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Grand Prize: Murder!

Page 18

by Vivian Conroy


  “We were having an affair.” Sydney grimaced. “Yeah, that’s what Lilian thought. She was livid, thinking I would seriously pursue someone like this Brookes woman. Her words, not mine. I assured her it was no such thing.”

  Vicky cocked her head. “Lilian knows nothing of the poker games?”

  “No. If she is guessing like you, she is not saying it. She understands it’s best not to stand in the way. She wants her parties to continue, you know, and the best way to do that, is letting us men have our fun, our way.”

  “So what went wrong Friday night? Lilian had told Cash and me you caught the guard taking pictures of guests and you confiscated his camera because of that. But did it really have to do with the illegal gambling?”

  Sydney sighed and studied the ground. With the nose of his neatly polished shoe he drew lines in the dirt. “Yes. The guard caught wind of the poker game. He also took photos of that.”

  “That is when you caught him.”

  “Yes. I took his camera and I deleted the photos of the game. I kept the camera and the rest of the photos to give to Cash in case the guard acted up and complained about my behavior. Cash could then establish he had been taking shots of Lilian’s guests and I had had a real reason to confiscate the camera. I hoped Cash would not believe the guard if the guy should start talking about illegal gambling going on. Cash would probably think Deke too conservative and risk-avoiding to ever allow something like that, in his house.”

  Vicky looked him over. “Deke knows?”

  Sydney laughed. “He even joins in. He’s a pretty good player too.”

  Vicky was surprised but refocused on the issues at hand. “Was there anything important in the photos you deleted? Anything that can point at the identity of the guard’s killer?”

  Sydney thought a few moments, then shook his head. “I don’t think so. But I have to admit that I clicked through them fast and deleted those that could reveal the gambling. I didn’t pay close attention to the others. I’m sorry if I deleted something important. I didn’t do it on purpose, just to keep the poker games a secret.”

  His expression became pleading. “Do we have to tell Cash about this?”

  “You took the camera off the guard. What time was that?”

  Sydney thought for a few moments again. “Eleven, eleven-thirty?”

  “So then he was still alive?”

  “Yes. I think he was even still alive around midnight. I saw him from the upstairs window. He was walking across the lawn. He was following a man.”

  “A man?”

  “Yes, one of the guests in tuxedo.”

  Vicky jumped at the idea. “Any idea who it might have been?”

  “No. He didn’t follow him all the way. He looked after him and returned to the house. I’m not sure what he wanted with him.”

  “And then?”

  “The party ended, we said good-bye to the guests. I sat up and counted the money I had won. It was a lot. I was reluctant to leave it around the house. Lilian or the housekeeper might accidentally see it and ask questions about it. So in the early morning I left and took it to the safe in Deke’s offices. Since I work there on occasion, I have a key card to let myself in. I planned on being back before Lilian noticed anything. Normally after a party she doesn’t get up before ten. How was I to know she’d get up and walk about and find a dead body in her conservatory?”

  Sydney held her gaze. “Rowland Investment’s security system logs all entries. So you could have Cash check that my key card was used that Saturday morning. It’ll show when I came in and when I went out again. But I do hope we can keep it under wraps.”

  “Maybe. How much do you win in an average evening?”

  “A couple of thousand?” Sydney shrugged. “If it’s a good night, maybe fifteen, twenty grand?”

  Vicky stared. That much money was what she hoped to earn in months of hard work in her store. She could understand Sydney loved these games. And the other men loved them too. Perhaps it was better if they played poker during a party than leered at women?

  “If it is necessary to clear Bella Brookes, I will of course tell my story,” Sydney said. “I planned to do that all along, you know. I really liked her. But right now I don’t see how it can help her. There is no one else who wanted the guard dead.”

  “He took photos of your illegal poker game to expose you.”

  “Yes, but I took the camera and deleted his proof. I didn’t need to kill him.”

  “He could have talked.”

  “Who would have believed him? My friends, the other players, would all have denied it. And without the pictures he had nothing to go on.”

  Vicky nodded thoughtfully. “You’re probably right.”

  “Look, Miss Simmons.” Sydney arrested her arm. “I did not kill that guard. I was not in the conservatory at all that evening. I was looking after the players—that took all of my attention. It usually does. I don’t have time to run around the house.”

  “You’re sure that man on the lawn following the other was the guard? And it was close to midnight?”

  “Yes, I’d swear to that.”

  “Great. Let’s hope that will be enough. Thanks for your time.”

  Sydney nodded. As Vicky started to walk away, he called after her, “I really hope you can clear Bella Brookes. She seemed like a great adventurous woman. She played one round of poker with us and won the pot. Eight thousand dollars.”

  Vicky turned round in a jerk and stared at him. “And you paid her, in cash?”

  “We only play with cash money. That makes the fun even greater. Yes, I paid her.”

  “But she had nothing on her to put it in. Just a small purse. Eight thousand is a lot.”

  “Eighty hundred dollar bills in an envelope.” Deke shrugged. “I have no idea what she did with it. Maybe put it in her stockings? All of our players carry tons of cash around and they hide it in their clothes, on their person, most of the time. Common among gamblers.”

  Vicky pursed her lips. She had seen Bella shortly before they had said good-bye to their hostess and she had not been carrying anything beside her small clutch purse and her fan. Her dress had been pretty tight too. Could you hide so much money underneath it?

  “Mr. Haverton.” She looked him over urgently. “Could I have a look in the conservatory?”

  “Right now? What for?”

  “I think we will find something hidden there.”

  “What?” Sydney was obviously at a loss. But as he saw the determination in her face, he sighed and nodded, opening the entry gate and letting her get into his car for the last stretch to the house.

  As they came in together, Lilian called from the living room, “I am here, Syd!”

  She appeared in the doorframe, wearing a sleek apricot dress with a white vest. Her eyes widened as she saw Vicky. “Hello. What a strange hour for a visit.”

  Her gaze shot to Sydney and then back as if she wondered how Vicky and Sydney suddenly knew each other better than as casual acquaintances.

  “I think there is something hidden in the conservatory.” Vicky tried to sound determined to overrule any objection Lilian might have. “We should look for it and if something is there, notify Cash.”

  Lilian looked puzzled. “Why would something be hidden there?”

  “Because Bella had money on her that night and she did not leave with it. She must have left it in the conservatory.”

  “How do you know that?” Lilian walked after her as Vicky purposefully set off for the conservatory.

  Vicky ignored the question. Once inside she looked around. Most plants were standing in ornate pots, some brass, some glazed from Spain and Portugal. She walked past them and peered inside. At last she found what she had been looking for. The edge of an envelope.

  “Do not touch it,” she said to Sydney, who had followed her around like a puppy. “We have to call Cash and let him retrieve it. Then we have to find out how it fits in.”

  “We can’t do that,” Sydney sai
d in a strained voice. “My prints are on it. It will make me look guilty.”

  “But if you paid the money to Bella, her prints will be on it too.” Vicky looked at him innocently. “What does it prove? Nothing but that both of you handled the envelope.”

  “You paid money to Bella Brookes?” Lilian said in a strained voice. “What on earth for?”

  “A wager,” Vicky said with a smile. “That is why Bella was so satisfied when she left here. She had won as she usually does.”

  Lilian frowned. “I wish,” she said to Sydney, “that you would not be so careless with your trust money. You like to bet on anything, I know, but…”

  Sydney was not in the mood for a discussion with his older sister. “It will only get me in trouble with Cash. Why don’t we leave it be?”

  “No, we can’t.” Vicky looked hard at the envelope. “I’m sure there will be more prints on it than just yours and Bella’s. Prints from somebody who might just be our murderer.”

  Sydney stared at her. “I don’t follow.”

  “Remember how the guard followed someone around midnight? I think that someone had the envelope with money you gave to Bella. He hid it here. The guard saw him do it and that is why he was killed.”

  “But if the person hid it here, why did he not take it away again? It could point to him.”

  “Yes, I don’t understand that either,” Vicky admitted. She looked thoughtfully at the edge of the envelope. “Well, anyway, we’d better call Cash.”

  Lilian straightened up and glared at Sydney. “You have a lot of explaining to do. Not just to Cash, but to me as well.”

  Sydney sighed. Looking at Vicky, he mouthed, Thanks a lot.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cash promised Vicky he’d look into the prints on the envelope as soon as possible and let her know what he came up with. But he also said that with money in the mix and Bella Brookes’ prints most likely on the envelope, it only strengthened his assumption that she had fought with the guard, had tried to buy him off with money and when that failed, or he asked for more, had killed him by a blow to the head.

  Within the premise of that theory, however, Cash could not explain the envelope being left behind. Certainly Bella would have taken it, to remove suspicion from herself?

  Vicky had a slight headache upon awaking the next morning and the unpleasant sensation the solution was still shrouded in fog. However, Bella was out of jail and the idea was that she would be personally present at the community center to provide the last clues that would lead people to the location where the killer would be revealed and the winner of the coveted tickets to London announced. Vicky hoped Grace Dinks would honor their agreement and not start acting up again.

  After a sumptuous breakfast with Bella, Vicky took her to Claire’s where they had a brief chat and then took the dogs for a walk on the beach. Bella loved the dogs and played a little fetch with Coco, while Mr. Pug looked on, too dignified to join in anything like that.

  Vicky was glad to see Bella more relaxed than last night. She told her outright what had happened at Lilian’s place and asked how the envelope had ended up in the conservatory, in a pot. Bella seemed reluctant to share.

  At last she stood staring at the ocean, the white waves breaking on the sand, the water rolling out to lap gently in front of her feet. “I gave the money to Paul.”

  “To Paul?” Vicky held her breath. “Why?”

  “You already know we fought.” Bella fell silent again, apparently struggling to share the details of the fight. Finally she spoke, “I blamed Paul for having run out on me and… He told me I should be grateful because he had cared for me back then, had given me money for my rent, had gotten me nice vacations, that trip to Vegas, when we were about to be married.”

  She looked sad. “I got angry at his pompous attitude and tossed the envelope at him, saying he could have his lousy money back, with interest. Of course I don’t recall down to the last cent, but I bet he never spent more than eight grand on me while we were dating. It was a whirlwind romance, ending too soon.”

  “How did he respond?” Vicky asked.

  “He picked up the envelope and asked me how I had earned that kind of money. He insulted me by suggesting that… I had other boyfriends now…”

  Bella’s face contorted in pain. “Who paid me, cash, for my services. That is when I struck him with the fan. And he tore it.”

  She looked at Vicky. “I lied earlier when I said he struck me. I didn’t want you to know about the money and the conclusion Paul had drawn about it. But the truth is that I struck him. I was just so very angry he could think something like that of me.”

  She swallowed. “I struck him, and the fan got damaged. I ran off. I couldn’t stand to stay one moment longer.”

  “I see. And the envelope was still there?”

  Bella nodded.

  Vicky said, “But I can’t imagine Paul hiding the envelope with cash in the conservatory. He knew he would most likely never go there again. How could he ever retrieve it?”

  Vicky frowned hard to figure out a solution. “Can he have passed it on to somebody else? His assistant Mark?”

  “Mark couldn’t expect to go there again either. Right?”

  “Right.” Vicky nodded. “It had to have been somebody local. With access to the house.” She frowned. “I guess we’d have to ask Paul how he lost the envelope.”

  “You can’t ask Paul about our altercation.”

  Vicky ignored the protest and mused, “Maybe he was so angry he tossed it down and somebody picked it up later and hid it? Eight thousand dollars is enough to tempt anyone.”

  “Maybe.” Bella shrugged wearily. “I don’t see how we can piece all of this together.”

  Vicky called out for the dogs who came running for her. She put them on their leashes and they left the beach by way of the steep path up to the vantage point.

  Vicky took the dogs and Bella along to the store, where they met up with Marge and Ms. Tennings who were unpacking new soaps. Ms. Tennings told them both her friend Agatha and her bridge partner were still in the race for the tickets. “The final clues will be given at noon. I think there was a suggestion made the other day it would now amount to a real physical challenge. So I do hope older people can keep up. Else it would be a little unfair for Agatha and other senior citizens.”

  Vicky inspected the soaps and put them into place. Bella had gone up into her apartment to check on things and respond to some emails that had come in during her time in jail. She appeared again with her packed suitcase, telling Vicky she’d much prefer to stay with her the next couple of days. “If you do not mind, of course.”

  “Of course not,” Vicky said, and Marge offered to bring the suitcase out to the cottage right away with her car. “How is yours doing in the garage?” she asked Bella.

  “Oh, I think Paul said he would get me another car.” Bella looked out of the window into the street. “It should be in the parking lot. I have to use it this afternoon to get to another engagement.”

  Vicky immediately thought this would enable anyone to get to it and tamper with it. Her heart began to beat fast. “Perhaps it is wiser not to use it until we know for sure how the brake line on your previous rental got busted?”

  Bella gave her a weary look. “You intend to play chauffeur for me? I have a book signing at two in another town.”

  “I can drive you out there,” Marge offered right away. “I love book signings. I have some experience with them at the library. I can help you with anything you need. And Ms. Tennings can help out in the store in my stead.”

  Bella thanked her and Ms. Tennings, who then engaged her attention for the royalty memorabilia display and their shared memories of meets with the royal family. It turned out that Ms. Tennings had met the queen at a family’s house where she worked, while Bella had been to an opening night of a play where the queen had attended and later on briefly talked to her.

  At a quarter to twelve they closed up the store and went to
the community center, via the back entrance. Vicky felt like they were bodyguards shielding a harassed star as they moved quickly, Bella in their midst. Inside they all exhaled in relief. Volunteers were getting the sheets with new information ready.

  Paul DuBree stood at the microphone, tapping on it to test the sound system. He didn’t seem to notice them at first. Vicky cast a glance at Bella and saw the look in her eyes as she surveyed the handsome man. She was still in love with him. While he did not deserve it at all.

  Just think of that ugly allegation of DuBree’s, that Bella had men pay her for her company…

  What kind of person did you have to be to say something like that?

  Vicky had already disliked DuBree for his handling of the scavenger hunt, but it now intensified into something close to disgust.

  “Vicky…” Michael put his hand on her shoulder. “Great to see Bella out. I guess you convinced Cash she did not do it, huh?” It sounded a bit ironic.

  “She is far from cleared from suspicion, unfortunately.”

  Michael looked her over. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” He frowned. “Is she going to talk to the crowd? Taking chances if you ask me. People might think she is really guilty and start booing her.”

  “I’m not sure what DuBree wants. Bella’s book tour will continue. She’s scheduled for another signing at two. Perhaps they think pressing on like nothing happened is best.”

  Vicky looked in DuBree’s direction. He had now noticed Bella and had come over to talk to her. He looked harassed, almost angry. Bella spoke quietly, her head down, like a chastised schoolgirl.

  Then from out of nowhere Grace Dinks sailed down on them.

  DuBree looked up and flinched, stepping back. Grace smiled sweetly at Bella. “Dear Miss Brookes, you are out of jail. Hello, I’m Grace Dinks. I asked earlier if I could cover your book tour, but you declined. Now I am covering it, in quite a different way.”

  “You are entitled,” Bella said curtly.

  “Is it true that you were involved in an art theft before you were famous and the murdered man knew all about that?”

 

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