Page 53 of The Last Invitation

We need to meet.

Chapter Forty

Jessa

An artisanal coffee place a few blocks from Union Station was not where Jessa wanted to be on Friday morning. She’d almost ignored the frantic text. But Gabby never asked to meet before, and Jessa didn’t want this to become a habit, so she agreed. This one time.

After battling typical DC traffic and a delay due to the presidential motorcade, Jessa sat in the café, watching Gabby get her coffee order. She walked toward the table Jessa had picked. One away from the window and other patrons.

Jessa waited until Gabby joined her to give some sort of greeting. “Your text was a surprise.”

Gabby shrugged. “To me, too. I never thought our paths would cross after law school, but lately they intersect too often.”

They didn’t agree on much, but on that point they did.

“Why now? Why the rush?” Jessa took a second to look at her acquaintance-turned-enemy. The jerky movements and rushed breath suggested a problem. “You sounded pretty desperate.”

“What do you know about Rob Greene?” Gabby asked.

Not the topic Jessa had expected, but one she could quickly discount. “The reporter guy in the news? Nothing.”

Gabby sighed. “Jessa, look. I get that you have this instinctive need to cover your ass, even if it means lying about stupid, everyday stuff, but I need you to tell me the truth here.”

First shot fired. Didn’t take long, not that the rapid speed surprised Jessa. “You’re still a sweet talker, I see.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are we pretending you’re not a liar?”

Jessa schooled her reaction, sending fake signals that the word didn’t bother her, that Gabby’s perception meant nothing. Jessa used most of her energy to give off a cool and unconcerned vibe. “Gee, why wouldn’t I want to help you?”

“Fine. You’re right. Maybe you’ve changed.”

After getting out from under the Darren mess, Jessa wasn’t looking for a new problem. She didn’t want to go backward. She’d made some bad choices. Relied on learned survival skills that she hid even from Faith for fear of scaring her off. “You don’t know me, Gabby. You didn’t back then, and you don’t now.”

“Just because you wrote that in an affidavit during my divorce doesn’t make it true.”

Jessa grabbed her bag and started to stand up. “Goodbye, Gabby.”

Even with the uncharacteristic jumpiness, Gabby didn’t ruffle. “I know things about you. Things you don’t want others to know. Corners you cut so tight I’m surprised you aren’t still bleeding.”

Jessa hated that Gabby couldseeher. “Are you threatening me?”

“Whatever it takes.”

“What do you want?” Jessa sat back down as a familiar pounding started deep inside her. A whirling need to run and deny, to lash out... to get out from under a pile of lies by adding one more to the heap.

Gabby balanced her elbows on the table and leaned in as her voice dipped to a whisper. “Baines didn’t kill himself.”

Okay. Another curveball.“That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“What if I told you there’s a group of people—looking at their targets, probably powerful, professional women—who believe they are the law and have handed down sentences?”

Oh,shit.Retta hadn’t warned her about how to handle this sort of thing. “I’d say you should get a job and stop watching so much television.”

“Loretta Swain.”

Shit, shit, shit.“What about her?”Laugh it off.The thought floated into Jessa’s head, and she went with it. “Wait, you think she’s an assassin? I would love to see her swing a sword like some sort of avenging angel.”

No amount of sarcasm or amusement seemed to throw Gabby off. She didn’t break eye contact as she pushed on. “Do you know anyone who would want to kill Baines?”

---