When they hit the second level, she squeezed his hand and said, “Last room at the end of the hall.”
The door to the master bedroom gaped open, one band of yellow tape across the opening. Connor ducked beneath it and crossed into the room, tripping to a stop when he saw the bloodstain on the throw rug that carried over to the hardwood floor.
He whistled. “Niles lost a lot of blood.”
“I know.”
“Take me through what you remember.” He skirted the mess on the floor and sauntered to the French doors that led to a balcony and a magnificent view of the Pacific.
He unlocked one of the doors and swung it open. The white drapes unfurled into the room, caught on a sudden sea breeze.
Savannah had got hung up at the room’s entrance, her eyes wide and shimmering pools. “I—I woke up on that side of the bed, the same side as Nile’s body on the floor.”
She took a stuttering step into the room. As she shuffled around the bed, her sandals scuffing against the polished wood, her gaze darted to the place where she’d found her ex-husband, his flesh punctured and ripped by a knife—the same one hidden on Connor’s property.
She thrust a finger at the tousled bed. “There. I woke up there, naked, cuts on my right hand. My mouth dry as a cotton ball, my brain foggy, confused.”
“Was the door to the balcony closed and the drapes drawn?”
“No. Just like now, there was a breeze that morning, and the door was slightly ajar. I was dreaming that I was in the water and struggling for the surface.”
“Did you see Niles right away?”
“I didn’t see Niles at all at first. It was still dark outside and the room was dark. I—I stubbed my toe on his body.” She hugged herself, and dug her fingers into the flesh of her upper arms. “When I flicked on the light, I saw him at my feet.”
Connor tilted his head. “Weren’t you afraid the killer might still be in the house?”
“I don’t know why, but that never occurred to me.” She tossed back her hair. “I guess I figured he’d committed the act and taken off.”
Connor pulled the rest of the story out of her in bits and pieces. It hadn’t changed much from the account she’d given him from the moment she’d landed on his doorstep.
She showed him where she’d found her button and how she’d stuffed it into the pocket of her slacks.
“I guess I missed my pocket and that’s how Letty found the button, or it fell out when I finished tidying up.”
“Where did you go after you...cleaned up the room?”
“Down to Niles’s office.” She pulled her light sweater around her body. “I wanted the file Niles had promised me.”
“Must’ve been an important file for you to think about it in a moment of panic.”
Her eyes narrowed briefly like a cat’s that had considered and then dismissed some prey. “That’s why Niles and I got together. That’s why I came to this house. I wasn’t going to leave it behind.” She crooked her index finger. “I’ll show you.”
Once again Connor ducked beneath the yellow tape crisscrossed over the door. He followed Savannah down the curved staircase, her composure causing a tickle on the back of his neck.
The sight of Niles’s blood had shaken her, but if he thought Savannah was going to collapse against his chest in a fit of despair, he’d be dead wrong. She’d been oddly stoic after Manny’s death, too.
She strode across the great room and pushed open a door that led to an office, its walls lined with bookshelves, a single large window framing a profusion of color in the front garden.
“We must’ve had a drink.” Savannah flicked her fingers toward the wet bar. “There were two glasses over there, a lipstick stain on one of them.”
He drew his brows over his nose. “Is that something you’d do normally?”
“To tell you the truth, not really, especially if I’d already had a drink. But if Niles was insisting, I might do it to appease him, just to get my hands on the file.”
“Maybe it wasn’t your drink.”
“Too late now. I dumped the booze in the sink and rinsed out those glasses.”
“What kind of booze?”
She swooped down on the wet bar and tapped a cut glass crystal bottle with her fingernail. “This scotch. It was Niles’s favorite.”
“Maybe we need to take that with us, see what’s in it. If you think both you and Niles might’ve been drugged, maybe that’s the source.”
“Good idea.” She grabbed the bottle from the shelf and put it on the edge of the wet bar. “So, I came in here, grabbed the file and hiked down the hill and through the backstreets to my house.”
“The file was on the desk?”
“No.” She raised a finger. “Which was weird. There’s a false bottom in one of the desk drawers and the file was still there.”
“How’d you know it would be there?”
“I’m pretty sure Niles told me on the way over. We often put important papers in there, papers we might not want to secure in the safe but didn’t want out in the open.”
“What was in this file?”
“Financials. Stuff we don’t want to reveal to the general public. I didn’t think it was out of the ordinary for the file to be there.”
“You just said it was weird that the file was there.”
“That the file was still there.” She shook her purse off her shoulder and unzipped it. “Whatever happened to us must’ve happened pretty fast if Niles didn’t even have time to remove the file from the desk drawer. When I came down here, I expected the file to be on the desk. When it wasn’t, I knew he hadn’t taken it out of the drawer yet, and I was able to retrieve it from its hiding place.”
“What are you doing now?”
Savannah had moved behind the mahogany desk, holding up a pen she’d pulled from her purse. “I’ll show you how it works.”
Connor joined her behind the desk, crouching next to her as she pulled open the bottom drawer on the left side.
She shoved aside some hanging folders and inserted the tip of the pen into a minuscule hole in the bottom of the drawer. As Savannah wiggled the pen, her tongue lodged in the corner of her mouth, Connor heard a small click.
She lifted a panel from the bottom of the drawer, exposing a cavity that held a few file folders and a flash drive. “I took the file from here.”
“Handy. I wonder why he didn’t take it out when you got back here.”
“I can’t tell you. I don’t remember.” She replaced the panel and sat back on her heels.
Connor leaned over her, grabbed the pen and scooted the files back into place. As he set the pen on the desk the top sprang free and rolled off the edge. “Looks like you broke your...”
Connor’s throat tightened as he eyed the various pieces.
“That’s okay. I don’t even know where I got that pen. Must be one of Niles’s.”
Connor prodded the broken pen with his knuckle and then brushed if off the table and crushed it beneath the heel of his shoe.
Savannah’s eyes widened. “What the hell are you doing?”
“That might be a pen, but it’s doubling as a recording device.”
Chapter Ten
Savannah choked and scrambled backward like a crab, away from the shards of pen littering the Persian rug. “A—a recording device? Someone’s been listening to me? To us?”
“Or tracking your movements.” He stirred the pieces with the toe of his shoe. “It could be a GPS or even a camera. I can’t tell, but if the eavesdropper was still listening I don’t think we gave it away that we knew what it was. The pen rolled off the table and broke. That’s all he knows.”
“Oh, God.” Savannah clutched her throat with one hand. “It must’ve been in my purse from the beginning. Someone planted it when I was here, in this house.”
The sound of a car door slamming had the two of them locking eyes.
“Now what?” Still on the floor, Savannah crawled to the window and hooked her finger on the edge of the drapes, peering outside. “Damn.”
“The cops?” Connor dropped to his knees and scooped up the pieces of the pen or microphone or GPS or whatever it was into his palm.
“Niles’s sister, Melanie.”
“Does she have a key?”
“I’m sure she does, or she wouldn’t be here.” Savannah jumped to her feet and scurried out of the room, calling over her shoulder, “Act naturally.”
She hit the foyer just as Melanie pushed open the front door.
Niles’s sister jerked back, releasing the door, which swung open and hit the wall. “Savannah, you scared the hell out of me. I saw the car but I thought it was one of Niles’s.”
“You gave me a fright, too.” Savannah descended on Melanie and wrapped her arms around her former sister-in-law’s thin frame. “I’m so sorry about Niles.”
Melanie returned the hug. “Thank you. It was awful news. Who’d want to kill my brother? Do you think you’re in danger, too?”
Oh, yeah. She was in danger. “I have no idea who’d want to kill Niles, but I hope to God I’m not on anyone’s list.”
Melanie cocked her head. “Really? Who are we fooling? Niles had made some enemies since you two struck it rich.”
Connor’s flip-flops slapped the floor behind Savannah, and she made a half turn. “Melanie Wedgewood, this is Connor Wells. Connor, Niles’s sister, Melanie.”
“Nice to meet you, and I’m sorry for your loss.” Connor reached around Savannah to shake Melanie’s hand.
“Pretty crazy stuff. You never think murder is going to hit your family.” Melanie smoothed her short dark hair back from her forehead with one hand. “But here we are.”
“What are you doing here?” Savannah shoved an unsteady hand in the pocket of her sweater. She hadn’t yet recovered from Connor’s discovery about the pen, but in a way it wasn’t the worst news she’d had all day. Now maybe Connor would believe that someone was trying to set her up, instead of shooting doubt at her from his impossibly blue eyes.
Melanie jabbed a finger in Savannah’s direction. “You may have inherited everything Niles had, but I’m still his next of kin and the cops told me I was basically responsible for Niles’s funeral...and other things.”
“Don’t go up there.” Savannah put a hand on Melanie’s arm. “You don’t need to see that. Connor knows about these things, people you can hire.”
“Really?” Melanie’s heavily lined eyes widened. “I was shocked when the sheriff’s department told me they didn’t clean up the...mess left behind in a homicide.”
“There are companies that will take care of that. I’ll look some up for you right now, if you two want to talk privately,” Connor offered.
“I don’t think Savannah and I have anything to discuss in secret, do we?” Melanie arched an eyebrow in her direction. “But if you want to help me out, I’d appreciate it. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking.”
Connor held up his cell phone. “I got it.”
As he wandered back to Niles’s office, Melanie jerked her thumb in his direction. “Dreamboat, if I actually swung that way.”
“Speaking of dreamboats, is Faye with you?”
“She had clients she couldn’t leave. She never liked Niles anyway.”
“She would be here for you, not Niles.”
“I never liked Niles much, either, at least not lately.” Melanie put a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t just say that. I’m a terrible person and an awful sister.”
Savannah squeezed Melanie’s shoulder. “We all say things during times of stress. I know you loved Niles, even when he was being impossible.”
“He messed up.” Melanie brushed a tear from her cheek. “He should’ve treated you better. Maybe should’ve treated other people better, as well.”
“I don’t think that would’ve changed anything, Melanie. We just weren’t meant to be a romantic couple. We should’ve just stayed business partners.”
“That would’ve never worked for Niles. He was smitten with you, although I never got the impression the smit was mutual.” Melanie’s gaze tracked to the office door, which Connor had closed behind him.
Savannah spun around, flinging her arms out to her sides. “Now it’s all a big mess—Niles dead, murdered. I know he had his enemies, but I can’t think of anyone who’d want him dead.”
“What about that girlfriend of his?” Melanie swept past Savannah and meandered to the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard. “Tiffany. From what I could tell, she was kind of a shady character. Who dates someone you meet while she’s dancing around a pole?”
“Niles and lots of other men.” Savannah folded her arms and perched on the arm of her favorite recliner. “I can’t see Tiffany murdering Niles. She’d be killing her benefactor...”
“But?”
“But what?” Savannah lifted her chin and met Melanie’s eyes.
“That sentence had a definite but at the end of it.”
Savannah raised and dropped her shoulders. “Looks like Tiffany has an ex hanging around—a scary-looking biker dude.”
“Maybe that’s it.” Melanie snapped her fingers. “Jealous biker dude.”
“I’ll make sure I mention him to the detectives.”
“You haven’t spoken to them yet?” Melanie narrowed her dark eyes, looking enough like Niles to give Savannah the chills.
“Yes, they came down to San Juan Beach—where I’ve been staying with Connor—to question me, but they want me to stop by the station so I can give up my DNA and to ask more questions. I’m going in tomorrow.”
“Your DNA?” Melanie clicked her tongue. “They don’t suspect you, do they?”
“Ex-wife getting control of the multimillion-dollar company, life insurance money, house in La Jolla.” Savannah jabbed a finger into her chest. “Number one suspect right here.”
Melanie snorted, “Ridiculous. They can ask me. Besides, weren’t you with dreamboat in there at the time of the murder?”
“How do you know that?”
“Uh, I asked the detectives.” She raised her hand. “Not that I suspected you.”
“I was with Connor.”
“Done deal.” Melanie brushed her hands together.
Connor exited the office, tilting his phone back and forth in front of him. “Called a company for you, and they’re coming out tomorrow, unless that doesn’t work.”
“You are a dreamboat.” Melanie blew a kiss in Connor’s direction. “Thank you so much.”
“While you’re here, you’re welcome to take anything, Melanie.” Savannah waved her hand around the room. “Niles has some family pics and some things from your parents.”
“Wow.” Melanie blinked her eyes and dabbed at the corners. “It’s just my brother Newland and I now in our immediate family, and Newland’s no use while he’s battling his demons. That hurts.”
Savannah wrapped Melanie in another hug. “Take as much time as you need here. Are you talking to the detectives while you’re in San Diego?”
“I spoke with them on the phone, but they wanted me to come in for another interview, a face-to-face.” She sniffed and shook her finger at Savannah. “And you’d better believe I’m going to tell them you had nothing to do with Niles’s death.”
“I appreciate it. Give my love to Faye.”
“I will. She’ll be sorry she missed you.” Melanie wedged a hand on her hip. “I’m not driving you two away, am I?”
“We were just leaving when you arrived.” Connor pointed at the door. “But you ladies can have a few more minutes. I’m going to get that bag from the car, Savannah, and pack up a few of those files you wanted from Niles’s offic
e.”
“Okay.” Savannah watched Connor leave with a furrow between her eyebrows. Files? Maybe he meant that bottle of scotch. Melanie wouldn’t miss that, as she was a recovering alcoholic. Niles was the only Wedgewood sibling who had escaped that scourge.
She and Melanie chatted for a few more minutes until Connor returned with an empty gym bag hitched over his shoulder.
“I’ll be done in a minute.”
By the time he emerged from the office, Savannah and Melanie had said their goodbyes and Savannah joined Connor at the front door.
“Keep me posted on the funeral plans, Melanie.”
“I will. I know I’ll have to wait until they release Niles’s body.” Melanie closed her eyes and clutched her hands in front of her.
Savannah asked, “You sure you’ll be okay here by yourself?”
“Killer’s not coming back, is he?”
As they stepped down the front porch, Connor whispered in Savannah’s ear, “I wish he would so we could wrap this up.”
“What’s in the bag?” Savannah pinged the side of the black canvas with her fingernail.
“That scotch, the pieces of the broken pen and the rest of that stuff from the false-bottom drawer.” He hugged the bag to his chest. “You never know.”
As they wound down the hill, Savannah glanced at Connor. “Someone was following me or listening to me with that pen.”
“Or both. I’m not sure what kind of device it is. I just know it’s not a pen, or at least it’s more than a pen.”
“If someone was listening to me, they could’ve heard my conversation with Letty. Could’ve shown up early to kill her and take that button.”
“The person listening in also knows exactly our train of thought, knows we went to see Tiffany, knows we were at the house. I can’t even think of what else.”
“B-but it definitely looks like someone is trying to set me up, right? That pen must’ve been planted in my purse the night of Niles’s murder. I’ve never seen it before.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. “I haven’t been imagining this, and that same person put the knife in my car and tried to steer the detectives toward it.”
Her Alibi Page 11