The Bones She Buried: A completely gripping, heart-stopping crime thriller(90)

Lies, all of it, Josie thought, but right now she just had to convince him that they were on the same team, that she believed him and understood him, so he would put the knife down and release Laura.

“I know that,” Josie said. “Everyone in this room knows that, Grady. Laura, Noah, me—we’re your family.”

“I didn’t want to hurt her,” he said. “But she was just so damn frustrating.” He looked at Noah. “You know how she was when she was having one of her episodes. Making no goddamn sense. Not doing one fucking thing you told her or asked her to do. It was like dealing with a fucking toddler.”

Josie could see the muscle in Noah’s jaw ticking double-time. He was having difficulty keeping his composure, but he understood what Josie was attempting, so he nodded and through gritted teeth, muttered, “Yeah.”

Josie said, “We all know how difficult things were becoming, Grady. We get it. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to hurt Laura or your baby. Just put the knife down, and we’ll talk.”

The pressure of the knife on Laura’s stomach lessened slightly. Grady said, “You’re still going to arrest me.”

Josie pursed her lips and looked to the floor as if considering something. Then she said, “Well, yes. I have to do my job, but we can talk about the best way to do this. Listen, there’s a backup unit on the way here. If they roll up and find you with a knife to your wife’s pregnant belly, there’s not much any of us in this room can do to help you. They’re going to take you down. If they come in here, and we’re all sitting around talking, and you agree to come down to the station peacefully with me and Gretchen, things are going to be a whole lot better for you in the long run.”

Gretchen pulled her phone out and looked at it. “They’ll be here any second.”

He hesitated for a moment. Then slowly, he put the knife back onto the counter. Laura sagged to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. The second Josie’s body was between Grady and his wife, Gretchen surged forward, taking one of his arms, whipping him around and slamming him into the refrigerator.

“Hey, you said we were going to talk,” he cried.

Josie helped Gretchen secure his hands behind his back with zip ties. Noah was on the floor, dragging himself over to Laura. He took her in his arms. “Call an ambulance,” he said. “This stress can’t be good for the baby.”

Josie and Gretchen lowered Grady to the floor, face down, and Gretchen read him his rights while Josie called dispatch for an ambulance. Outside, they heard the long wail of the backup unit’s siren.





Sixty-Two





A Week Later





* * *



Josie and Noah sat on her couch. His casted leg was propped up with a pillow on her coffee table. On the television in front of them, the network morning news show that Trinity co-anchored played. They watched the weather, the latest news in politics and then the words Scandal in Central Pennsylvania flashed across the screen. Trinity’s face appeared as the camera zeroed in on her. As always, she was heavily made up, and her hair was so shiny you could see the reflection of the studio lights in its thick locks.

“She doesn’t look that much like you when she’s doing the reporter thing,” Noah noted.

“I know. I think that’s why the resemblance went unnoticed for so long.”

Noah reached between them for the remote and turned the sound up. Trinity’s eyes burned with intensity. “Today, we’re bringing you an exclusive interview with Laura Fraley-Hall, the vice president of Sutton Stone Enterprises, where authorities in Central Pennsylvania recently unraveled a scandal so massive and so complex that it’s still sending shockwaves through not just the region but the entire nation. At the center of this scandal, and now left to pick up the pieces, is Ms. Fraley-Hall whose mother was murdered by her husband—setting off a chain of events that would break this story wide open. Welcome, Ms. Fraley-Hall, and thank you for joining us via satellite from your hospital bed in central Pennsylvania where I understand you’ve been on bed rest for a week.”

The screen split into two frames with Trinity on the left and Laura on the right. Although she was in a hospital gown, confined to a bed, Laura had taken care to have someone do her hair and makeup. She looked lovely, in spite of the circumstances.

“Good morning,” Laura said. “Yes, it’s true. I’m on bed rest.”

“First, before we get into what happened, how are you feeling?” Trinity asked with exaggerated concern.

Laura gave a pinched smile. “I’m feeling grateful that my baby is still healthy. Having some pain and Braxton Hicks contractions but otherwise, I’m doing well.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. Now, Ms. Fraley, I understand you’re the acting head of Sutton Stone Enterprises now that Zachary Sutton has been charged with a number of things, most notably fifteen counts of first-degree murder.”

“That’s right,” Laura said. “I’ve taken control of the company. This was all in place before any of this happened. Mr. Sutton took steps to make sure that I could transition into his place should he pass on or become… incapacitated.”

“Well,” Trinity remarked. “He’s certainly in no position to run a company now, is he? Given the public relations nightmare all of this is shaping up to be for Sutton Stone, it’s very unusual for the new head of the company to come on live television and discuss such sensitive matters. Why did you think it was important to speak with us today?”