Alana didn’t look capable of doing anything at the moment. Her hand was over her mouth as tears ran down her unlined cheeks, the mascara streaking her face. As Martin was cuffed he turned to Travis.
“Call Barry for me, will you? And get Caroline to sit with Alana. I’ll be in there until they can set bail.”
“Will do. Don’t worry about us out here,” Travis assured his friend and mentor. “We’ll have you out in no time.”
Travis hoped. It was a murder charge and bail might or might not be an option. The best action would be to prove that Martin was completely innocent.
This case wasn’t over.
* * *
Aubrey sighed as she clicked through photographs from the party on Travis’s laptop. Somehow he had managed to charm the official photographer into giving him a thumb drive with all the pictures from the night Bruce Livingston was murdered. There were literally hundreds to go through and every one had to be checked. They were hoping to be able to prove that Martin had been wearing different cufflinks just as he said.
“None of these photos of Martin show his wrists. They’re either from the shoulders up or he’s turned in the wrong direction.”
Travis was at the dining table looking through the file on Bruce one more time. Snapping it shut, he came to sit next to her, his arm across her shoulders. “If you’re tired and need to give your eyes a break I can take over. You’ve gone above and beyond today. This is my fight, not yours, sweetheart.”
He truly believed that and she needed to disabuse him of that notion as quickly as possible.
She perched on her knees so she could cup his jaw in her hands and look directly into his eyes. He needed to see she was sincere about this. “If it’s your fight then it’s our fight. We’re a team now—at least I thought we were. When you talk about your future am I just there for decoration? I want to be a real partner to you. I want to share everything and that means the work and the struggles, not just the fun and the wealth. If that’s not what you have in mind then tell me, because when I picture us together it isn’t me spending my days getting my nails done and shopping. It’s loving you, being with you, helping you.”
His hands caressed her spine and his expression softened, filling with a tenderness that took her breath away. “Sort of like for better or worse? Is that what you mean?”
Heat filled her cheeks at his intimation. She’d never presume to bring up a commitment like that this early in their relationship, but he just did and bravely too. She couldn’t let him twist in the wind out there all by himself.
“Yes,” she breathed softly, butterfly wings fluttering in her abdomen. “Kind of like that. But we’re talking about the future, remember?”
His brow quirked and a smile spread across his handsome features. “So this is practice?”
“Repetition is the key to mastering a skill,” she teased. “I think if we practice and get good at this for better or worse won’t seem like much of a task at all. Can you share all of that with me, Travis? Can you open yourself up to showing me every part of your life?”
For a moment she saw indecision in his eyes and she actually felt a moment of relief. It meant he was taking this seriously and really thinking about what she’d asked him. It wasn’t a trivial moment in their relationship and he realized it.
“I can do that.” Travis nodded and pulled her closer. That one fleeting moment of insecurity was gone and all she could see in his face was happiness. “I want to do that.”
“Good.” She pressed a quick kiss on his lips. “Now let’s get back to work. Notice I said you and me.”
They were quiet as they paged through the photos, enlarging a few to see if they could get more detail. Somehow she had migrated to sitting between his legs, his back against the arm of the couch and the laptop propped on her knees. He nipped at her neck and earlobe, his arms tightening around her waist.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but I’m not sure what for.”
There was a silence and then he whispered to her, his breath warm on her cheek. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
She smiled and giggled but didn’t turn around, simply settling back against him more comfortably.
“I hope that’s a good thing.”
“It’s a very good thing. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Her heart skipped a few beats and she had to remind herself that this man wasn’t like the others she’d known. He believed what he said. He wasn’t saying it to get in her pants or because he thought it was expected. He said it because he felt it and that meant more than anything she could name.
“You too.”
Her hands were on the laptop keyboard and he placed his much larger ones on top of hers before winding their fingers together. “I guess we need to stop making cow eyes at each other and get back to work. But how about we go see a movie tonight? There’s a theatre not far from here. I think we could use the break to get our minds off everything.”
Sitting next to Travis in the dark with popcorn? Yes, please.
“Do I get to pick the movie?”
Travis laughed and she could feel the rumble from his chest against her back. “Yes, princess, you can select the movie. I suppose you’re going to want junk food too?”
“You bet. Lots of it.”
“Then we better get back to work. We have to find some evidence that exonerates Martin. I don’t believe for a second that he did this. It just isn’t in his nature.”
Aubrey hoped Travis wasn’t wrong.
Chapter Twenty-Three
‡
Travis and Aubrey were returning to the resort about midnight after a late movie when he saw flashing lights just up ahead. By the time the taxi pulled under the canopied entrance Travis had counted at least three patrol cars and a fire and rescue unit.
“This can’t be good.”
Quickly paying the driver, Travis and Aubrey hopped out of the taxi and rushed into the lobby. There were a few clusters of people here and there but he clearly heard the words “pool” and “drowning.”
“Let’s go outside.” Travis put his arm around Aubrey and led her out the back entrance and down the stone path to where a group of people had gathered around the edge of the large swimming pool. He was about to ask one of the gawkers what was going on when he saw Shane standing at the perimeter. Rounding the crowd, he nudged his cousin to get his attention.
Shane dragged his gaze back to Travis. “About time you got here. The shit has really hit the fan. Let’s go up to the room.”
Travis pointed towards the uniformed cops. “What’s going–”
“Just trust me,” Shane cut in. “I’ll tell you what I know when we get upstairs.”
Nodding, Travis placed his arm around Aubrey and they skirted around the edges of the crowd. When they reached the far side near the entrance the people parted for a moment and Travis could see a body on the ground covered with a blanket.
Shit, another body.
Remembering how upset Alana was earlier when Martin was arrested filled Travis with a sense of dread as they quietly slipped into the hotel and up the elevator. When they finally entered the suite Travis couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
“Was it Alana? Goddamit, Shane. What the fuck happened? We were only gone for a little over three and a half hours.”
Aubrey grabbed his hand and squeezed his fingers, giving him “the look”. “Give Shane a chance to answer, babe.”
Shane rubbed his chin and exhaled noisily as if not sure where to begin. Or maybe he was just trying to drive Travis fucking insane. Either one could be the case.
Shane walked over to the bar and retrieved a beer from the refrigerator. “I got back from NYC about an hour ago. Cab dropped me off and there was already a few people gathered at the back of the hotel. Not as many though so I had a good view of things. The body belongs to Iris Perry. It looks like she might have fallen into the pool and drowned. Maybe accidentally. Or maybe not. T
hey’ll know more after the autopsy.”
Aubrey gasped and sat down on the couch, her eyes wide with shock. “Iris? Oh my God. She’s dead?”
“Quite dead.” Shane also sat down on the couch and stretched his long legs out to rest his feet on the coffee table. “The question is did she kill herself because her lover is dead? Did she kill herself because she felt guilty about murdering that lover? Or…and this is the question I like…did someone help her drown? And did that person have something to do with Bruce’s death?”
Travis raked his fingers through his hair and groaned. “Shit. What in the hell is going on here? Two murders in less than a week. That has to be a record for this establishment. Do Caroline and Alana know yet?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them. I only took a few minutes to bring my bag upstairs and then I spent the rest of the time out back.” Shane gulped down the last of his beer and slapped the bottle on the coffee table. “What are you thinking right now?”
Another good question.
“That I’m stunned by the turn of events and haven’t quite wrapped my mind around what’s happened. Iris’s death brings up many more questions than it answers, I’m afraid.”
“But it does clear up one thing,” Aubrey offered as she kicked off her shoes and curled up on the sofa, her legs tucked underneath her. “Martin couldn’t possibly have done this because he’s in jail awaiting arraignment. Since the two deaths are probably linked I would say that’s a compelling argument for releasing him.”
Travis’s chest puffed out with pride. “That’s my girl. You’re starting to think like a detective. You’re absolutely right. If Iris died from foul play then Martin should be cleared from both deaths.”
Her answering smile made his heart ache in his chest.
Shane groaned and rolled his eyes. “Can you two cool the goo-goo eyes and kisses for just a few minutes? Should I leave you two alone?”
Aubrey grabbed one of the throw pillows from the couch and smacked Shane right in the face, much to his shock. “We were not kissing, although I’ll admit to the goo-goo eyes. But you can’t blame a girl. I was warned the Anderson men were lethal but I still couldn’t resist.”
She always knew what to say and this occasion was no different. Shane grinned and practically beamed with pride. He enjoyed his reputation as a ladies’ man. Hell, he reveled in it.
“So back to the issue at hand.” Travis steered the conversation to today’s events. “It looks like we need to find out some details about Iris’s death but I don’t think Prather is going to be very forthcoming. He already has a shit attitude about pretty much everything.”
Leaning forward, the throw pillow on his lap, Shane waggled his eyebrows as if he was the villain in a silent movie. “I’m already on that, cousin. There were reporters there and I talked to one of them who would be willing to give us some information as long as we promise to give him an exclusive regarding Anderson Industries. He says he has an in with the forensic team and the coroner. I think he’s probably the best shot we have to learn anything.”
“Not one lead has panned out,” Travis groused, getting two more beers from the refrigerator and a soda for Aubrey. He handed the longneck bottle to Shane before opening his own. “You didn’t learn shit in New York. The bookie wanted Bruce alive so he’d get paid. We can’t find a photo of Martin’s cufflinks the night of the party and no one we talk to seems to know a damn thing and yet everyone has a motive.”
“Call Jason and West.”
Aubrey’s soft voice pulled Travis out of his frustrated misery. “What? Why?”
She looked almost afraid to answer as if he would be offended. “Because they’re cops and they’ll know what to do when we hit a dead end like this.”
Shane grinned and slapped his thigh with glee. “Damn, woman, you’re right. We’re so entrenched in this mess we can’t see what the hell we’re doing. I’ll get one of them on the phone right now.”
“At least one of us is thinking straight.”
Aubrey scooted onto Travis’s lap and laid her head on his shoulder. His pulse sped up at the delightful female that was currently nestled against him. “You need to give yourself a break. First you were trying to clear me and now Martin. You’re emotionally invested in this case and that doesn’t make thinking clearly easy.”
She’d brought up a salient point. Was he blinded by his respect and admiration for his friend? Martin had plenty of motive to kill Bruce but Travis honestly couldn’t imagine the man doing it. If he couldn’t keep an open mind and make logical decisions he wasn’t going to do any better than Detective Prather.
Shane fished his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Jason. Or West. Wait, which one do you think will answer their phone?”
Travis had no doubt at all. “West. He told me that he keeps it on twenty-four-seven. It’s a cop thing.”
“But he’s the mayor now.” Shane was pressing buttons on his phone.
“I’m guessing the habit hasn’t died.”
It hadn’t. West picked up on the second ring and Shane put the phone on speaker.
“Brother, we need your advice. We’re at a dead end here and I don’t know our next move.”
“I’ve been there more than a few times,” West laughed on the other end of the line. “When you don’t know what to do next the best thing to do is go back to the beginning. Look at all your suspects again even if you think you’ve eliminated them already. Look at who had motive and opportunity, but especially opportunity. Just because you think someone doesn’t have a motive doesn’t mean they don’t. It could be hidden, so don’t think a person is innocent just because you can’t see a motive. You need to make a chart of where everyone was at the time of the murder. Then take a closer look at anyone you can’t account for. But basically it’s all about going back to the basics. Don’t overthink this, Trav. In most cases criminals aren’t that bright.”
Travis hoped that were indeed true.
Chapter Twenty-Four
‡
Two large pizzas later Aubrey, Shane, and Travis were sitting around the dining room table. They’d cleared it completely and were ready to start at the beginning.
“So what do we know for sure?” Aubrey asked, placing a notebook and pen in front of her. “Let’s make a list.”
She tore out two pieces of paper. One she titled Things We Know and the other she titled Open Questions.
“We know that Bruce owed money to a lot of people,” Shane offered. “We don’t know if he paid Tom back or not.”
“That’s a good start.” She scribbled details on her lists. “What else?”
Travis stood and looked out of the windows but the moon was hidden behind clouds tonight. “We know Bruce was stabbed in the heart. It suggests that the killer had to be able to get close. I doubt a stranger could get near enough to make the first strike deadly.”
“He could have been surprised from behind and turned around,” Aubrey pointed out, chewing on the end of the pen. “Maybe the killer never gave him a chance.”
Shane shook his head. “I’m not buying that. Let me show you.” He tossed an extra pencil at Travis who caught it easily in his right hand. “I’ll stand here and you come up behind me.”
Shane stood with his back turned about five feet from Travis who stealthily snuck up behind Shane. Travis raised the pencil like a knife but at the last minute Shane spun around and grabbed Travis’s wrist, and a mock struggle ensued with Travis finally dropping the pencil on the floor.
“According to our sources, there were no defensive wounds on Bruce’s person which tells me he didn’t see it coming. Unless he was deaf and blind I don’t think he would have let a stranger sneak up behind him and shove a knife directly into his heart. But that’s just me.”
Aubrey sighed and held up her hands in surrender. “Mea culpa. I’m convinced. I see what you’re saying and it makes sense. Only someone he wasn’t afraid of would have been allowed to get that close without him fighting ba
ck.”
“But is that something we actually know or just suspect?” Shane popped open another soda. “I don’t think we can know it for sure at this point. We don’t have any of the forensic reports to help us either which really ties our hands.”
“We can’t know it but I think we can call it an assumption. I don’t think this was a stranger killing.” Travis braced his hands on the back of a parson’s chair. “Bruce was killed for a reason. This wasn’t some random act of violence.”
Aubrey scribbled more on her list. “I’ll put an asterisk next to it to mark our assumption. What else do we know?”
All three were silent until Shane rolled his eyes and groaned loudly. “Shit, we really don’t know anything, do we?”
“We know that my whereabouts were confirmed by other people at the party, so that means we have a time of death or at least an idea. They think he was killed around eleven-thirty.”
Aubrey tapped her chin with the pen. She’d always had a respect for law enforcement, but now they’d soared in her estimation if this was what they dealt with every day.
“Good.” Travis rubbed the back of his neck as he paced back and forth. “Who else do we remember at the party during that time? We can take them off the suspect list.”
An hour later they had a list of party guests they couldn’t account for and possible motives they might have. Aubrey rubbed her temples and yawned, a headache pounding behind her eyes. It was clear she wasn’t cut out for this detective stuff.
Travis sat down and leaned his elbows on his knees, his chin cupped in his hands. “But this doesn’t even scratch the surface as to who would want both Bruce and Iris dead. That’s the real mystery.”
The faces of party guests drifted through Aubrey’s mind but one kept crowding out the others.
“Caroline,” she said softly. “She had motive to kill both of them.”
Travis was already shaking his head. “I don’t want to believe that. She’s been through the wringer with Bruce.”
“All the more reason for her to kill him,” Shane retorted. “She’s a sweet girl as far as we know, but hell, we don’t spend that much time with her. Not really. She could have done it and she’s on our list of people not accounted for during the time of death. We have to consider her.”
Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 3) Page 14