The Last Invitation (94)
“Right now, you need to get packed so we can go get your daughter and listen to her tell us how we’ve ruined her life.”
Our daughter. “We do have a lot to talk about and work through.”
He shrugged. “When we’re ready, we will. Until then, we fake it.”
Her specialty. “Agreed.”
Chapter Eighty-Four
The Foundation
This follow-up meeting had been scheduled to vote on the Gabby situation and on other issues of concern to the ongoing functioning of the Foundation. Loretta would lead the meeting because all members agreed that Faith could not be present while she was under such prevalent media and law enforcement pressure.
The remaining members gathered on time, as always. The whispering and head nodding stopped the minute Retta entered the room. Without greetings and explanations, she sat down and started the meeting.
“While I have decided to retire from the bench, I will not be leaving the Foundation, either the actual Foundation or our group.” Gabby would not win on that score. The group would be more careful, not issue death decisions except in specially defined cases, but the work would not stop.
Gabby had leverage, but so did Retta. They were locked in a battle where one could destroy the other. Retta was betting Gabby’s need to protect her family would overcome her need to check on the group’s ongoing progress. They would be careful. Not draw attention . . . and Gabby would never know.
Melissa Schone, who usually didn’t say much, spoke up. “At our last meeting, Faith suggested you might take a temporary leave of absence.”
“It’s not her decision, it’s ours.” Retta had no interest in ceding control of the floor. She needed control over the agenda to keep questions to a minimum. “Our failure to abide by our own process and rules, even those not explicitly stated, increased the danger to all of us and cost lives. The new, clearer rules we agree to will prevent that level of collateral damage and potential discovery.”
Dr. Downing’s eyebrow lifted. “Our failure?”
The room went quiet. Retta pushed the conversation in the direction she needed it to go. “Is there a problem with the agenda?”
Dr. Downing flipped to the last page. “There’s no mention of Faith or Gabby here.”
Retta knew they needed this resolved as soon as possible. Four days of unrelenting press coverage was enough for Faith. “First, Faith. Melissa, do you have a status?”
“The police have two emails between Faith and Penelope Young, the missing mother in the cold case mentioned in the media, likely covered by privilege, that may support Christopher Young’s claim about his wife and child being alive,” Detective Schone explained. “We didn’t turn them over, correct?”
We? No. “Correct,” Retta confirmed, knowing she was walking a very careful line.
After setting Jessa up, Faith had needed a reminder of the limits of her power. Being brought in for additional questioning on the Young case served that purpose, but now it was time to discredit the emails and publicly clear her.
“Christopher Young is very dangerous. Him being on the rampage threatens Faith as well as his family in hiding,” Dr. Downing said. “We have enough deaths to answer for.”
“Agreed. I suggest we handle the evidence against Faith immediately.” And Retta meant that. She remained furious with Faith, but they’d started this group together. She didn’t want Faith hurt. “Young needs to be neutralized.”
“I’ll handle it and will let Faith know,” the detective said.
Dr. Downing nodded. “That leaves the Gabby situation.”
This part might be tricky, so Retta stepped carefully. “In the spirit of limiting collateral damage, I suggest we postpone our vote on her indefinitely. If she stays quiet, as expected, fine.”
“What stops her from continuing her hunt for information?” Detective Schone asked.
Mutually assured destruction. But the group didn’t know about Retta’s files or Gabby’s blackmail. They knew the fake story Retta had planted about Gabby coming to her following Jessa’s death and saying she wanted to get back to her life and her daughter, and now accepted Baines had killed himself.
“Self-preservation.” That was the answer. Gabby was not a stupid woman. Retta was convinced of that. She looked around the room to gauge the expressions of the other women. “She has a lot to lose and a lot of secrets to hide. Those will keep her in line . . . so long as we’re careful.”
“We can’t allow something like this to happen again,” the detective said.
“Agreed.” Retta heard some humming sounds and saw a few nods, so she quickly shifted. “I would also like us to think about long-term planning. While we all agree to a moratorium on new membership invitations to our group until we are comfortable trying again, that shouldn’t prevent other types of expansion. Specifically, we should consider the possibility of starting a new chapter in Florida, where I will be living for part of the year.”
No one disagreed. All seemed interested in the idea.
“We already have sister chapters in Philadelphia and New York City. Women in other regions need our protection as well.” More nods. Retta appreciated the support. “Now, on to the rest of the agenda.”