That must have been what she did with Amanda, too, I think, but don’t mention it.
“Maybe because your mom always seemed so perfect, it was easy to think of her that way. But all of us are human.”
“Yeah, but a dossier. It sounds like the workings of a spymaster.”
“But she was also protecting Blake. And that controlling part of her had a flip side you loved. She created beautiful homes for you to grow up in. Perfect vacations. Wonderful times together.”
“You’re right. I can’t lose sight of that.”
I push forward and twist my body so that I’m facing Gabe.
“I have a confession to make, too. You’ve said more than once that you wished you’d heeded my concerns about Hannah. I wanted you to listen so badly and I hated that you thought I was being irrational, but some of what I was saying was irrational. I realize that now.”
“In what way? I mean, you guessed someone had murdered my mother, and you were right.”
“I know, but I refused to ever consider whether anyone else might have made the tea. It’s taken me time to admit this to myself, but I actually was obsessed with Hannah. She was starring in a Netflix pilot, and it ate at me. And once I had my suspicions about the foxgloves, I let everything point me to her as the murderer.”
“In the end the truth came out . . . . And I have to say, you’ve seemed so much more excited professionally these last couple of months.”
When the fall hit, Gabe was patient about how much time I had to spend in rehearsals. The theater festival was two weeks ago, and it went better than I could have hoped. Though no Broadway producers are lighting up my phone—ha, yet!—a few new doors have opened for me professionally, and I’m pretty sure the experience helped tame my envy . . . . Okay, and I admit, so did the fact that when I checked IMDb, I saw that Hannah’s pilot hadn’t been green-lit after all.
“I am excited. I started another play, and I like it so far.”
“That’s great, honey. The other one was so sharp, and people loved it. And you in it.”
I dig my phone from my pocket and check the time. “We should probably start thinking about walking over to the house. You going to be okay there?”
“Yeah, I’m sure one last time won’t kill me.”
“If your father does buy a new weekend place, it will mean a fresh start for everyone, Gabe. A chance to be happy again without so many painful reminders everywhere.”
“You think so?”
“I do. I mean, everyone’s pretty battered right now, but things will keep getting better, month by month.”
Of course, nothing will ever be like it used to be, and I’m going to have to adjust to that. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that a little part of what made Gabe so appealing to me was the world he sprang from and inhabited—his charismatic, affluent, magical-seeming family. They had me at, Summer, so nice to meet you; please come in and make yourself at home.
But I can handle the change, I really can, I think. Despite the havoc Wendy wreaked, the Keatons are still the Keatons and I care deeply about them. Most important, I love my husband and I love Henry, and I see now that little by little we’ve been building our own special world. And hopefully, in the next year or so, our world will be a tiny bit bigger.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the wonderful experts on a variety of subjects who took time out of their busy lives to help me with my research for The Fiancée: Barbara Butcher, consultant for forensic and medicolegal investigations; Paul Paganelli, MD; Luci (the “poison lady”) Hansson Zahray; Susan Brune; Joyce Hanshaw, retired captain from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office; Will Valenza, Glens Falls police department, retired; Marsha Mercant; Grace Cushman; Steve Murphy; Jim White; Robert Lazaro. One of the fun parts of being an author is making things up, but there are some areas in which I want to be as accurate as possible and it helps incredibly to have smart people guide me.
Thank you, too, to everyone at Harper Perennial for another year of wonderful collaboration. That includes my extraordinary editor Emily Griffin, who has been a total dream to work with, as well as Amy Baker, VP/Associate Publisher; Theresa Dooley, publicity manager; Lisa Erickson, director of marketing; Robin Bilardello, art director (I adore this cover!), and Stacey Fischkelta, production editorial manager.
In addition, let me to thank my own fantastic team: Laura Cocivera, website editor; Imani Seymour, social media manager; and Bill Cunningham, tech support.
Thank you as well, to my wonderful husband, Brad Holbrook, and kids, Hunter Holbrook and Hayley Holbrook, for being my champions day in and day out.
Last but not least, I want to say the most heartfelt thanks to my fantastic readers, who stay in touch via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and katewhite.com, who review my books on Goodreads, Bookbub, barnesandnoble.com, and Amazon.com, and who share a little bit about their lives with me. I love hearing from you, and of course, couldn’t do it without you!!
About the Author
KATE WHITE, former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of the standalone psychological thrillers Have You Seen Me?, The Secrets You Keep, The Wrong Man, Eyes on You, The Sixes, and Hush, as well as eight Bailey Weggins mysteries, including, most recently, Such a Perfect Wife, which was nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. White is also the author of several popular career books for women, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve, and editor of the The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Visit katewhite.com for more information.
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Praise for the novels of Kate White
Have You Seen Me?
“Arms linked, breath held, we drop alongside Ally Linden into Kate White’s dagger-sharp, whip-smart new thriller Have You Seen Me?, the same questions burning like neon signs in our minds . . . . As nimbly plotted as Before I Go to Sleep, as winning as the best of Mary Higgins Clark, Have You Seen Me? showcases Kate White at her formidable best.”
—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“A well-honed thriller . . . . White skillfully maintains the pace . . . . Even the most jaded reader will be satisfied.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Intense, nonstop suspense . . . . You won’t want to miss the stunning conclusion.”
—Bookreporter.com
Such a Perfect Wife
“What’s not to love in Kate White’s latest? . . . Such a Perfect Wife is deep and dark and twisty, and packed with a delicious array of questionable characters, each harboring their own secrets.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Intricately plotted . . . . [an] intense page-turner that never lets up.”
—Library Journal (starred review and “Pick of the Month”)
“Intrepid—and stylish!—crime reporter Bailey Weggins finds herself on the front line of a murder investigation . . . . Fun and fast-paced . . . . Bailey is fearless, determined, and always fashionable. A grown-up Nancy Drew for grown-up girl detectives.”
—Kirkus Reviews