She slid one hand from the steering wheel and pressed it against her fluttering belly. “That means he knows where I live, somehow broke into my car and stashed that knife in my trunk.”
“Or he broke into your house, got your car keys and used them to get into your car. Did you have your keys with you that night, even though you’d left your car at home?”
“I didn’t.”
“How’d you get into your house when you got home?”
“Used the code on my garage door to get in that way. I always leave the door from my laundry room to the garage open.”
“Bad idea.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s a moot point now. Someone set me up for Niles’s murder, but why? Why take out both of us by killing him and framing me?”
“Who stands to gain with both of you out of the picture? Who gets the company?”
“My mom is beneficiary for almost everything I have. As...unconventional as my mother is, I don’t think she’d be killing Niles and framing me for his murder.”
“And Niles’s share?”
“His sister.”
“Melanie?”
She poked his thigh. “No way. Melanie doesn’t even care that much about money.”
“Her boyfriend? Spouse?”
“Wife. Faye has a great career as an attorney with a big firm in San Francisco. They’re set, happy. They’re not interested in what Niles has, especially since Melanie saw how much wealth changed her brother—and not for the better.”
“Maybe money isn’t the motive. Is there someone at the company who hates the two of you? Disgruntled employee?”
Savannah sucked in her bottom lip and squinted at the road. “There was a guy, Brian Donahue. We had to let him go. He was in charge of quality-assurance testing and couldn’t get along with anyone. He threatened to destroy code and we had him escorted out of the building and off the premises.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Three or four months.”
“Did he threaten either of you?”
“On his way out of the building? Hell, yes.”
“You need to mention his name to the detectives tomorrow.”
“There’s a lot I could tell them tomorrow, but half of it would implicate me, so I’d better keep my mouth shut.” She flipped down her visor. “I wonder if anyone has discovered Letty’s body yet.”
“I’m sure you’ll find out tomorrow when you go in for questioning.” Connor rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t you ever eat? I’m starving.”
“I suppose I could force down some food. Should we stop on the way back to your place or wait until we get to San Juan?”
“If you can hold out for another twenty minutes, let’s wait. I think you should show your face around town a little more, get people used to seeing you there. I also want to find out if there’s any news about the fire. Now that we found that pen, there’s a very real possibility someone followed you out to my place and set fire to that shed for some reason.”
“To smoke out the knife. Someone could’ve been watching you when you went outside to hide it.”
“I wasn’t waving it around when I went to the storage shed.”
“The person could’ve just made the assumption, or even verified the assumption when we left for lunch.”
“I’m not dismissing the idea. That’s why I want to keep my ear to the ground in San Juan for any news.”
By the time they rolled into San Juan, Savannah’s stomach was rumbling with hunger. This time Connor did direct her to one of their old haunts—a funky beach hut with plastic tables and chairs spilling onto the sand.
When Savannah stepped out of the car, she stretched her arms over her head, interlocking her fingers as the ocean breeze toyed with the ends of her hair. She took a deep breath of the salty air and forgot about Niles, Letty, the blackout...all of it. At least it had all led back to this town and this man—at least for a few weeks. Months?
The beach spell must’ve cast itself over Connor, too. He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her toward the café.
The morning surfers had long cleared out and the restaurant wasn’t open for dinner, so a straggling late-lunch crowd greeted them as they walked through the door.
The waitress waved her hand around the small room. “Sit anywhere you like.”
“We’re going to head out to the sand.”
Keeping hold of Savannah’s hand, Connor led her past the tables inside to the ones nestled in the dry sand beyond.
Savannah plopped down in the plastic chair while Connor adjusted the umbrella to ward off the afternoon sun. She kicked off her sandals and dug her toes into the sand. “What a morning. Do you think it was productive?”
“I do.” Connor leaned back in his chair and rested one ankle on his other knee. “We know that Tiffany had her ex on the side while she was engaged to Niles, and that her ex is an imposing guy with a gun.”
“Niles was stabbed.”
“I remember, but Denny could’ve used the gun to intimidate Niles. He also has his motorcycle gang connections.”
“Can I get you something to drink?” the young waitress called from the edge of the patio, not willing to make the trek across the sand.
Savannah called back, “Iced tea.”
“Make it two.” Connor held up two fingers in the air. “We also got that scotch from Niles’s wet bar that one or both of you had probably been drinking that night. If you think you were drugged, we can get a test run on that.”
“Now we have the knife and the scotch.” Savannah wedged an elbow on the table and sank her chin into her palm. “How are we going to get those tested?”
“I have a friend who’s a PI and he has friends and they have friends. I know he’ll do this for me. I worked with him on a few cases when I was a cop. He’s a good buddy. I can count on him.”
“Without asking questions?”
“He trusts me, and I’ve done a few favors for him in the past—not that I have to bring those up.”
“Like I did.” Savannah stirred the sand with her toe.
“You were just using some insurance. I don’t hold that against you.” Connor brushed his thumb across her inner wrist. “I don’t hold anything against you, Savannah.”
She blinked behind her sunglasses. He had lots to blame her for—if he knew the truth.
The waitress had sent a busboy out to their table with the drinks, and he plodded across the sand, holding one in each hand.
Savannah broke away from Connor and smiled at the busboy. “Can you tell the waitress that we’re ready to order?”
Before he could answer, a woman shrieked behind him and traipsed across the patio. “I heard you were back in town.”
Savannah jumped up from her chair and hugged her friend Jamie. “In the flesh.”
Jamie squeezed her in return and then punched Connor in the shoulder. “You could’ve told us you two were back together.”
Connor smirked. “I didn’t want to jinx anything.”
Jamie waved her hands at the busboy. “I’ll take their order, and you can tell that lazy Annie she can stick to the tables inside.”
She turned back to Savannah. “I was so glad to hear you were back in SJB, but I’m sorry about your ex.” Jamie curled a hand around her throat. “That’s terrible.”
“Awful. I still can’t quite believe it happened.” Savannah grabbed her drink and plunged a straw into the liquid. “I hope the police catch the guy who did it.”
“I know. So creepy.” Jamie reached into her rear pocket and whipped out a notebook. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get your order. I figure if you don’t want to walk in dry sand, you shouldn’t work at a beach café.”
“I’ll have the grilled chicken sandwich with fries.”
“And I’ll have the ch
eeseburger with fries.” Connor tucked the small plastic menus into the menu holder on the table. “Jamie, have you heard anything about Jimmy Takata setting that fire at my place yesterday?”
“I did hear some rumors, but I don’t know if the cops have talked to him yet. I wouldn’t put that past Jimmy or any of the Cove Boys. They’re out of control. Think they own this town.” She aimed her pencil at Connor. “It’s not the same without your dad and the San Juan PD.”
“Thanks, Jamie.”
As she walked away, Connor pulled out his phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“I forgot to call the sheriff’s department to give them the tip about Jimmy.”
While Connor was on the phone, Savannah looked through her text messages and a few emails. Her battery was already down to 30 percent and she’d barely used the phone all day, but she had no intention of replacing it now. If the police asked her about her cell tomorrow, she wanted to be able to show them the broken one.
“That’s done.” Connor snapped the phone on the table. “They’d already heard a few things about Jimmy, and when I told them what happened yesterday morning at the beach, they thought it was important enough to question him.”
“Maybe Jimmy did set fire to that storage shed, but it doesn’t change the fact that someone planted a pen in my purse to track my movements or conversations or both.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “Anything else unusual in your purse?”
“No, I checked.”
Several minutes later, Jamie delivered their food, and they both ate as if it were their first meal in several days.
Investigating had definitely improved her appetite, Savannah thought. It beat sitting around waiting for stuff to happen—like an arrest.
On their way out of the restaurant, they chatted with Jamie and her husband, and then walked to the car for the drive to Connor’s place.
Savannah dangled the keys. “You mind driving?”
Snatching the key chain from her hand, Connor opened the passenger door for her.
Savannah tipped her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes. “I can’t take any more today and it’s not even dinnertime.”
“You have another big day tomorrow.”
“I know—that police interview.”
“And your appointment with Thomas.”
“Yeah, and that.” She opened one eye. “You know you can’t sit in with me, right?”
He snorted, “I don’t want that. I’m just hoping he can help you with the blackout. Help you with some memories.”
I don’t want to remember.
Savannah closed her eye again and settled her shoulders against the car seat.
When Connor pulled onto the road leading to his property, a sigh escaped Savannah’s lips. Her second day here and it already felt like coming home. What would it be like to stay here forever? She could run the company from here, go into the office once a week.
By the time Connor parked, her foolish dreams had seeped away. The more time she spent with Connor, the more uncomfortable it was keeping the truth from him. She’d either have to spill the beans or she’d have to leave him...again.
She struggled to get out of the car on her heavy limbs. She wanted to lie down, curl up and sleep for a thousand hours, or at least until she could put all this mess behind her.
“Are you okay?” Connor had come around to the passenger side after retrieving his gym bag from the back seat and slinging it over his shoulder. He ran his hands down her arms. “Your eyes look heavy.”
“The food and the sun made me sleepy.”
“Take a nap. We have nothing to do, unless you have Snap App business. I’m going to make a few calls.”
“The only business going on at Snap App right now is gossip. I do want to call a meeting for later this week, though, and give the troops a pep talk.”
“Then go to sleep. You need it.” He took her arm and they walked up the two steps to the porch together.
Connor shoved the key in the dead bolt and cocked his head. “I thought I locked this before we left.”
He removed the key from the top lock and inserted it into the one on the door handle. “At least this one’s locked.”
He pushed open the door and held his hand behind him. “Wait a minute.”
Savannah’s heart rate picked up. “What’s wrong?”
“Give me a minute to look around.”
She balled up the sweater in her hands and hugged it to her chest as she watched Connor walk into the hallway.
He disappeared for several minutes and then called out to her, “It’s all right. Everything looks fine.”
Savannah’s shoulders sagged and she tripped over the threshold, slamming the front door behind her. “Don’t scare me like that. What was the problem?”
“Thought I locked that dead bolt. I always do.”
“I’m throwing you off your routine.” She tossed her purse onto the nearest chair. “Are you going to call your PI buddy to get the blood on that knife tested and have him look at the scotch?”
“I sure am. Are you going to take that nap?”
“I feel like I could sleep forever right now.” She shuffled into the kitchen. “I’m going to get some water and lie down.”
She reached into the cupboard above the dishwasher and grabbed a glass. “You want some?”
“I’m good.” Connor sat on the couch and kicked his feet onto the coffee table, his phone in one hand.
Savannah dispensed some water from the refrigerator and wedged one hip against the counter. As she took a sip from the glass, her gaze scanned the countertop where her phone charger cord lay coiled in a circle.
She frowned. Connor must’ve unplugged it. She always left it in the outlet, as she needed to constantly charge her stupid phone—like now.
She shoved off the counter and then gasped. Spinning back around, she gripped the edge of the counter and gulped. She swept her hands across the smooth granite, pushing Connor’s bills and mail to the floor.
“What are you doing over there?”
She flattened her hands on the cool surface and hunched forward. “My file is gone. Someone broke in here and stole that file folder.”
Chapter Eleven
“I knew it.” Connor sprang from the couch like a jack-in-the-box and ate up the distance between them in two steps. “Where was it?”
Savannah slapped the counter with her palm. “Here. I left it right here. When I charged my phone, I was putting it on top of the file folder.”
“You’re sure?” Even as the words left his mouth, he realized their stupidity. The look on Savannah’s face told him she was sure.
She plucked at the phone charger and wrapped it around her finger. “I noticed this first. I always leave my charger plugged in. You didn’t unplug it, did you?”
“No.” Connor swiveled his head, his gaze darting about the room. “He or she was careful. When the lock tipped me off, I looked around carefully and didn’t see anything out of place.”
“The knife.” Savannah’s violet eyes darkened, or maybe they just looked dark set against her white face. “Where’s the knife?”
“Why would he take the knife? If he is trying to set you up, he’d want to leave that with you.”
“But if he located it, he might call those detectives again and give them a hot tip—just like he did about the trunk of my car. We both know that’s why they looked in my trunk.”
“Stay here.” Connor ran outside, letting the screen door bang behind him. He circled around to the back of the house and charged toward one of two oak trees where a hammock usually hung. He plunged his hand into the hole in the trunk, his fingers twisting around the plastic bag. He dragged it out and carried it back to the house.
“This is becoming a game of hide the bloody knife.” He
dropped it on his fireplace mantel. “Anything else missing? Your laptop?”
Savannah flew out of the kitchen and down the hallway. Several seconds later she popped her head around the corner of the hallway. “It’s there. Too bad he didn’t take it. That, at least, I could’ve tracked. That file is gone forever.”
“Why was that set of data in hard copy instead of online?”
“I couldn’t tell you. I originally tried to look it up and when I couldn’t find it online, I asked Niles, and that’s when he told me he’d printed it out and had a hard copy of it.”
“Why did you want to see it?”
“I was surprised by our quarterly earnings and had been going through the different departments to double-check the figures. I couldn’t find this one department’s. Niles didn’t explain why he had it separate.”
“Could Niles have been cooking the books?”
“Niles?” Savannah drove two fingers into her temple. “I doubt it. Why would he? It’s not like the company wasn’t doing well—isn’t doing well.”
Connor walked into the living room and snagged the strap of the gym bag. He swung it onto a kitchen stool and unzipped the side pocket. He gathered the pieces of the broken pen and dumped them on the counter.
“I now know this pen was a listening device. How else would the intruder have known you had this file? He heard you talking about it and wanted it.”
“Oh, my God. Why?” Savannah placed her hand on her forehead. “My head’s spinning. I don’t understand why anyone would want that file.”
“Whoever took it just tipped his hand. Once you figure out why the file is so important, it’ll lead you to Niles’s killer.”
“By then, the killer will have destroyed the file and any evidence it contains.”
“You can’t get that data online? It must’ve existed online at some point. You’re the computer genius, not me, but there has to be a way to recover it.”
“I’ll get on that when I go into the office for this meeting. In fact, I’m going to schedule that meeting right now by sending out a company-wide email.”
“After your nap?” He raised one eyebrow.
Her Alibi Page 12