Chapter Ten Marni
Chapter Ten
Marni
Not Aubrey. Not a woman.
A young man, probably twentysomething, stood at the threshold when Hanna finally opened the café door. He had that fresh-faced,
recent-college-graduate look to him. Cute but a few years shy of distinguished and handsome. He wore jeans and a sweater.
Nothing fancy, like he’d dressed intentionally casual to fit in as a local, which he wasn’t. Strands of windblown brown hair
dipped down on his forehead. His smile aimed to charm and the dimple got him part of the way there.
Who the hell was this guy?
None of us said a word. He didn’t either.
Hanna blocked his entrance, keeping him confined to the doorway. “We’re closed now. Have been for hours.”
I liked this Hanna. She was more savvy, harder to push around than the younger version.
Back then she’d been saddled with a squirming toddler and pummeled by rumors about the identity of the boy’s father.
The town had buzzed with speculation. The question still flared up now and then.
The fact she’d gotten pregnant while working for Patrick put a megaphone to the accusations.
That was one of the many reasons Victoria hated Hanna and blamed her for the rocky marital times with Patrick. I’d sided with
Victoria because that was my job as best friend.
“I’ve been in town, on and off, for a few weeks. Stopped in here a few times.” The stranger smiled. “You serve the best muffins
around.”
“As interesting as your food review is, who are you?” Stella got right to the point, as always.
“Gabriel Harbison.”
That name sounded oddly familiar. I’d taught what felt like thousands of kids over the years, but I didn’t think he was one
of them.
“You can call me Gabe.” His smile didn’t dim. “May I come in?”
“You can come back tomorrow. Try the pumpkin muffin.” Hanna moved forward, pushing him out to the sidewalk. “We have a meeting
right now and can’t—”
“With me.”
Stella frowned. She’d basically been frowning ever since she arrived. “Excuse me?”
“I apologize for the subterfuge.” He was smart enough to wince. “I wanted to meet you all and figured you wouldn’t just agree
to talk with me without more information.”
Hanna continued to block his access. “So, you forced a confrontation?”
“Who are you?” Stella’s stern expression matched her no-nonsense tone. “And don’t tell us your name again. You know what I’m asking.”
“Of course.” That overblown confidence seemed to slip a notch. He swallowed twice before finishing his thought. “I’m in town
doing research.”
I already hated this conversation. “Do it somewhere else.”
“That’s not really a choice I have. See, my project involves this town and all of you.”
I knew he was going to say something like that, but the words still hit like a slap. There was only one thing that bound the
three of us together—the Tanners—and that loose association wasn’t known outside of our circle.
Damn it, this was that author guy.
“Explain.” Stella barked out the order.
Hanna finally shifted to the side, giving the guy a slim opportunity to get a better peek at us. “You have five minutes before
I call the police. I’d talk fast.”
He took advantage of the opening and stepped into the café, letting the door shut behind him. “I’m writing about the Tanners.”
Hearing the truth was worse than I’d imagined. “Absolutely not.”
“No.” Stella shook her head as if to emphasize her position. “We’re not interested.”
Hanna gestured toward the street. “Looks like you didn’t need the full five minutes.”
“Wait.” The room started to spin. I gripped the edge of the counter to keep from falling off the stool. I had so many questions
but went for the most pressing one. “Did someone hire you?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say.”
“Of course not. How convenient.” Hanna pointed toward the front door and the darkness beyond. “Have a good night.”
“Look, I know this is a difficult topic. Reliving it isn’t going to be easy but forgetting it has to be impossible. There
are a lot of moving parts and unanswered questions about the Tanners, and I’m afraid you’re three of them.”
Hanna’s expression remained unreadable. “Uh-huh.”
“We can handle this in a way that honors the Tanners and keeps you all protected.” He held up both hands, as if trying to
ward off any pummeling verbal blows before they could land. “I promise to be respectful and honest. To provide anonymity where
possible.”
“No one needs a book on this subject.” The thought of it made me queasy.
“The emergency hearing revived interest.” He said the words in a rush. “It was about Xavier Tanner’s estate.”
“Well, he did die.” Stella looked ready to add something else but stopped.
“I know how he wanted his assets distributed,” Gabe said. “Do you?”
Bombshell dropped.
I heard the sharp intake of breath and hoped the telling sound didn’t come from me.
“How could you know something like that?” Hanna asked.
“Not relevant.” Gabe sounded so sure of that.
Stella paced a little. Shuffled around, as if assessing him. Eyeing him. “Aren’t you an irritating little bastard.”
“The name-calling isn’t necessary.” If Gabe was nervous or worried he hid it well.
I expected hostility from Stella, and she delivered.
Hanna’s sarcasm was new and much appreciated.
But if they hoped to scare this guy or trip him up, it looked like they were the ones who’d misread the situation.
He was a young man on a mission. That was the most annoying type of young man. And the most dangerous.
“My point is that there are facts the three of you might want to confirm . . .” His traveling gaze landed on Hanna. “Or deny.”
What the hell was that? I couldn’t ask but I wanted to.
I remembered Hanna and that day years ago. The way she held the bloody knife. Her face, pale and filled with fear.
Stella flipped back into solid, sure therapist mode. “The will says whatever it says. We didn’t write it, so—”
“I also know all three of you were there at the house on the day the family went missing.” He rushed out the words, then stopped,
as if waiting for us to react.
How many bombshells did he plan to launch?
Hanna jumped in on behalf of all of us. “Your information is incorrect.”
This Gabe guy had the nerve to smile. “You’re saying you weren’t there? Not any of you? Is that your official response?”
Throughout the conversation, Stella shifted. She’d moved until she stood next to Hanna. The three of us formed a wall. An
unsteady one on my end, but a joint force. No more going it alone. The Tanner family mystery impacted all of us. We agreed
on that without saying a word.
“What are you hoping to get here? Why all the subterfuge and threats?” The sharp edge to Stella’s tone had subsided but not
by much.
“I’m being honest.” Gabe managed to say the words as if he believed them.
Hanna snorted. “The texting stunt suggests otherwise.”
“Look, this doesn’t have to be painful.” His expression looked more smug than resigned. “There are third parties involved.
Xavier’s theories. Children who could get hurt as the secrets leech out without sympathetic framing from you three.”
Stella ignored what seemed to be a reference to her daughter and focused on the more practical issue. “Did he hire you? I
can’t imagine why Xavier would do that and surely can’t see him trusting some Anderson Cooper wannabe to do the deed, but
is that what you’re claiming?”
“People want to know what happened back then. The scrutiny is going to get more intense. My job is to collect information
and try to decipher it.”
Stella didn’t even blink. “How do you know anything about that day? Are you from here? Did you hear rumors about the three
of us and you’re running with them?”
He shook his head. “I have my sources.”
“Who?” I asked because any whispers connecting us to that day had to stop.
“I’m not relying on speculation. I have facts.” But he didn’t offer more.
“Bullshit,” Stella shot back, not letting him get the last word. “What are you, twenty-four or -five? Younger?”
“Stella.” Hanna sighed, clearly not happy about being stuck in the role of peacemaker. “He made his pitch. We responded. Now
we can all move on.”
“I can’t ignore attempted extortion.” Stella wasn’t backing down. Her healthy ego surged with full force. “I’m an active participant in the court system. I know the judges. All the players. My ex-husband and I are on very friendly terms and he’s a prominent attorney.”
That’s not what I’d heard about the current state of their relationship, but I appreciated Stella’s guard dog routine too
much to stop her.
Gabe didn’t look the least bit intimidated. “Are you saying you have information you’d pay to hide?”
She walked right into that. So much for that big doctorate degree she liked to throw around to win arguments.
“Okay, enough.” Hanna took a deep breath. “We’re done here.”
His gaze skimmed over each of us. Gone was his puppy dog enthusiasm. He’d flipped into serious business mode. “I’d think you’d
want to make sure whatever I say about you is accurate.”
He put his card on the nearest table. “I hope to hear from at least one of you soon.”