Tears rushed to my eyes. Why was this so hard? Why did chapters have to come to an end? I supposed the only way to avoid that was to never take any risks. “Life’s a Dance” by John Michael Montgomery began playing in the soundtrack of my mind. “You've meant so much to me, Garrett."
“You've meant a lot to me also, Gabby. It’s going to take me a while to process this, to be honest. I was hoping you would have a different answer.” His eyes lost their light, their hopefulness.
I hated myself for making him hurt.
“There’s a part of me that wishes I did too.”
He stood and dropped some money on the table. “What do you say we call this a night then?”
My heart was in my throat as I nodded. “I guess that’s a good idea.”
I prayed I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life.
CHAPTER 38
I spent the beginning part of week avoiding Riley. I figured as long as I kept busy, I wouldn’t have to talk to him. We wouldn’t have to rehash any of our revealing conversations from last weekend. There wouldn’t have to be any awkward moments.
I’d also replayed my conversation with Garrett a million times. I’d had a certain measure of security knowing he'd been there for me. Now I really was going at life solo. My two best friends, Sierra and Chad, were married and expecting a baby. My dad was getting remarried. My brother had started a new business.
Meanwhile, everything that had happened at the retreat center was weighing on me heavily. I really wanted to provide some answers to Brad. Riley and I were supposed to meet with him before we left for the retreat on Friday. He needed some closure.
With a sigh, I glanced at my watch. Sierra's baby shower was supposed to start in thirty minutes, and I was hosting it at the coffeehouse across the street from my place.
Called The Grounds, it was my little home away from home. I was friends with the pink-haired, pierced like a pincushion owner Sharon, and she‘d been more than open to hosting the event there. The place was lovely, with wooden floors and glossy oak tables and sweet, heavenly scents that seemed to saturate the very walls.
Sierra had insisted that her party be for men and women. That meant that nearly everyone from the apartment complex would be there. As far as I knew, Riley wouldn’t.
“You ready for this?” Sharon asked, placing a tiered cupcake holder full of culinary delights on the counter. Sharon had even worked with me to make sure everything was vegan, since that was really important to Sierra. I would have never managed that on my own.
“Brownies?” I asked.
“Acorn brownies,” she said with a smile.
Sierra was infamous for once making brownies out of acorns and then feeding them to all her friends without any sort of heads-up.
“You seem different, Gabby,” Sharon said, pausing and leaning against the counter. “I've noticed it the past few times I've seen you.”
I pressed my lips together, feeling rather reflective and burdened with thought. “I guess I am different. Life can do that to you sometimes. I’m not the same person as I was last year at this time.”
“Does it have anything to do with him?” She nodded toward the door.
My throat went dry as Riley walked toward the coffee shop. He was coming. Argh.
“I guess he’s been a part of it. I'd be lying if I denied it.”
“That's one thing I’ve always loved about you. You call it like you see it.”
“I try to.” Although I had learned to hold my tongue more as the years went on. Not every thought that passed through my mind needed to be voiced out loud. That required some self-control, an attribute that only came with effort.
“You got this, Tiger.” She nudged me forward.
I plastered on a smile and stepped toward my ex-fiancé. “Riley. I didn’t realize you were coming.”
He looked great in his low-slung jeans and a blue T-shirt that clung to his muscles. His hair glistened, shower-fresh, and I could only imagine what he smelled like right now.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” He offered that sincere smile that always got to me.
Thankfully, more people flooded in so we didn’t have to force any conversation.
I let people mingle as they arrived, not wanting to rush into any of the candy-bar-in-a-diaper type of games I’d planned. I stood back and watched Riley a moment. He easily talked to everyone, looking happy and at ease. He seemed to genuinely be doing well.
Good for him.
Just at that moment, he caught me staring. I wanted to look away, but instead I smiled sheepishly and waved. He seemed to take that as a cue. He finished his conversation with our neighbor Bill McCormick and approached me. The smile left his face as he got closer, though.
“It’s great to see everyone. It feels like old times.”
I forced a nod, immediately sensing the tension between us. “Doesn’t it?” Except in old times we were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together.
He glanced over at Sierra and Chad. Sierra rubbed her belly, and Chad leaned down to say something animated to the baby. It was a beautiful sight.
“I’m really happy for Chad and Sierra,” Riley said, following my gaze. “They really seem to have their lives together now, don’t they?”
“They do.” At least a few people in my life did. Maybe I’d put myself on that list one day.
Riley cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. “How’s Garrett?”
“He seems great. He’s going back to Africa.”
Riley blinked as if processing that information. “I’m sure that will be hard on your relationship.”
Was he fishing for more information or trying to get a read on my feelings? I wasn’t sure. “We’re just friends. Our lives aren’t going in the same direction.” I cut a sharp glance at him. “And I was always very hesitant about ever dating him, FYI.”
“You don’t have to explain. I was out of line to bring it up.” He shifted, signaling a change in conversation. “By the way, I think I know what that text Atticus got was about.”
“Really? What?”
“On the news this morning it said something about Griffith Technologies. One of the programmers there left and went with another company. He took some of the product designs with him, and now there’s a big lawsuit starting. As soon as I heard that, I thought of that text. I’d bet anything that’s what it’s about.”
I nodded and let that sink in. “I guess that makes sense.”
Riley glanced at his watch. “I hate to run, but I just wanted to make an appearance and drop off my gift.”
“Hot date?” I wanted to smack myself for asking the question.
“Mixed martial arts class.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Since when?”
“Since I decided to take back control of my life.” He offered a half-shrug, half-nod.
“I’ll see you on Friday morning?”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
***
On Thursday morning, I had to do a training session . . . where else? On the Eastern Shore for the Northampton County Sheriff’s Department. I wondered if Detective Hanson would be there. Could I possibly be that lucky?
I was going to do my job and not worry about proving myself to anyone. After all, I was a professional. Before I left, I picked up Dr. Turner’s book, trying to shut out all the voices inside my head. Emotions could certainly make a mess of people.
The man really did have some sage advice. His counsel was peppered with Bible verses, but not so overwhelmingly that people who weren’t believers should be offended. Of course, some would be upset at any mention of God or the Bible.
He told stories about his late wife that made her sound like a saint and stressed the importance of sticking with your partner through thick and thin.
He’d definitely spoken the truth into my life, even if I didn’t like it. In fact, I almost found myself craving his advice.
Just as I grabbed my supplies, my phone rang. I didn’t recognize th
e number, but I did realize the Maryland area code.
“This is Gabby,” I answered.
“Gabby. It’s Rae Gray from the Baltimore Enquirer. I got your message.”
The reporter Brad had mentioned. She was finally getting back with me! And she wasn’t dead! Two for two.
“Thanks for giving me a call. We were worried something happened to you.”
“Happened to me? My uncle died. I was in Wisconsin for his funeral. I like to keep private things private so that’s why no one at the office told you what was going on. Now, how can I help you?”
“Brad Thorn told me he contacted you about his wife’s death.”
“That’s correct. I thought it was interesting, and I planned to look into what happened. Then my uncle died.”
“Any reason why his wife’s death interested you?”
“I’ve had my suspicions about the retreat center, especially after I heard what happened to Khloe Wescott.”
“Khloe Wescott?” I hated being clueless, but that’s exactly what I was at the moment.
“The woman who died at another retreat run by Dr. Turner.”
“What?” Had I heard correctly?
“I figured you knew.”
“I had no idea.” How had that detail slipped past?
“She was a mess. Had cheated on her husband five or six times. Started drinking too much. Had done some irresponsible things. I guess people weren’t surprised she died after living the way she did.”
“How did she die?”
“A heart attack.”
I bit down for a moment. A heart attack didn’t exactly fit my overall theory that something shady was going on. Yet I couldn’t dismiss it either. “You should know that another woman fell off a cliff last weekend. She’s on life support right now.”
“Now, that’s just crazy. How can anyone deny something is going on?”
“That’s my exact question. Do you have any theories about what had happened to either Anna or Khloe?”
“Well, I’ve been trying to connect the dots. There are only so many people who were at both of the retreat centers. At first I thought about Dr. Turner. I mean, he’s the connector, right? But I looked into his background, and I even talked to him once, and he seemed sincerely upset about what had happened. There were only two other people at both of the retreat centers.”
“Who were they?”
“Blaine Stewart and Steve Anderson.”
“Well, we can rule Blaine out. She almost died when someone tampered with her boat.”
“I wouldn’t be so quick to rule her out.”
“Why in the world would she do something like this?” I asked, trying to picture Blaine as a murderer.
“Because I discovered she used to be one of Dr. Turner’s patients. Of course, her official diagnosis is confidential, but I talked to some people who used to know her. Apparently, she suffers with some kind of obsessive disorder.”
“Do you know how that disorder manifests itself?” Really, what she’d said could mean so many things and take on various forms. I needed more details.
“From what I hear, she’s basically delusional with attachment disorders.”
“Any idea how that plays out in her life?”
“No, but it makes her a suspect to me.”
CHAPTER 39
I decided to stop by the hospital to check on Jim and Ginger before heading home. Plus, I had a few questions for him. I wasn’t sure if he would be there but I decided to chance it.
To my delight and surprise, he sat in the waiting room. He had his laptop out and a phone on the table and empty coffee cups littered the floor around him. He looked awful, with circles under his eyes, and his forehead appeared especially shiny.
He straightened when he saw me. “Gabby?”
“I just happened to be in town.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “For work.”
“I didn’t think you worked.”
Oh, yeah. My cover. “It’s a long story. I wanted to check on Ginger.”
The light left his eyes. “There haven’t been any changes. I wish I had something different to tell you, but I don’t.”
“Have you been at the hospital this whole time?”
He shrugged “When I can. I set up my mobile office here. It’s easier this way.”
I sat down beside him and handed him the cup of coffee I’d bought. He looked eternally grateful and took a sip—more like a gulp, actually.
“Can I ask you a question, Jim?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
“Why were you and Ginger arguing on the night she fell off the cliff? I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”
His cheeks turned red. “It was nothing really.”
“I know you two aren’t married, Jim.”
His face went pale. “How did you know that?”
“I put it together when the receptionist said Ginger had a different last name. Everything started to make sense.”
His shoulders slumped. “It’s true. It was Ginger’s idea to come to the retreat center. She wanted our relationship to be the best it could possibly be.”
“Even though you aren’t married to each other?”
He nodded. “I know it sounds crazy. The truth is that I love her.”
“I don’t understand. I’m not advocating you leave your wife. Not by any means. But most people would do that and marry the other woman.”
“That’s actually what we were fighting about. She’d always been happy with our relationship before, just the way it stood. But that day at the retreat center, something changed. She said she wanted more. She wanted me to leave Jill and marry her. I told her I couldn’t.”
“Why not? Again, not that I’d ever advocate that.”
“Jill and I have our whole lives wrapped up in each other. Our kids, our careers, our social circles. It just wasn’t going to happen. Besides, I’ve brokered several land deals for the military. Some top-secret stuff that I had to sign a confidentiality agreement on before doing the work. If my affair became public, someone could blackmail me. That wouldn’t make the government very happy.”
I didn’t exactly know what to think about that. “I see. Can I ask another question?”
“Are you always this nosy?”
“It’s one of the problems Riley and I face.”
“I can see why. I don’t think I’m going to be able to stop you from asking these questions, am I?”
“Probably not. I heard you and Anna also had an argument on the night before she died. May I ask what it was about?”
“How did you find that out?” He shook his head and let out a long sigh. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. Truth is, Anna knew Jill from living in the DC-Baltimore area. She knew that Ginger wasn’t my wife and confronted me about it.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her the truth. I told her what I just told you. Besides, Jill knows about Ginger. We have a very open relationship, and we’re both okay with that.”
That confirmed what Jill told me earlier. “I’m not even going to try to understand that.”
“You don’t have to. Just understand this: I would never hurt Ginger. Never.”
***
Detective Hanson was involved in my training session. And I may or may not have put him on the spot a few times when I threw out an especially difficult forensic question. And I also may or may not have felt an immense satisfaction when he didn’t know the answer.
I supposed that was immature of me and that I should feel ashamed. But I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what that said about me.
At the end of my presentation, as I packed up my things and prepared to leave, he called me.
I continued putting away the samples in a blood-testing kit. I tried not to show the satisfaction in my eyes. “Yes?”
He frowned beside me. “Listen, sorry I gave you a hard time earlier. What I said was true: Everyone thinks he or she can be a detective. But I didn
’t give you the respect I should have.”
“I appreciate that,” I told him, honestly surprised at his apology.
“I thought I’d let you know we are taking these investigations seriously. However, Anna Thorn did appear to die at her own hands, and we have no evidence to prove anyone pushed Ginger. There was no unusual bruising or even footprints to verify your story.”
“What would you say if I told you there was another woman who died at another one of Dr. Turner’s retreats?” I paused and crossed my arms.
“Really?” His lips pulled down in a deep frown.
I nodded. “That’s one of the problems in police work: different departments in different cities not sharing information. This other death looked like a natural one—a heart attack. But some people suspect that might not be true.”
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “So Dr. Turner is guilty? Is that what you think?”
“No, he can’t be. When Ginger fell, Dr. Turner had gone back to the mainland. He wasn’t even on the island. But I do have at least one other suspect whom I think you’ll find very interesting.”
I told him about Blaine and her past history, as well as Steve the cook.
“Motive?” he asked.
I had his full attention. His gaze burned into me. Thank goodness someone was finally taking me seriously. This was about more than me proving myself. This was about justice for Anna and Ginger and Khloe.
I let out a long breath at his question. That was where I was struggling also. There was no clear-cut motive I could pinpoint. “That’s a harder one. I don’t want to think this is all the result of a deranged killer. But part of me thinks this is just some sicko getting his kicks out of killing women.”
He pulled his lips back in an expression that clearly showed reservation. “I’ll see what I can find out. If you find out anything else, please let me know.”
I nodded, picking up the last of the rubber gloves I’d brought. “I will.”
“Thanks again, Gabby.”
Sometimes thank you was all a girl wanted to hear.
CHAPTER 40
I tried to pretend that it wasn’t awkward to sit beside Riley as we drove back to the marriage retreat center the next day. But it was, especially when considering all the unspoken conversations that lingered between us like beasts waiting to devour their prey.
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