Faith’s bravado took a hit. “You would have done the same thing. You didn’t see her after Darren attacked her. She’d unraveled. She wasn’t going to keep any of our secrets.”

Retta could guess how that played out. Letting him loose might have been too much. She’d assess that later when she assessed every other move she’d made. “Listen, we’ve been doing this for years without a problem. We can correct the current trajectory and fix this.”

“It’s too late to handle this only between us. We need to be honest about the choices we both made outside of the usual process.” Faith slowly lowered her teacup to the desk. “I’m also asking for a vote to wrap up the one remaining loose end so that we can move forward with some sense of stability.”

“Gabby.”

Faith nodded. “We both know what needs to be done.”

Chapter Eighty
Gabby

Gabby conceded to the body search. Not that she had much of a choice. Retta had picked Woodend Nature Sanctuary in Chevy Chase as the location for the meeting and brought a bodyguard with her. Wisely, not Trent.

When the man took Gabby’s bag and cell phone then started the patdown, Gabby eyed Retta. “Is this necessary?”

“Clearly.”

Retta looked out of place at the picnic table in her designer pantsuit and thin diamond bracelets. The table had been moved away from the Sanctuary’s mansion and all the trails until it was nestled in a circle of trees. Children ran in the distance, screaming with excitement as adults watched. They were far enough from crowds to have privacy. Gabby assumed Retta had called in a favor or was part of the Audubon Society that ran the place. Either way, it was just the two of them and her enforcer.

Gabby waited for the spot check to finish before sitting across from Retta. “I was surprised you called.”

“There have been some developments,” Retta said.

Gabby hated that wording. It suggested her fears had been warranted. “Let me guess. Faith is upset you let me live?”

Retta made a sound that came close to a groan. “Blame your stunt at the funeral for that.”

Stunt seemed strong, but Gabby didn’t deny it had happened. She’d intended to spill the truth that day. Between the grief and the guilt, she’d wound herself into a mental frenzy that she couldn’t snap out of and find her balance again. But that was a week ago. The bit of distance had grounded Gabby. Made her smarter . . . she hoped.

“You talked about the Foundation,” Retta said. “It sounded to her as if you were trying to expose the group.”

Smart woman. “Little did I know I was talking to the head of the group.”

Retta’s mouth flattened. “One of them.”

Interesting. “Sorry. Did I offend you by suggesting someone else is in charge?”