by D. B. Henson
Jill and Clint must have figured out he was onto them.
Their solution – get rid of him.
But they needed someone to help with their scheme, Toni reasoned. Someone who hated Scott, but at the same time, someone he would trust. So they obviously contacted Brian and made a deal.
Brian could have used Clint’s keys to enter the hotel construction site early that morning, before anyone else arrived. It would have been easy for him to lure Scott up to the penthouse.
After the murder, as the only surviving relative, Brian probably thought he would automatically inherit his brother’s fortune. Then he would sell his half of Chadwick & Shore to Clint. Jill and her husband could continue their business with no one the wiser, and Brian would be a multi-millionaire.
Everybody would win.
Except for Scott and Toni.
So when she started asking too many questions, they decided to take her out of the way as well.
Only this time, she would make sure they failed.
Toni grabbed an umbrella and headed back out into the night. When she reached the street, she found the taxi had left. She had taken too long to locate the files. The driver must have decided she wasn’t coming back.
Returning to the house to wait for another cab seemed a bit too risky. She had no way of knowing how long it would be before Brian discovered she was gone and came looking for her. She needed to keep moving. She could have a taxi pick her up on the next street over.
Toni flipped open her cell phone. A gust of wind caught her umbrella whipping it up and forcing it inside out. Knocked off balance, she slid off the shoulder of the road and dropped her phone into the rain filled ditch.
“Dammit!”
Toni pulled her arm out of her jacket, pushed up her sleeve and fished around in the ditch until she found the phone.
It was dead.
That’s what she got for buying a cheapie. She thought about going back into the house to make the call. Then she remembered. Brian had tapped her phone line.
Now she was stuck. She couldn’t walk all the way to the police station. It would take her all night.
No. But she could walk to Mark’s house. He only lived a few miles away.
Toni threw the useless cell phone back into the ditch along with her broken umbrella.
The phone rang.
The jangling cut through the haze of Brian’s dreamless sleep. He sat up on the sofa.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end confirmed what he already knew.
It was time.
After a long trek, hiding every time she saw headlights, and cutting through more back yards than she could count, Toni finally made it to Mark’s subdivision. Cold and muddy, her wet jacket hood plastered to her head, she rang his doorbell.
The door swung open. Mark stood at the threshold. Clad in a bathrobe, he stared at her as though he’d never seen her before.
“Toni!” His arms engulfed her, pulling her off her feet. “Thank God. I thought I’d lost you. Where have you been?”
She had so much to tell him. Where should she begin? Toni let out a huge sigh.
“Never mind,” he said. “Just come inside, you’re soaked.”
He ushered her into the foyer and helped remove her coat. She glanced down at the dirty footprints she had left across the tile floor.
“That’s it!” Toni grabbed Mark’s arm and jumped like a schoolgirl. “I know how he did it!”
CHAPTER 33
Brian knocked on the bedroom door.
“Toni?”
Receiving no answer, he knocked again.
“Toni, it’s time to wake up.” He listened for movement in the room.
Something was wrong.
He tried the knob. Locked.
Brian kicked the door open and flipped on the light.
She was gone.
“Calm down,” Mark said. “You know how who did what?”
“I know how Brian murdered Scott.”
“Toni, honey.” He pushed her wet hair back out of her face and spoke to her as though she were a child. “We’ve already been over this. Brian didn’t kill Scott.”
“You’re wrong. I know what I’m talking about. Please, Mark. If you’ll just listen –”
“Alright.” He held up his hand. “You win. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say. But first, let’s get you dried off and into some warm clothes. You’re shivering.”
Toni looked down at her legs. Her jeans were soaked all the way up to her knees. “Okay. But you have to believe me.”
Mark’s eyes locked with hers, revealing a deep empathy. “Your pants need to go into the washer. I’ll get you some sweats to wear for now.”
She slipped off her shoes and followed him into the utility room. A basket of freshly laundered clothes sat on top of the table next to the dryer.
He pulled out a grey sweatshirt and matching pants along with a pair of sport socks. “I know these are a little big, but at least you won’t be cold.”
Mark gave Toni a bath towel for her hair and she went into the powder room to change. The reflection in the mirror startled her. She looked terrible. Even with makeup, her face was pale. Dark circles ringed her eyes. The events of the last week had taken their toll on her body as well as her emotions.
She wondered if Brian would search for her here. She knew Mark would defend her with his life. She hated putting him in danger. Hopefully, Brian would assume she left on foot. If that were the case, he would think she was still somewhere in Brentwood, not Blanton Hills.
The sweats felt good against her icy skin. She pulled the drawstring tight and then slipped on the shirt. It fit like a dress. She rolled up the sleeves until they fell just above her wrists.
After drying her hair with the towel, Toni scrubbed the smudged makeup from her face. She hoped washing her jeans wouldn’t take too long. Showing up at the police station in Mark’s clothes would make her appear light years away from credible.
She left the powder room and walked into the kitchen. Mark had changed into a tee shirt and gym shorts and had switched the coffee maker on. Two cups sat on the counter.
“Thanks for the sweats,” she said
He laughed and shook his head. “You look nice.”
“Hey, I’m a fashionista.”
She carried her own clothes into the laundry room and threw them into the washer. When she came back into the kitchen, Mark was pouring the coffee.
“Let’s take this into the living room,” he said.
Toni settled on the sofa, closed her eyes and let the steam from the coffee warm her face. She opened her eyes. “Do you have a gun?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Just tell me.”
“No, I don’t have a gun. Do I need one?”
“Yes, you might.”
He put down his cup. “What exactly is going on here? And where have you been? I’ve driven myself crazy worrying about you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I couldn’t call you.”
“Why not?”
“For your own safety. I didn’t want to get you involved. I shouldn’t even be here now.”
“Well, you are. So start explaining.”
Cradling her cup with both hands, she took a sip of the coffee. “I’ve been in hiding. I had to pretend I was dead.”
Mark looked as though he’d been slapped. “You mean no one was in your car? The whole accident was staged?”
“Oh no, I was in the car. The crash was very real. I almost drowned. Only it wasn’t an accident. I was forced into the river.”
“Are you saying Brian ran you off the road?”
“Not Brian. A man he hired.”
“How do you know that? How do you know it wasn’t some drunk driver?”
“Because I found the car. A dark green Audi.”
Mark shook his head. He didn’t believe her. “Do you realize how many of those cars there must be in this county alone?”
“Not with
red paint from my BMW on the fender.”
He seemed to ponder that information. “Okay. Let’s say you did find the car that hit you. Why do you think Brian is responsible?”
“I told you. He killed Scott.”
“Toni –”
“I know. You think Scott jumped from the balcony. He didn’t. He was thrown.”
Mark rubbed his unshaved chin. “And you know this how?”
“The day of Scott’s funeral, I went to the hotel site. I found his pen, the one he had with him the night before he died. It was on the floor of the construction elevator. At the time, I thought he had fought with someone and lost it that way. I was wrong.”
“Go on.”
“Scott didn’t walk into that elevator. Brian carried him. Probably over his shoulder. The pen fell out of his pocket because he was turned upside down.”
Mark just stared at her.
“You think I’m crazy, don’t you?” she asked.
“I know you’re not crazy. But I talked to the police that day. Brian wasn’t even there when Scott died.”
“Yes, he was. Only no one realized it.”
“You think he was hiding in the hotel?”
“I did at first. Now, I know better.”
“You’re not making sense. If Brian had been at the construction site, someone would have seen him.”
“That’s just it. People see what they expect to see.”
“Meaning?”
“I talked to the lead superintendent, Alvin Harney. He was there when Scott arrived, stood just a few feet from his car. And he saw the same thing he was used to seeing every morning. His mind had become conditioned to see the same thing.”
“Which was?”
“His boss driving a silver BMW. Only this time, Mr. Harney’s eyes lied. Scott wasn’t behind the wheel. Brian was.”
Mark scratched his head, raking his fingers through his uncombed hair. “How did you come to this conclusion?”
“You can’t deny the resemblance between them. If I saw Brian wearing Scott’s hard hat, driving his SUV, I would be fooled. And I knew Scott better than anyone.”
“Okay, you’re right. They do look alike. But that still doesn’t mean it’s true. And where was Scott? Tied up in the back?”
“Yes.”
“What you’re describing sounds like something out of a bad movie. Not real life.”
“So you still don’t believe me?”
“I’m sorry. I just think you’ve been hurt so deeply, you’re not thinking clearly.”
“My mind is crystal clear. Do you remember the night before Scott died?”
“Of course, I do.”
“It rained hard. Poured down. On the way home from the rehearsal dinner, Scott had to pull over twice because he couldn’t see the road.”
“I remember the weather. I had to pull over once myself.”
Toni readjusted herself on the sofa, leaning closer to Mark. “After the funeral, when I went to the hotel, I parked in the exact spot where Scott’s car was found. I followed the same path he would have had to take to get inside. There’s no way he walked into the hotel.”
“Because?”
“Even though I parked on the gravel, the only way I could get up to the hotel was by crossing damp ground. Red clay.”
“So?”
She cocked her head to the side. “There was no mud on Scott’s shoes.”
Mark sat back in his chair, silent for a moment. “Maybe they cleaned them at the medical examiner’s office.”
“Nope. Couldn’t have. When I took his shoes out of the bag they gave me, I noticed a layer of street dust on the tops. They wouldn’t just clean the soles and not the uppers. And after a night of heavy rain, if Scott had walked, his shoes would have been caked with that red clay.”
Mark looked stunned.
Toni smiled. “You’re starting to believe me.”
“Well, I have to give you credit, you’ve made a good case. But if you’re planning on taking this to the police, you might not be too successful.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’ll have to admit they made a huge mistake. They should have caught something that obvious. To save their own hides, the cops will probably try to explain it away. They’ll most likely say they scraped the mud off for evidence. Only now that the case is closed, it’s conveniently gone missing.”
“Fine, it doesn’t matter. Let them say what they want. I have motive.”
“Right, Brian’s lawsuit over the will. But the police will see Scott’s money as a motive for you too. If Brian is convicted of murder, you get the whole shebang. They could think you’re trying to frame him so you don’t have to split the inheritance.”
Toni shook her head. “You don’t understand. I’m not just talking about the will. I have real proof. Hard evidence Scott was murdered.”
She told Mark about the files Scott had left for her which detailed Clint and Jill’s dirty dealings. Toni also related her last visit to Gloria’s apartment and explained how she had found the Audi in Nico’s garage. She concluded by summing up her encounter with Brian.
“Do you have the computer disk with you?” Mark asked.
“It’s in my coat pocket.”
He nodded. “I never pictured Brian as a killer, but you’ve convinced me. With everything you’ve unearthed, the police won’t have a choice. This will force them to reopen Scott’s case.”
“And he can finally get justice.”
Mark reached for her hand. “Scott would be really proud of you right now.”
A tear slid down her cheek and Mark brushed it away.
He stood up. “Let me run upstairs and take a quick shower. Then I’ll drive you to the police station.”
Toni watched him walk up the stairs. It was almost over. The truth would soon be out. Brian, Clint, Jill and her gang would likely spend the rest of their lives in prison. And more importantly, Scott would be vindicated.
Toni picked up her half-empty coffee cup and carried it to the kitchen. From the adjacent laundry room, she could hear the washer making its final spin. She waited for the machine to stop, and then transferred her clothes into the dryer. After topping off her coffee, she returned to the living room.
She nestled into the sofa, putting her feet up. Exhaustion permeated every cell of her body. Maybe now that someone she trusted knew what really happened, she could start to relax a little.
She had just started to drift off to sleep when a sharp whack echoed from the kitchen.
Was that the dryer? Had it gone haywire?
Toni peeled herself from the sofa and went into the kitchen. The door to the patio stood wide open. Rain splattered the floor.
Don’t panic. It was just the wind.
The door wasn’t shut all the way. That’s all.
Brian is not here.
She pushed the door closed and engaged the lock.
Before she could turn around, a searing pain ripped through the back of Toni’s head.
CHAPTER 34
Mark checked his watch before going downstairs. Almost eleven o’clock. He imagined Detective Lewis was enjoying the evening at home with his family. They might even be in bed by now. It didn’t matter.
There was no way Mark would let Toni give her statement to some flunky on the night shift, unfamiliar with Scott’s case. Whatever the hour, he would demand the detective come down to the station. Even if he had to threaten his job.
Mark had more than a few friends in high places. He suspected Lewis knew that already.
The living room was empty.
“Toni?”
Mark headed into the kitchen. His feet slid across the wet tile.
Why would she go outside?
He flipped on the exterior lights. The patio and yard appeared deserted.
A sick feeling rushed through him.
He jerked open the door and ran out into the rain.
As he rounded the corner of the house, a car tore out of his driveway
and disappeared into the night.
Toni struggled in the darkness, trying to free her hands. Whoever attacked her had bound her wrists behind her body and then hogtied them to her feet. She lay on her side, the back of her head throbbing with pain. How long had she been unconscious?
The stale air pushed in around her. Heavy and still. Her first thought – she was inside some type of makeshift coffin. They had left her to die.
Then she realized she was moving. Slowing down.
She recognized the familiar sensation, the faint smell of oil and exhaust fumes. They had locked her inside the trunk of a car.
But whose trunk?
She hadn’t seen the face of her attacker. Was it Brian or Nico? And where were they taking her?
And what about Mark? Had they killed him?
He had been upstairs taking a shower. What if he had heard the commotion? He never would have let them take her. Not without a fight.
Why had she involved Mark in the first place? She should have just walked to the police station no matter how long it took. If he was dead, it was her fault.
Toni wrestled with her restraints. She had to find some way out. And if Mark was still alive, she had to find a way to save him.
Nico Williams waited in the dark.
She was running late, as usual.
Normally, her dawdling didn’t bother him. He was used to it. It was one of the many allowances he afforded her. After what she’d been through, he felt he owed her. But tonight was different. Tonight their timing had to be perfect.
He was about to go in after her when the car door opened.
She was wearing the red wig. The length was a little off, but it would do.
She slid into the passenger seat. Even with the disguise, she was stunning.
Throughout the years, his baby sister’s beauty had been a source not only of his pride, but also of his fear. He realized she was special early on, when she was little more than a toddler. She’d follow him around mimicking his every move, then stare up at him with her big blue eyes and angelic face. Her wavy blonde hair fit her like a halo.