Page 94 of Little Buried Secrets

“He said he’d sat for a while after she died, staring at her, and thinking about his son. That’s when he decided to place her in the grave the way he did. I think he did it to make himself feel better about what he’d done.”

I sat in silence for a time, my emotions so full, I found myself struggling to speak.

Foley leaned toward me and said, “You okay?”

“No, I’m not. But I’m glad it’s all over and that Sean will never be able to hurt anyone again.”

I glanced at the time and realized if I didn’t leave now, I’d be late for my coffee date with Rae. I left the police department, and on the way over to meet her, I thought about what Margot had said to her friends about Coach Warren. It made sense to me now as to why she thought his actions toward her were a bit inappropriate. After what happened with Sean, I imagine her sensitivity level was heightened. I now believed Warren’s story about his actions being unintentional.

Rae was sitting at a table for two, waiting for me when I arrived.

“I ordered for you, if that’s okay,” she said. “Mocha, skim milk, no whipped cream, right?”

I nodded. “Thank you. How are you doing?”

“I’m a mess, if I’m being honest. But my daughter’s killer has been caught, and she’s been put to rest in a place where she can be at peace. That means everything to me.”

“It will be some time before you start to feel like yourself again. But it will get better, and I will be here every step of the way.”

Rae reached out, clasping my hands in hers. “Thank you, Georgiana, for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“You’re an amazing woman, Rae. I know you’ll get through it. How’s Bronte doing?”

“These last few weeks have been hard on her.”

“Has she reconciled with Sebastian?”

Rae shook her head. “She still thinks he should have told her he suspected his father from the start. She’s still angry, but she’ll come around. I’ve been thinking about him a lot. I can’t imagine how he’s feeling.”

“I saw him yesterday, and he’s doing all right. I talked Meredith into hiring a lawyer friend of mine, Tiffany Wheeler, to represent him.”

“Do you think he’ll serve any time?”

“I hope not. Meredith told the police that Sean lunged at Sebastian, which scared him, and that’s why the gun went off.”

Rae raised a brow and said, “Do you think her version of events is true?”

“It’s similar to Sebastian’s version of events. I want to believe it. I understand why he did what he did.” I took a sip of my mocha and said, “Have you had any contact with Grant?”

“We’ve talked on the phone a couple of times, and I’m glad. He’s not the one for me, but I don’t regret our relationship.”

Rae’s cell phone rang. She excused herself to answer it, and when she returned, she said, “I hate to get together and run, but it seems I have an emergency. There’s a patient I need to see in twenty minutes. Everything’s fine, just a sprain.”

We hugged, and she waved at me as she made her way out of the diner. I finished my mocha, and as I was leaving, I spotted Isaac sitting across from a young woman.

I approached their booth, and he looked up, nervous to find me standing there.

“Hello, Isaac,” I said. “It’s been a while.”

“Uhh, yeah, hi,” he said.

I turned toward the young woman and smiled. “And you are?”

“Hannah.”

“Hi, Hannah, I’m Detective Georgiana Germaine. How do you know Isaac?”

“We met last weekend,” Hannah said. “This is our first date.”

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