You're Invited(52)
EP: But you did help him with the proposal.
TF: Yes, so what? Plenty of men ask sisters of the bride to help them with proposals. It’s totally normal.
EP: So you were aware of Mr. Spencer’s relationship with your sister?
TF: Not at first, no. Of course Kaavi wouldn’t have told me herself. She loved lording over me like some pure, virginal princess. I had no idea they were even together until Spencer told me. He’d become, well, I guess you can say he’d become a friend of the family by then. He’d fly down here often to help out with charity stuff. My mother certainly was in love with him. I had to admit, Kaavi did a great job hiding it. But then he proposed and everything came out.
EP: So Mr. Spencer first informed you of his intentions?
TF: Yes, he asked for my help. Wanted Kaavi to call him up onstage and she needed some convincing. Of course she didn’t want to share her spotlight. But Spencer knew her well. He knew she’d love a big show in front of everyone. She always cared so much about what others thought. Besides, it was perfect material for her YouTube channel. Good thing she didn’t turn him down, because she’d have died from the embarrassment of it. Come to think about it, she’d more willingly marry a total monster than face any sort of public humiliation.
EP: And was he, Mr. Spencer, was he a total monster?
TF: Ha ha, no way. Not Spence. That was just a figure of speech. Spencer is amazing. I have no clue what he saw in Kaavi—she was always so uptight, even more so around him, but to each their own, I guess. No, Spencer was great. This one time, my father had been on my case about some bullshit, I can’t remember what now, probably something to do with spending too much on my credit card, and Spencer totally stood up for me. He didn’t say anything directly to my father, of course, but he spoke to me about it afterward, and told me he understood where I was coming from. It’s more support than what anyone in my family had ever given me.
EP: So you felt loyal toward Mr. Spencer?
TF: What do you mean by that—loyal?
EP: I mean, did you feel indebted to him? Perhaps like you have to take his side?
TF: [Pause] I don’t know if I understand your question.
EP: All right, then. Would you be able to let us know what happened to your sister’s wedding dress?
TF: I—what?
EP: Your sister’s wedding dress. You mentioned during our first conversation that it had been destroyed.
TF: Yes. But surely you don’t believe I could have had anything to do with that?
EP: Would you explain to me exactly how you realized that the dress had been destroyed?
TF: I—okay, look. I’d had a few shots by then, and there was this family friend who I hadn’t seen in a while who was texting me, so I was pretty distracted. I didn’t even notice until someone screamed that there was something in the bonfire down by the beach. By the time we all rushed over there, well, the dress was totally and completely on fire.
EP: And you have no idea how it got there?
TF: Well, I’ve told you my suspicions about Amaya. It could easily have been her.
EP: What I find curious, though, Miss Fonseka, is that none of the other attendees at the bachelorette party appear to remember you there.
TF: I—um, what?
EP: Did you leave the party at any time?
TF: I—okay, look, my parents would freak out if they heard about this, all right. That’s why I didn’t really mention it. I kinda want to keep it on the down low. But I wasn’t just texting that family friend I told you about. I was, well, I met him. He’d flown in from the US for the wedding, and, well, he had a room pretty close to the beach in the old wing, and I snuck in there for a while. I was there when the dress was found in the fire.
EP: So you were in the old wing at the time?
TF: Yes.
EP: The reason I ask is that your sister’s wedding dress was signed and received outside her room in the old wing, during the bachelorette party that you did not attend, and the delivery receipt has your name on it.
TF: Mine? That’s impossible.
EP: Why don’t you tell us about what happened last night? After the Poruwa ceremony.
TF: I—what? Look, I’ve told you guys already. Things were supposed to wind up early after the Poruwa—you know, just some milk rice and maybe a few cocktails. But of course things got out of hand. Some of the uncles pestered my dad to open up the bar and, well, you could probably imagine the rest. I mean, they had Spence ride in on a fucking elephant. What were they expecting? A quiet affair?
Kaavi and Spence did the rounds, and then Kaavi decided to turn in rather early. Much too early for a bride, and my mother was furious. Hell, I was furious. My dad drops all this cash on a wedding for her, and she doesn’t even have the decency to stay? Thankfully, the guests were mostly my father’s friends, and they barely noticed she was gone. I stayed instead, thanking everyone for coming and playing host. I was exhausted at the end of it.
EP: One of the waiters mentioned a commotion with a wedding guest?
TF: [Pause] I had forgotten about that! You don’t think—oh god, do you think it was him?
EP: Could you tell us what you remember?
TF: I’m sorry. The cocktails I had made the whole thing a bit hazy. But I remember a man. He was middle-aged, I reckon. He was bald, and had a mustache.
EP: Had you seen him before?
TF: No. I don’t think so.