The Lying Game

This chapter begins a new section of The Lying Game titled “Rule Two: Stick to Your Story.” The women know exactly whose remains are on the beach. Thea is drunk and shatters her wineglass in anger. While Fatima looks for cuts, Isa notices the pale scars on Thea’s arm. Thea worries that rumors could cause her to lose her gaming license and her job. Fatima and Isa could also lose their positions. They agree to say they know nothing and saw nothing if questioned about the body. Kate wants them to attend the Salten House alumnae dinner the next night, which will provide an excuse for their presence in Salten. Fatima thinks there is no way they would receive invites “after what happened” (71), but Kate has invitations. 

Art class at Salten is very different from Isa’s other classes. The art teacher is Kate’s father, Ambrose, who insists his students call him by his first name—something just not done at Salten. Ambrose is 45 years old, with a lined, but young-looking face. Isa remembers he was always “working, laughing, loving” (74). When Ambrose introduces himself, he takes Isa’s hand and presses it between his. Tongue-tied Isa feels like she is the only person in his world.