Page 78 of Little Buried Secrets

“We appreciate the offer,” I said, “but—”

“Please,” Meredith said. “We’ve just been talking about … well, we were talking about contacting you, and here you are. It seems like fate, doesn’t it?”

It seemed like an unfortunate coincidence.

I introduced Giovanni, and we sat down.

“Why were you thinking about contacting me?” I asked.

“We wanted to talk to you about Sebastian,” Sean said.

“What about him?”

“He’s been so distant ever since Margot died,” Sean said. “He’s never been the talkative type, to be honest, but he’s not talking much at all.”

“He’s not eating either,” Meredith said. “We’re worried. Sebastian mentioned he’s seen you a few times this week. Has he said anything noteworthy to you?”

“We’ve talked, and I’d say he’s struggling right now. Processing Margot’s death is going to be difficult. He needs time to heal. I wouldn’t worry too much about him being quieter than usual. He’s been spending time with Bronte, and that’s a start.”

“It is,” Sean said. “We were glad to hear they’re speaking again. We stopped by to see Dr. Rae this morning, to ask if there was anything we could do for her. Sebastian was there. He didn’t say much to us, of course. But he seemed all right, better than he has been.”

A waiter approached the table and offered to get us something to drink. Sean ordered a beer, and Meredith ordered red wine. Hoping to break away from them sooner than later, Giovanni and I stuck with the glasses of water the waiter had just set on the table.

“What has Sebastian said to you, if you don’t mind me asking,” Meredith said.

I considered how to respond without betraying his trust.

In my opinion, his mother’s behavior was one of the main reasons he’d been distant. Entering his room during the press conference like she had and trying to get him to talk about his feelings before he was ready was a bad idea. To top things off, she’d gone a step further, turning the press conference into a spectacle by gossiping to her friends. She lacked consideration for what her son was going through, prompting me to offer some unsolicited advice.

“Sebastian and I have talked,” I said. “He needs time to deal with his feelings on his own. I know how much you both want him to open up, but have you ever considered that he’s not ready to talk to you about anything yet?”

“I get what you’re saying,” Meredith said. “It’s just that I’d rather him let out the feelings he’s repressing sooner than later. Until he does, he won’t be able to move on.”

“Maybe he’s not ready to move on.”

“It’s a valid point,” Sean said.

“How’s your investigation going?” Meredith asked. “Are you getting anywhere?”

I was beginning to wonder whether they’d called me over to talk about their son or whether talking about him was a stepping stone to get information about Margot’s case.

I took a moment to think about what to say next. Anything I told Meredith would be passed along; I had no doubt. I considered saying nothing. Then I thought about it from a different perspective. Maybe it was time to turn up the pressure around town, fuel the rumor mill, and see where it led.

And I knew just the thing to say.

“Bronte found a note in her car the other day,” I said. “It was written in Margot’s handwriting, and I believe it was placed in Bronte’s car on the day Margot went missing.”

Meredith leaned in, her eyes wide with wonder.

It was just the reaction I wanted.

“Well …” she said. “What did the note say?”

“Margot was keeping a secret, one she hadn’t shared with anyone, and she wanted Bronte’s advice. She also mentioned there was more to her breakup with Sebastian than people knew.”

Sean and Meredith exchanged confused glances.

“We were under the impression they broke up over what happened the night of the party,” Sean said. “What other reason could there be? Have you talked to Sebastian about it?”

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