AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A friend of Bartholomew who asked not to be named said Bartholomew had been inconsolable about the breakup of his marriage and his limited time with his son. He spoke often of his negative views of the justice system and its lack of concern for fathers in custody proceedings.
Malcolm Bartholomew has stated he believes his son’s unfair treatment caused serious harm to his mental state. The elder Bartholomew and his wife, Marian, are well known in the metro area for their charitable pursuits and sizeable donations to the arts community and to research technology at the University of Maryland.
Hall’s law partners and colleagues are in mourning for the loss of a person they call “an expert in her field,” a lawyer who was dedicated to her clients and friends.
Bartholomew has been taken into custody. His attorney could not be reached for comment. The police advise the investigation is ongoing.
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Gabby
Attending Jessa’s funeral turned out to be almost as stressful as watching her die in secret. People who claimed to know and love her took turns standing up and gushing about her talent and personality, her drive and commitment to truth. Her law partners welcomed guests. Retta stood stoic and motionless at the back of the church, with her husband, Earl, by her side. Jessa’s best friend, Faith, didn’t say a word, but the tears streaming down her cheeks spoke to her pain.
Gabby didn’t want to be there, shouldn’t be there, but she felt obligated in this last moment to honor Jessa. Not like the news stories, which focused on poor Darren rather than the woman he killed. Not like the people praising her during this ceremony. The mourners’ spokespeople talked from an impersonal distance, sounding as if they were reading from sympathy cards rather than talking about the real Jessa.
Gabby knew who Jessa was. Savvy, flawed, self-focused, and desperate to be better. That last part truly defined her. It wasthe piece Gabby would hold on to because it showed that people could want to change and take real steps to make the shift happen.
After all those years of blaming Jessa, Gabby had to own up to her own failures. Her lies. She and Jessa were more alike than Gabby wanted to believe. Liam and Kennedy could attest to that. While she didn’t deserve absolution, Gabby vowed to atone, or at least try, and she silently thanked Jessa for showing it was possible.
Forty minutes of songs and speeches, and the service finally ended. Gabby wanted to bolt from the room and put the entire nightmare behind her, but she couldn’t. The combination of Faith’s despair and Retta’s caring façade played out in front of her. Both strong women. Both major influences on Jessa and the woman she became.
Only one played a role in her death.
Gabby couldn’t let it go. Staying silent about what really happened at Baines’s house protected Liam and Kennedy but damned her. Jessa, despite being thoroughly annoying at times and lying her way through trouble, deserved a better ending. The news named Darren as the suspect in Jessa’s death, but the window was still open for Retta to change targets and blow up Liam’s life.
So much lingering danger. So much damage.
The mourners filed along the pews and into the aisle. One by one, the attendees made the slow procession to the outside. The warm sun bounced off the marble stairs. Gabby drew in a deep breath. Let it calm the nerves pulsing to life inside her.
She watched Earl kiss Retta on the cheek and walk over to shake a man’s hand. It all looked so normal. So professional and honorable. A perfectly packaged cover-up that depended on her playing her role and not making trouble.
Faith and Retta passed each other on the way to greet other people. Gabby would have guessed they knew each other, but they didn’t acknowledge each other in any way. No nod or simpleI’m sorry.
Jessa’s ex, Tim, was there, looking lost. He didn’t wander around. He stuck with a group of other men in dark suits, likely the high-priced lawyer crowd.
Gabby took it all in, knowing she should go. Walk out and not let the jumble of words clogging her throat come out. Let Jessa die in peace with her sacrifice unknown.
Should.
Retta smiled at something the person talking to her said. They both quickly switched moods and did the serious nod thing, likely as the grief of the moment hit them again.
Don’t do it.The words kept repeating in Gabby’s head even as she followed Faith away from the crowd. Watched her circle back and get a drink of water then stand alone and take a shuddering breath.
One word. Nothing to give away the truth.Gabby could do that. It made sense for her to comfort Jessa’s best friend of close to twenty years. Gabby doubted the sincerity of some in the crowd, but not Faith.
“Excuse me. Faith?”
Don’t do it.
“Gabby, right?” Faith’s smile came and went. Her face remained pale and drawn. “I remember you from some of the parties Jessa used to have with law-school friends.”
Friends... Yeah, Gabby let that go. “We’d reconnected recently.”
Faith frowned. “Really?”
Gabby understood the confusion. She’d bet money Jessa hadn’t said a decent thing about her in... well, ever. “She didn’t tell you?”
“She had a lot going on. The breakup with Tim. The partnership. The big case that got knocked off course by bad press and then—”
