“Hello, Travis, it’s good to see you; tell me what this is all about,” Wiley said while shaking his nephew’s hand.
Travis told him he found Brooke standing over Adele. “It didn’t register that she was dead until I saw the blank look in her eyes. I know my first words to her were accusatory, however, I also know Brooke would never hurt anyone. Wiley, I hope you will be able to get to the truth; I’ll pay you any amount of money you ask if you will help Brooke. She won’t see me, and I must get to the office now.”
“Travis, I don’t know you well, but anyone can see something is wrong. You are acting like a desperate man, you are hiding something; does it have anything to do with your wife’s death?”
“Trust me, it’s business, I’m worried about my father’s business.” Travis turned and walked away from his uncle, his hands shook as he opened the door and walked out of the police station.
Wiley recognized Luke Sullivan in the waiting room. Luke volunteered at the boy’s club where Wiley was on the board.
“I’m glad you will be representing Brooke, Wiley,” said Luke. “There is no doubt she is incapable of murder,” Luke introduced him to Molly.
“Mr. Kent, I hope you can help my friend. She’s in this mess because of Travis Kincaid. I’m sure that’s why he called you, he feels guilty about leading her on and not telling her he is a married man. Travis should be the one in a jail cell, not Brooke.”
“Molly,” Luke whispered, “Wiley is Travis’s uncle.”
“I apologize, Mr. Kent, I didn’t mean to offend you, I’m upset about Brooke and sometimes I speak without thinking. I hope I haven’t discouraged you from representing Brooke.”
“Don’t apologize, Molly. I’d like to talk with Brooke about the events of this evening. She might have to stay here until morning. You might want to pack a bag for her, she will need a change of clothes and her own toothbrush.”
“I don’t want to leave her alone, but they won’t let me see her, so I might as well make myself useful.”
Molly watched Wiley walk through the doors to the interrogation room. She said a little prayer that he was as good a defense lawyer as Luke said.
Molly and Luke walked to Luke’s car in the parking lot. Molly’s cell rang, and she answered it without looking to see who was calling at this hour of the night.
“Molly, it’s Carter Moss, I rushed over to Mr. Kincaid’s suite after I heard the news of the death of his wife on the news tonight. Mr. Kincaid isn’t here, and he doesn’t answer his cell. I found something strange and wondered if you are free to visit me here?”
“Carter, it’s after midnight, can it wait until morning?”
“I don’t think so.”
Molly’s curiosity was piqued although she couldn’t imagine what Carter found that was missed by a police team. “Luke is with me, Carter. We’re on our way.”
“Molly, what do you know about this Carter fellow? He could be a crackpot. I don’t want you going into Travis’s suite alone. This guy might be the murderer.”
“Carter Moss isn’t the bludgeoning type. He sounded worried, not guilty; he has no reason to harm me.”
When Luke and Molly arrived at Kincaid Towers, Rawlings was asleep, and she pushed the button calling for the elevator. Carter was standing by in Travis’s suite and pressed the release allowing the elevator door to open immediately.
“Thank you for coming,” said Carter, his voice an octave higher than usual. “I have Travis’s accounts on the computer screen. He is selling his assets one by one.”
“Carter, why do you have access to Travis’s accounts?” Asked Molly.
“Don’t forget, I’m his personal assistant. I know everything about him and his business.”
“Why would he be selling his assets? Is he skipping the country, did he kill his wife, Carter?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. Let me start at the beginning. When I let myself in tonight, I had a sense of foreboding. Most people make fun of my instincts; however, they usually prove to be true. I wanted to clean up the mess the police left when they dusted the room for prints. Of course, the bedspread is bloodstained and is ruined. The officers examined only the bedroom if they had searched this room they’d have found this item.” He pulled a plastic bag containing a baby’s pacifier out of his pocket.
“Okay, Carter, why is that strange? Doesn’t Travis have friends with babies? Maybe it belongs to one of the servant’s children.”
“No, Travis doesn’t have many friends and none with children. He employs few servants, a cleaning lady who comes in twice a week. Myrtle has never been married and no self-respecting mother would allow her anywhere near a baby. The chef has no family in the United States and has been in Naples visiting his mother since Christmas.”
“I don’t get it, Carter, what makes the pacifier so unusual?” asked Luke.
“I’m not explaining my concern well,” replied Carter. “Six months ago, Myrtle was hospitalized for gallbladder surgery. She was unable to do her cleaning duties for almost two months. A temporary agency sent a young woman to fill in for Myrtle. After she left the first day, I noticed one of twelve exquisite wine glasses was missing. I asked Mr. Kincaid’s permission to install a nanny camera. He said he didn’t think it was necessary but to do what I thought was best. The cleaner came back, and the camera showed her doing her job and nothing more. I’m embarrassed to admit I miscounted the glasses. She hadn’t taken one after all. The camera has filmed continuously since it was installed.”
“Carter, are you saying there is a film of the murder?”
“No, but I do have film of the back of the sofa where I found the pacifier and the sound of a baby crying. Unfortunately, the tape has rewound itself so many times it is taping sporadically and that is all it shows.”
Carter played the tape for Molly and Luke. The time and date showed clearly.
“A baby was obviously in this room, Travis is liquidating his assets and a woman is dead. It sounds like a kidnapping. Is Travis the baby’s father?” asked Molly.
“If the baby belongs to Mr. Kincaid, I’m sure he didn’t know,” replied Carter.
He told the story of Adele Markley calling Travis, the marriage in Las Vegas, the death of Adele’s father, and her subsequent breakdown.
“Travis visited her for months though she refused to see him. It was only after he became involved with Brooke that he thought about divorcing Adele. Travis did say he thought Dr. Pembroke was not being completely honest. They were only together for two days but that’s all the time they’d need to make a baby.”
“Carter, I know you don’t want to hear this but is it possible Travis was upset that Adele kept his child from him and struck her in a rage?”
“You don’t know Travis like I do, Molly. I have never seen him lose his cool even when someone is trying to get the best of him in a business transaction.”
“Not knowing about the birth of his flesh and blood is quite different from a business transaction,” answered Molly.
They heard the elevator approaching the penthouse and knew Travis was on his way.
“Maybe we should be on our way, Luke, I don’t think Travis will be happy to see us in his home,” said Molly.
The elevator door opened, Travis walked in glancing in Molly and Luke’s direction.
“How’s Brooke, can Wiley get her out of that place?” he asked without the least bit of surprise they were in his home in the middle of the night.
“Sir, you look terrible, can I get you something, coffee? a drink?”
“No, nothing for me. What are you doing here, Carter?”
“Sir, I heard about Adele on the news and came to see what I could do for you. I called Molly because of something I found between the sofa cushions.”
“Why aren’t you two at the jail, is Brooke alone? Why did you leave her alone?”
It was obvious Travis was distraught. Molly began to feel sympathy for this man she’d warned her friend about for so long.
/> “Travis, sit down and try to relax, Luke and I want to help you, but you have to be honest. Is someone holding your baby for ransom?”
Travis dropped his head in his hands. “It’s a nightmare, Molly. Adele is dead, Brooke is in jail, and someone has a baby they say is mine.”
“How much are they demanding?” asked Luke.
“Five million; I’m able to get that amount but not until later in the morning. I don’t know who is taking care of the baby or if it’s alive.”
“We have to call the police, Travis.”
“No, they’ll kill my child if I call the police.”
“Travis,” said Molly, “Carter told us about your marriage to Adele. I understand you married her to protect her from her father’s interference, but you should have told Brooke before becoming involved with her.”
“I agree, I did try to fight my attraction to Brooke but not hard enough. Molly, you had every right to be skeptical of me.”
“I don’t understand why you let things go so far with Brooke, she’s in love with you Travis. You must know that.”
“I’m in love with her too. I thought I could end my marriage and then tell her about Adele. I knew Brooke wouldn’t continue our relationship if she knew I had a wife.”
“Travis, why don’t you tell us what happened this evening? Brooke was under the impression you had a business setback and wanted to help you with it. Your meeting tonight had nothing to do with business, did it?” asked Luke.
“No, it wasn’t business. Adele called when I was in my meeting in Cambridge. I excused myself in the middle of a discussion because she’d refused to see me for over a year and I thought it must be important for her to call after all this time.”
Travis took a deep breath and told his guests about the conversation he had earlier in the day with Adele.
Chapter Eleven
“Travis, I understand you want to end our marriage. I haven’t been much of a wife to you and I was wrong to blame you for Father’s death.”
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for us, Adele. I don’t want to hurt you but it’s time we move on with our lives.”
“I agree, and I would like to see you, I have something important to tell you and it can only be done in person. May I come to your suite in Kincaid Towers, I still have the passkey to unlock the elevator.”
“I’m not in Hillsboro now although I can be there in a couple of hours. If you arrive first, let yourself in. Rawlings will probably know you, he always remembers a pretty face. If he gives you any problems have him call me. Adele, it will be good to see you again, I’m happy you are feeling better.”
“That was the last time I heard her voice, by the time I got home, she was sprawled on my bed with a gaping wound on her head.”
“Tell us everything you said and did from that moment on.”
“It took me longer to get home than I anticipated, there was an accident on the highway and traffic was backed up for an hour or more. I tried the number Adele called from earlier and the line was dead.
“When I finally arrived at Kincaid Towers, I was miffed to find Rawlings half asleep. I didn’t say much to him because I was anxious to see what Adele had to say that was so important.
“It was eerily quiet when I walked into the suite, I noticed a figure in the darkened bedroom and when I walked closer, I realized it was Brooke. I saw Adele face down on my bed. I remember asking Brooke what she had done to my wife and I know it sounded like an accusation.
“I’ll never forget the look of betrayal on Brooke’s face. She showed no emotion when I called 9-1-1 for help. Adele was dead, and Brooke looked to be in a state of shock but wouldn’t let me come near her.
“It seemed an eternity before the paramedics arrived. I’d called Rawlings to make sure he was awake to unlock the elevator for them. I couldn’t leave Brooke and Adele alone, not that I was able to help either of them.
“The police arrived shortly after the paramedics and questioned Brooke. I told Brooke not to say anything until an attorney was present, but she glared at me and told the police officer Adele was on the bed when she arrived and hadn’t moved. They asked about a barbell lying on the floor. Brooke said she tripped on it and picked it up to move it out of the way to help the woman and it was too late.”
“The police lab found Brooke’s fingerprints on the barbell along with bloodstains,” said Molly.
“I know they took it as evidence. It was only a ten- pound weight but enough to crack Adele’s skull,” said Travis with a shiver.
“Travis, you must have a stairway to the main floor of the building,” said Luke.
“Yes, it’s off the kitchen. It is open from this floor to the parking garage. The doors lock from the other side. Anyone can get down the stairs without a key, but they can’t get up.”
“If someone was in the suite, they could go down the stairs to the parking garage and never be seen by the doorman, is that correct?”
“Yes,” replied Travis, “they would avoid Rawlings and the cameras installed in the lobby. I’ve taken the stairs many times before a run. If there is a baby, whoever took it could have easily left the building without being seen.”
“You don’t sound convinced that there is a baby,” said Molly.
“I have a call into Adele’s doctor. I suppose it’s possible she gave birth while at the Bainbridge Center. When I talked to Doctor Pembroke about Adele, I always had the feeling he wasn’t telling me the whole truth. If patient confidentiality is the reason for his silence, it is no longer an issue.”
“Is it possible the baby isn’t yours, Travis?”
“I don’t know, Molly, I wasn’t involved in Adele’s life until the day she came to me to help her. I don’t know if the baby is real; I can’t ignore the ransom demands if there is a life at stake.”
Molly felt pity for this man she considered too arrogant and self-absorbed for her friend. She was seeing a different side of him and began doubting her first impression of Travis Kincaid.
Travis’s cell phone sounded: “Doctor Pembroke, thank you for calling me back.”
Travis told him about Adele’s death and asked about the possibility of Adele having a baby.
“Mr. Kincaid, you understand I was unable to disclose the information without Adele’s permission. I’m happy she finally decided to tell you the truth. Adele denied the child was yours, Mr. Kincaid, although she never mentioned being involved with any other man. The reason she refused to see you for all those months was to hide her pregnancy from you. She gave birth to a baby girl while she was here in our facility. The baby would be three months old now. I can find the date of her birth in my office. Adele showed signs of improvement in her mental state after the child’s birth and the nurses allowed the baby to stay in her room. Adele loved the child and promised she would contact the father after her discharge. She never did mention your name, but my guess is that is what she was planning to tell you when she traveled to Hillsboro.”
After the call with Doctor Pembroke ended, Travis made another call demanding the money transfer be made immediately.
“Travis,” said Molly, “the pacifier can be tested for DNA and will prove whether the baby is yours or not. Luke can arrange for a lab test.”
“That won’t be necessary, Molly. I’m sure the baby is my child. Adele wouldn’t have married me if she was pregnant with another man’s baby.”
“The courts will want proof you are the father if your name is not on the child’s birth certificate,” said Luke. “I have a friend who will run a DNA. Otherwise, the baby could be placed in foster care waiting for proof of your paternity.”
“Yes, have him do whatever he can, I’m more concerned now with making sure I get my baby back. Whoever took her is capable of murder. Wiley should know of this development, they will certainly let Brooke go.”
Brooke felt exhaustion taking over after she talked with Wiley. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the picture of Travis’s dead wife ou
t of her mind. Is it possible she had fallen in love with a man who was capable of murder? He never mentioned he had a wife, but she should have guessed. Brooke knew Travis was hiding something, yet she chose to ignore her doubts.
Wiley returned to the holding cell to tell her she would be free to leave shortly.
“You might be questioned further, but for now, you will be going home.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kent; I don’t know how you convinced them of my innocence but I’m glad you did.”
“You aren’t out of the woods yet, Brooke, however, I feel certain you will be cleared of any charges. Detective Wentworth isn’t convinced of your guilt and he is well known for his fairness.”
“Are Molly and Luke still here? I’ll need a ride home.”
“No, I sent them on an errand to pick up a few things for you in case you were held until morning; I’ll drive you home.”
Brooke followed his lead afraid her legs would crumble before she walked out of the police station.
As Wiley drove to Brooke’s apartment, her head began to clear. She turned to him and suddenly realized why his name was familiar. Wiley Kent is the name of Travis’s uncle.
Brooke turned to the man driving her to her home. “Did Travis hire you to defend me?” she demanded. “Why didn’t you tell me you are that liars’ uncle?”
“I did tell you, Brooke. When I met you in the interrogation room I said Travis asked me to take your case and made it clear we are related. Maybe you didn’t hear me, you were still in shock from finding Adele Kincaid’s body.”
“Maybe you did tell me, I’m not thinking straight. You have been very nice, but I can’t accept Travis’s charity. Please send me a bill for your services; I will find another lawyer.”
“Travis isn’t paying me, Brooke, I am happy to represent you and will continue to do so if you agree. I don’t know what Travis has told you about our relationship; we are not close. My brother, Frank, disowned my mother and me and changed his name to Francis Kincaid. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about Travis, only that he has continued his father’s businesses in a more humane way than Frank did. I’d like to go with you to help you explain the situation to Molly and Luke?”
Murder in Kincaid Towers Page 8