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Vivvie’s father is dead He killed Justice Marquette, and now he’s dead

Keyes finally ripped his eyes froia’s and turned to Ivy "You never did have the stomach for this business," he told her

Then he walked away--past her, past Georgia, past the car

I leaned into the car door, pushing it open One second I was inside the car, the next, I was standing beside it, separated fro else When his eyes landed on me, they opened wider

He hadn’t realized I was here

Neither had the First Lady

"Tess, dear," Georgia started to say, but aze was locked on Keyes

"How did he die?" The words came out in a whisper Vivvie’s father killed Justice Marquette, and now he’s dead My hand tightened around the door, likeia said in one voice, Ivy stepping toward ia toward Keyes

Keyes looked at them, then back at me "He put a bullet in his own head"

CHAPTER 36

I was still standing there, ot into his car and drove off Then Ivy was next to me, her hand on my shoulder

"I’m sorry you had to hear that," she said

Vivvie’s dad was dead He was dead He put a bullet in his own head

"Vivvie’s dad killed himself" There was no filter between my brain and my mouth--only that sentence, repeated in stereo "We did this"

Ivy reached out and placed her own hand on the door near mine I didn’t realize until she steadied it that both the door and

"This is not our fault," she told me, her voice steady "It’s not yours It’s not mine"

Wasn’t it?

"He"That ere on to hiet bad" I couldn’t stop picturing Vivvie Sels the first day

I couldn’t stop picturing her father, picking up that gun

"We’ll talk about this later," Ivy said quietly

"Vivvie," I said, barely hearing her "I need to call Vivvie She’s the one who told us about her father She’s going to think this is her fault"

A few feet away, Georgia Nolan turned her head slightly to one side, her eyebrows arching upward as she processed our exchange "I get the very real sense that I aia stepped toward us "Did you have sonment, Ivy?"