Bound By Secrets (The Dresden Island Book 2) (The Dresden Island Series)

by Clara Lewis

  “Listen, it could be Keri-Anne. But consider this, she wasn’t invited that day, and when you mentioned the event, she didn’t even know about it.”

  “Maybe she knew about it but lied," Olivia countered.

  “That may be true, but I did some research on the poison used to kill Betty. The plant used to kill her isn’t from this side of the world. She would have had to make a considerable effort getting it into the country. Now, I know this doesn’t disprove that she did it, but it reduces the chance she did.”

  “What are you suggesting, Marion?”

  “I say we look somewhere else. We need to get a copy of the guest list and those who worked at the event that night.”

  Olivia had missed a large part of the case. She slapped her forehead and groaned.

  “I can’t believe that I completely disregarded that part of the process!”

  Marion reached out and patted Olivia reassuringly.

  “It makes sense, your mind was somewhere else.”

  With the reminder that there was another, more personal case awaiting results, the car grew silent. Lost in thought, Olivia didn’t notice that they had been going in the opposite direction of the hotel they stayed in. She only noticed the difference when a red piece of wreckage glinted in the sun.

  “Where are we going?” Olivia asked, slightly panicked.

  “Where else would we get a copy of the guest and staff list?”

  Olivia covered her face with her hands.

  “I can’t go there; Eustace saw me spying on them! You expect me to face someone who could have killed me?”

  “Well, here’s your chance to question him," Marion replied, matter-of-factly as she swerved into the driveway that led to Barlowe estate.

  Olivia hid behind Marion as they walked up the steps and to the front door. Before Marion could knock on the door, it opened, revealing the face of the butler.

  “Ms. Hudson—how are you feeling?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

  Olivia smiled shyly and thanked him for his part in saving her life.

  “I owe you,” she said.

  The butler led them into a room where they came face-to-face with Eustace Barlowe, and Keri-Anne, who sat at his side. They held hands and looked determined.

  Olivia greeted them as politely as possible, careful not to meet their eyes.

  “Before we talk about whatever it is both of you came here for, I’d firstly like to acknowledge the fact that Ms. Hudson had heard some things the night of her accident.”

  Olivia had opened her mouth to apologize but Eustace’s expression stopped her. She noticed him grip Keri-Anne’s hand a little tighter.

  “I see,” Marion said. Olivia was still speechless.

  “Then would it be all right if we got some things out of the way?” Marion asked the couple.

  Both Eustace and Keri-Anne nodded. Olivia was suspicious of how agreeable he was being.

  “I do apologize for that night as well. It was unprofessional of me," Olivia said. Eustace saw that her apology, although genuine, was something she hated conveying. Olivia wanted nothing more than to leave, but with the way Eustace was being all courteous, she couldn’t let that opportunity go.

  He raised his eyebrow but kept his comments to himself. Keri-Anne’s presence was a big help to Olivia. Ever since her last interaction with Eustace, Olivia had been warier of him than ever.

  “The words spoken the night of Olivia’s accident were very suspicious; I hope you understand that, Mr. Barlowe," Marion cut right to the chase.

  Keri-Anne froze. She looked at Eustace pointedly as if to say, “I told you so.”

  Defeated, Eustace cleared his throat and began to explain.

  “Keri-Anne is my mistress, yes, but I am intending to marry her once Ruth’s case has lost its hype.”

  “I understand there was an interaction between Ms. James and Mrs. DeVos. I remember hearing you tell Ms.Taylor not to say anything to me," Olivia spoke up, no longer ashamed of what had happened.

  Eustace sighed while Keri-Anne kept her focus on the floor.

  “Mrs. DeVos had found out about Eustace and I," Keri-Anne mumbled.

  Marion and Olivia looked at each other. Whatever Keri-Anne might say next could solidify her as the killer or it could point them in a different direction.

  “I didn’t want her telling anyone about it, because if the town was to find out, she would be a bigger target for scrutiny.”

  Eustace pulled Keri-Anne closer. Their defense made sense, but Olivia wasn’t convinced. Apparently, it had shown on her face, because Keri-Anne spoke up.

  “I told you before that Betty and I weren’t on good terms. The day she saw Eustace leaving my house, she called me all sorts of names and vowed to tell the town what sort of person I was. I was sick of her attitude and told her she would regret it.”

  “So Betty had been targeting you way before she caught you with Eustace?” Marion asked.

  “Well…” Keri-Anne hesitated and looked to Eustace for permission. He nodded.

  “Her husband tried to hit on me one night. We were at an event and he got pretty drunk. Betty saw it happen and was convinced that I was trying to steal her husband away. Eustace didn't do anything since we were supposed to be secret.”

  Eustace held her arm tighter and Keri-Anne winced. Olivia sent a scathing look his way, warning him to let go. Slowly, he unclasped his hand from Keri-Anne’s arm and placed it in his lap.

  “Go on,” Marion encouraged, “tell us more.”

  “I never thought of murdering her,” Keri-Anne stammered, “When I told her that she would regret her actions I just meant that Eustace would hear about it. He could make her leave me alone.”

  Marion and Olivia looked at Eustace.

  “Before you both start speculating, I didn’t kill Betty. I was going to pay her off. Her husband wanted a building I owned, and I would have bargained with it.”

  “You are aware that we will check this,” Olivia said.

  Eustace showed no signs of being nervous. This time he really was being genuine. Olivia pulled on Marion’s sleeve as a signal to stop questioning.

  “Thank you both for your cooperation. Actually, we’re here to get a copy of the guest and staff list of the night of Mrs. DeVos’ death.”

  “I prepared one for the police anyway," said Eustace, standing up.

  Once Olivia had accepted the papers, she got up, thanked them curtly and turned to leave. However, Marion wasn’t done.

  “Mr. Barlowe, you weren’t the one who ran Olivia off the road were you?”

  Olivia stopped in her tracks and waited.

  “Of course not; I was with Keri-Anne the entire time that night. If you want proof, you can ask the butler and maids who were on duty.”

  “I see, thank you.” Marion bid them a good day and left with Olivia.

  Olivia tried to concentrate on the list of names in front of her, but she just couldn’t.

  “I was convinced the vehicle that ran me off the road was a Barlowe car. It was the same car Eustace used to pick Keri-Anne up, and judging from my history with that family, it’s not below them to commit murder," Olivia said.

  However, this time, she wasn’t so convinced that it was Eustace.

  “Here’s what I’ll do,” started Marion, “I’ll look into the crash, and you focus on the DeVos case.”

  Olivia nodded, her stress fading away. With renewed vigor, Olivia began to look through the guest and staff list.

  “Here’s the nice thing about rich people,” Olivia suddenly exclaimed, “during these events, they usually prefer to sit with those they know.”

  “Go on," Marion said.

  “Well, Betty wasn’t well-liked. She was respected, sure, but she wasn’t a favorite, and that meant that when she attended the event, she wasn’t seated next to anyone but her husband.”

  “Marion, I have a theory, but it has no proof to back it up. Although, I think I found a name that could help us.”

  Mari
on glanced at the clock on the dashboard. They still had time.

  “Where to?” Marion asked, slowing down.

  “Let's go have dinner at the L’Oiseau Moqueur.”

  * * * * *

  Olivia held the menu close to her face as she looked around.

  “Stop looking so suspicious," Marion warned her.

  Olivia shrugged and looked at the menu. If it weren’t for the big payout the Barlowes had given her for the last case, Olivia would have just left the restaurant.

  “Why are they so expensive?” she complained.

  “It’s Dresden. If it wasn’t expensive, we’d be in the wrong place," Marion retorted.

  A waitress approached their table. She was quite young, but she looked exhausted. Olivia knew that face. When she was in university, she had to work two jobs to pay for her own tuition fees. Her parents were rich, but after Olivia’s stunt with the Barlowes as a teenager, they refused to support her.

  “Can I get you guys anything?”

  Olivia didn’t understand a single word on the menu, but Marion saved the day by flawlessly ordering for the both of them.

  The waitress matched the picture in the files, so by the time their food and drinks were set down, Olivia asked her question.

  “Are you Annie Terrance?”

  The girl’s eyes widened in fear. She nodded and quickly excused herself. Olivia left the table and cornered Annie by the kitchen.

  “I just want to ask some questions. I’m not here to harm you.”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t say anything. I’m not allowed to," she mumbled.

  Annie looked around wildly, searching for an exit. Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw the back door. Before she could place herself in front of the door, Annie dashed under her arm and out of there.

  Olivia ran into the restaurant, earning her stares from the patrons. She hurriedly told a random waitress that she would be back, before grabbing Marion’s arm and hauling her up.

  Wine splashed onto the white tablecloth and Olivia blurted out an apology.

  “Let’s go now!” she told Marion as they ran to the back. The cold air whipped Olivia in the face as she looked around for Annie.

  They heard the squeal of tires and saw a small, beat-up car drive by. Annie looked terrified.

  Olivia attempted to run after the car, but it was too late. Eventually the cold and her still-mending wounds caught up with her, preventing her from continuing to chase after the car. Disappointed, she returned to Marion who stood by the back door.

  “Let’s finish our meal and find out where she lives tomorrow," Olivia said.

  This case had gone in a completely different direction and Olivia kicked a nearby trash can angrily. She was losing her patience.

  Chapter 8

  “What did you find out about her?” asked Olivia as she looked up from her desk.

  “Nothing much aside from her name and contact details on the list Eustace gave us," Marion replied.

  If Annie were a resident of Dresden, it would have been a lot easier to find her. Clearly, Annie was an outsider. A resident of Dresden would never become a waitress in the first place unless their family wanted to teach them a lesson in humility.

  “Have you tried calling her?” Marion asked.

  Olivia held her phone helplessly.

  “The moment she heard my voice, she hung up. I think she blocked me.”

  “That’s what happened to me too," Marion replied, frowning at the phone in her hand.

  They had paused the investigation regarding Madison and Keri-Anne. If this direction wasn’t fruitful, Marion suggested going for Keri-Anne and Eustace. Olivia was fine with that, but Marion wasn’t.

  After all, Olivia was grateful that she finally had Marion here to help out.

  Although, even with Marion’s help, it seemed like they were stuck. Olivia stared at her screen.

  “What’s the plan now?” asked Marion, breaking the silence.

  “Well, we could wait outside the restaurant every night, in hopes that she’ll have a shift there," Olivia offered.

  “How about this?” Marion presented. “Why don’t we ask the manager when her next shift is?”

  Olivia nodded her head and grabbed the car keys off the table. Marion snatched them away and scolded her about being in the right condition to drive again.

  Surprisingly, the manager was quite agreeable. In Olivia’s eyes, he just seemed like the type of man to fear any legal problems coming his and his restaurant’s way. He offered up Annie’s shift schedule with no question.

  “Imagine if we were just pretending to be investigators!” Olivia exclaimed as she got back into the car.

  “Well, it helped us. Don’t think about it too much," Marion replied with a slight smile.

  There was no stopping Olivia.

  “Yes, but what if we weren’t? That could’ve been dangerous for Annie! He gave her schedule to us with no fight whatsoever!”

  Before Olivia could continue, Marion tapped her arm and pointed in the direction of the restaurant.

  Annie’s small car came into view. She stepped out of the car and looked around suspiciously. It was as if she knew Olivia and Marion would return. Immediately, the two of them ducked out of view.

  Her shift ended in another six hours, and being inside a car that amount of time was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Olivia spent most of the wait using her sleeve to clean the foggy windows.

  Her boredom was quickly extinguished when she saw Annie leave the restaurant early. Olivia gathered her sleeve into her hand once more and wiped her window to get a clearer view. Annie waved to someone from inside the building and made her way to her car.

  Olivia shook Marion, who was taking a nap.

  “We have to go now! We have to catch her before she gets in her car!” Olivia yelled as she pushed her door open and ran into the cold.

  Her bruised rib complained, but Olivia kept running until she reached the driver’s side of Annie’s car and positioned herself between Annie and her open car door. Olivia slammed the door shut and faced Annie who stood rooted to the spot. She was afraid.

  Olivia saw Marion exit their car in a more graceful manner and took her time in getting to where Annie and Olivia stood. Annie turned to run but stopped as she saw Marion.

  “Please! I can't say anything! I promised them," Annie pleaded.

  Olivia kept her face straight but she saw how panicked the young woman was and felt her sympathy well up.

  “You are aware that a woman was murdered, Ms. Terrance?” Olivia said.

  Annie nodded and bit her lip. She looked to the ground and shivered. Suddenly, they were all aware that they were still out in the cold.

  “Let’s talk somewhere else. We can drive you back here for your car afterward.”

  Olivia was grateful for the heating system in their hotel room. Annie sat on the couch with her knees against her chest as she stared holes in the broadloom.

  Olivia tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jump a bit.

  “Take some coffee, it'll help with the shivers," Olivia said.

  “We’re not here to accuse you of anything nor are we here to arrest you. You can relax, Ms. Terrance.”

  Annie looked up at Marion with hopeful eyes.

  “We’re only here to investigate. Are you willing to cooperate?” Olivia asked as she sat down beside Annie.

  The younger woman nodded and took a sip from her cup.

  “We understand you were the server for the DeVos table on the night of the event?”

  Annie nodded.

  “Did you notice anything weird that night?” Marion asked.

  “No, but I was approached by someone about a change of plans," Annie said in a whisper.

  Olivia leaned in closer to hear her better.

  “Go on," she encouraged.

  “We were catering the event, and these were VIP clients, so we made sure to take extra care with any dietary requirements for the guests. Except before we could s
erve the starters, I was approached by someone and they gave me a separate meal to serve to Betty.”

  “Tell me Annie, is there no protocol about this? How did you accept the food so easily?”

  Annie opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it. Her nervous look had returned, and her eyes scanned the area for a way to escape. Instinctively, Olivia angled herself to block the doorway.

  “He introduced himself as Doctor DeVos. He apologized and gave me some money for the trouble. I didn’t do anything illegal!” said Annie suddenly, defending herself. “My manager said we were allowed to take some tips that night.”

  “Why was it such a big deal for you not to say anything? said Marion. You could have just told us this on the first night and avoided a situation where it looked like we tried to kidnap you!”

  Olivia pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated.

  “Dr. DeVos just told me that Mrs. DeVos was particular about her diet and that she didn’t want anyone to know. I swear that’s all, I just wanted to protect her privacy," Annie cried out.

  Olivia looked at Marion and they had the same thought. They had to talk to Ryan DeVos.

  Chapter 9

  “It says here on the report that Jordan already talked to Ryan DeVos," Olivia said.

  They were on the way to the police station. Jordan was sure to know the details of his conversation with Ryan. Olivia wanted to know how he got cleared.

  Jordan looked up from his desk as they entered his office. Marion looked concerned when she saw various documents all over the desk and shelves. He looked exhausted but greeted them with a warm smile.

  “What can I do for you ladies today?” he asked.

  “We want to find out about Ryan DeVos," Marion replied as she made herself comfortable on one of the chairs.

  “I have a transcript of our conversation here somewhere,” Jordan said, looking around. He quickly closed a few open tabs on his computer screen and then shook his head.

  “I can't find anything," Jordan eventually said with a defeated shrug.

  Olivia couldn't tell if she was just being skeptical but she saw that he had the case open on his computer. Why would he close it immediately? She looked at Marion and they shared a knowing look. She wasn’t the only one who saw that.