“I don’t think that’s true.”
Surprise covered his features. “What’s not true?”
“The part about him being isolated here without help. I think maybe…I mean…”
A hint of a teasing grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Talking like you’re not sure of what you’re saying. I find you very astute and observant. Stop trying to downplay those qualities. Never pretend to be less than what you are.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. I really am uncertain about what I was going to say. It’s only a feeling, nothing more.”
A look of uncertainty crossed his face, as if he didn’t quite know how to respond to what she had said. “Another psychic vision?”
“No, not a vision. Actually, more of a psychic hunch. I don’t think I’m the only person on this island at the behest of J.D. Prescott. How much of a background check did you do on Brian Cookson? Did you check him out or just accept his application?”
“Brian?” Gable furrowed his brow in a moment of confusion. “You think Brian has some connection to all of this beyond being an employee here?”
“As I said, it’s only a hunch. When you first introduced me to him and we shook hands, a bad feeling telegraphed itself to me. It said Brian was a very dangerous man. I had the feeling again when he came to the door of my room ostensibly to tell me dinner was almost ready and to escort me to the dining room at your request. Did you ask him to do that?”
“No…” His voice became wary, his manner cautious as if not quite knowing where the conversation was headed. “I didn’t send him to your room.”
“And yesterday afternoon, he was the first one to arrive at the ravine. He stood there staring down at me, not moving or making any effort to help. For a moment I actually feared that he intended to do me harm. It was only a few seconds later when we heard Dolly’s voice that Brian finally reacted and decided to be helpful.”
A clearly agitated Gable grabbed her shoulders and held her. His voice contained controlled anger. “Did he threaten you, Lexi?”
“No, nothing like that. He didn’t do anything. It was only a feeling, a psychic impression. Call it women’s intuition, if that’s more comfortable for you.”
He loosened his hold on her. “My background check on him wasn’t that thorough. I checked out his references and that was about it. Everyone gave him high marks for being conscientious, dependable, and a good worker.” He sucked in a calming breath. “This is all very strange.”
“Yes.” She slowly shook her head as she tried to put some semblance of order to her thoughts. “And becoming stranger by the minute.”
“We have several pieces of this enigma. You’ve provided me with a new avenue of investigation. I’ve done every kind of check I could think of going forward from the time of the disappearances, both computer check and having a detective dig into it. I checked every trail I could find in trying to discover where Winthrop would have gone. I even speculated about Evelyn and Winthrop both being alive and having perpetrated the entire hoax to cover some bigger crime and killing my father because he accidentally stumbled across their plan. Everything came up as a dead end. But now…thanks to your efforts…I can trace from today and go back to the disappearances. I can start with J.D. Prescott. I’ll also recheck Brian’s references to see if any of those companies have a connection to Prescott.”
“I tried to check on Prescott. Every avenue went back thirty years, then disappeared into thin air. Everything I dug up said he appeared thirty years ago with fortune already in hand. We now know why, but how do we prove it?”
“We follow the money, not the man. Winthrop had to make arrangements for a great deal of money to be available to him in a manner that wouldn’t raise any questions or create suspicion. The money had to come from the Hollingsworth business conglomerate and it most likely would have been a transaction that he personally dealt with to avoid questions from accounting clerks or financial people. Thirty years ago the world was not so highly computerized. False identification wasn’t that difficult to get, especially when you could afford to buy the very best. His new identity and his financial status had to be in place prior to the night of the costume party. Something this elaborate would have taken time to work out all the details. It was not an impulsive act or last minute decision. It was a carefully constructed plan.”
Lexi stared at him for a moment as she turned the words over in her mind. “You’re very good at this, extrapolating a viable sounding theory from a few bits of miscellaneous information.”
“I like solving puzzles. It’s the way my mind works. It goes to the logical. That’s why I’m so good with computers and was able to build an internet company worth a great deal of money.”
“You have logic and I have psychic visions.” Her words sounded sheepish even to her own ears, almost as if she was embarrassed to have said them.
He took her hand in his, slowly lacing their fingers together. His voice turned soft, his words covered in intimacy. “Sounds to me like a good combination. What do you think?”
She made eye contact with him, holding his gaze for what seemed like eternity before answering. The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. “I think you might possibly be right.”
The moment hung in the air, neither of them saying anything. Lexi finally broke the spell binding them together. “But this is neither the time nor place.”
His words were cloaked in soft emotion. “I know.”
Chapter Eight
“Damn! I sure didn’t expect this.” Gable read the printed email for the second time, then handed it back to Lexi. “I’ll say one thing for Prescott, he’s crafty.”
“According to the time on it, he just sent it to me about ten minutes ago. That means he came up with this plan in less than eight hours from the time I emailed him this morning. But a mind that could dream up those novels he writes is capable of all kinds of things.”
“Yes…things like a double murder that went unsolved for thirty years because there was never any proof that anyone had even been killed. Things like creating a new identity and totally reinventing himself.”
Lexi shot Gable a sidelong glance. “Well, he’s not the only one who successfully reinvented himself.”
He touched his fingertip to her nose while suppressing a grin. “Point taken.”
“What do you want to do about this email from Prescott? Even though he says it’s a request, it sure reads like an order. He wants you to host a lavish costume party identical to the one the night of the disappearances as a combined publicity event for his upcoming book and the island’s proposed resort. He even wants the same guests invited who attended the original party including the descendents of those who have died. And then there’s this part about him using the occasion to make a major announcement that will solve the thirty-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of Evelyn and Winthrop Hollingsworth. I can’t imagine him admitting that J.D. Prescott is really the missing Winthrop Hollingsworth. What in the world could he be up to?”
Gable glanced at the clock on his desk. They had been busy all afternoon and now it was nearly dinner time. “Brian comes on shift in half an hour. If we want to keep him from being overly suspicious, we need to vacate my office and be seen separately.”
“Did you find anything on the references Brian used on his résumé? The ones who gave him a glowing report?”
“Yes. It took some serious digging through corporate structures, but it turns out that all three companies are connected to Prescott even though he’s not officially listed on any of the corporate paperwork or roster of officers. I didn’t have enough time to crack the list of stockholders, but I suspect he also holds a significant block of shares in each of the companies. But the telling piece is that Prescott was a silent partner in a security business Brian used to own. So,” he paused a moment to pull her into his arms, “your psychic hunch was right on the
money.”
Gable brushed a soft kiss across Lexi’s lips, then captured her mouth with a heated kiss that nearly took her breath away. All thought of work evaporated in an incendiary flash. It took several seconds before she pulled her composure together and broke off the kiss. “We don’t have time for this right now. Brian will be on duty shortly. We have to get a plan together.”
“You’re right.” He placed another quick kiss on her lips then turned his attention to the business at hand. “The original party was a lavish Halloween costume event. That night a rainstorm complete with thunder and lightning swept across the island. The power went out. It was during the blackout that Winthrop and Evelyn disappeared. It was later determined that the power outage had been rigged and one of the island’s small motor boats came up missing. The prevailing theory said my father turned off the power to create confusion while he murdered Winthrop and Evelyn, then used the boat to get off the island and disappear, most likely taking the bodies with him and dumping them at sea.
“That’s a lot for one man to accomplish on his own. Especially turning off the power then having only a couple of minutes at the most to make his way in the dark to grab both Winthrop and Evelyn from a ballroom filled with people. And all of that without any assistance in physically subduing them yet neither of them called for help. I, personally, never did believe that was even possible let alone probable. I’ve been able to verify that no one saw my father at any time during the afternoon before the party. I think he was already dead. Winthrop rigged the electricity earlier and grabbed Evelyn when the lights went out at the predetermined time. Knowing exactly when the ballroom would be plunged into darkness, he could have maneuvered Evelyn to the French doors moments before. He probably already had my father’s body stored in some secret place and all he had to do was put Evelyn’s body there, too, and go into hiding until things calmed down and he could bury them, then escape.”
“That all makes sense. In fact, it’s the first thing I’ve come across that really does make complete sense. But what do you want me to tell Prescott about this party thing?”
“Don’t tell him anything yet. Let him sit around and wonder if I’m going to take the bait. We can’t let him call the shots.”
Lexi glanced at the clock. “I’d better gather my stuff and take it back to my room before Brian sees me.” She put all her papers and her laptop in the tote bag, then reached for the doorknob. Gable’s hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could open the door. She shot him a curious glance.
“Be careful. If Brian Cookson is on Prescott’s payroll, then he’s most likely watching your every move even more than mine. As far as anyone knows, I’m just the guy who bought the island. But you…that’s a different story. You have a direct connection to Prescott. Brian would have contacted Prescott right away about the skeletons, probably when he went to change his clothes right after Bud arrived. That gave Prescott additional time to work out his plan, not just from the time you emailed him. In fact, it might be a good idea for you to keep your research material here rather than your room. I can lock the papers in my safe and transfer your sensitive computer files about me and Prescott to my computer. You can work on your laptop in here using your routine research information. I keep my office locked at all times, but I can give you a key.”
They each recognized the offer of a key to his office as more than a temporary solution to a possible problem. It was the same as her willingly handing her research information to him. It conveyed a genuine level of trust, one born from a newly forged emotional connection between them.
“That’s a good idea.” She handed the tote bag to Gable. “I’ll go to my room and get ready for dinner.” Taking the initiative, she placed a quick kiss on his lips. “I’ll see you in the kitchen.”
Lexi glanced around as she left Gable’s office, thankful that she didn’t see anyone…especially Brian. A bit of a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. Gable’s decision to let Prescott wait for a while before answering his email amused her. Everything she had heard about J.D. Prescott in publishing circles said he was a control freak. And now that they knew his true identity, it confirmed his need to have control of everything. One of the many facets of Winthrop Hollingsworth’s life that had repeatedly been mentioned in the press was his need to control. It gave them a tool to use against him, something to work in their favor. Take away that control. Make him function on their terms.
At the end of the hall, she rounded the corner headed toward the glass walkway that connected the back wing to the house. Her heart beat jumped and she came to an abrupt halt. The hard jolt of anxiety hit her. Brian stood blocking her way. Was it coincidental or had he been waiting for her? She tried to force a calm to her voice.
“Good evening, Brian.”
“Good evening, Miss Caldwell. I was just looking for Mr. Talbot. Have you seen him?”
“Gable?” Be careful what you say. Don’t talk too much. Don’t offer any information. Don’t try to explain something when there’s nothing to explain. “Not lately. Have you checked the kitchen?”
Brian pointedly stared at her as if he knew she had lied. Or was that her own guilty conscience? “Yes. Dolly said he picked up a lunch tray for two, but that was a few hours ago and she hadn’t seen him since then.”
A welcome relief settled over her when she spotted Gable out of the corner of her eye. She pointed toward the enclosed courtyard. “Isn’t that him over there by the swimming pool?”
A look of surprise covered Brian’s face when he turned and saw Gable checking the chemical balance of the water. “Uh…yes. Well, he looks busy. I’ll catch him later.”
Lexi hurried toward her room, thankful to be away from Brian. Now that she knew more about him, about his background, the danger she felt from him made sense. She couldn’t put him on alert by letting on that they suspected him of something. Whatever Gable planned…a slight frown tugged at her forehead. Even though Gable had trusted her with a key to his office, he had not shared any of his plan with her. A sigh of resignation said all she could do was wait until he was ready to confide in her.
****
Lexi snuggled into Gable’s arms as he stroked his fingers across her bare skin. Making love had touched him even deeper than it had the previous night. It had solidified what he already knew. Not only were they involved together in untangling a thirty-year-old murder mystery, the involvement was emotional as well as physical. In a dramatically short amount of time she had become very important to him. Perhaps too important? He chased the dark thought away before it could go any further. He knew that was his fear talking, not reality.
His agenda had taken a sudden turn into the fast lane since the arrival of Lexi and knowledge of what she had discovered. Everything made complete sense now. He had all the elements. He needed only to assemble them into the final picture. What had looked like it could be another year in coming to fruition now loomed on the horizon where he could almost reach out and touch it. The culmination of his hard work and driven obsession could now be numbered in days rather than months. And once he had cleared his father’s name and seen to it that Winthrop Hollingsworth was exposed so the law could deal with him, he would be able to give his full attention to Lexi.
The phone call he made a few hours ago put another step of his plan into action. How the final step played out would depend on J.D. Prescott’s response to Gable’s decision about recreating the costume party from the night of the disappearances.
Lexi shifted position, drawing his attention back to the present. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead while tightening his hold on her. “Are you awake?” He whispered the words so not to disturb her if she was asleep. He also didn’t want her to return to her own room as she had done last night. The idea of waking in the morning with her sleeping next to him felt very right.
“Mmmm…yes, I’m awake.”
“I’ve been thinking about Brian. We don’t want him to know that we’re on to him and his connection with Pr
escott.”
“We also don’t know if he’s even aware of Prescott’s true identity.”
“Right. So I think the best thing for me to do is put Brian on the day shift so there are other people around when he’s on duty. That should limit his movements. The night shift gives him too many opportunities to snoop. Someone tried to access my computer. At the time, I wasn’t sure who did it.” He shot her an embarrassed grin. “I even wondered if it might have been you.”
Lexi raised up on one elbow, surprise covering her face. “Me?”
“For me, you were the unknown factor that had been introduced into the equation. While you were doing research into my background, I was suspicious of you.”
“Well…” she emitted a soft chuckle, “since you put it that way I can’t disagree with your logic.”
He pulled her back into his embrace. “Now I’m sure it must have been Brian. That means he was able to get into my office. He wasn’t successful with the computer, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try again. By putting him on days, he won’t have any excuse to be in the halls of my house at night. I’ve also installed some added security devices in my office and a couple of other places as a precaution.”
“I’m glad you’ve taken some steps to keep closer tabs on Brian. He frightens me. Even this evening after I left your office…I told you about running into him in the hall.” A shiver darted across her skin reminding her of the anxiety her brief encounter with Brian had caused. She placed a tender kiss on Gable’s chest while splaying her fingers across his thigh as much to seek out the comfort of the physical contact as to initiate lovemaking.
“I was going to tell you about my decision concerning Prescott’s request to recreate the original party,” his voice turned to a husky whisper, “but I think it can wait until we finish this.”
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