All Dressed in White

42

“If you believe that woman, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you, and it’s made of gold.” Grace pointed a French-manicured index finger for emphasis.

The team was meeting in the living room of Alex’s suite, rehashing the interview with Meghan. It was the first time they had ever gone directly on camera without first having a more wide-ranging conversation off-camera.

Jerry and Grace had wildly different impressions of Meghan. “You’re so cynical,” Jerry told Grace. “She struck me as very straightforward. I believe that’s what both of Amanda’s siblings told us to expect. She’s unemotional. Matter-of-fact. Everything she said seems credible to me.”

Grace looked as though she wanted to jump out of her skin as she waited for Jerry to finish. “You could tell she memorized every last word. Even her pauses seemed rehearsed.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s lying,” Jerry retorted.

“No, but it does mean she thought she had something to hide. The only question is whether Alex got her to come clean, or if there’s more to learn. At the very least, that woman’s been lying over the years about her feelings for Jeff. She didn’t reintroduce him to Amanda, at least not intentionally. My guess is she wishes they’d never bumped into each other at that coffee shop. I bet she was pining for Jeff since college. Maybe that’s even why she went to New York after law school and just happened to live near him in Brooklyn.”

Laurie was following the conversation but was distracted by her own thoughts about Meghan.

Alex adjusted his black-rimmed glasses after tipping them up to review his notes. “I agree with you, Grace, that she was probably more interested in Jeff prior to Amanda’s disappearance than she ever let on. But I believed her when she said she and Amanda smoothed things over after the blowup at the Ladyform offices.”

“Really?” Grace asked. “That’s a whole lot of money to put behind you with one champagne lunch and a box of gym clothes.”

“If they were feuding, would Meghan still be her maid of honor?” Alex paused. “What did you think, Laurie? A few people have mentioned Amanda’s illness, but this is the first time anyone tried to explain how it really did change her.”

That was the part of the conversation that Laurie had been replaying in her head for the last half hour. The way Meghan described the transformation in her friend sounded completely authentic. And as her friend, she may have been in a better position to recognize the change than either Amanda’s family or even her fiancé. For the first time, Laurie believed it really was possible that Amanda had wanted to break free. Maybe she ran away, as Meghan believed. But maybe she told Jeff she didn’t want to go through with the wedding. And if that happened, they were right back where they started: with a finger pointed at Jeff.

“The missing rings,” Laurie said suddenly. “I didn’t think much of it when Jeff first mentioned them. But Meghan made a good point that it’s quite a coincidence that they went missing during their stay at the resort. Jeff said he assumed an employee slipped them from the safe during the chaos, but that would be quite a bold move. To be caught with wedding bands belonging to a missing woman would make that person a prime suspect in her disappearance.”

“And wedding bands aren’t worth much compared to what many of the guests probably lock in their safes,” Jerry added. “Meghan’s right: they were more likely to be taken as a keepsake than loot. It really got to me when Meghan looked into the camera and said she loved Amanda. Wouldn’t that be amazing if Amanda saw our show and contacted her family?”

“Oh boy,” Grace said. “You really bought her bull-hook, line, and sinker!”

Two days into filming, Laurie thought, and I don’t feel any closer to the truth.