by Jaden Skye
Frank leaned forward across his desk then, closer to her. “Well, I heard you were a looker, but not a shocker,” he said, seeming to want to break the tension that was forming. “No one said you were this good-looking.” He smiled slowly.
Olivia recoiled and threw Marcus a quick glance, but he quickly looked away.
“Marcus and I just finished our meeting,” Frank continued. “I let him stay a little longer because he wanted to meet you.”
Olivia looked over at Marcus, who smiled. “I’m so sorry for everything,” Marcus said softly. “I wanted to tell you that.”
“Everyone wanted to come and meet you,” Frank went on roughly. “You’re the mystery lady right now at the company. No one here’s ever heard your name.”
Olivia was growing tired of hearing this. “I’ve never met any of you either,” she replied on the spot. “That’s why I’m pleased to be here.”
Frank grinned. “We got a frisky one here,” he commented. Marcus slowly shook his head at Olivia, but she had no idea what he was trying to say to her.
“Okay, Marcus, you go now,” Frank went on. “You can talk to her later. Take her out for dinner, for lunch, whatever you want. Right now she needs me all for herself.”
Marcus stood abruptly and threw Olivia a long, sad glance as he left.
“All right, let’s have it.” Frank finally got up after Marcus left. He stretched and paced a little. “Todd always knew how to pick the beautiful ladies,” he said, before he sat down again.
“I beg your pardon?” Olivia replied formally, trying to create some distance. It didn’t work.
Frank dove to the heart of the matter. “What do you want with me? What are you up to?”
Olivia decided to match his forthright manner. “I heard that Todd had been digging too deeply into company business,” she jumped in immediately.
Frank frowned and tapped on the desk hard. “You want to know what he was digging into?” He jutted his head out toward her, disconcerted.
“I’m trying to find out what happened.” Olivia backtracked a minute then.
“Of course I’m not going to tell you, you realize that,” Frank said. “Company business is company business.”
“Did Todd find out something that put him in danger?” Olivia asked.
“Obviously he was in very big danger,” replied Frank, “but he didn’t know it at the time, nobody did. Don’t you think we would have protected him if we knew?”
Olivia didn’t know. She closed her eyes. She felt at a loss for a moment about how to go on.
“Listen.” Frank immediately changed the topic. “You’ve been through a lot and obviously need some relaxation. You know we got terrific hot clubs down here in Key West. I bet you haven’t been to any of them. Now that’s really a shame. I’d be happy to take you while you’re down in the Keys. It will help get your mind off everything.”
Olivia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I came here to talk to you about Todd,” she said, trying to ignore his comment.
“You didn’t know Todd for very long from what I heard, did you?” Frank said. “What were you looking for from him, exactly? I can give it to you, too, only better.”
Olivia was disgusted. “What happened to Todd? I know you can tell me.”
“I can tell you?” Frank threw his hands up in the air and laughed. “If I knew that I’d be down at the station testifying myself.”
“I meant I want to know more about his work at the company. What exactly do you guys do?”
Frank was not taking the bait. “Todd had a nose for danger,” he went on, “he drew the wrong people to him like a magnet. His work here had nothing at all to do with his death. The police have the right guy in custody. Tomas is a nut, he obviously gets off on poisoning people, too. The minute I heard Todd died of arsenic I knew it was Tomas. Everyone did.”
“Someone said Todd found out more about the company than he should have.” Olivia tried returning to the main issue at hand.
“Who’d you hear that from? Todd’s crazy sister, Deanne, I bet! She kept records of every move the guy ever made! And most of her records are bogus.” From the threatening look on Frank’s face, Olivia knew she’d touched a sore spot. “Don’t believe anything his sister says,” Frank repeated. “She drove Todd crazy, made his life miserable. She was jealous of every woman he got near.”
Olivia felt vindicated. She’d wondered about Deanne herself and was delighted that she couldn’t trust what Deanne had told her. It wasn’t true that Todd had been dating others while he was with her. Olivia couldn’t bring herself to ask Frank about that, though.
“What exactly do you guys do here?” she repeated.
“Todd didn’t tell you? That’s hard to believe,” Frank muttered.
“Todd said he worked at a venture capital firm,” Olivia responded, hoping to get more from Frank.
“Look, you’re a beautiful lady and you got caught up with a guy that you shouldn’t have.” Frank suddenly started speaking faster than before. “He took you for a ride and you can’t get off it. Todd had a way of doing that. So you’ll go up and down for as long as you have to, but stay away from the company! Nothing here is any of your business. Nothing at all. Stay away.”
“What happened to Todd?” Olivia called out, suddenly feeling stricken to the core. “You have to have some answers for me.”
For a fleeting second a dazed look came over Frank’s face. “I told you, Tomas is a nut who gets off on poisoning people.” Frank sounded dejected suddenly. “Leave it at that, okay, honey?”
“I can’t leave it,” said Olivia.
“Well, as I told you before, I’ll be happy to take you out on the town personally to help you forget. It will help you feel better in a few minutes flat.”
Olivia cringed and Frank laughed.
“I’m not such an ogre, believe me. I run this whole operation and lots of women in Key West would be thrilled to have a night alone with me out on the town. Right now the least I can do for Todd is to make his gorgeous fiancée happy.”
*
Olivia felt physically ill after she left Frank Brunel’s office. She had to talk to someone about it and didn’t want to tell her dad. As soon as she got far enough away, she immediately put in a call to Wayne and told him where she’d just been.
“I just spoke to Frank Brunel,” Olivia reported.
“You did what?” Wayne’s voice became stiff and he sounded upset. “I told you not to.”
“He was awful.” Olivia began to break down, feeling like she was going to cry. “He wanted to take me out on the town to party.”
“Scum.” Wayne was quick on the uptake.
Olivia thought of the well-ordered world she came from. No one would actually ever behave the way Frank had; they might think it and feel it, but keep it well hidden. There was a superficial comfort and sense of propriety one always had.
“Lorna and I plan to be at the pier for the sunset ceremony in an hour,” Wayne said. “Why don’t you come too, and we’ll talk more then. There are some things you need to know.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Olivia got to the pier as others were streaming onto it as well. Guitar music played, Key Lime pies were being sold, and the magnificent colors of the setting sun were spreading across the darkening evening sky. A feeling of warmth and festivity surrounded everyone. Most were here either as a couple or together in small groups. It was hard enough being alone in this kind of situation, but even harder to realize that Todd would not ever walk these streets again or see the setting sun.
As she wandered about slowly, Olivia thought briefly of her meeting with Frank. Despite his crass behavior, it had been good to hear that he thought Todd’s sister was nuts. It helped Olivia to discount what Deanne had said about Todd still being involved with Mina. Olivia couldn’t explore that possibility and wouldn’t right now. All that was holding her together was the feeling of having had Todd’s unconditional love, being the most important person
in the world to him. He’d said over and over that Olivia was the one who was making him the man he always wanted to be.
But who was that man he always wanted to be? Olivia now wondered. And who was the man Todd actually was? What had his life really been like? Though it had been exciting not knowing a thing about each other’s past when they were together, it was now becoming frightening. All kinds of strange shadows were arising that had to be met with, whether she liked it or not.
Olivia walked a few steps farther and looked out at the sea. When she turned back to the pier to look for Lorna and Wayne, it had grown more crowded. Live musicians were playing soft music at the edge of the pier, giving a feeling that all was well with the world. Olivia stood quietly scanning the people, when all of a sudden, she saw Wayne and Lorna strolling together in her direction. They looked good together, chatting lightly as they walked.
Olivia felt more alone than ever for a moment, but quickly started walking toward them.
Lorna spotted her and called out, “Here we are, come over.”
When Olivia arrived, Lorna put her hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “Wayne told me what happened with Frank Brunel. It’s unpleasant,” she said.
“He’s over the edge,” Olivia murmured.
“But Wayne also said he warned you not to go there,” Lorna continued. “You can’t go traipsing about yourself talking to whomever.” There was a brusque way about Lorna that left no room for hesitation
“Come, let’s all sit on a bench,” Wayne broke in. “We actually needed to talk to you.”
Uneasy then, Olivia wondered what they had on their minds. They strolled to a nearby bench and once they were seated, Lorna continued.
“I’m sure you realize that the scope of the investigation is widening,” Lorna started.
“Yes, I do,” said Olivia, wondering exactly what Lorna was getting at.
“Inevitably, Doug has branched out and has his own focus now,” Lorna continued.
“It’s me, isn’t it?” Olivia uttered.
Lorna turned directly toward Olivia. “This isn’t personal, of course. We have a homicide on our hands, and it’s customary to look into the nearest of kin or the person who spent the most time with the victim.”
Olivia felt it was personal, though, and wondered why Wayne was being so silent, letting Lorna take over.
“Doug has actually contacted your first fiancé, Paul’s, family,” Lorna continued.
Olivia knew she had to defend herself now. This certainly wasn’t the conversation she’d been hoping to have.
“Okay, so none of what I’m going to tell you is good, Olivia.” Lorna’s voice turned grim. “Paul’s father actually blames you for his son’s death.”
Olivia tried to pretend that the news didn’t bother her. It did though. And it angered her that Wayne hadn’t given her any idea of what to expect at this meeting. They both obviously wanted to grill her further.
“Paul’s death took a huge toll on his family,” Olivia spoke firmly. “It hit his father extra hard, but his whole family felt it. Paul’s father doesn’t just blame me, he blames everyone for everything.”
“He said you deserted his son when he needed you the most,” Lorna continued, uncompromisingly.
“Paul’s father expected me to be at Paul’s bedside every day and every night. I was there as much as I humanly could be. After Paul died his father wouldn’t talk to me at all.”
Wayne nodded, but Lorna wouldn’t let it go. “Paul’s father also said that it seemed odd to him that both of your fiancés came to an untimely end!” she quickly added.
Those words hit Olivia hard. “That’s a low blow.” Olivia spoke angrily now. “It was cruel of him to say that, bitter.”
“It’s more than cruel,” Lorna continued. “His father could actually become a character witness against you.”
Olivia knew Lorna was trying to rile her up, see what else she could shake loose from her. Olivia wasn’t going for it though. She’d been blindsided before and wasn’t going to let it work this time.
“There are no witnesses against me for anything,” Olivia replied in a measured tone. “That’s because I haven’t done anything to be accused of. In fact, I’ve been a wonderful fiancée to both of these men.”
Lorna grimaced.
“It’s easy to blame me, isn’t it?” Olivia was furious. “What about all the other women Todd dated? Have you spoken to them?” Olivia could send out a few test arrows of her own.
“I have to know what Deanne told you before I can answer that,” Lorna answered deftly.
“I’m not a criminal,” Olivia said to Wayne quickly. “I didn’t kill Paul and I didn’t kill Todd. In fact, I loved Todd very much. It wasn’t the same exactly with Paul. It was painful and exhausting watching Paul die. So at the end I didn’t go every night. That’s normal.”
Olivia caught them both staring at her suspiciously, and she couldn’t take it anymore. They didn’t have news for her. They wanted to interrogate her.
Finally, she stood.
“Where are you going?” Lorna asked.
“I’m not a prisoner, am I?” she retorted.
Olivia turned and walked away, her heart pounding, half expecting them to arrest her, and quickening her pace as she went.
*
After she walked away Olivia felt the pit in her stomach grow deeper. She couldn’t go back to the hotel right now. It would be too hard facing her father again, explaining why she had to stay. Instead, Olivia decided to walk for a while and think about what to do next.
Fortunately the evening was warm and as Olivia walked along, she felt a sense of being guided. Someone would come along, something would happen, she told herself as she wandered. It always worked that way for her.
After walking awhile Olivia went to another bench and sat there looking out over the water. The sliver of a new moon was rising in the sky and the air was warm and vibrant. As she sat there in the stillness, the vibration of her phone startled her. Olivia looked down and to her surprise, a message awaited her from an unknown number.
It’s Marcus. I can help you. You need to see what’s in Todd’s office. 13th floor, third room from the elevator to the right. The key to the building and his office will be in the red pot, beneath a palm tree, beside the building. Use it after 8pm. Delete this text.
Olivia’s heart slammed. This was the break she needed.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Olivia’s palms were clammy as she stood outside the office building at dark, checked both ways, and then used the key card to let herself in.
She walked quickly through the marble lobby and followed Marcus’s directions, taking the elevator to floor thirteen, then turning right.
She stopped before Todd’s office and breathed deeply, afraid of what she might find. Then Olivia forced herself to summon the courage. She used the key.
Once inside it was different. Olivia didn’t feel so fine. This was the place Todd had spent so much time in. Olivia could almost feel his presence hovering around.
She turned on her phone’s flashlight, not daring to turn on the overhead lights. As the flashlight swept across the room, her heart pounded.
There, all over his desk, were pictures of women. Women her age. Women she had never seen before. Women kissing Todd.
One of the women, Olivia felt sure, was Mina. But who were the others? She felt sick to her stomach. They had all been right. She had never really known Todd at all.
How could she have been so wrong?
As she scrolled through Todd’s files on his desk, everything seemed in order. There were mostly records of accounts he handled. All loose ends were tied up and everything was sorted perfectly. Very neat, very organized, she thought.
She went to his computer, turned it on, and blinked as she saw his work email pull up. His email was filled with correspondence between him, customers, and people in the company. Most emails were about appointments, investments, and company meetings. One email was slightl
y jarring though.
“I can’t talk about this any further,” Todd had written to someone at work. “People here won’t like it. This is the kind of thing we can only discuss in person.”
Why couldn’t he talk about something openly? Olivia wondered. Was it possible that Todd might have been hiding something at work?
She continued scrolling, and then stopped. To Olivia’s surprise, a long string of emails from Mina popped up.
“I’ll see you at seven for dinner,” the first one said. “Miss you so much, can’t wait for my hugs.” The email was dated a week ago.
Olivia felt her mouth go dry. Last week. So it was all true.
“Todd, where are you?” the next email from her said. “It’s harder to get in touch with you these days. You haven’t answered for two days now! Are you avoiding me for some reason? I thought we had a fantastic time last week. You said yourself what a great time it was.”
Olivia broke into a sweat. That email was dated a few days before the previous one. Deanne had been right, Todd and Mina had been dating right up until the end. It was hard for Olivia to grasp what she was seeing.
“I love you so much, Todd,” the email said. “I’ll always love you, too, no matter what happens. I hope you realize that, you’ve got to realize that.”
“I realize it, sweetheart,” Todd had replied. “And I feel the same way, forever.”
Goose bumps rose all over Olivia’s skin. She felt as though she’d entered the twilight zone. Todd would love Mina forever? How could he write that to her as he was buying Olivia her engagement ring?
Was that what Marcus was trying to tell her when he shook his head at the meeting? That Mina was responsible for Todd’s death?
Did Mina find out about the engagement? Could this have been a motive for her to kill him?
Olivia no longer knew what to think. But she knew one thing: she had to see Mina now.