by Cate Conte
I had no idea if I was okay. I turned my attention back to my body and focused on any potential injuries I may have given myself. My knee was screaming, my wrist felt sprained, and my ankle where the bike had landed didn’t feel so hot, but nothing seemed broken. What a klutz. “Yeah. I think so. Aside from my pride.” I managed a weak smile.
The guy watched our exchange with interest. “You two know each other?”
Marco nodded. “Maddie owns the cat café. You know, the fundraiser. Maddie, Adam. Adam, Maddie.” He made the introduction with a bit of a grimace, as if he’d rather do anything but.
“Ah,” Adam said, a little smirk passing over his lips. He looked at me. “I remember you. From the fish market.”
It was hard to have a conversation lying on the pavement. I rolled over and accepted the hand Marco offered to pull me up. My vision swam for a second, then cleared. “Yes, that was me,” I said. I dusted myself off and inspected the bloody scrape on my knee.
Marco bent down to have a look too. “It doesn’t look deep,” he said. “I may have a Band-Aid. Adam, can you check the bag?”
The other guy nodded and jogged back to the bike, leaving Marco and me alone. Marco focused on my knee until it became weird, and then stood to face me so we were awkwardly looking at each other. I could tell he was trying to assess what, exactly, I’d seen, and then figure out how to explain himself.
“Maddie,” he began nervously. “I should probably tell you—” but I cut him off.
“Marco. Please. Don’t feel like you have to explain anything to me. Honestly.” I reached down and tried to brush the dirt out of my cut, more for something to do than for any other reason. “I don’t even know you,” I added. “Why would you need to explain yourself?”
He sighed. “Everyone knows me. And I mean that in the least egotistical way possible. I mean everyone knows who I am and that I’m supposed to be with Peyton and … it’s complicated.”
I smiled at that. “Most things are. Don’t worry,” I added as Adam walked back over to us. “Your secret is safe with me. If it is a secret.”
“It’s totally a secret. Not that I’m ashamed of myself or Adam or … anything. It’s just, well.” He cleared his throat and turned to Adam. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Adam turned to me with a smile, like he was a doctor and I was his scared patient. “I found a baby wipe too. I can clean it out for you?”
“Uh, sure,” I said, since he looked really eager to do it.
“Are you sure your head is okay?” he asked. “That was quite a spill. Do you want me to call an ambulance?”
“Oh God no. I’m fine. I didn’t hit my head.”
“You’re very lucky,” Adam said as he knelt down and began to tend to my wound. “You should always wear a helmet.”
“Adam is a nurse,” Marco said.
I wasn’t surprised. “At Daybreak Hospital?”
Adam nodded. “For nine years now.”
“My dad is the CEO,” I said. “Brian James.”
Adam looked more impressed with that than the fact that he’d been making out with the Marco Moore a few minutes ago, until my crash-test-dummy act. “You’re Brian James’s daughter? Doesn’t he have a few of them?”
I grinned. “He does. But I’m the oldest, which makes me the favorite.”
Adam laughed as he patted the Band-Aid into place, then stood. “I can see why. You’re good.”
“Thanks. I’ll put in a good word with my dad. Maybe he can get you a promotion.” I turned to Marco, who still watched me like I was a stick of dynamite that might blow at any moment. “Nice to see you again.”
“You too,” he said.
“But wait,” Adam said. “Are you sure you should be riding home?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Where do you live?”
“Over in Daybreak. By the ferry dock.”
“That’s too far,” Adam said, turning to Marco. “Right, baby? Why don’t you drive her. You said you needed to get back soon anyway and I have to get to work.”
“Um. I don’t think my bike will fit on your motorcycle,” I began, but Adam shook his head.
“Marco met me here and we went out for a bike ride. He has a car.” He pointed to a plain black Ford sedan with rental plates. “He’ll take you.”
Marco looked like he’d rather do anything but that, but he hid it well. “Uh, yes,” Marco said. “For sure. Come on, Maddie.”
Adam picked my bike up and hoisted it on his shoulder like it was a kid’s tricycle. He loaded it into Marco’s car and helped me into the passenger seat. “You take care, Maddie. And get a helmet!” He rapped on my window once, then went around to the other side of the car and kissed Marco goodbye. Apparently he didn’t care about Marco’s image.
I turned to look out the passenger window, trying to give them some privacy while they murmured something to each other. Finally Adam walked away. I heard the motorcycle engine rev a minute later, then he tore out of the parking lot.
Marco cleared his throat and started the car, pulling a baseball cap low over his head and settling sunglasses over his eyes.
“You really don’t have to drive me,” I said.
“I’m happy to,” Marco said. “Besides, I wouldn’t dare risk Adam thinking I didn’t do what he said.” He winked to show me he was teasing, then pulled out of the lot.
I smiled at that.
“I’ve been seeing Adam for a long time,” he said when we were on the main road, even though I hadn’t asked. He seemed eager to tell me. Or maybe he was just eager to tell someone. “Twelve years, to be exact. I come out here whenever I’m not working.”
“Twelve? Wow. Like, before you and Peyton became an item?”
He nodded. “We met way back when I was a nobody.” He sounds a bit wistful for those days, I thought.
“And no one’s ever seen you guys together?” I found that hard to believe. Then again, Daybreak had a lot of celebs in the summer. They usually stuck to certain areas of the island where most people wouldn’t treat them like circus freaks.
“We keep to ourselves,” Marco said with a wry smile. “Adam understands how complicated my life is.”
“So you and Peyton…”
“Are together for the image,” he finished. “For our respective careers. We are a power couple,” he said with an eye roll. “It wasn’t our idea. It was Chad’s.” He said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
“He’s your agent too?” I’d figured as much, but hadn’t been sure.
Marco nodded. “He said it would give us even more star power. Don’t get me wrong, she’s lovely, but not my type. Clearly. And she has her own interests too.”
“So who knows about you guys? Like, the truth?”
“Hardly anyone. Chad, of course. It was all his idea in the first place.”
“It was?”
Marco nodded. “He orchestrated the whole thing. He helps Peyton and I manage all other affairs. And I mean that literally.”
“Really,” I said thoughtfully. Was that why he and Adam had been fighting at the fish market? Disagreeing over something specific, or maybe Adam was tired of the whole thing in general?
“Yes. And our closest friends know, but that’s it. Peyton and I are both very respectful of each other, and what it would mean career-wise if we were discovered to be, well, frauds. But life is short, you know? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately.” He sounded sad, and I wondered when it would become an easier decision to leave his career behind and just be with the person he loved.
There were so many people who felt like they had to live a certain way to keep up an image, and it made me sad. I thought of Lucas and how happy I was with him. I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to only be able to be with him some of the time, and always in secret. I felt terrible for Marco and Adam. And Peyton. It seemed like a crappy way to live, fame and fortune aside. I wondered if she also had someone she loved but couldn’t be with.
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I also wondered if Marco knew his boyfriend had been fighting with his agent. “So does Chad know Adam too?”
An odd look crossed his face and he turned to look at me before dragging his eyes back to the road. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I saw them arguing at the Lobstah Shack the other day.”
That caught his attention. “You what? That’s what he meant when he said he remembered you from the fish market?”
“Yeah. Obviously I didn’t know who Adam was then.”
Marco’s jaw set, but he didn’t say anything else.
“So does he know him?”
“I never introduced them. He knows I have someone who lives out here, but I try to keep Adam out of it as much as possible.” He smiled wryly. “I guess I’m just naive. He’s probably known all along. And I guess Adam is pretty good at keeping secrets too.”
“People love you and Peyton so much.” I said. “Are you sure it would matter? Sometimes we think people are going to react a certain way and they surprise us. The ones who matter, anyway.”
Marco looked at me, and his eyes were so sad I felt like crying. “It’s a nice thought, Maddie, but that’s not how it works in our world. Maybe for the younger people coming in, you know? But Peyton and I … we’ve been a ‘thing’ for so long. It would kill our careers. At least that’s what Chad and Jillian drilled into us.”
Wait. “Jillian?” I repeated. “What did she have to do with it?”
He shrugged. “Those two colluded on a lot of things, trust me. She’s been around for the past decade. She and Peyton kind of have that animal connection going. Or at least they did. I think they weren’t as close these days. Esther had really been advising Peyton to distance herself from that relationship.”
“What was Chad and Jillian’s relationship? Were they … together?”
Marco sent me a funny look. “Hardly. He’s her brother.”
“Her … come again?” I asked, sure that I had heard him wrong.
“She was his older sister. Some crazy story about them not knowing about each other for a long time, then they met about ten years ago. You really didn’t know? Isn’t her family out here?”
“They are, but…” I trailed off. I had no idea if anyone knew this. It seemed like every time I had stuff straight in my head about all these relationships, something new happened. Related? Did that mean Chad was also here because of the will and the estate? He clearly wasn’t mentioned in the will. Maybe Marcella hadn’t even known about him, which is why he and Jillian hadn’t known each other for all those years. Maybe he and Jillian had cut a deal that if she got the estate, she’d split it with him.
And maybe she’d changed her mind, and he’d killed her over it. Although if she had gotten the property, couldn’t he have come along and sued her later for some of it? Killing her seemed extreme.
“Was it a secret?” I asked. “That he was her brother?” Maybe he was the one who had given Becky the anonymous tip about the family feud. It made sense.
“Not with us, but with the family?” Marco shrugged. “No idea. I wasn’t tight with either of them.” He didn’t have to add that he didn’t like them very much. His tone said it all.
“Why was Esther trying to get Peyton to stay away from Jillian?” I asked.
Marco shrugged. “I think she thought it was getting toxic. Peyton was spending most of her time doing Jillian’s bidding. She had her going to a lot of events around the country, being a spokesperson for different organizations … it was starting to become a full-time job and Peyton was getting burnt out.” He pulled up in front of my house. “Here you go,” he said.
I went to open my door and saw Stevie’s yellow Subaru parked outside. I nearly groaned out loud. What now? I kind of wanted more time with Marco, but clearly he was itching to drop me off and drive away.
Before I got out, I reached over impulsively and squeezed Marco’s hand. “Listen. Your secret is safe with me. But be careful, okay? There are paparazzi all over the place. They were hiding in my bushes yesterday.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding. Sorry about that.”
“Not your fault,” I said. “Hey, one of them said something to me yesterday, though. It made no sense. She asked me if I could confirm the cat rumor.”
Marco’s face literally drained of color. “The cat rumor?” he asked, and his voice sounded choked.
I nodded. “When I asked her what she meant, she specifically mentioned Peyton and her cat. You know what she meant?”
He shook his head, a strangled laugh escaping his lips. “They’re rag reporters, Maddie. They come up with outrageous rumors and stuff like this all the time. How they get away with printing half of it without multimillion dollar lawsuits is beyond me.”
I didn’t quite believe him, but didn’t want to push too hard. “Come back to the café soon, okay? You and Adam are welcome any time.”
“Thanks. I’ll grab your bike.” He started to open his door but I shook my head.
“Please. I’ve got it. You stay here where it’s safe,” I said with a wry smile. I retrieved my bike and waved at him. He took off a little faster than necessary, turning the corner with a screech of tires. I watched until his car disappeared from view, then parked the bike in front of the porch and hurried inside, trying not to look like I was limping.
Chapter 32
When I walked into the house, I could feel the frantic energy enveloping our living room. Stevie was on the couch, his head in his hands. Grandpa sat next to him, looking grim. I could tell he noticed my gimpiness, but filed it away for later. Val hovered near the kitchen door, clearly unsure of what to do.
I raised my eyebrows at her, a silent question. She gave me a look that said You aren’t gonna believe this.
“What’s going on?” I asked, dropping onto the chair across from them.
Stevie raised his face from his hands, and I was alarmed to see his eyes were red and teary.
“It’s Mish,” he said, and his voice sounded utterly broken.
I froze. “Is she okay? What happened?”
“They took her.”
“Who?” I looked at Grandpa for help.
“The police,” they answered in unison, then looked at each other and looked away.
“What on earth for?” I asked, but I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that I already knew.
“They think she had something to do with Jillian’s murder,” Stevie said. “But that’s impossible. My wife is a good person. She’s sweet and kind and she would never do anything to hurt anyone. She just doesn’t have it in her.” His voice broke on the last words. “Just because she didn’t like Jillian for what she was doing to us…”
I sat back, my head spinning. “Why do they think she did it?” I asked.
“Because her alibi doesn’t hold up,” Stevie said. “She asked me to drop her off at the Bean that morning on my way to … run an errand. She said she was meeting her friend Shannon.”
“Because her car was in the shop,” I remembered. “But I thought you dropped her here.”
Stevie looked at me strangely. “Her car wasn’t in the shop. She just didn’t want to find parking downtown. Did she tell you her car was in the shop?”
She definitely had. “I’m probably thinking of another day,” I said, waving it off. “Go on.”
“That’s it. She was going to have coffee then come here,” Stevie said. “She said Shannon would bring her. But Shannon said she never showed. She tried to call her a couple times, then I guess she just went on with her day. When the police questioned her, she told them the truth.”
“But Mish did come here. When I got home, she was here. Lucas thought she got dropped off around ten.” Right around the time we found Jillian’s body. “I can ask him. Is he still here?”
Grandpa shook his head. “He went to work.”
I fixed my gaze on Stevie. “Do you have a lawyer?”
He nodded. “My grandmother’s lawyer.”
; I wondered if that was such a good idea, but decided not to bring that up. Instead I said, “But you were the one at the Paradise that morning, weren’t you? Unless you lent Mish your car.”
He stared at me, the blood draining from his face, and looked nervously at Grandpa before turning back to me. “What … what do you mean?”
“I mean, I saw your car leaving the parking lot right after we discovered Jillian’s body,” I said bluntly. “Don’t tell me there’s another yellow Subaru like yours out here. I’ve never seen one. Did Mish take your car?”
“No! She did not have my car.” Stevie’s whole body physically drooped. His face fell back into his hands. “Who else saw me?” he asked, his voice muffled.
Probably half the island. “I don’t know,” I said. “I went out to the parking lot to wait for Sergeant Ellory.”
He looked up again, resigned. “You’re right. I was there. I was spying on my cousin.” He looked sheepish. “I knew she had been telling people that she was staying with me and Mish to make it look like we all got along, but she left every night. I was trying to figure out what she was up to. I followed her there the night before—in Mish’s car,” he added. “It’s less noticeable, as you know. Anyway, I followed her there, but by the time I got inside I couldn’t find her. And I asked for her at the front desk and they said she wasn’t registered as a guest.”
“So she used a fake name or was she staying with someone?”
He shrugged. “No idea. I never found out. I went back that morning to try again and well … you know what happened from there.”
It sounded flimsy to me. I looked at Grandpa, but his face gave nothing away. “Have you heard the name Chad Novak?”
Stevie thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”
“You never asked Jillian where she was going every night? Did she really think you didn’t notice she was leaving?” I asked.
“It wasn’t really my business if she stayed or left,” he said. “Was she staying with that guy? Is it a boyfriend or something?”
I ignored the question. “So what was your plan? What were you hoping to find out by following her?”