9August 2009. Two months before Annabelle’s abduction.
A white canopy fell over the picnic tent, fabric waving in a perfect breeze as the sun sank over the ocean. Waiters served hot dogs and watermelon, beach food Cecil rarely had a chance to eat.
The party had the stuffy formality of Margaux’s usual events. Ateliers and fashion editors strode in lace cover-ups and sundresses. Women wore hats with brims that fell below their chins, flopping downward with large red flowers and white bows the size of their heads. They carried punch and pink lemonade. Cecil had never seen so many diamonds on a beach.
A string quartet played “Palladio” beneath the wispy tents.
Perdonna avoided the crowds of babbling women, lounging in a beach chair, painting dress designs in watercolor, her hat tipped just
