The Last Invitation (91)

“Get to the point.”

“Happy to. Do your fellow group members know you have a file on each of them? The information in there about Faith and what she did in the Young case to hide that mother and her kid and frame the dad for murder . . . how she lied to the police and the court.” Gabby whistled. “Pretty damning stuff.”

“What do you want?”

Gabby had more to spill first. “Then there’s the files you kept on each of the Foundation votes. You handed down your special kind of justice a lot over the last three years.” When Retta didn’t say anything in response, Gabby continued, “Those folders don’t have names on them, but I doubt it would be hard to connect the fact patterns with some of the mysterious deaths in the area.”

Retta snatched the stick and closed it in her fist. “Congratulations. You played this game smarter than I thought you would. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve always said you were one of my best students.”

Gabby ignored all Retta’s fake sucking up. She’d long ago lost the need to win over people she viewed as teachers and mentors. And she didn’t think of Retta as either anymore.

Gabby stayed focused. She had a list of things she needed Retta to agree to. She’d gone over all of this, made contingency plans, and now it was finally time. “You’re speaking on behalf of the entire Foundation?”

“Yes.”

Gabby didn’t fully believe that, but she pressed on. “To start, my family stays out of all of this, and no one goes near them. Ever.”

“I already agreed to that.”

She did. Faith hadn’t, and that distinction mattered to Gabby. “Darren goes to prison for something he did and not for the murder. Jessa becomes an unsolved murder statistic and gets a shelter or something named after her that you fund. Most important, the Foundation immediately stops its nonpublic, behind-the-scenes pseudo–justice work.”

Retta’s eyes narrowed as she listened. “You’re on dangerous footing.”

“I could say the same about you. See, you don’t know how many copies I have of that or where I have them.” Gabby pointed at Retta’s closed hand. “You should assume I have many copies and that some are being kept by people you would never suspect. People who don’t know what they’re holding.”

“With the group’s resources, we could bury you.”

That was the fear. “Probably, but then I will take you down with me.” Gabby tried to fake a smile, show more confidence than she had. “Are you really willing to take that risk?”

Please say no.

“And if I say yes?” The barking toughness of Retta’s tone had slipped. She talked a good game, but she had to know Gabby would not back down.

“You’re a very smart woman, Retta. You won’t.” Gabby felt some of the tension leave her shoulders. “Now, let’s talk details.”





Chapter Eighty-One

Gabby




Gabby read the headline a second time.

Legal Trailblazer and Highly Respected Appeals Court Judge Announces Retirement



Four days after their meeting, and Retta made the move. Her self-punishment for her role in Jessa’s death appeared to be losing the job she’d loved so much. Gabby could live with that.

She’d expected relief or at least an easing of the tension that had been twisting inside her since she found Jessa’s body, but no such luck. More dominoes needed to fall. More time had to pass without a strange suicide or the death of a powerful male who’d recently escaped the justice system. Until then, wary but hopeful was Gabby’s mantra.

“Did you know that was coming?” Liam asked as he sipped on his coffee.

Gabby pivoted around the stool in his kitchen and headed for the coffeepot. “The judge? Our paths don’t cross that often.”

“Earl used to joke that his wife would go out of her judge’s chambers in a body bag.” Liam lowered his mug to the breakfast bar. “Morbid, now that I think about it.”

Gabby didn’t want to talk about Retta and Earl or think about them. She’d played her biggest card and hoped it worked. She needed the threat to hold.

“The article talks about Loretta being impacted by Jessa’s death.” Liam scanned the article, clearly looking for the exact quote.

Gabby didn’t need to hear it. She knew why Retta had picked now.

“Are you okay?”

Gabby heard Liam’s voice but missed his question. When she looked up, she saw concern in his eyes. “What?”

“I know you and Jessa had a difficult history with the divorce stuff, but you’d been out for coffee and talking with her lately.” Liam shrugged. “She was a friend, right?”

“She was.” Gabby hadn’t admitted that in years, and the word wasn’t a comfortable fit now, but she owned it. Jessa’s sacrifice needed to mean something. People would remember her but never know how brave she’d been at the end.

“I’m worried about you. Baines, then that reporter. The attack. Now Jessa. That’s a lot to handle in something like two months.” Liam closed the laptop. “Hell, I haven’t grieved for Baines. There’s been so much with the money issue and the police.”

“And Kennedy.” She noticed how he tiptoed around that. How he kept the peace.