are painted sky blue. The body is that of a normally developed, normally nourished Caucasian female. The appearance of age is approximately as stated. The eyes are closed. The irises are light brown. The teeth are native and in good condition. The tongue is smooth, bloated, and white-gray. The hair is reddish brown, straight, and fixed in a ponytail on the top of the head, secured with a yellow elastic band. It measures 35.5 centimetres at its longest length. The genitalia are that of a normally developed adult female. There is a scar measuring 12 centimetres in length on the lower left abdomen, which the parents of the decedent confirm is the result of an accidental injury sustained in 1981. There is significant bloating and draining of the skin, consistent with the body being submerged in non-saline water.

Injuries

The neck is fractured. There is a laceration to the skull measuring 3 centimetres in length, located on the left parietal. There are abrasions to the vulva which suggest recent sexual activity, but the superficial nature of these abrasions is inconclusive as to whether such activity was forcible. No semen is found within the vaginal cavity, though it is not possible to determine whether this is due to the body’s submersion.

INTERNAL EXAMINATION

Lungs: Non-saline water is found in both lungs. Sand granules, beige in color, are found in both lungs.

Gastrointestinal, Cardiovascular, and Urinary systems are normal.

X-Rays

Total body X-rays reveal fracture of the neck located at the C4 vertebrae.

Toxicology

Blood and vitreous fluids positive for ethanols.

Blood and vitreous fluids positive for cannabinoids.

EVIDENCE

Items submitted to the Royal Police Force of Saint X as evidence include: vaginal swabs; oral swabs; samples of hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows; earrings; hair elastic; fingernail clippings; 3 tubes of blood.

OPINION

Time of Death

Body rigor, livor mortis, and stomach contents approximate the time of death between 72 and 96 hours prior to autopsy.

Immediate Cause of Death

Undetermined

Manner of Death

Undetermined

Remarks

Due to the condition of the body at time of autopsy, it is not possible to determine the immediate cause of death. Possible causes include blunt trauma and asphyxiation as a result of submersion. It is not possible to determine whether manner of death was accidental, intentional, or forcible.

Statement to the Press, Prentice Carter, Chief of Police, April 10, 1996:

The Royal Police Force is aware of the intense global interest in our investigation of the January 3rd death of American teenager Alison Thomas on our island. Our investigation into this matter has been conducted with the utmost seriousness and meticulousness, with the full resources of our department and in close cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Our department has conducted interviews with over one hundred witnesses. I can share with you at this time that on the night of her death, multiple witnesses confirm that Alison Thomas was present at Paulette’s Place, located at 24 under hill Road, where, again, multiple witnesses attest that she appeared heavily intoxicated, a fact toxicology reports confirm. Witnesses describe her as wearing a revealing shirt and dancing provocatively with several patrons. A bartender has confirmed serving Thomas at least four drinks, including a shot of vodka infused with cannabis. Over a dozen witnesses provided testimony that Ms. Thomas was engaged in wild partying during the several nights preceding her death. Every effort has been made by our department to follow every possible lead in this case. Edwin Hastie and Clive Richardson are no longer considered to be suspects in this case; at present, Mr. Richardson is serving a ninety-day sentence for an unrelated charge of drug possession. At this time, there are no other suspects in this case, and we do not find sufficient evidence that Alison Thomas died as the result of a violent crime to continue our investigation.

Statement to the Press, Rick and Ellen Thomas April 11, 1996:

We, the parents of Alison Thomas, reject absolutely the conclusions of Chief of Police Carter and the Royal Police Force of Saint X. At this time, we plead with anyone who may have knowledge of the circumstances surrounding our daughter’s death to please come forward so that this case can be reopened as it should be. We will not rest until those responsible for our daughter’s death are found and punished to the full extent of the law.

We want to end with a message to other parents. Please, hug your children a little tighter tonight. We pray that what happened to our beautiful daughter will never happen to another girl.

THE BEAUTIFUL daughter had died. What daughter, meanwhile, had lived?

A COLD drizzle was falling the next evening when I made my way to the Little Sweet. I stood beneath the awning of the grocery as usual and watched Clive Richardson sit at the table he always sat at, doing the things he always did.