“Maybe he’s married and his wife likes alpacas.”
That sounded plausible. They parked the car and walked up the stone path to the house where a dog barked in the distance. A cool breeze blew through the trees, setting off the tinkle of wind chimes. The air had the slight aroma of apple pie and patchouli. A strange combination.
Chase had raised his hand to knock on the door when it flew open, a woman about his own age on the other side. Dark-haired and attractive, the woman wore worn blue jeans, a white blouse, and a welcoming smile.
“Hello, I saw you drive up. How can I help you?”
He and Bailey had already discussed how they were going to handle this meeting. He held out his hand and gave the woman his most charming grin.
“I’m Chase Jennings. I knew Guy years ago when we both attended the same summer camp and I was hoping to talk to him. I apologize for not calling first. I should have, of course. Is he around?”
Her eyes went wide and her smile grew. “A childhood friend of Guy’s? How wonderful! Do come in. Guy’s in the living room reading. He’ll be so thrilled to see an old friend. We don’t get many visitors up here. My name is Alice, by the way.”
Chase introduced Bailey and they all shook hands before entering into the foyer. The kitchen could be seen straight ahead but to the right appeared to be the living room and Guy, who was peering over his glasses as he stuck a scrap of paper into a book to mark his place. He stood and grinned, his arms spread wide in welcome.
“Chase? Chase Jennings? Holy hell, man, I haven’t seen you since we were kids. Come on in. Is this your wife?”
Somehow Chase had stepped into some sort of parallel universe. He hadn’t expected much of a welcome, although he hadn’t expected hostility either. He wouldn’t have allowed Willow and Peyton to try and talk to him if that was the case but this was something completely…bizarre. Guy was acting like they were good old friends when they barely knew each other. Chase hadn’t even recognized his photo right away from the memory books. It had taken a few days for him to put names to all the faces.
“Not my wife but a good friend. Let me introduce you to Bailey Scott. I think you knew her husband back in the day. She was married to Frank Scott.”
No sense beating around the bush. The plan was to be forthright and honest. It had worked with Danny and hopefully it would work now.
The smile vanished from Guy’s face and his shoulders slumped in sadness. Chase thought he could see a sheen of moisture in the man’s eyes.
“I heard about his passing. I’m so sorry for your loss. I…I should have been at the funeral but I was kind of tied up with a few things.”
Guy scraped his fingers through his hair, his gaze directed anywhere but at Bailey.
“It’s fine,” she said softly. “It was a small service.”
“You should all sit down and catch up,” Alice cut in, gesturing to the sofa. “Can I get anyone something to drink?”
Chase and Bailey declined the offer but did settle themselves on the sofa across from Guy. The other man appeared to have recovered from his shock at seeing Bailey, the easy smile back on his face although his eyes still seemed sad. Alice excused herself and headed into the kitchen.
Chase didn’t waste time and came right to the point. “Guy, we came here today because we need your help. We were hoping you’d know what Frank, Alex, and Greg were arguing about the night Gwen died. Do you remember? Was it about Gwen?”
Guy’s cheeks paled but he shook his head. “It wasn’t about Gwen, that much I remember. I’m sure it was just teenage boy stuff. No big deal.”
Bailey leaned forward. “There were punches thrown.”
The corners of Guy’s lips quirked up in a half-smile. “That wasn’t all that unusual. We were all wild back then, to be honest. Tempers were quick and fists were quicker. Once we got it out of our systems we were all friends again. No harm done.”
“Except that Frank, Alex, and Greg weren’t ever friends after that incident,” Chase countered. “As far as we can tell they never saw each other again.”
“We were all busy with life,” Guy replied awkwardly, clearly searching for the right words. “I’m sure they talked to one another, if not regularly then every now and then. They wouldn’t just cut each out of their lives. Not them. They were like brothers.”
“How did you know about Frank?” Bailey asked. “Did you two keep in touch?”
Guy scratched his head and nodded. “Not often but maybe once a year he’d call. He was a good friend when everyone else turned their backs on me. I heard about his death from my family.”
“Alex and Greg too?” Chase queried. “Did they keep in touch?”
“I talked to Alex a couple of times and got a few postcards from Greg. He was in Europe or something, I think. Haven’t heard from them in awhile, actually.”
Chase and Bailey exchanged a look. Guy didn’t know about them and Chase was going to have to be the bearer of bad news.
“Alex and Greg passed away as well. They’re gone.”
Blinking and then shaking his head, Guy didn’t seem to be comprehending. “What? No, they can’t all three be gone. That’s crazy.”
“They all died on the same day,” Bailey replied. “That is crazy, isn’t it?”
Now the man was shaking his head, muttering under his breath. “No. No. No.”
It was only when they heard the word Evandria that Chase interrupted.
“What about the Evandria Council, Guy? Why do you mention them? Tell me what you know about them. Are you a member?”
Leaping to his feet, Guy stood behind his chair, his hands wrung together. Chase’s heart accelerated, beating frantically against his ribs. Perhaps they were finally going to learn something that might help instead of spinning their wheels at every turn.
“A member?” Guy laughed but it didn’t sound particularly funny. “I used to be a member. But I was blackballed about ten years ago. That’s why it was such a big deal for my friends to still talk to me. Everyone else bailed long ago. Frank, Alex, and Greg were the best. Absolutely the best.”
Blackballed? What the hell did a person have to do to get thrown out of a secret society?
“What can you tell us about the Evandria Council, Guy? It’s been difficult to get any information.”
Guy’s fingers squeezed the back of the chair, his knuckles white. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bailey wished she had taken Alice up on the offer of a beverage right about now. Her mouth was cotton-ball dry and had to remind herself to breathe when she became light-headed. Guy seemed almost too good to be true. He was willing to spill all the secrets?
Chase started off the questions. “According to what we’ve been told, Evandria is a secret society dedicated to social justice and philanthropic works. Is that true?”
Guy took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes and no. Yes, they do amazing charity work all over the world. They absolutely make a difference in hundreds of thousands of lives and I was proud to be a part of that. But their mission is more than simply social justice, Chase. They want to run the fucking world.”
Sucking in a breath, Bailey’s pulse jumped at his statement. What had Frank been involved in? “Run the world? What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said in a literal sense. I mean they want to run the world. They want a new world order, to their specifications of course. They’ve already infiltrated every facet of the government and our financial markets. Every person with power in this country is in some way attached to Evandria. They believe that only they can bring about world peace and prosperity.”
“And how do they intend to do that?” Chase asked.
Guy grinned and laughed and Bailey shivered at the sound. It was a little too maniacal and not at all a happy sound. “By controlling everything. Every decision, every natural resource, every political office, every corporation. They feel that only then can they make the societal ch
anges necessary for true equality and freedom.”
“I’m afraid to ask what those changes are,” Bailey said faintly. “Are they trying to enslave the working class?”
“Not at all.” Guy shook his head. “They want the working class to have better lives, but it’s the way they’ve gone about it that makes me wonder. Their intentions are truly good. They want to eradicate hunger, poverty, and war. They dream of a utopian society where everyone can get whatever they need when they need it. They feel they need to grab onto all the world power to make that happen.”
Scraping a hand down his face, Chase sighed loudly. “That’s an overwhelming mission for one group.”
Guy smiled. “One group? They’re the most powerful group of people on this blue rock. With each passing day they get closer to their goal.”
“And Frank was a part of this?” Bailey asked.
Guy nodded. “Frank was a true believer, incredibly gung-ho back then. So was Greg and to a lesser extent Alex and Danny. I was the one who had doubts. They’d get pissed off at me for asking questions.”
Chase also stood and began to pace the small space behind the couch. “Is that what those three argued about the night Gwen was killed?”
Guy crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you I don’t know and I really don’t. I wasn’t there at the time and only heard about it later when they were giving each other the cold shoulder when Frank came back from his date with Gwen.”
“What time did Frank come in that night?” Chase asked. “Do you remember? Did you see Gwen?”
“It was not long before midnight maybe, and yeah, I saw Gwen. I had the top bunk near the window and I saw her walk by on the way to her own cabin. I also heard her voice outside when she was saying goodnight to Frank.”
She inwardly sighed with relief. That was two people who said Frank had nothing to do with Gwen’s death. “And he stayed in the cabin the rest of the night?”
“I’m a light sleeper. If he tried to leave I would have heard him.”
Guy was being so forthright Bailey decided to extend a little more trust. “There might be a connection between Gwen’s death and that of Frank, Alex, and Greg. The men all died on the same year and the same day, July twenty-first. Gwen also died on the same day, July twenty-first, but fifteen years before. It has to be more than a coincidence.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Guy frowned in thought. “That’s…weird. July twenty-first? I can’t even imagine… That can’t be the case—you must have it wrong.”
“We don’t,” Chase assured him. “Gwen was killed on July twenty-first and all three men also died on that day. We’re trying to find a connection and maybe find Gwen’s killer while we’re at it.”
Bailey shifted in her seat. “Was Frank in love with Gwen? Were all the boys? Could they have been jealous of one another? Maybe that’s why their friendship ended.”
His brows rising, Guy shook his head. “Are you suggesting that one of them…? Jesus, there’s no way. My friends would never have done that. They weren’t capable.”
Chase stopped pacing. “Maybe it was a crime of passion. Maybe one of them was jealous and killed Gwen.”
“No way.” Guy was adamant. “There’s just no way. They were all in the cabin all night. They couldn’t have done it. I mean, yeah, they all really liked Gwen and there was a little rivalry going on but they wouldn’t murder someone over it. It wasn’t that serious.”
“So no one left the cabin all night after Frank came back? No one?” Chase insisted.
Scowling, Guy shrugged. “No one. Danny left for a few minutes to take a leak but he wasn’t gone long enough to run down to the lake and stab someone and then get back. He was gone two or three minutes. Tops. I’m telling you they didn’t do it.”
Chase reached down from his spot behind the couch and placed his hand on Bailey’s shoulder.
“What about you, Guy? How did you feel about Gwen?”
Throwing up his arms, he groaned in disgust. “I fucked her, okay? Christ, everyone did that summer. She was out of control. If you’re going to suspect every guy who crossed the goal line with her then you’re going to have a long list of contenders. I don’t know what got into her but she was determined to party all summer long. And she wasn’t the only one, by the way. Her friends were right there with her. Especially that Taylor. She made the rounds too and don’t think Stephen didn’t notice. They fought like cats and dogs about her partying.”
Taylor and Stephen?
“Taylor dated Gwen’s brother Stephen?” Chase asked. “How long had that been going on?”
Guy shrugged. “For a while. They went to school together and he’d given her a necklace on Valentine’s Day. I know because she showed it to just about everyone at camp.”
Taylor hadn’t mentioned it but perhaps she didn’t want to admit that she’d cheated on Stephen.
Guy turned away and paced a few steps before turning back to them. “Listen, I know this sounds bad but there is no way I would have fallen for a girl like Gwen back then. I was just a kid and she was too aggressive. She intimidated me, to be truthful. She was so confident and sure of herself. I was envious but I wasn’t in love.”
There was several long moments of silence before Bailey piped up, anxious to get the conversation back on track.
“So who do you think did kill her?”
“I’ll tell you exactly what I told the police that day. Coach Dorrell was pissed about Alex playing around on her with Gwen. I saw her and Alex arguing about it a few days before and the coach was red in the face, poking Alex in the chest. She didn’t look happy in the least. Personally, I think she did it. No one would have thought it strange if she was out and about past curfew, plus she was in great shape. Strong. She could have subdued Gwen while she stabbed her, then thrown the knife into the river before getting cleaned up. That’s my theory anyway. That woman got away with murder.”
With that declaration, Bailey was even more anxious to hear from Willow and Peyton. Hopefully they’d found the woman and had talked to her about that night.
“So you don’t think there’s any connection between Gwen’s death and Frank’s,” Bailey asked one more time. She couldn’t deal with the thought that she’d come here for nothing and would leave with the same.
“I can’t think of one but the date thing is strange.” Guy looked at Chase. “You don’t think we have a serial killer or something from our camp days? Who else has died these last twenty years?”
That was a good question.
Chase shoved his hands in his pockets. “Guy, we appreciate all your help here and how open you’ve been. I do have one more question and I understand if you don’t want to answer. Why were you blackballed from the Council?”
Guy’s cheeks turned red and his lips tightened. Whatever memories he had weren’t happy ones. “I got hooked on coke and blew through my trust fund. I liked high-priced call girls, expensive suites, fancy liquor, and high-stakes poker. I thought I deserved to live a life of hedonism because of who I was. I was a walking, talking asshole as I’m sure you remember, Chase. I started stealing from my friends and family to support my bad and extravagant habits. Evandria is ruthless when you don’t obey the rules. I’d betrayed my brothers and sisters. When I was finally dragged before the Council I didn’t have much to say in my defense except that I was addicted and it wasn’t my fault. They voted me out but paid for my rehab. I was shunned by pretty much everyone but Frank, Alex, and Greg. Even Danny never spoke to me again after that. Now I live here quietly with Alice and we live on my yearly allowance from the family. I prefer this life, to be honest. I’m surprised I didn’t end up dead in some hotel room with a couple of hookers and a needle in my arm.”
“I’m sorry, man. I’m sorry I had to ask.”
Guy shrugged, an abashed look on his face. “It was my own fault. I was a spoiled shit. Some lessons have to be learned up close and personal, you know?”
Bailey gathered her purse and stood. “T
hey can do that? The Council? That seems harsh.”
“They’re ruthless. I was a detriment to what they were trying to build. I can’t complain. I knew the rules and I broke them. It’s better this way.”
Had Frank lived under those same rules? Guy had described him as a believer, which didn’t ring true. She’d never seen Frank all that passionate about anything in the years she’d been with him. Had he strayed from the Council? Was it because of her? Is that why he’d never told her or tried to get her to join?
They said their thankyous and goodbyes before climbing into the rental car and heading back to the airport. They had a flight to catch in only a few hours. Thank goodness they had been able to connect with Guy right away.
Bailey pulled her cell phone from her purse to check for messages from Willow or Peyton. She’d turned it off while visiting Guy because she didn’t want it to interrupt and now the phone was beeping and chiming as each new text and email came in.
“Looks like you’re popular today. Are any one of those from the ladies?”
Bailey scrolled through her phone. “I hope so. Damn, there’s a dozen messages here from them. Let me open the first one.”
The silence stretched as Chase waited for her to say something and she read and re-read the text from Peyton before reading each of the other ones, the tone becoming more and more frantic. This wasn’t some joke the girls were playing on her.
“What do they say?” Chase prompted when she didn’t speak. “Did they get to see Martina Dorrell? What did she say?”
Tightening her fingers around her cell, Bailey took a deep cleansing breath. Things had become exponentially more complicated as of that moment.
“She didn’t say anything. She’s dead. They found her body.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
A few hours earlier…
Willow checked her phone for the third time as she and Peyton walked down the busy New York City street. That asshole Ellis had to have given them the wrong address. There was no exclusive fitness center anywhere on this block.
Wicked After Midnight (Midnight Blue Beach Book 1) Page 16
