This Time (The DeLuca Family Book 4)

by Amy Reece

  “And what time did you leave for your parents’? You said it was for dinner, right?” Wilson glanced up sharply, as if questioning Seamus’s time line. “Why did you go to pick her up so early?”

  Dude, seriously? Have you never had a girlfriend? Maybe I should show him a picture of Sloane. He probably wouldn’t ask such a stupid question if he saw her. “Well, Sloane is perpetually late, so I usually try to get there really early so I can make sure she’s ready to go.”

  “And was she ready?”

  “Not even close. She was still in bed when I got there. We didn’t leave for my parents’ house until close to six o’clock.” He felt it was better to skip over all the details of what had occurred between four and six.

  “Your girlfriend was still in bed at four o’clock in the afternoon?”

  “Apparently she’d stayed up all night working on the spring clothing line. She’s a buyer for Macy’s.”

  “And it took her two hours to get ready? What did you do during that time?”

  Seamus felt himself flushing. “It took her a little over an hour to get ready. I watched the game while I waited.”

  “What about the other hour?”

  Seamus coughed and reached for the water again. “When I let myself in, Sloane was still in bed, like I said. So I joined her. We had sex, Detective Wilson. That’s what you tend to do when you have a beautiful girlfriend. We had sex twice and then she went to take a shower and get ready.” He stared at the other man, hoping he would look down in embarrassment.

  He didn’t seem fazed by Seamus’s irritation. “And how long was she in the shower?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Maybe twenty minutes or so.”

  “And what is her address? I’ll need her full name and phone number too.” He slid another legal pad and a pen across the table to Seamus. He waited until he had the notepad back to continue. “And then you went to your parents’ house? Did you stop anywhere along the way?”

  Seamus told him they’d gone straight to his parents’ house and had stayed there until close to ten o’clock. “We went straight home. I dropped her off and then I went back to my place.”

  “You didn’t go in with her?” Detective Wilson raised his eyebrows, a blank look on his face.

  I really hate this guy. “No. We had an argument and I just wanted to be by myself.”

  “What did you fight about?”

  Seamus sighed and reached for his bottle of water. He wanted to tell the detective to go screw himself, that it was none of his business, but knew it wasn’t a good idea. “What we always fight about: her lateness and my lack of interest in appearances.”

  “And did you go straight home after you dropped her off? Did you stop anywhere first?”

  Seamus shrugged and crossed his arms. “I stopped by a Circle K for a six pack. Then I went home and drank it.” He hated fighting with Sloane, but it seemed to happen more and more often lately. He’d needed the oblivion of alcohol and had welcomed the buzz.

  “You don’t happen to have your receipt from the Circle K, do you?”

  “I don’t know. It might be somewhere in my car. I can look.”

  “That would be good. Do you have any roommates, Mr. DeLuca? Is there anyone who could vouch for your whereabouts from ten o’clock on?”

  He shook his head and swallowed hard. “So, am I a suspect?”

  Wilson looked up and smiled slightly. “I’m simply getting as much information as possible, Mr. DeLuca. We have barely begun our investigation into Mr. Braden’s death. At this point, we don’t consider anyone a suspect. We’re just trying to nail down everyone’s movements on the day in question.” He scrawled a few more lines. “How was your relationship with Mr. Braden? You said you were best friends, but did the two of you ever argue? Had you argued with him lately?”

  “No, we never argued. There was nothing to argue about. We just hung out, blew off steam, you know?”

  “Did Neal ever mention enemies or people he was having trouble with? Did he ever talk about having to fire anyone at work?”

  He was already shaking his head before the detective finished speaking. “Never, as far as I can remember. We kept it pretty light. I never really understood what he did for a living. He was always interested in what I did, though, in what it was like to be a firefighter.” He gulped against the sudden, unexpected emotion. I should have tried harder. I should have cared more about what he did all day, every day. I was kind of a crappy friend. He glanced at his watch, although he had no pressing engagements. “How much longer will this take?”

  “We’re almost done, Mr. DeLuca.” He consulted his notes. “Are you acquainted with Mr. Braden’s business partner, Gordon Sanderson?”

  Seamus hoped his dislike of the man didn’t show on his face; it really had nothing to do with Neal, after all. “I’ve met him a few times.” He shrugged. “Neal seemed to like him, so that’s all that matters, right? I didn’t have to work with him.”

  “So, he didn’t tag along when you and Mr. Braden were ‘hanging out’?” The air quotes were perfectly audible.

  “I guess he did a couple times, but I liked it better when it was just Neal and me.”

  “So, you don’t like Gordon.” It was a statement rather than a question.

  “He’s okay. We don’t have a lot in common.” Except a fondness for Nina, apparently.

  “And what about Mr. Braden’s fiancée, Kira Karlsson?”

  Seamus was fed up with the whole interrogation thing and wanted to punch Detective Wilson in the face. “What about her?”

  The detective smiled an unpleasant smile, as if he could read Seamus’s mind. “Do you like her?”

  “I don’t see why that matters.” It was one thing to casually ask Nina if she trusted the woman, but another entirely to bring it up for discussion with the police.

  “Why don’t you let me decide what matters and what doesn’t? Now, it’s a simple question: do you like Kira?”

  Seamus sneered slightly as he answered; he was so done with this. “She’s okay, I guess. She’s nice. I don’t know what else you want from me.”

  “Were she and Mr. Braden fighting recently?”

  “No idea. We never talked about our relationships, Detective.”

  “Hmm.” He continued to scrawl on the notepad. “And what about Mr. Braden’s sister, Nina?”

  Seamus told himself to calm down, that getting arrested for assaulting a police officer would upset Nina, not to mention his mother. “Nina Braden had nothing to do with her brother’s death.” He ground the words out between clenched teeth. “She’s the sweetest person in the world and she loved Neal.”

  “Thank you, Mr. DeLuca. Just one more question, for now. Who do you think killed your friend?”

  ***

  Nina

  “Can I get you some coffee, Nina? Or water? I could make you a cup of tea if you prefer. I’ve got some really nice herbal tea in my desk; Hugh brought it to me last week.”

  “Tea would be great, thanks.” She followed Chris to her work station, noting the small photograph of Hugh and Chris by her computer monitor. They were on an overlook above the ocean and the love in their eyes as they gazed at each other was obvious. “That’s a great picture.”

  “Thanks.” She rifled through her top drawer as she spoke. “I wanted one of him alone, but he flat-out refused. I don’t think those DeLuca boys realize how cute they are. Well, maybe Finn does. How could he not, right?”

  Nina smiled, but didn’t respond. Finn was gorgeous, of course, but she’d always thought Seamus was cuter. Chris obviously felt the same about Hugh.

  “Got it.” She held up the small, green box. She led the way back to the small coffee alcove, where she found each of them a clean mug. She handed one to Nina and they set about preparing their drinks.

  “Okay, Nina,” Chris said once they were seated in a small office across from the alcove. “We’ll be more comfortable here than in one of the interrogation rooms.” She gestur
ed to the sofa and took a seat in the nearby armchair. “I don’t want you to be nervous about this, all right? I just need to get your formal statement since we’re now investigating Neal’s death as a homicide.” She paused for a moment. “I’m so sorry you and your family have to go through all this.”

  Nina smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Chris. It’s been really tough, but believe it or not, it’s a little easier now.” She sipped her tea, then looked up. “Does that make me a horrible person?”

  Chris shook her head as she set her mug on the side table and reached for a legal pad. “Not at all. I’m sure it’s easier to accept that someone killed him rather than he killed himself. It seems pretty normal to me.”

  “Thanks. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel anymore.”

  “Why don’t we get started? I know you’re anxious to be done with all this. So, let’s get the formal stuff out of the way first, okay? You’re okay with me recording this interview? Good.” She clicked on the small digital recorder. “Go ahead and state your full name, age, and address so we have it on record with the recording.”

  “Nina Delaney Braden; 26; 2753 Calle Vista Avenue Northeast, Albuquerque, New Mexico.” She blew out a breath. “This is kind of nerve-wracking.”

  Chris smiled. “I understand. Try to relax. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing the day of Neal’s death? That would be the Sunday before last, in the late afternoon into early evening.”

  “Um, I was at home most of the day with the girls. We went to my parents’ house to take the newspaper in and water the plants. They were still on their cruise, you know. The rest of the day we just stayed at the house. They had a play date with a couple friends from school in the afternoon and the moms dropped them off. They stayed for about three hours.”

  “Okay, great. I’ll need the names and numbers of those moms, okay?”

  Nina nodded and took the steno notebook from Chris. “You’re checking my alibi, aren’t you?”

  Chris reached to touch Nina’s hand. “It’s a formality, Nina. You’re not a suspect.”

  “What about Seamus? Is that why you aren’t allowed to question him?”

  “We’re simply trying to make sure this investigation is aboveboard. Right now, we’re making sure we know where everyone was and what they were doing so we can start eliminating people as suspects.”

  Nina nodded and grabbed her cell phone so she could find the contact information for the little girls who had played at her house the Sunday her brother was killed. Only later, when she rewound the conversation in her head, did she realize Chris hadn’t truly answered her question about Seamus being a suspect. She handed the pad back to Chris.

  “Nina, did Neal ever talk to you about people he might have been having trouble with?”

  She frowned as she thought back to all the conversations she’d had with her brother. “No one specific I can remember. He occasionally talked about how much harder it was to be the boss than he’d ever expected.”

  “What about his business? Was it successful?”

  “I think so. He never said anything to make me think otherwise.”

  Chris raised her head sharply. “What do you mean? Why did you say ‘me’ in that way?”

  Nina shrugged and wrapped her hands around the warm mug, trying to soak up the heat. She couldn’t seem to get warm and wished she had chosen a heavier cardigan that morning. “It’s just something Kira said when we all thought it was suicide. She said he’d been depressed about a bunch of stuff, including the company. That’s why he was seeing a therapist and taking the anti-depressants. I didn’t believe her.”

  “Tell me about your relationship with Neal. You’re twins, right? Who’s older?”

  Nina chuckled softly. “Me. By about five minutes. I, of course, never let him forget it while we were growing up.” She sniffed and looked around for a tissue. “He was a really good friend. I can’t believe he’s gone.”

  Chris stood and found a box of Kleenex for her. “Tell me about the money you loaned him.”

  Nina was shocked they already knew about that. “Wow. You guys are good. When he and Gordy decided to start RiskCom, they weren’t able to get as much from the bank as they needed. They each had to come up with an additional amount. I don’t know where Gordy got his. Neal asked me for advice on how he could acquire the extra funds and I offered to make him a personal loan.” She named the amount and watched Chris’s eyes widen.

  “Where did you get that kind of money? I thought you were an underpaid college professor.”

  Nina smiled. “I am, but my ex has a lot of money and he’s always been very generous. I was still married at the time Neal was starting his business and it was actually David who suggested the loan.”

  “Where did David’s money come from? Isn’t he also a college professor?”

  “He is, but in addition to family money, he’s written a couple books that have done well.” It was a bit of an understatement; David was a good writer and had managed to find a way to bridge the gap between academia and popular writing. He wrote about some lesser-known anthropological phenomena that found a huge audience with the general populous. And he had a great publicist.

  “And did Neal ever pay you back?”

  “Yes, for the most part. He had a few more payments to make, but he always made sure to pay every month on the dot.”

  “And how did David feel about the loan? You said it was his idea, but did he ever change his mind?”

  “No. David gave me the money, and then I’m sure he totally forgot about it. We never argued over money, Chris. David continues to generously support me and the girls.” She sipped her tea and sighed. “Money was never our problem.”

  Chris smiled and continued scratching copious notes on her legal pad. “Okay. What do you know about Gordon, Neal’s business partner? Do you know him well?”

  “Not really. They met when they were in college in Las Cruces. I went out of state, so I never really spent much time with Gordy until recently. “

  “And they were good friends? Did Neal ever say anything about them disagreeing about the direction the business should go in?”

  “He never said anything. I think they got along really well.”

  “Okay. What about Neal’s fiancée, Kira? How long have they been together?”

  “Just over two years. They’ve been engaged for about six months.”

  Chris wrote for a moment. “And how would you describe their relationship?”

  “Well, they decided to get married, so I guess it was pretty good.”

  “Was it a volatile relationship?”

  “No, not at all. Neal is…was…such an easygoing guy. We never even fought much when we were growing up.” She felt her eyes get misty as she remembered. “He and Kira always seemed happy. Neal was so excited about the wedding.”

  Chris paused. “What about Kira?”

  “Excuse me?” She frowned at Chris, not understanding her question.

  “You said ‘Neal was so excited about the wedding.’ What about Kira? Was she excited?”

  Nina shrugged. “I mean, yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t she be? I don’t really know her very well, either. Why do you ask?”

  Chris smiled, but continued to write. “I’m trying to get a clear picture of Neal’s life, that’s all. Tell me more about Kira.”

  “Didn’t you already talk to her this morning? She said she had an early appointment with you.”

  “She did, but I’d like to hear your opinion of her.”

  Nina grimaced as she realized Chris had certainly asked Kira about Nina. I wonder if they’re asking Seamus about me? I bet he’s next on Chris’s list. “This is awful, Chris. I feel like I’m betraying all Neal’s friends.”

  Chris patted her hand sympathetically. “I know, sweetie, but I need you to keep going. We’re going to do our best to find Neal’s killer. Just tell me what you’ve observed about Kira. I promise you’re not betraying anyone.”

  Nina shrug
ged and sipped her tea again; it all felt so wrong. “Kira is nice,” she said carefully.

  “But?” Chris looked up from her notes. “Come on, Nina. There’s a huge ‘but’ in there. Tell me.”

  She sighed and leaned forward to set her mug on the table. “No, there’s really not. It’s simply a case of his twin sister not thinking anyone is good enough for her brother. Kira’s fine. For someone else.”

  Chris nodded sagely. “I have a little sister, so I get it. Can you try to explain, though? What was it that made you feel that way?”

  Nina leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes. I’m so tired. I want this to be over. “Nothing specific; not really. How do I say this? She’s just not special enough for Neal. She’s never done anything wrong, though.” She wondered if she should mention how nervous Kira had seemed the evening before but decided against it. I certainly don’t want to prejudice the police against her in any way.

  “All right. That’s fine, Nina.” She took a deep breath and looked straight into Nina’s face. “What about Seamus? I have to ask.”

  Nina frowned, although she’d known it was coming. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Seamus is wonderful, and he’s always been a good friend to Neal, even though they drifted apart some during college, but that was simply due to them going to different universities. I don’t know how I would be dealing with this without him. Please don’t ask me to trash talk him.”

  “Is there anything to trash talk about?” Chris raised her eyebrows at her.

  Nina squared her jaw and stared back. “Absolutely not.”

  Chris smiled and wrote. “Good. And I’m glad he’s been around to help you out. Hugh would probably kick his ass if he didn’t. Nina, do you know if Neal had a life insurance policy?”

  Nina grimaced. “Yeah, he did. And before you ask, I’ll tell you I’m the beneficiary. He wanted to make sure I’d get my money back for the loan if anything happened to him.”

  Chris nodded in a manner that told Nina she’d already known. “Now, do me a favor. Close your eyes.” She waited until Nina did as directed. “I’m going to ask you a question and I don’t want you to think about it. I just want you to say the first thing that comes to your mind, okay? Who do you think killed your brother?”