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 could see her. “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?”

Jessa gave in to an eye roll. “Yeah, you. Isn’t the former spouse always the presumed guilty party?”

Gabby shook her head, clearly annoyed that Jessa wasn’t spilling whatever she knew. “Did anything come up during the divorce? Something he said, maybe a piece of information you found, to suggest Baines was in danger?”