Summary

Chapter 7 continues Marie’s recollections of Helen from their childhood in the 1960s. At the community pool, when Marie began to be bullied by another girl named Rhonda, Helene began to beat Rhonda up to protect Marie. Later, however, Helene began a surprising friendship with Rhonda. Then one day, Helene began to beat Rhonda up far worse than she had at the pool: Helene later revealed that she had become friends with Rhonda simply to acquire practice at betraying people, which Helene thought was a necessary part of spy work. Bill is angered after seeing the marks on Helen’s face, and sends her to Martinique with Agathe for a time as punishment.

In 1971, when Marie is 16, she begins to date a boy at her school named Robbie Young, who goes in and out of juvenile hall for petty crimes. Robbie is also...