by Kira Reese
“Are you Investigator McCauley?” she asked.
“I am a private investigator and not connected with the police department. Call me Candace.”
Her demeanor was friendly. She was the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen. She was exotic. Shimmering dark hair caught in the sunlight. It reached just below her shoulders, and she wore it loose. Tanned skin smoothed over her as a tight glove fit a hand. Her makeup was just enough and flawless. The large silver hooped earrings completed her look.
“I’m sure you want to meet about the recent death of Thornton Grey. Did Angelina send you to me?”
“She mentioned you a while back but has no idea I am meeting you. Were you and Thornton still an item?”
She laughed softly. “No, he no longer wanted me around. Surely Angelina happily gave you that tidbit already.”
I did not provide any reaction to give her the opportunity to read my face. “I mean, did you and Thornton continue the relationship in private?”
She leaned back abruptly. A slight color tinted her cheeks. She shifted to avoid the sun that moved closer to her. I waited for an answer. I asked myself if that was mist in her eyes. It was hard to tell if she squinted because of the sun or if those were a semblance of tears in her dark eyes.
“Thornton purposely told others we had broken up. We continued to see each other but not here in New York. He dated others, some younger than me, but we often vacationed together out of the country. I have not seen him for over a month and wondered why he didn’t call me.”
“According to my sources, you stalked him.”
“That sounds like something Angelina would say. I did not stalk him in any sense of the word. He contacted me when he wanted a getaway with me.”
“Didn’t that hold up your opportunity to date other men?”
She smiled a knowing smile. “That did not deter me from dating whoever I wanted to.”
“How did you come to work for James Butler?”
“I did freelance work for him when he was still in partnership with Thornton. A couple of years after he started out on his own he called me and asked if I wanted a permanent job with his company.” She brushed an imaginary speck of something from her wrist. “He knew Thornton and I still saw each other. At the time, I was getting ready to return to my home in Ontario. When he offered the position I took it. I prefer New York.”
“What was his attitude toward Thornton at this point?”
“As far as I know, they remained friends with each other, but from a distance. For some reason I always felt there was more that went on between them in the business than I knew about. They did not see each other so much after that, but Jim never spoke ill of him.”
So far, things were adding up that affirmed things I had already learned.
“I’m sure Thornton’s death has hit you hard,” I said.
“I am devastated over it. I can’t believe how it all happened. It is a mystery to me how one of his boats could have just exploded. I mean, he was more than careful in checking his yachts over before he put them out to sea.” Long lashes kept tears at bay. “Do you know exactly what happened out there?”
“I don’t have any details at this point.” I did not plan to divulge any information or suspicions to Victoria Hahn. I believed she did love Thornton, and his loss cut her deeply. “Do you know anyone who may have wanted to harm him?”
“He didn’t always treat his clients ethically. I’m sure he made enemies along the way, but I don’t know any in particular. He did business worldwide.”
I figured I had enough to keep me busy the rest of the day. More than that, I knew I had gotten all the information possible from Victoria, and so I told her thanks for meeting me. She had not touched her salad but did nibble on a cracker and finished her iced tea. She smiled and told me it was her pleasure.
“I do hope you can find out what happened to Thornton,” she said. “He was a good man and very generous.”
I didn’t doubt she was the recipient of much of his generosity. He knew how to pick his girlfriends.
Chapter 11
Hidden Clue
It had been several days since I went with the Thomasons to identify Thornton’s body at the morgue. I did not want to disturb Angelina with nothing to tell her regarding her father’s death. That did not mean that many others weren’t disturbing her. The fact that Thornton’s friends and acquaintances poured their sympathy to Angelina had to be overwhelming. The news reported Thornton Grey would be buried two days from now. I put the date into my phone and tried to concentrate on cases at hand. Instead, possible suspects in his death flooded my mind. Some I knew and some I had no idea of. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, for sure.
Ben told me he felt the same way. We pooled our resources, and he put his force on some possible suspects I unearthed. So far, all panned out as having nothing to do with the accident. Even Mano seemed surprised at the disaster on the seas. Neither Ben nor I took that as proof that he had nothing to do with it, but we had nowhere to go with our gut feelings when it came to the Italian mobster. I left him to the police as promised to Ben.
The day of the funeral was sunny, and a cool breeze swept across the cemetery. By afternoon, the heat and humidity would return. An avalanche of mourners streamed toward the gravesite. Almost as many plainclothes cops spread around the perimeter of the crowd as well as mixed in with mourners. I stood several yards from the side of the gravesite but had a clear vision of Angelina before she sat down on the front row of chairs reserved for family. I recognized some of the mourners. Some who gathered near the family I presumed were distant relatives or close friends.
Victoria Hahn stood apart from all of them. Her exotic frame seemed to count on the large oak tree she stood next to for support if she failed to remain upright. Behind her stood James Butler and three others. They could have been coworkers, though I wasn’t sure. My eyes shifted to the rest of the crowd. Employees of Thornton’s downtown penthouse office clustered together. Several were tearful. There were so many people there that I doubted any would prove helpful to me. Hopefully, the police managed to glean more than I did.
I waited until most of the mourners dispersed from the gravesite. Only family members were left. Angelina bent in grief, and her sobs pierced the still air. Camden held her up, and her two daughters followed their parents as tears streamed down their faces. I wondered if the children mimicked their mother, or if Thornton really did have a close relationship with his granddaughters.
Three days after the burial of Thornton Grey, Angelina called me. I told her the police were very active in the case as was I. She sniffed a couple of times, but I sensed the anguish of the past few days had lessened.
“I am sure you are all working hard on it,” said Angelina. “I called for another reason. Camden and I discussed your interest in my father’s computers and the contents of all of them. The police have confiscated them from his home and from his office. Camden told me something I did not know. I don’t want to give the information to the cops, but I thought it would be helpful to you.”
I wanted to hurry her along but gave her time. Sweat began to moisten the palms of my hands, and I felt dampness creep between my shoulder blades. I couldn’t breathe. Hurry up, I almost said to her.
“What is the information?” I finally managed to say.
“He knows my father had his own personal laptop. He never used it for business, just personal stuff. Camden knows where it is.”
“Do you want me to come over and get it?”
“He will bring it to your office. He wants to talk with you in private.”
I waited for Camden Thomason to arrive. Evelyn’s appreciation of his cut of clothes wasn’t lost on me as I came from my office. His thick blond hair said he must have his own personal barber. He was fit, and an air of confidence swept the room. I invited him into my office and closed the door.
Pale blue eyes looked into my amber ones. He slipped the laptop from its cover and pla
ced it on the cleared space.
“Can you tell me specifically what I should be looking at?” I asked.
“Thornton was an enigma in many ways,” he said. “His desire for beautiful women was an obsession for him. I knew he gambled, but Angelina has no idea of that. I prefer she not find out. It would serve no purpose now.” He opened the laptop from his vantage point, upside down from me. “Thornton Grey made money no matter what he touched. He was a master at it. It’s not his business I want you to concentrate on. Rather, his personal life will tell you more. There is nothing of business on this computer.”
I looked at the icons on the desktop page. There were three that stood out. Two were dating sites and one was something I did not recognize.
“How did you come to know about this private computer?” I asked.
“Thornton and I rarely saw each other, but when we did meet for a drink on occasion he discussed his personal life with me. He threatened me to keep it all to myself, and above all, Angelina should never know any of it. He confided in me.”
“I suppose that was a good thing. With his high profile, it makes sense he needed someone he felt he could trust.”
Camden nodded. “He kept this laptop hidden deep in his walk-in closet in his bedroom. It was camouflaged behind suits that were in zippered bags. I retrieved it as soon as I heard of his death. I told Angelina about it. She went with me and occupied Raymond while I went upstairs and got it. She then came in and carried out a large painting that was hers to begin with. Our plan was to let Raymond know we were simply getting what was ours.”
“Was Raymond suspicious at all?”
“If he was, he let it go. He has always been a protector of sorts of Angelina. She could trust him to keep quiet about our actions.”
I leaned back. Thoughts swirled through my mind. “What about Raymond? Did he have any reason to wish harm on Thornton?”
Camden looked shocked. “Raymond has been with Thornton for many years. I have never known any animosity between them. Thornton paid him well, as he did all of his employees. I am sure he provided very well for Raymond. He is not only his gardener, but he makes sure no one trespasses on the property. He is considered a guard of the place. He takes his jobs seriously.”
I recalled my first visit there. Camden was on target with that assessment.
The stockbroker stood and extended his hand. “I will leave this to you. Take your time and go through everything. There is one place in particular you will be interested in. It was news to me, as well. I don’t want to tell you, in hopes that you will search the computer’s entirety without prejudice.”
I had no idea what those words meant, but I couldn’t wait for him to leave so I could get into the recesses of Thornton Grey’s private life. This should be a real eye-opener, I thought. Camden left passwords with me for every site on there. Thornton Grey certainly trusted his son-in-law. I wondered if he had a premonition of an untimely death, and that was the reason he gave Camden total access.
As far as I knew, there were only three people who knew of this computer. I promised Camden Thomason I would not divulge the information to the cops or anyone else. Mentally, I knew at some point I would tell Nick. We knew how to keep things to ourselves. Nick told me plenty of inside information in his real estate business and people he dealt with. Everyone has to have someone to tell intimate secrets to. Thornton Grey was, in this sense, as common as any of us.
Camden was not wrong when he said his father-in-law was obsessed with beautiful women. He corresponded with at least one in “every port.” They were across the world. I found gifts he purchased for many of them. He believed in expensive ones. Some were from dating sites, and others appeared to be ones he met someplace other than websites.
I heard Evelyn and Natalie closing down. The clock read 5 p.m. I had been looking into Thornton’s private life all day long. Natalie stuck her head into my office.
“You sure have been quiet today,” she said.
“I’m working hard on how Thornton Grey came to be dead on a sandy beach on a secluded island.”
I closed the laptop. It would go wherever I did. The three of us walked out together.
“Do you want to join us for a drink before heading home?” asked Evelyn.
That was not a bad idea. It would clear my mind of my fascination with Thornton’s private life. In a way, I felt guilty for delving into it so deeply, but not for long.
“Thanks, I believe I will. We all deserve to let down our hair a little,” I said.
“Our cases are really building up,” said Natalie, “but let’s leave it all inside those doors.” She turned and pointed to the back of the office. Evelyn and I agreed with her.
Natalie asked me a couple of days ago how many cases I would take before I said no more. I laughed and told her it would take more than what we had now.
By the time I left my two employees at the pub, I had shaken off Thornton’s private life. Just before getting to my driveway, I knew I wanted to spend the evening on it again. But first, it was Nick and me. That was our unspoken priority. I noticed a message on my cell phone from Nick. He was running late and would be home around eight. It was six-thirty now. That gave me time to make a salad to refrigerate until he arrived. I pulled two steaks out of the freezer, then I was back at Thornton’s computer.
I had spent most of the day scrutinizing the dating sites he visited. There were a few that listed secluded areas where he vacationed. The one icon on his desktop that I had yet to click on was next.
Total shock met me. “What?” I said aloud. “What kind of man was he?”
It was one where men looked for men. There were numerous men he had clicked on. They resembled the photo I had seen of him in some ways, meaning some features were the same such as his eyes or face contour. It was as if he searched for someone with his features. What a narcissist. If he was that conceited, that would be something that would get on someone’s nerves. There was nothing that told me he was interested in anyone in particular. If he had been, it would have blown me away after learning so much about him and his women.
I heard Nick’s car enter the driveway. I shut the computer down and got up to greet him.
“I see you left the hard work for me on our dinner,” he said.
“You would have been upset if you didn’t get to grill the steaks yourself and you know it,” I said.
He bent down and the lingering kiss left me limp. No one had ever sent feelings like that through me before Nick came into my life.
Needless to say, I did not get back to Thornton’s laptop that evening.
Chapter 12
Mystery in the Grave
I called the office in the morning and told Natalie I would not be in until around noon. By now, Evelyn was coming in every day, so together they could handle things. After Nick left for work, I headed to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and curled up on the couch. I opened Thornton’s laptop and headed for the site for men again. Before I clicked on it, my cell rang.
“Candy, I’m glad I caught you before you headed to work,” said Ben. The detective’s animated voice alerted me to something important.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We believe the man buried as Thornton Grey was someone else. We are exhuming the body for DNA purposes. The autopsy reads that the man on the beach had severe heart problems. When we gave the report to his daughter, she swore he never had heart problems. We confirmed that with his doctor. The physician had him as a patient for the last fifteen years. Thornton Grey came in for regular checkups and had no serious illnesses at all.”
“But I was there with Angelina and Camden when his body was identified. Angelina said the silver chain was the one she gave him for Christmas last year.”
“I have no answers for that. The body had initially been in the water and then on the beach for a while. By the time he got back home, his countenance was most likely altered somewhat. When he was identified they hadn’t done much with him until
afterwards.” A slight pause gave me time to think about his words. “It is believed he made it to the beach and died there, whoever he is.”
Ben was right regarding the condition of the body. I felt it possible the silver chain convinced Angelina more than anything that it was him. I had to admit he did look like the photos I had seen of him, including the one on his computer desk in his bedroom.
“Does his daughter know it was not her father?” I asked.
“No one knows it yet. We have to be sure. She gave permission to exhume the body, because we told her more tests needed to be done. We convinced her it was necessary to look closer to find out more about the case. She was ready to do that. Her priority is to find out what happened.”
“I wonder if someone mistook the victim for Thornton and thought they had killed him. Was the boat his?”
“The boat was positively identified yesterday as one of his. I suppose the killer could have kidnapped someone he thought was Thornton and forced him onto his own yacht. Your theory that the murderer escaped before the explosion is a viable one. There is much more to do on this case. Cancun officials are cooperative, and we have some men down there now.”
I did not tell Ben I had Thornton’s personal computer. It wasn’t time yet. I had a lot more work to do on it. It was hard for me to wrap my head around the imposter in the new grave in the cemetery. I ended the call with Ben and clicked on the site once again. I hoped nothing else would deter me from it. I felt sure the answer was somehow on that one website.
I uttered some choice words when my cell rang again. I glanced at the caller ID and saw it was Angelina. Her breath came in short gasps until she finally got control again. She told me things I already knew.
“Do you know what this means, Candace?” she asked. “It means they will find who did this to my father any day now. I want him brought to justice for this.”