After setting Jessa up, Faith had needed a reminder of the limits of her power. Being brought in for additional questioning on the Young case served that purpose, but now it was time to discredit the emails and publicly clear her.

“Christopher Young is very dangerous. Him being on the rampage threatens Faith as well as his family in hiding,” Dr. Downing said. “We have enough deaths to answer for.”

“Agreed. I suggest we handle the evidence against Faith immediately.” And Retta meant that. She remained furious with Faith, but they’d started this group together. She didn’t want Faith hurt. “Young needs to be neutralized.”

“I’ll handle it and will let Faith know,” the detective said.

Dr. Downing nodded. “That leaves the Gabby situation.”

This part might be tricky, so Retta stepped carefully. “In the spirit of limiting collateral damage, I suggest we postpone our vote on her indefinitely. If she stays quiet, as expected, fine.”

“What stops her from continuing her hunt for information?” Detective Schone asked.

Mutually assured destruction. But the group didn’t know about Retta’s files or Gabby’s blackmail. They knew the fake story Retta had planted about Gabby coming to her following Jessa’s death and saying she wanted to get back to her life and her daughter, and now accepted Baines had killed himself.

“Self-preservation.” That was the answer. Gabby was not a stupid woman. Retta was convinced of that. She looked around the room to gauge the expressions of the other women. “She has a lot to lose and a lot of secrets to hide. Those will keep her in line . . . so long as we’re careful.”

“We can’t allow something like this to happen again,” the detective said.

“Agreed.” Retta heard some humming sounds and saw a few nods, so she quickly shifted. “I would also like us to think about long-term planning. While we all agree to a moratorium on new membership invitations to our group until we are comfortable trying again, that shouldn’t prevent other types of expansion. Specifically, we should consider the possibility of starting a new chapter in Florida, where I will be living for part of the year.”

No one disagreed. All seemed interested in the idea.

“We already have sister chapters in Philadelphia and New York City. Women in other regions need our protection as well.” More nods. Retta appreciated the support. “Now, on to the rest of the agenda.”

Chapter Eighty-Five

BREAKING NEWS: SHOOTING DEATH IN BETHESDA—Bethesda, MD

Police have confirmed an altercation, leading to a shooting outside of a residence on Hampden Lane in Bethesda, Maryland, this morning. The shooting victim has been identified as Christopher Young. Young was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been the leading suspect in the disappearance of his wife and child for more than four years.