Island of Last Resorts

by Mary Ellis

  ‘I agree with you on that point, Beth,’ Creery sneered. ‘Take her back to the holding cell and the two ladies to their rooms.’

  ‘Please, Beth, don’t put up a fuss.’ Nate leaned Ensley’s body upright in the chair, trying not to see his ruined head which lolled pitifully to one side. Swallowing down a gag reflex, Nate patted the bloody jacket until he located the memory stick in an inside pocket. ‘I found it, Mr Frazier. We’ll need a computer that has the PowerPoint program.’ He placed the flash drive in Frazier’s hand.

  As the three guards left the dining room with Nicki, Izzy and Beth, Frazier caught the arm of the last guard. ‘Go to my office and get my laptop. If the door’s locked, Mrs Norville has the key. Take my computer to the library. We’ll watch the flash drive in there.’

  When the guard glanced at Creery for a split second, the action wasn’t lost on Frazier. ‘Why are you looking at him?’ Frazier demanded. ‘I’m the one paying your outrageous per diem. You will do as I say while in my employ.’

  Creery wore a smug smile as he helped Frazier down the hall to the library.

  Michael noticed Creery’s expression too as they followed him down the hall. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing, boss,’ he said softly.

  ‘I hope so too,’ Nate replied. ‘But at least we’ll soon know who our enemies are.’

  Creery deposited Frazier in the overstuffed recliner and brought him a glass of water. Nate and Michael took the two chairs on Frazier’s left to wait. After a long interval of silence, three guards entered the library, including one with a laptop.

  ‘Plug it in there.’ Frazier pointed at a wall outlet. ‘Then aim the projector at the white wall. Jonah, bring up the PowerPoint program and then pop in this flash drive.’

  Like the dutiful assistant he’d been for years, Creery did as instructed without displaying an ounce of emotion. After a few moments of blank tape, Kurt Ensley appeared on screen. ‘What you are about to view,’ Kurt said, ‘is the security tape of the cellblock from the night Mack Fallon died. Unfortunately, I wasn’t smart enough to request this from police evidence until long after the judge dismissed the case against Reuben Fallon. I will go to my grave regretting I didn’t do my job when I had the chance.’

  ‘And to your grave you shall soon go.’ Creery’s singsong-like words filled up a few moments of additional blank tape.

  Then everyone’s focus locked on the wall where Jennifer Jacobs walked into view with Bob McDowell close at her heels.

  ‘So it was ADA Jacobs, not Ensley!’ Frazier gasped. ‘And that lowlife Bob McDowell. I knew those two had something going on.’

  ‘Let’s just keep watching, sir,’ Nate instructed.

  When the ADA stopped in front of Fallon’s cell, McDowell was not in view, but the security tape showed the back of her head along with fairly clear dialogue between the two. ‘Good evening, Mr Fallon,’ Jacobs said. ‘I trust the Fulton County jail has been treating you well.’

  ‘Can’t complain so far.’ Mack Fallon, a taller, heavier version of his younger brother, Reuben, walked up to the bars. ‘Seeing a pretty woman right before bedtime never hurts.’ Mack ogled Jennifer rather rudely.

  ‘The state of Georgia will be grateful tomorrow for your guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter in exchange for testimony against the party who paid for the break-in.’ Jacobs’s drawl was slow and melodic.

  ‘And I’d be grateful for another open button on that pretty silk blouse of yours.’ Fallon pressed his face against the bars.

  Thankfully, Jacobs’s back was to the security camera as she undid a button. ‘For a third open button, you’ll have to do me a little favor.’ The ADA purred like a cat.

  ‘Name it, pretty lady.’ Fallon was practically drooling.

  ‘I have a very good friend who’s a reporter. He begged me to bring him along today. My friend wants the inside scoop on your big story. Would you mind talking to this reporter for a few minutes?’ When Jennifer lifted her arms to chest-level, everyone in the room knew what she was doing by Fallon’s expression.

  ‘Do we really want to watch this tramp?’ Creery whined.

  Frazier’s reply was short and to the point. ‘Yes.’

  ‘Is this reporter on television? So I’ll get my five minutes of fame on TV?’ Fallon asked.

  ‘Absolutely,’ Jennifer drawled.

  ‘Then send in your friend. I don’t care if I spill the beans before tomorrow’s big court appearance.’ Fallon pursed his lips as though blowing her a kiss.

  As the assistant prosecutor walked down the cellblock, Bob McDowell stepped into view. The newsman looked younger and in better condition than when Nate had seen him the night Frazier marched his suspects into the dining room.

  ‘Hey there, Mack. I’m a reporter with Atlanta’s News Channel Eleven. I would love to hear the gist of what you plan to say in court tomorrow. But first, the man who hired you also asked me to bring you a little present. He said it’s for a job well done.’

  Fallon grabbed ahold of the bars. ‘Are you saying Mr Creery wasn’t mad?’

  ‘Nah, at first he was, since the wife ended up dead instead of the husband. Then he said, “What the heck? I was getting a little tired of Ariana anyway.”’

  McDowell used a foul word to describe Mrs Frazier before he passed Fallon a small, foil-wrapped packet.

  ‘That swine, McDowell,’ Creery muttered. ‘I never said that!’

  ‘You were seeing my Ariana?’ Frazier’s hands gripped the arms of the chair so hard his fingers turned white. ‘How could you, Jonah?’

  ‘Your Ariana?’ Creery spat. ‘You didn’t own her. Ariana was a grown woman whom you treated like a child … and not a very bright child either. You decided everything in your marriage – from what she bought, to what she ate, to what friends she was allowed to see.’

  ‘I was trying to protect her.’ Frazier’s voice faltered. ‘Ariana used poor judgement when she was young.’

  Creery stood so he could loom over Frazier. ‘Which you never let her forget. It wasn’t hard to steal Ariana away. All I had to do was listen to her opinions and treat her with respect.’

  Frazier covered his face with his hands. ‘All these years … I thought you were my friend. You earned plenty of money working at my company.’

  ‘Your wife, your company? I helped to build Resilient Automotive Systems into what it is today. It wasn’t just you.’

  When Nate heard Frazier sobbing, he decided their argument had gone on long enough. ‘That’s enough, Mr Creery. Sit down.’

  Creery reared around as though he’d been poked with a stick. ‘No, you sit down, Price.’ Creery pulled out his gun.

  ‘Guards,’ commanded a sad, weary Julian Frazier. ‘Lock up Mr Creery where we’ve been keeping Mr Galen. Let Hunter rejoin his wife and friends.’

  Despite the direct order, none of the guards moved. In fact, some of them sneered at the elderly man while aiming their weapons at Nate and Michael.

  ‘What’s the matter with you? I’m still in charge here!’ Frazier pushed down on the arms of the chair.

  ‘Sit down, old man. You haven’t been in control of this island for a long time.’ Creery pushed Frazier back down. ‘I did everything in my power to prevent this stupid game of yours. But you refused to listen, even after I warned you that you might not like the ending. And for the record, out of respect for our friendship, I tried to protect you. You could have gone to your grave believing Ariana had been the perfect wife. But now you’ll die knowing the truth you so desperately sought.’ Creery addressed one of the guards. ‘For now, lock him in his room and make sure he takes his medicine on the bedside table. I don’t want to see his pathetic face again.’

  ‘Wait!’ Creery said as they dragged Frazier across the carpet. ‘Don’t leave by that door. I don’t trust the butler.’ Then Creery pressed a carved rosette on the wall and a panel slid back, revealing a hidden staircase. ‘Take him up this way, while you men gag and cuff Price and Preston. We’ll keep the
m locked in here until I figure out how to fix this.’

  While Nate and Michael squirmed beneath three sets of restraints, a sudden pounding on the door commanded everyone’s attention.

  ‘What’s the matter with you, Compton?’ Creery shouted. ‘I told you that Mr Frazier and I were not to be disturbed.’

  ‘Begging your pardon, sir,’ the butler said through the door. ‘But Mr Frazier’s nephew has arrived and wishes to see his uncle.’

  Nate thought the former assistant might faint dead away.

  ‘Alexander is on the island?’ Creery asked.

  Someone pounded even harder than before. ‘Yes, I am here,’ said an irate voice. ‘Compton, unlock this door immediately or you’re fired.’

  The lock clicked, the door swung open, and in strode a much younger and more dapper version of their host. He was followed by two bodyguards, judging by the fact their right hands were hidden inside their suit coats. ‘What on earth is going on in here?’ Alexander Frazier looked from face to face in the library.

  ‘We didn’t hear your helicopter, sir,’ Creery murmured. ‘What a nice surprise.’

  ‘The pilot dropped us off at the St Simons airport because someone needed the helicopter this evening. When I finally got ahold of Captain Burke, he brought me over on the Slippery Eel.’ Alexander wandered the perimeter of the room, as though assessing the situation. ‘Someone had given Burke the impression he had the rest of the week off with pay.’ His gaze came to rest on Creery.

  ‘I don’t know how that happened, but it does explain why Burke never delivered the last two guests,’ Creery mused. ‘I wonder why Thursday’s supply boat never showed up either.’

  ‘I’d like to know who these men are and why they’re bound and gagged.’ The nephew pointed at Nate and Michael. ‘And why are those security guards carrying automatic weapons?’

  Creery offered a placating smile to his boss. ‘You’ll have to ask your uncle that question. By the time I got here, Julian had hired a team of mercenaries and bribed everyone he thought responsible for Ariana’s death to come to Elysian Island. Once they arrived, he took them prisoner. Then Julian invited a team of private investigators to solve some crazy murder mystery. I’m afraid your uncle has lost his mind, probably due to the chemo and radiation treatments.’

  ‘None of that makes a bit of sense.’ Alexander slumped into the chair formerly occupied by his uncle. ‘But first, why didn’t you tell anyone you were coming here? Your secretary has been calling you. I’ve been calling and sending texts – everything but smoke signals – yet no one at the office has been able to reach you.’

  Creery sat down too, as though weary from spinning his web of lies. ‘I arrived last Saturday because Julian said he needed help with the mystery game he planned for his guests. He said it would be similar to those dinner theaters he and Ariana enjoyed so much. I thought it would be business as usual – people stomping all over the island, searching for a bunch of clues, and drinking far too much alcohol. I told Julian I didn’t like the idea of armed guards, but your uncle insisted. Julian said people often tried to crash his parties and he would take no chances this time.’

  Nate tried to snag the nephew’s attention, but he seemed to be buying Creery’s story hook, line and sinker.

  ‘Go on,’ Alexander prodded. ‘This ridiculous party scheme doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell anyone at the office where you were.’

  ‘I’d planned to return to Atlanta on Monday,’ Creery continued. ‘But by then things were spinning out of control. I felt Julian was losing touch with reality, so I stayed to control the damage.’ Creery leaned toward Frazier. ‘One of his guests – Julian called them “suspects” – was found dead on the beach.’

  ‘What?’ Alexander jumped to his feet. ‘Did he drown while swimming?’

  ‘No, and this gets much worse.’ Creery rubbed his face with his hands. ‘I wanted to call the sheriff’s department and the coastguard, but Julian had severed the landline. While I was running crowd control on the island, his mercenaries confiscated the guests’ cell phones and laptops.’

  Finally, the nephew’s expression turned skeptical. ‘But you have a satellite phone, Jonah, for just such emergencies.’

  ‘Your uncle knew where I kept it. When I got back to the house, it too had been confiscated. I couldn’t call the authorities or my office or you. Julian insisted he would free the team of detectives once they solved Ariana’s murder.’

  Alexander began pacing the room. ‘My uncle knows who killed Aunt Ariana – Mack Fallon. And that creep died of a drug overdose in jail.’

  ‘I’m telling you your uncle’s not himself. Julian believes everyone connected to the case was somehow part of a grand conspiracy – the assistant prosecutor, the Atlanta detective in charge of the case, Fallon’s public defender, even that slimy newspaperman who smeared Aunt Ariana’s reputation on TV. One by one they turned up dead somewhere on the island.’

  The nephew stopped pacing in front of Nate and Michael. ‘No way could my uncle have done this alone. Did these two help him pull off the murders?’

  Nate squirmed in his chair so much that the chair fell over. One of the guards yanked the chair upright.

  ‘Yes, those are two of the investigators Julian hired. The rest are locked in their rooms, awaiting law enforcement.’

  ‘Why would a group of PIs help Uncle Julian if he was as crazy as you say?’

  ‘I don’t know the details, but I heard Julian threaten them once or twice. He said if they didn’t help bring the “suspects” to justice, he would kill them one at a time. Julian said Hunter Galen would be the first to go and nobody has seen him for days. I think Galen was a stockbroker from New Orleans.’

  Nate fought down the bile creeping up his throat, hoping that this too was just another of Creery’s lies.

  ‘And that one there.’ Creery shook his finger at him. ‘I watched him shoot Kurt Ensley, the public defender, in cold blood. Ensley’s body is still in the dining room. Nate Price and his employee, Beth Preston, hadn’t turned in all their weapons at the front door. Preston shot Jennifer Jones in the back on the far side of the island.’

  Alexander slicked a hand through his hair. ‘This is a matter for the police to sort out.’

  ‘I agree, sir. But since we can’t get ahold of them, I suggest we have the armed guards take the Price team back to St Simons on the Slippery Eel. The guards will contact the proper authorities and turn over the prisoners. You and I can wait for the forensic experts out here with Julian.’

  ‘Whatever you think best, Jonah.’ Alexander dismissed the matter with a flourish of his hand. ‘But right now, I’d like to see my uncle.’

  ‘I understand, sir, but Mr Frazier is sleeping. Why don’t you and I discuss corporate damage control until he wakes up?’

  ‘What kind of damage control are you talking about?’

  The corner of Creery’s mouth twitched. ‘Five people have been murdered on Elysian by one or more guests. Although you’re the CEO of Resilient Automotive Systems, your uncle is still a majority shareholder. If news of this gets out, our stock could take a major nosedive. That certainly won’t do anyone any good.’

  Alexander rubbed his jawline. ‘I see your point, but I don’t see how we can sweep five dead bodies under the rug.’

  ‘I suggest you position your security men outside Julian’s door. The housekeeper can show them the way. As soon your uncle wakes up, we’ll visit him together and you can gauge his mental condition for yourself. In the meantime, I’ll fill you in on the week’s events so you understand before the police arrive. Then we can plot our corporate spin to this disaster.’

  ‘Fine, but I don’t need both bodyguards standing vigil at Uncle Julian’s door.’ Although Nate tried his best to catch the nephew’s eye, Alexander paid him no mind as he crossed the room. ‘Mr Nguyen, you’ll remain with me. Mr Baker, have the housekeeper direct you to my uncle’s suite. Text me the moment he wakes up.’

  Creery
addressed his henchmen. ‘You four move Price and Preston down to the boat and make sure they’re well secured. Two guards should stay on the boat while the other two come back for the wives. Both Nicki and Isabelle are together in the Price suite. Then my entire security team will deliver the private investigators to the authorities on St Simons. I want to make sure nothing goes wrong.’

  As the guards dragged Michael and him from the room, Nate got a bad feeling about the Price team’s future … and that of the nasty men-in-black as well.

  FOURTEEN

  Elysian Island. Friday a.m.

  When Eliza Norville had finished her convoluted tale of million-dollar bribes, kidnapping, and sneaking maids off the island in the middle of the night, Kate only had one question: how on earth did Nate Price and his employees get dragged into the madness? According to Norville, her employer thought a bunch of private investigators would make the murder mystery ‘game’ more interesting, but she had no idea how Frazier had selected Nate out of hundreds of agencies in the Southeast.

  Some game. Over the last six days, all five so-called suspects had ended up dead, and Norville had no idea what had happened to Hunter Galen. After she’d caught Hunter breaking into the office, Creery had dragged him off. As Frazier’s assistant, he took care of everything Frazier didn’t want to do. But Kate knew Creery was responsible for so much more, thanks to her phone conversation with Alexander.

  Just as the cook returned to the stove, they both heard feet shuffling down the hallway. ‘Eliza, where are you?’ asked a male voice.

  Kate pressed a finger to her lips and then slashed it across her throat. Just as the kitchen door banged open, she slipped into the broom closet.

  ‘Why haven’t you delivered more coffee to the library?’ the man asked. ‘The boss has been talking and looking at videos with Price and Preston and their breakfast carafe is empty.’

  From between the louvers, Kate saw a tall, sixty-ish man wearing a fancier suit than any her father had ever owned.

  ‘I’ve been chopping vegetables for soup,’ Norville stammered. ‘I thought everyone would be outdoors by now.’