BooksBarbecue
Back When We Were Bright and Beautiful Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  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. Part Two
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. Part Three
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. Epilogue
  68. Author’s Note
  69. Acknowledgments
  70. About the Author
  71. Also by Jillian Medoff
  72. About the Publisher

“Eleanor, I’m sorry. After you and Lawrence spoke to the police, Haggerty kept calling me. So, I thought it would be okay. I just wanted to help Billy.”

“Cassandra, dear, we have to be a united front. Come home. Talk to Lawrence. Change his mind. That is how you can help your brother.” Pressing her knees together, Eleanor swivels around then gets up. “Oh, another thing. It’s likely you will be asked to testify in Billy’s defense. Lawrence and I differ—”

“He won’t allow me or Nate to testify. He wants—”

“I know what he wants, Cassie. But if Mr. DeFiore thinks your testimony will help, you will get on the stand. Our family is our family. We have nothing to hide. Again, the best way to support Billy is to show up and speak up.”

“I understand, Eleanor.”

“Thank you, Sweetheart. Well, I am off. I would love to spend the day taking in the sights of New Haven. Regrettably, my dance card is full.”

When Eleanor leans forward, I recoil. But she is only reaching for the empty coffee bag. “I loved seeing you, Cassie, as always.” She opens the door, making an elaborate show of folding the bag into four perfect squares and sliding it into her purse. “Buy yourself a trash can, Cassandra, dear. You are not a child anymore.”

25

THE SECOND SHE’S GONE I CALL LAWRENCE.

“Hey, Cass. I’m in the middle—”

“Eleanor was here,” I say flatly. “In New Haven—”

“New Haven? Why?”

“She’s angry at me. You might get angry too. A couple of months ago—well, more like six weeks—I spoke to a detective; a new guy, Haggerty—”

“A new guy? What does that mean?”

“I don’t know, Lawrence. He’s a cop. His name is Gregory Haggerty; google him.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Nothing. I was just trying to help Billy. But he asked . . . the . . .” I should say more but can’t get the words out.

“What else?”

“Honestly, nothing else—”

“When someone starts with ‘honestly,’ I never believe what comes next.”

“I swear, Lawrence. He asked a few questions; said he’d be in touch. End of story.”

“Well, Peter hasn’t mentioned it. So, it probably doesn’t mean anything. Still, don’t do it again.” He pauses. “What did Eleanor want?”

“She insisted I come home. She’s back to the ‘united front.’ She’s furious at you for pushing Billy to plead guilty.”

“She couldn’t say this over the phone?”

“Why are you interrogating me?”