Something in the Water

The house is how they left it. The only change is what they brought home, and Erin stresses to herself the importance of getting “back into my real life” to not give what they’ve done away (158). Erin hides the money and diamonds in the attic. A wave of nausea hits while she’s doing it, and she takes an at-home pregnancy test while thinking through their next steps for the money. The test comes back positive. She goes to tell Mark but can’t because “it’ll mess up the plan” (161).

Erin and Mark head to Switzerland to deposit at a bank that won’t ask questions. They set up a shell account to “legitimatize the money” (162), from which Erin can pay herself monthly and pay taxes. At the airport, Erin shops for outfits “someone with a million dollars in cash, in a bag, might wear” (165). Next, she buys a quality duffle bag to match her outfit, completing the ensemble. She is ready to walk into a Swiss bank and deposit $1 million.

In Switzerland, Erin vacillates between nauseated and calm. She attributes some of her sick feelings to the baby she still hasn’t told Mark about. The rest is at the idea of handing over “one million dollars in a Bottega Veneta duffel bag” (168). On her way to the bank, Erin thinks about how scared she is of being found by the people looking for the money. It occurs to her that she could just disappear—take the money, run, and never be found. The thought of Mark and her unborn child keeps her from discarding her life “like an old husk” (171). The deposit goes without a hitch. On her way out of the bank, Erin thinks about cutting and running again. She finally decides not to and heads back to Mark.