by Loyd, Sandy
“It’s not okay! Why didn’t you just stay away?”
“I couldn’t.” He kissed her temple and leaned back to meet her gaze as he wiped her tears away. “I’ll go after we talk. I promise.”
“We have nothing to say to each other.”
“We have lots to say to each other, but that’ll wait for another time. This is serious.”
Something in his tone alerted her and she stilled, peering at him through tear-blurred eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m worried about you, your involvement in this case. I’m working on clearing both you and Claire, but it’s not goin’ well.”
Crystal snorted and wiped her eyes. “You forget. I have an alibi.” She smiled sweetly and presented her happiest voice. “I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for too long.”
“That’s your problem, Red. You never let anyone in.”
“I let you in.”
“No, you didn’t. Why else would I feel the need to figure out what was wrong? You wouldn’t let me in, and it drove me nuts.”
“Don’t try to twist this,” she hissed as she pulled out of his grasp. She paced back and forth, working off the restless energy that suddenly consumed her. “When presented with the evidence, you believed the worst.”
“It’s what you wanted me to believe. Another bullshit strategy to throw me a curveball. I would’ve caught on to it sooner, but seeing those pictures twisted me into a knot.”
“You’re delusional!”
“Am I?”
The question hung in the air but she shook her head, not wanting to listen. The guy was delusional. Either that or she was. And she certainly didn’t want to be under Jim O’Malley’s spell again.
“Interesting how I didn’t have to search very hard to find what I found.” He reached for his glass, took a sip of bourbon, and waited until she met his gaze.
Crystal sucked in a deep breath at the intensity shining in his stare.
“I’m not proud of my part, Red. I reacted.” He shrugged. “Maybe I was seeking my own bullshit reason. Things were hot and heavy there for a while. I don’t think either of us were expecting it or knew how to deal with the heat.”
Crystal couldn’t keep peering into those expressive brown eyes of his. She focused on his glass, eyeing it critically as drops of condensation ran down its sides.
“Are we through going down memory lane?” she asked with a note of finality in her tone, lifting her chin to meet his gaze again.
“For the moment. I never meant to get into us tonight.”
“Oh? Could’ve fooled me.”
He chuckled. “You can be one prickly bitch, you know that?”
“Maybe that’s why we were so good together, because you’re one prickly bastard. At the same time, that’s probably why we’re not together any longer.”
“Maybe,” he murmured, pursing his lips as he scrutinized her face.
Scowling, Crystal held his gaze without flinching and waited for him to continue.
When he remained silent, she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “I’m still waiting.”
Jimbo swore under his breath. “I want to look at your files on Elise and Carter.”
“Why?”
“Information. See if there’s a pattern I can trace. It’s the only lead I have left.”
“Okay. The information is on my laptop at work. Stop by tomorrow, and I’ll have a copy for you. Anything else?”
He hesitated. “I agree with Jason. Someone’s pointing us in your direction, at you and Claire.”
“I’m not worried about it.”
“What do you think will happen once they find your file on Carter? Snyder will jump to the same conclusion I did.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Oh?” His eyebrows shot up. “You seem so sure.”
“I am.”
Jimbo held her gaze and waited.
When the stare-off continued for too long, he prompted, “Care to elaborate?”
“There is no file,” she replied with a shrug. “Not any longer.” Crystal walked toward her bedroom and nodded toward the front door. “I appreciate your concern. But it’s late and I’m tired. You can see yourself out.”
“You’re softening. I can sense it,” he said under his breath.
Then he leaned over to place the half-full glass on the table. After several large strides, he let himself out the front door.
Chapter 40
Deputy Snyder hung up the phone with the forensic pathologist late that Thursday afternoon. He wiped his tired face and plowed a hand through unruly hair that hadn’t felt the teeth of a comb for two days.
As the lead investigator on the Carter murder case, he and his partner had spent every waking moment since he’d interviewed Claire Carter with her attorney. He’d worked every available hour on answers to his questions, breaking only to sleep, shower, or grab a stale sandwich and bitter coffee to keep himself going.
“Bad news?”
Snyder looked up and noticed Hendricks, one of the other deputies, eyeing him thoughtfully.
“No. Just more work.” He sighed. “I need to call Claire Carter’s attorney and get her in here for more questioning first thing in the morning.”
Hendricks picked up the picture on top of the file of Carl’s dead body and whistled. “Someone didn’t like him. My money’s still on the wife as suspect number one.”
“I know.” Snyder nodded and yanked his wallet out of his back pocket to pull out a ten. He tossed the bill in front of Hendricks. “My gut’s leaning in that direction. Somehow the lady’s involved. Too much points in her direction.”
Hendricks snatched up the bill and smiled. “There’s a reason spouses make such good suspects.”
Snyder returned the smile, nodding distractedly. “Blood work confirmed Carter died with scopolamine and morphine in his system. Also, because he’d been stabbed, everyone, including the coroner, assumed stabbing had been the COD. But the autopsy confirmed he’d still been alive when he hit the water. Such deep wounds would’ve bled out and led to death, but the official cause is drowning.”
“What a way to go. Someone stabbing him before dumping his drugged body into the sea.” Hendricks waited a heartbeat before adding, “A woman could’ve easily done it if he’d been under the influence. The clincher is the time-stamped hotel surveillance footage of Carter and a red-headed woman working their way to the elevator on the same floor as Carter’s room.”
Though the woman’s face was too obscured for a positive ID, Snyder’s thoughts mirrored his coworker’s comments, and added more nails in the wife’s coffin. According to the footage Carter hadn’t returned to his room after that, but the redhead had. Using that information, they’d determined an approximate timeline for when the stabbing had occurred.
Carl Carter had lived his life as a womanizing scumbag. That alone gave Claire Carter motive. The guy had to be a piece of work to cheat on a woman like that.
Thinking of his earlier interview and remembering how Roberts had escorted his client out of the station, he murmured under his breath, “Interesting couple.” At the time, he definitely noticed something between the lady and her lawyer. Just more thought to chew on.
“A frickin’ complicated mystery, that’s for sure. The more we uncover, the more questions we have.”
“I’m still working on getting the credit card and other personal information.” Hendricks shook his head. “Lots of layers.”
“Well, wade through them fast. I’d like to have the information on hand when I question the widow.”
“Oh?”
Snyder frowned. “A person matching Claire Carter’s description was seen docking her boat the same night Carter was caught on camera at the hotel, only five hours later, which helped determine his estimated time of death.”
That information came from a phone call Snyder had taken just hours ago. Roberts knew nothing about it or the COD. He’d have to make sure
the attorney got a copy of all forensics reports, plus the deposition, once he’d interviewed the witness.
Something wasn’t right with the whole setup. Just his luck that when he’d finally convinced himself the wife did it, he was hit with a twin sister. Then he learned this sister and the wife were estranged and had been for years until a few weeks ago.
With a heavy sigh, Snyder met Hendricks’s frustrated stare. “Right now there are too many threads of evidence, each one leading to a different conclusion.”
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes a moment once Hendricks had left his office. His mind whirled, sifting the information he’d gathered on the chase.
Everything led to the wife and the sister. At this point, things looked bleak for both. They were his only suspects. The two either killed Carl Carter together, or one of them acted alone.
Chapter 41
“All you got so far is circumstantial evidence. All of it,” Jason said Friday morning, throwing the report he’d just read on the table. He turned back to Snyder. “You’re reaching.”
“I don’t think so.”
“My client didn’t sell the stocks.”
“We know that. Carter sold them initially. Traced the transaction from his laptop. According to Mrs. Carter’s broker, he called informing her of the trades. Funny how Mrs. Carter didn’t tell him of Carl’s disappearance. Then the next day, she finds out from her banker he forged her name. Again, no mention of him going AWOL. I’d say that’s a pretty good motivation for murder.”
“So? She found out. And yeah, he sold the stocks. But he only took what was his. He didn’t get away with the loan. That’s no real motivation. You have no proof that it was Claire who deposited the money back into her account.”
“Maybe,” the deputy conceded as he looked at his notes. He took a few minutes, as if gathering his thoughts before he finally cleared his throat. “Your assistant told us how upset you were once you found out about the loan,” Snyder said, meeting Claire’s gaze. “She said you were livid. ‘I really will kill him before I ever let him have it all’ were your exact words.”
“I was angry,” Claire said evenly. “But that only led me to divorce him, not kill him.”
“So you and your sister say.”
Jason placed a warning hand over Claire’s and gave her a slight shake of his head before he answered for her. “We do say. Claire’s already processed the paperwork. You can check.”
Snyder gave Claire a sly smile. “I have. I think that’s a clever ploy to cover up the murder. Somehow you got your sister to help because you didn’t want to give him half. So you figured out a way to kill him and take it all.”
“No, that’s not true,” Claire insisted, pounding the table.
“Then why is the money back in the account? You want to know what else I think? I think,” he said, paying no attention to her shaking head as she remained silent, “you and your sister set him up and planned the entire scheme, from the moment of his disappearance.”
“What?” Jason snorted. He’d heard enough. He stood and turned to Claire to help her out of her chair. It was time to regroup. Getting into a yelling match with Snyder would solve nothing. “That’s ludicrous.”
Snyder leaned back in his chair, leveling his calm gaze on Jason. “Oh? Then why is it no one saw Carter after the night he disappeared? I say the drugged champagne in the flutes found at the scene was meant for Carl. Your client planned this all, along with her sister. The whole scene was a setup, down to your involvement and mine.”
Jason’s temper flared, and as he opened his mouth to respond, Snyder held up a hand to stall his retort and added, “Don’t you think it’s a little odd she’d call a lawyer after calling the police when her husband went missing? Hotel staff members have identified photos of both Claire and Crystal as frequent visitors to the room he was using. Each has an alibi at different times, making it harder to pinpoint who was actually going in and out. I’m assuming they did it together.”
“Makes for great fiction,” Jason bit out. “Ever think of becoming a writer?” He nodded for Claire to go ahead of him. “If that’s all you have, you’re going to have to excuse us.”
“Don’t go too far. We’re not through,” Snyder said, and expelled an audible breath.
Jason felt the deputy’s eyes on him as they walked toward the door.
• • •
“What’s going on?” The flash of lights blinded Claire as they left the station, one popping right after the other. Holding up a shielding hand, she murmured, “Why are all these people lined up to take my picture?”
“Reporters,” Jason replied as he steered her in the direction of his car. “Keep walking. Just ignore them.”
Never in her life had she been more thankful for the privacy the tinted windows provided once he slammed the door and ran around to the other side.
When he slid behind the wheel and started the Mercedes, she watched as he put the car in gear and backed up in an easy move.
“Why would reporters be interested in me?”
Jason sighed, his eyes filled with concern as they met hers. “You’re hot news now. Dead husband. Twins, both with motive and opportunity as suspects. Be prepared, because it’ll only get worse.”
“You told me not to worry. Things would work out.” She glanced back at the mob scene. “Now I’ve got reporters after me!”
As she recalled how many reporters had just swooped in on them, a trickle of unease crept along her spine. A pack of wild dogs going after fresh meat came to mind. They believed she was guilty as sin.
“Things are different now,” Jason added, “so we need to worry. Those vultures have latched onto some incriminating circumstantial evidence.”
“They think I killed Carl,” she said on a breath as disbelief wrapped tightening bands around her chest, restricting her air.
Soon the whole world would believe it too. Her hands fisted so tightly, the nails dug into her palms. She inhaled, forcing her fingers to relax one at a time.
Jason sighed, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “It’s not a hard assumption to make when Snyder has so much circumstantial support leaning in that direction. The guy’s been busy these past few days.”
Thoughts of the horrible questions and insinuation she’d just sat through with Snyder spun inside Claire’s brain. Oh God. She rubbed her forehead. Did everyone believe her guilty? Worse, the deputy was trying to implicate Crystal.
“What about you?” She glanced at him. Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face more closely, looking for the truth in his expression.
“Me?” Jason shrugged but he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I’m on your side.”
“You don’t believe what he’s saying, do you?”
“I’m behind you one hundred percent, Claire. You know that.”
She prodded, not understanding why it was so important. “But you have doubts.”
Jason didn’t answer right away. “How can I represent you when you haven’t been totally honest with me?” He rubbed his neck before letting out a long, slow breath.
“I have been honest with you.”
“Have you?” A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he shot a narrowed glance her way. “You’re in serious shit, and you’re in deep. The DA will be out for blood; I can sense it. His next move is an arrest warrant. So, what else are you leaving out?”
“Nothing,” she insisted. “How was I supposed to know this would happen?”
“I wish you’d told me about the stocks and the loan.”
“Why? That was personal.”
“It’s also a pretty damn good motive.” He braked for a red light and turned to face her, his expression grim. “If I’d known in advance, I could’ve been prepared. I don’t like being blindsided.”
“But it was still personal. Something I didn’t feel like sharing,” she shot back, not liking his accusatory tone.
Of course, she had no defense for something she’d known nothing about until Snyder
presented the facts to her in glaring black and white. Someone had put the money Carl had stolen from the joint account weeks ago back into her new account after he had been killed, making it appear as if Claire had been that someone.
“We’re past personal.” Jason raised an eyebrow at her as he added, “We passed it last weekend when we made love for the tenth time.” He turned his gaze out the windshield, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “Your fingerprints were found in his car. Snyder found more of Carl’s blood on the edge of your boat. He thinks you cleaned it to get rid of evidence.”
The light turned green and Jason focused on driving. As he did, Claire held her tongue, feeling helpless in the face of the evidence that had mounted against her.
Why couldn’t I have just told him about how Carl had tried to steal from me? Things between her and Jason would be so much simpler if she had, but being such a private person had now come back to bite Claire.
A mile later, he interrupted her thoughts. “Both those things are circumstantial and can be explained away, but the scopolamine and morphine they found in your bathroom cabinet? Explaining that, along with the money, may take some doing. And we can’t forget Crystal’s involvement. This just keeps getting worse and worse.”
“Crystal didn’t do it. She wouldn’t.”
“You and Jimbo should get together. Seems you both believe so strongly in your sister.”
She looked out the window, staring blankly at what passed by and seeing nothing. “Carl was involved with others. Have you thought about that?”
“Snyder hasn’t found anyone who fits, and Jimbo’s looking into it.”
“What about your ex? She was involved with him. You told me Jimbo saw her at the hotel. Maybe she killed him.”
“We’re meeting with her later today when she brings the girls by. But there’s no motive. She simply had no reason to kill Carter.” Jason sighed and gave a slight shrug, keeping his gaze on the road ahead. “Why would she kill him and set you up? She doesn’t know you. Besides, the crime’s one of passion. Elise has only one passion besides money, and that’s screwing men.”
