Murder in Kincaid Towers

by Jane T O'Brien

  “I’m glad you haven’t formed an opinion. Carter, my assistant, will contact you regarding the gala. Good afternoon, Ms. Ryan.”

  Molly knew she had been dismissed. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with him again. Not that Carter Moss was Mr. Charm, although she could handle him. I know I’ll be wasting my time if I discourage Brooke from seeing Travis, but I have a feeling something will go terribly wrong.

  “Did you get the job?” asked Luke when Molly called him to say she was ready for lunch and she was starving.

  “I did, thanks to Mrs. Kincaid, she liked the arrangement I brought to show and tell. Mr. Kincaid asked for my opinion and I’m afraid I gave it too readily. I am to deal with his flunky from now on.”

  “Does that mean he’s giving up on Brooke?”

  “Unfortunately, no, I think I made him more determined than ever to get his claws into her.”

  “Brooke can take care of herself. Where shall we meet for lunch?”

  Brooke picked up the phone on her desk. She was distracted and answered more brusquely than she intended.

  “Am I disturbing you,” came a voice she recognized as Travis Kincaid.

  “Hello, Travis, I’m sorry, I was deep in thought, how are you?”

  “I’m fine, how was the date last night?”

  “What date?”

  “The one you had instead of seeing me.”

  “I never said I had a date, I said I had plans. There is a difference, you know.”

  Travis felt relieved to know she hadn’t been rolling around in the sack with some guy but annoyed with himself for caring.

  “Your friend, Molly, was here today, she doesn’t want you to get involved with me. Do you agree with her?”

  “Molly is a good friend, but she doesn’t tell me who to see. She’s afraid you’ll have your way with me.”

  “What if I told you that’s my intention? Are you available for dinner tonight?”

  “I can arrange to be.”

  “Good, I’ll see you at your apartment at seven.”

  “How do you know where I live?”

  “Don’t ask.”

  Brooke felt a thrill go up her body along with it a slight chill she chose to ignore.

  Chapter Four

  “Molly, what did you say to Travis Kincaid? He wanted to know if I agreed with your negative opinion.”

  “I told him I didn’t want you hurt and I’d say it again. I’m guessing he called you, are you going out with him?”

  “Yes, we’re going to dinner tonight. Do you think I’m such a pushover that I can’t handle him because he’s rich?”

  “No, Brooke, you are not a pushover; money can be a powerful aphrodisiac. I care about you and I don’t want you to be hurt.”

  “I have no illusions, my friend, I know Travis’s type and I’m not going to fall for him. Thanks for worrying about me but I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m sure you will be, have fun tonight and call me in the morning, I want to hear what it’s like to be with a billionaire.”

  “Luke, I have a bad feeling about this, Brooke is in over her head and doesn’t know it.”

  “Let’s go out for pizza and catch a movie, it will get your mind off Brooke. We’ll call Stephanie to see if she and Adam want to come along.”

  “That sounds great, but I can’t promise I won’t worry about Brooke no matter where I am.”

  Luke pulled his car out of the apartment parking lot as a limo was pulling in.

  “Brooke will love that,” said Molly with a shudder.

  Brooke tried on several dresses before settling for the first one she’d chosen. She wanted to get Molly’s opinion but didn’t want to see the disapproval in her eyes. Was Molly right, was she fooling herself that someone like Travis could be interested in her for more than the obvious reason? No matter what, she would not go to bed with him, at least not tonight.

  She heard the buzzer sound announcing her visitor and her heart skipped a beat.

  Brooke opened the door to a smiling Travis. She’d forgotten how gorgeous this man is and felt her knees go weak. What is wrong with me, I’m not myself. I think I should tell him I changed my mind, but I can’t get myself to close the door.

  “Hello, Brooke, you look fantastic, are you ready to go?”

  Brooke wasn’t aware that Travis was as enamored as she was. He was happy her friend, Molly, hadn’t dissuaded her from seeing him and vowed to be on his best behavior although it would be very difficult.

  Brooke fought the urge to giggle when Travis’s chauffeur held the door to the limousine open for her. Travis poured her a glass of wine from the bar on the back of the seat.

  She took a sip from the fluted glass. “This is the best wine I’ve ever tasted,” she said.

  “It’s your favorite, chardonnay.”

  “It doesn’t taste like my usual chardonnay, but I always choose from the bottom shelf. How did you know it’s my favorite?”

  “I know many things about you, Brooke, when I’m interested in someone, I like to find out all I can about them.”

  Brooke felt a familiar chill down her spine. What had she gotten herself into? Was Molly right to be concerned? Is this guy trouble? She sat quietly not knowing what to say to this man.

  They arrived at Bellamy’s, an exclusive restaurant in the heart of the city. Brooke had never been here before but heard it was expensive. They were greeted by the maître d who called Travis by name and led them to a table by the window overlooking the lake.

  “This is a beautiful restaurant, Travis. They seem to know you here.”

  “They know me because I sign their paychecks.”

  “You own this place?”

  “I do, let’s have another drink unless you’re too hungry to wait.”

  “Another drink sounds good.”

  Travis ordered a bottle of chardonnay, Brooke didn’t recognize any label she had seen in her local liquor store. The wine steward served Travis a glass of golden liquid that Brooke assumed was scotch. She sipped her wine slowly until she felt mellow enough to ask Travis what else he knows about her.

  Travis laughed. “I have to be careful who I associate with and I have an overzealous assistant who gives me more information than I need.

  “Your full name is Brooke Allison Hartley. You were born in Wilton on literally the wrong side of the tracks. Thanks to your exceptional beauty you caught the eye of the star quarterback in your high school and became one of the most popular girls in your class. You were a cheerleader and a very good student. You were awarded a scholarship to a small college thirty miles from Wilton but chose to decline it. You have three brothers who still live in your hometown. Your father is retired from the railroad and your mother is a fabulous baker who worked part-time at the local bakery. You were voted most likely to snare a rich husband.” Travis smiled when he saw her blush.

  “Who told you all this? I’m not sure I like being investigated.”

  “There’s more, but I want to hear the story of your life from you. What happened to the quarterback?”

  “The quarterback’s name is Jason. The last I heard he is back in Wilton coaching the football team. He married a Wilton girl and they have two kids, maybe three by now.

  “I declined the scholarship because it was only thirty miles from Wilton and I didn’t want to be stuck in a small town for the rest of my life. I moved to Hillsboro the summer after I graduated and haven’t been sorry. I have taken classes at night at the university and am halfway to earning my degree in interior design. Anything else you want to know?”

  “Yes, but it can wait.”

  “You have an advantage over me because I don’t know anything about you except that my friend has bad vibes where you’re concerned.”

  “Most people think I’m a bad guy. It comes with the territory. If you think you were from the wrong side of the tracks, you have nothing on my father. He lived on the streets in New York. I loved him although he was a thug. He built a fortune by taking ad
vantage of honest people. His brother was brought up in the same environment and followed a different path. My uncle, Wiley Kent, is a happy man. Dad changed his name from Frank Kent to Francis Palmer Kincaid. He learned the ways of society and became a gentleman. My mother is a silly woman whose father sold her to the highest bidder. I don’t think she knows she was bought and paid for and if she does she ignores it.”

  “Are you an only child, Travis?”

  “Yes, Dad wanted a son and after I was born I think he avoided my mother. He never lacked for female companionship and I’d guess Mother was happy to end that part of the marriage.”

  “I’m sorry you had an unhappy childhood, Travis.”

  “It wasn’t that bad. I spent a good part of it away in boarding school. When I was home, Mother was usually off traveling in Europe or cruising to some island. We never did share a bond like most mothers do with their children. I doubt she’d acknowledge me if I didn’t control her spending money.

  “Let’s talk about something else, tell me about your job, do you like it?”

  “I do, I like the people I work with, you know Elizabeth from the flower shop, she is married to Brad Carpenter who works at the same company.”

  “What will you do when you receive your degree in interior design?”

  “That won’t be for at least two years, probably more. I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

  “Would you consider working for me?”

  “As what?” Brooke asked defiantly.

  “Don’t jump to the wrong conclusion, Kincaid Enterprises owns several hotel properties here and abroad. You could be an apprentice to see if you wanted to pursue your career in design. I liked the way you made suggestions when you and Molly were discussing the upcoming gala my mother is planning. I pride myself on spotting a talented person when I see one.”

  “That’s very flattering, Travis. One more glass of this wine and I will probably accept your offer.”

  “It’s something you should think about. Why don’t we order now?”

  A waiter appeared out of nowhere. “What is your pleasure, sir?”

  Travis looked at Brooke, “Steak, filet, fish?”

  “Filet sounds wonderful”

  “Would you like that rare, ma’am?”

  Brooke frowned, and Travis spoke up, “Make it medium rare Julius and I’ll have the same. Bring the salad with house dressing, I’d like Brooke’s opinion, if that’s all right with you, Brooke?”

  “I’d like to try it, I can’t say I’m an expert, I buy all my salad dressing in a bottle,” she said with a grin.

  Julius came back almost immediately with their salads. Brooke tasted it and approved wholeheartedly of the dressing.

  They talked comfortably through the meal. It surprised Brooke how down to earth a billionaire could be. She forgot she was in a five-star restaurant that would cost her a month’s worth of fast food meals if she were buying.

  Travis enjoyed watching Brooke eat her meal. Most of the women he dated would only pick at their food for fear of gaining an ounce of weight.

  After the meal, Travis’s chauffeur drove directly to Brooke’s apartment building. Travis walked her to her door, she was debating whether to invite him in when he said: “I’ve enjoyed this evening Brooke, I hope you did too.” Travis kissed her gently on the cheek, “Have a good night and think about my job offer.”

  Brooke was stunned, Travis had charmed her all evening long, she thought they had connected in a special way and now he was walking out the door. What was the purpose of the date? Was it only to offer her a job, what a fool she was to think this billionaire would be interested in a nobody like her. She knocked on Molly’s door, it was only nine o’clock and she knew Molly would be watching television with Luke.

  Molly opened her door and saw tears forming in Brooke’s eyes.

  “What did he do to you? Why are you crying?” Molly wrapped her arms around her friend.

  “He didn’t do anything, it was a wonderful evening, I thought something special was happening between us, he offered me a job with his company and gave me a peck on the cheek.”

  Molly turned to Luke with a knowing look, “I know what that is like.” When they first became friends, Luke was reluctant to further complicate Molly’s life and didn’t let on that he had romantic feelings for her. As much as he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her properly, he settled for a kiss on the cheek.

  “I don’t know why it bothers me so much,” Brooke whispered, “Travis Kincaid is way out of my league. I should be glad to have the chance to ride in a limo and dine in an exclusive restaurant. By the way, he owns Bellamy’s and I’ve never had a meal like it before.”

  “Come sit and have a glass of wine, you can tell me what it’s like riding in a limousine, did you have drinks on the way? Tell me about Bellamy’s, it must be beautiful overlooking the lake. What did you have to eat?”

  Talking to her friend helped Brooke recover from her disappointment in the evening’s end. She mentioned Travis had her investigated before the date and they laughed wondering what deep dark secrets he thought he would discover in her past.

  Feeling better, Brooke said goodnight to her friends and unlocked the door to her apartment. She heard footsteps and turned to see Travis standing behind her. Without saying a word, he drew her into his arms and kissed her passionately.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said as he turned and walked away.

  Brooke was stunned, she glanced toward Molly’s door and saw her smiling through the crack. “Looks like you made an impression after all,” Molly said as she closed her door.

  “Luke, I want to be happy for Brooke, but I can’t shake the fear that Travis Kincaid will break her heart. He’s in a different world than anyone she’s ever dated.”

  “I trust your instincts, Molly but I don’t think you will change Brooke’s mind if she’s determined to hook up with the guy. Being in her corner and ready to pick up the pieces might be the only way to handle it.”

  “You’re right, of course. I’ll keep my opinion to myself although I will still worry about her. Why can’t she meet a nice steady guy like you?”

  “A nice steady guy? Are you saying I’m boring?”

  “Luke Sullivan, you could never be a bore,” Molly put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss, his response was anything but boring.

  Chapter Five

  The following morning, Brooke knocked on Brad Carpenter’s office door. Brad is Brooke’s co-worker and friend. The two met on her first day at Colby, Lynch, and Sprague, a contracting and design firm in Hillsboro. Brooke took notice of Brad’s good looks and charm and resolved to capture his heart. Her hopes were dashed when she received an invitation to his wedding to Elizabeth Welch. Her plan to disrupt Brad and Elizabeth’s wedding with her declaration of love was foiled when the bride was escorted down the aisle in a back brace and helped into a wheelchair when she arrived at the altar where Brad was waiting for her. Brooke reluctantly acknowledged Brad was not in her future as anything more than a friend.

  Brooke learned Elizabeth lost her job as the buyer for a large department store due to her injuries and suggested Molly hire her for the flower shop. Molly did and they all have become good friends.

  “Brad, are you busy?”

  “Not too busy for you, Brooke, what’s up you look worried.”

  “I’m not worried, just confused.” She told Brad about Travis’s job offer. “It would be a wonderful opportunity for me, yet I don’t want to give up my job here. I don’t know what his intentions are, is the job a serious one or does he just want to have another bimbo at his side?”

  Brad looked pensive for a moment. “Elizabeth told me about the meeting with Kincaid, she said he was all business but seemed like a decent guy. I know it surprised her because of his dubious reputation. She also said you had some impressive ideas about the decorations for this party he’s planning. I know Elizabeth was impressed with your talent, maybe that�
�s why you were offered a job.”

  “It’s not a party, his mother is throwing a charity event. Talk about snobs, that woman could catch raindrops in her nose, it’s so high in the air. Travis isn’t like that, he must take after his father although he admitted his father was your basic crook.”

  “Sounds like a nice family. I don’t know what to tell you, Brooke, maybe you should follow your instincts. Unless your feelings for this guy will get in the way of what’s best for you.”

  Millie Jensen, Brad’s assistant knocked on the door. “I’m sorry to disturb you two, Brooke, you have a phone call, he says his name is Travis Kincaid. If he’s the Travis Kincaid, I thought you’d want to take the call.”

  “Thanks, Millie, I’ll take it at my desk,” Brooke thanked Brad for listening to her and left his office ignoring her rapidly beating heart.

  “Good Morning, Travis.”

  “Hello, Brooke, I’ll get right to the point.”

  He’s all business this morning, I wonder if he’s forgotten about the kiss last night, I wish I could.

  “I’ve spoken to George Colby. He has agreed to let me hire you with the provision that, if in six months, you decide my organization is not to your liking, he will reinstate you. He is granting you a leave of absence and there will be no changes in your benefits upon your return. That is if you choose to return. Kincaid Enterprises will match your current salary with an additional twenty percent.”

  “Travis, I can’t just leave my current job without knowing what will be expected of me in your organization.”

  “Of course, I don’t think I made it clear. You will report to René Dubois. She is responsible for the décor in our hotels and office buildings. You will learn more from her than any class can teach. I’ll pick you up at noon for lunch if you are available.”