Mother of All Secrets(44)

“I totally get it,” she said. “Look, it’s really upsetting. And I don’t want to seem callous. I’ve been thinking a lot about her, too, obviously. But it has nothing to do with us.”

Why did she keep saying that, though? While I could certainly recognize that the way I was dealing with the Isabel situation—trying to involve myself, uncover clues—was weird, and possibly dangerous, Selena’s reaction and insistence on distancing herself from all of it seemed just as off to me.

She continued, squeezing Clara’s toe affectionately as I placed her on the mat next to Miles. “Anyway, I hope we’re okay. And I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t like you guys, because I do. That was too much, and I didn’t mean it. I do value your friendship, and I hope you’ll keep what I said between us. That was the stress talking. But my situation is different from yours—it just is. Sometimes my stakes feel so high. Like I’m not allowed to make a mistake. And getting involved in all of this, for me, would be a mistake.” There was a note of finality in her tone that told me it was time for me to let it drop, and I wouldn’t ignore her cues, like I had the other day.

“Of course. I completely respect that. And again, I’m sorry for not being more considerate, and for making you uncomfortable.” Kira and Caleb walked in at that point, bringing a natural end to our conversation.

Kira looked like hell. And coming from me, that was saying a lot. Her face was shadowy, her sweatshirt was stained, her hair looked like it hadn’t been washed in several days. When I pulled her in for a hug, I even noticed a bit of a scent to her.

“Hey!” I said, too enthusiastically, as if I could magically transfer her some energy. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah. Sleep’s been a little tough lately, I guess. We’re trucking along, though,” she said, barely returning my hug, smiling slightly but not meeting my eyes.

Vanessa and Phoebe walked into the room then, Phoebe contentedly tied to Vanessa’s chest in her stylish Boba wrap, Vanessa wearing her like a gorgeous, prized accessory. Vanessa looked serious as she greeted all of us, lightly kissing everyone in her classy way.

No one had brought snacks that day. We hadn’t discussed it explicitly, but perhaps it felt too casual, too normal, suddenly inappropriate for our new circumstances. Besides, Isabel was the one who normally designated snack duties.

Once we were all seated, Kira nursing Caleb (who was predictably and adorably dressed in a purple-and-pink striped onesie), the rest of the babies on the play mat, Vanessa spoke solemnly. “Ladies, I hate to start off with bad news, but I think it’s best I tell you right away. I got a call from Louise, Isabel’s mom, yesterday evening. Apparently, the police found her rings on the Hudson riverbank.” She glanced at each one of us, gauging how we were processing the news.

Selena and Kira gasped, putting their hands to their mouths almost in unison.

“So what does this mean?” Kira asked, rubbing her eyes with confusion as she tried to register it. I looked at her coffee cup on the floor beside her: 3x. Three extra shots of espresso. Sleep really had been bleak for her, apparently. “Couldn’t that be a good sign? Like maybe she threw the rings in the water and peaced? I mean, not that that’s good, per se, but better than . . .”

“The rings were covered in her blood,” Vanessa added flatly. “Sorry. Should have said that first.”

“But we knew there was blood from the stains,” Selena said. “This isn’t necessarily bad news. Or at least, not worse than what we already knew.” She was trying to rationalize, but the fear and concern in her eyes betrayed her words.

“I mean, it’s better than finding a body, but it’s very concerning, to say the least,” Vanessa said. “And if someone killed her, they may not have wanted to keep or sell her rings for fear of being caught, so . . .” She trailed off, not needing to finish her thought.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. “I saw Connor last night, actually, and he mentioned it.”

Kira whirled on me. “What do you mean, you saw Connor last night?” She finger quoted my words with so much force that Caleb became unlatched. Selena was looking at me agape, too.

“Tim and I were having dinner at the Milling Room, for our anniversary, and Connor was there, at the bar. He was kind of drunk, actually. He told us about the rings.”

“Why didn’t you tell us right away?” Vanessa asked.

I was surprised by the vehemence of their reaction. “I knew we’d be seeing each other today, and I felt weird sending it over text.”

“So he’s just like, what—out at bars, telling everyone all about his dead wife?” Kira said indignantly and still a bit too sharply.

We all winced. Vanessa, with infinite grace, said gently, “She might not be dead.”

“Who confirmed that it was her rings?” Selena said. “Was it only her blood on them, or anyone else’s? Were the stones still in the rings, or was it just the settings?” She’d assumed her lawyer role, asking logistical questions, trying to get more information to have a complete picture of the situation.

Vanessa took a breath. “Louise ID’d the rings. They are hers.”

Another collective silence. We were all thinking the same thing: it felt intentional, meaningful, personal, that her rings had been removed and left there. It would have made it seem like a suicide, except that the blood dripping down Eighty-Eighth Street didn’t. And it just begged more questions, like where were the rest of her belongings? Clothing, a wallet?