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Back The Secrets We Bury Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. Love best-selling fiction?
  3. Also by Mary Bush
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. Acknowledgements
  47. A note from the publisher
  48. Love best-selling fiction?
  49. You will also enjoy:

“It’s Bethany Arias.” Val let the message go to voicemail, so she could have time to digest this with everything else she just learned. She waited a second and then replayed, letting Gwen listen with her.

“Hi, it’s Bethany Arias. I’m returning your call.” The voice had a singsong, nonchalant quality to it. “Yes, I agree we should talk. There are a few things that my friend Melinda and I would like to chat with you about. Can you meet for lunch tomorrow at my house?” At this point, the tone became a little less laid-back. “We thought a private meeting would be better than a restaurant.”

Hell yes. Val asked Gwen, “Can you do tomorrow?”

Gwen nodded.

Val’s fingers typed and then hovered over the keypad.

I can meet tomorrow. My partner Gwen is available too. What time? Where?

It only took seconds for the answer to show up on Val’s screen.

Noon, 36 Waterfront Circle, unit 501

“That’s perfect for me,” Gwen said.

Val typed in See you then, but hesitated. She deleted that and sent off:

Can we make it 1:30 instead?

“Why are you changing the time?” Gwen asked, irritated. “I said twelve was perfect. I can’t do 1:30. Why didn’t you ask me? 1:30 isn’t even lunchtime.”

Val held up her hand, signaling for Gwen to stop. “Just wait.”

It took a few seconds longer this time for a response, but it still came quickly.

That will work.

“Won’t work for me,” Gwen said.

“Exactly. How did Bethany know the change in time would work for Melinda? She responded too quickly for a text or phone call.”

“Your point?”

“They’re together typing this, just like we are,” Val said, then responded to the text.

On second thoughts twelve is much better, see you at the original time.

16

Thirty-six Waterfront Circle happened to be a five-story luxury building directly on Buffalo’s waterfront. Bethany’s condo, unit 501, was the top floor, the penthouse. Val remembered that at one time, Gabrielle also had a waterfront condo.

“Wonder what she does to afford this?” Val said as she and Gwen stood outside. Val turned her head to the side to protect her face as the wind gusted with razor-sharp intensity. Small pellets of loose icy snow smacked her hard, and she winced.

“Her family is wealthy, Val. She doesn’t need to do anything.” Gwen tightened her scarf and put a hand up to shield her eyes. Both women rushed to the door. Val pushed the button on an intercom for unit 501 and waited until a bell sounded and a woman’s voice said, “Please come in.”