Pretty Things

Nina is the narrator, and she is in a noisy jail, so she cannot sleep. Her theory that billionaires will not go to the police is wrong. Alexi Petrov, the son of the Russian oligarch, identified Nina from a photo after people traced a pair of chairs back to the robbery. Nina’s harried public defender tells her that she is charged with grand theft. The judge sets her bail at $80,000. Nina wonders how the police knew she was in Los Angeles. Her answer: Lachlan.

Three weeks later, Lily visits her daughter in jail. Lily blames herself. Nina should have let her die instead of grifting to pay the medical bills. Lily has tried to call Lachlan, but his phone is disconnected.

Nina considers blaming her mom, Lachlan, or society for her predicament, but she blames herself. She made the choices. Growing up, she did not have stability or a decent role model, but, unlike the other women in jail, she had food and shelter.

A month later, Vanessa visits. They argue about what happened—why Judith died by suicide and why Benny has schizophrenia—and Vanessa admits that it does not feel great to see Nina in jail. Nina promises to help Vanessa discover the truth about Michael if she bails him out, and Vanessa agrees.