Murder in Kincaid Towers

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Last night he became belligerent, told me George would be waiting at the court-house for me and I would marry him if I knew what was good for me.”

  “Adele, no one can force you to marry someone against your will,” countered Travis.

  “You don't understand, Father hasn't been in his right mind since Mother died, his words weren't empty threats, he is a powerful man who knows how to force people to do his bidding. I had no choice but to run away. I waited until he was asleep, packed my bags and drove to the airport.

  “I had to use my correct name and show identification to buy the ticket. He will have his investigator find me and drag me back home. I thought you might find a way to hide me, maybe I could go to one of the Kincaid Hotels until I can figure out what to do.”

  “Adele, if the man is a danger you must tell the police. You can't hide from him, you'll never know a moment's peace.”

  “Travis, I can't marry George, my stomach turns at the thought.”

  Travis and Adele arrived at Kincaid Towers shortly after two o'clock in the morning. Travis used his key to open the elevator that would take them to his penthouse apartment. He led her into his home knowing she was exhausted and guided her to the guest room.

  “Get some sleep and we will talk tomorrow,” said Travis. “Things will look better in the morning and we will figure out a solution to your problem.”

  Adele didn't argue and collapsed on the bed falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Travis slipped her shoes off her feet and covered her with a comforter.

  Carter Moss smiled when his boss returned to the living room. “That's a first, sir. A beautiful young lady spending the night in Travis Kincaid's guest room.”

  “She's an old friend who's in trouble. Maybe you can help me figure a way to help her.”

  Travis explained the situation with Adele and the fear her father would force her to marry a man she didn't love. Carter was more to Travis than an employee, he was a trusted friend.

  “Sir, I suspect you had feelings for this woman when you were in school.”

  “Yes, she was an important part of my life in those days. We were lovers but more than that, we were best friends. After graduation, I came home to Hillsboro and she went to her parent's house and then to Charleston.”

  “Did you and she ever discuss marriage?”

  “We might have joked about it but we both had our careers to consider. Maybe if we stayed together, it would have happened eventually. Are you suggesting I marry her?”

  “No, I'm not suggesting any such thing. I was thinking aloud; if she is a married woman, she isn't available to marry anyone else.”

  “Carter, my friend, I think you've got something there. I could do a lot worse than Adele Markley.”

  “Travis,” Carter used his bosses first name only when he was afraid he was acting impulsively. “Don't do anything in haste; you know any rash decisions you make usually end up in a disaster.”

  “I won't do anything rash, Carter. I'll give it some thought overnight, in the meantime, call our pilot and have the plane ready to go to Las Vegas first thing in the morning.”

  Carter did as he was told but didn't have a good feeling about the situation.

  “Good morning, Travis, I'm sorry I conked out on you last night. Were you able to get any sleep.?”

  “I don't need a lot of sleep, especially on my wedding day?”

  “Oh, Travis, are you getting married today? I'm so sorry I barged in on you. I'll check into a motel in town, I don't want to ruin your day.”

  “You can't do that, Adele, you are the bride; that is if you will agree to marry me.”

  “Marry you, Travis are you crazy?”

  “Maybe, but it is a way to save you from George Bennett. Your father can't force you to marry him if you are already married to me.”

  “I can't let you do that.”

  “Why not, as I told Carter, if we'd lived in the same town after graduation, we would probably be married by now anyway. We cared for each other back then, maybe we can make it work and save you from becoming Mrs. George Bennett.”

  “Travis, are you sure? I asked for your help although I didn't mean to disrupt your life.”

  “My life needs disrupting, besides, when I saw you standing there at the airport, I knew I was still attracted to you. Maybe you don't feel the same about me and I'm no different from old George.”

  “You have always been the sexiest man I've ever known, I hope you don’t live to regret this, I accept your offer.”

  Carter made the arrangements and the couple married in the wedding chapel in the Kincaid Las Vegas Hotel.

  After a two-day honeymoon, Adele and Travis Kincaid flew to her home in Charleston to break the news to Adele's father.

  “Miss Adele, where have you been? Your father is worried sick about you,” said Hannah, the Markley's long-time housekeeper.

  “Hannah, I have some wonderful news, you remember Travis Kincaid,” Adele said as she held out her hand showing a sparkling diamond ring.

  “Miss Adele, I'm so relieved. Mr. Bennett has been here every day since you left. He isn't a very nice man. Mr. Kincaid, I'm glad you saved our girl, I hope her father agrees.”

  Adele heard Albert Markley's footsteps as he walked down the hallway; she clung tightly to Travis's arm.

  “Adele, where have you been?” Mr. Markley shouted at his daughter. “Who are you and what business do you have here young man?”

  “Father, please calm down. You know Travis Kincaid, you met him several times when we were in college together.”

  “I don't remember him. Adele, say goodbye to your friend. George has been patiently waiting for you to come to your senses and marry him, although I wouldn't blame him if he gave up on a disgraceful twit like you.”

  “Mr. Kincaid, I will not allow you to talk to Adele that way. She will not be marrying Mr. Bennett or anyone else, Adele is my wife, we are married.”

  “That's not possible, I have promised her to George.”

  It took all the self-control Travis could muster not to lose his temper with the ridiculous old man.

  “Sir, I will do everything in my power to assure Adele's happiness. I hope you will offer your blessing to our marriage.”

  “Bless this farce of a marriage? Never, I'll begin annulment proceedings immediately.”

  “Father,” cried Adele, “I'm not a child, I am Adele Kincaid and I intend to stay that way for the rest of my life.”

  Mr. Markley's face turned bright red, he raised his hand toward his daughter's face as she cowered. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed in a heap on the floor.

  Travis called to Hannah to dial 9-1-1 and tried to resuscitate the man. He knew his efforts were in vain but couldn't give up when he heard Adele whimper behind him.

  The paramedics arrived and rushed Albert Markley to the nearest hospital where he was pronounced dead.

  The doctor approached the couple waiting for word of his condition. Adele looked at the doctor's face and whispered, “I killed Father”.

  Travis drove the rental car to the house Adele had lived in with her parents for the last several years. Hannah was waiting for their return and with tears in her eyes, she walked Adele to her bedroom.

  Travis knew his wife was grieving but was concerned that she hadn't uttered a word since she heard the news of her father's passing and stared blankly into space.

  “Mr. Kincaid, I have taken it upon myself to call Miss Adele's physician. I hope I haven't overstepped my boundaries.”

  “No, Hannah, that's a good idea. I'm afraid Adele is blaming herself for her father's death.”

  Travis poured himself a stiff drink from Mr. Marley's liquor cabinet while Doctor Sherwood examined Adele. He remembered their short honeymoon and the laughter they shared. He pictured Adele playing the slots in the casino and celebrating when she won fifty dollars. They saw a show, ate at one of the famous buffets and toasted their marriage before falling into be
d and into each other's arms. He'd fallen in love again with the girl he knew in college. Now, she was suffering the loss of her father and there was nothing he could do to ease her pain.

  Doctor Sherwood walked into the parlor. “Mr. Kincaid, how much do you know about Adele and her condition?”

  “I know she is grieving her father's death,” he replied.

  “I don't mean her state now, I'm talking about her mental state.”

  Travis looked at him in shock. “I don't know what you're talking about, Adele is as sane as I am.”

  “I'm sorry, Mr. Kincaid, that's not the case. Adele seems normal until something sets her off. It began with Anne Markley's suicide. Adele adored her mother and never understood why she took her own life.”

  “Doctor, Adele blames herself for her father’s death does she blame herself for her mother’s death too?”

  “She doesn’t blame herself, she blames her father. I’ve known Albert Markley for years and I can assure you he is not the reason Anne Markley committed suicide. She was more troubled than anyone realized until it was too late.

  “I know Albert was trying to force his daughter into marriage with George Bennett. He had his reasons although they were misguided. You see, Albert had only a few months to live. Adele’s mother was a fragile woman and Albert saw the same trait in Adele. He knew George would be like a father to her and he didn’t want to leave her alone after he died.”

  “Adele ran away because her father insisted she marry the man. I don’t think she had any idea he was trying to do the right thing. I find it hard to believe that Adele needs protection; granted, it’s been only a few days since she called me, but she seems like the same girl I knew in college. May I see her, doctor?”

  “I’ve given her a sedative, she will sleep until morning. At that time, I recommend she be admitted to the hospital for mental evaluation.”

  “Isn’t that a bit drastic? It’s obvious she is grieving the loss of her father. I’ll arrange to stay in Charleston to help her through this time.”

  “I won’t admit her without your permission. I’ll come back in the morning and re-evaluate Adele.”

  Travis spent a restless night in the guest room of the Markley home. He knocked quietly on Adele’s bedroom door the next morning. He slowly opened the door and saw her sitting on the floor rocking a stuffed teddy bear in her arms.

  “Adele,” Travis whispered.

  Adele didn’t seem to hear him and continued rocking her teddy bear.

  “Hello, Mr. Kincaid,” said Hannah as she entered the room. “Miss Adele has been in this state for hours. Doc Sherwood is on his way.”

  Travis was not oblivious to grief, he grieved when his father died, he grieved when he lost a friend from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He comforted his staff when a loved one died but he had never seen anything close to Adele’s reaction.

  Dr. Sherwood called an ambulance to transport Adele to the hospital. Travis followed in his rental car and willingly signed papers admitting her to the psychiatric wing.

  Travis traveled to Charleston once a week to visit his wife. Adele’s condition improved somewhat, however, she refused to see him and after five months her doctor told him it might be years until she recovered fully.

  Travis stopped his trips to Charleston and tried to get on with his life. Only Carter Moss knew about his marriage to Adele. Travis kept it quiet because he didn’t want reporters badgering Adele or her doctor.

  He was sorry he hadn’t told Brooke about Adele long before they became involved. It was a part of his life he wasn’t proud of and found it difficult to mention her name. He felt if it hadn’t been for their marriage and the shock to her father triggering his death, Adele would not be in a mental facility now.

  Brooke’s feelings for Travis were growing every time they were together. She couldn’t heed Molly’s warnings about him if she tried. She was in love and the threat of heartbreak didn’t change that fact.

  She wouldn’t admit the hurt she felt when she saw Travis’s picture with other women plastered on the front page of the newspaper. She reasoned that he was a public figure and this kind of thing was to be expected. It baffled her that Travis never invited her to go with him to the fundraisers and charity events where he was photographed with beautiful women. They were together almost every night, yet they rarely were seen in public. Travis told her he wanted to keep her out of the gossip columns, but she suspected he wasn’t being completely truthful.

  Travis called Adele’s doctor and was told Adele was well enough to leave the Bainbridge Center. Her family home had been sold and a small house was purchased in her name.

  “Why was her home sold, Doctor Pembroke?” I told you I would pay for all her expenses and that included keeping her home.”

  “I understand, Mr. Kincaid, however, that house had too many unhappy memories for Adele, she didn’t want to go back to it.”

  “Just like she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me either.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Kincaid, I wish I could discuss Adele with you; she has asked me not to share any information and I must honor her wishes.”

  “I understand, I don’t want to impede my wife’s progress and I don’t want to seem heartless, but I wonder what you think about a divorce?”

  “Mr. Kincaid, if I thought there was the slightest chance for you and Adele, I’d tell you to hold off. It’s time both of you moved on with your lives.”

  Travis felt a sense of relief and called his personal lawyer to begin the process of ending his marriage. He knew he would have to tell Brooke about Adele and dreaded it. I’ll wait until I’m a free man and tell her then. I just hope she forgives me for my deceit.

  Brooke and Travis continued to see each other in her apartment and his suite. Brooke’s time at Kincaid Enterprises was busy with plans for the newly named Evergreen project. Although her expertise was interior design, she found she had a knack for development as well.

  It was a cold February day when Travis drove to Cambridge for a business meeting. He told Brooke he would be home by seven and he hoped she would be waiting for him at his place.

  Brooke stopped by Molly’s apartment on her way home from the office. While there, she received a phone call from Travis telling her he was unable to see her this evening.

  “I’m going to his place, Molly. Something is terribly wrong, I could hear it in his voice.”

  Molly’s dislike of Travis was beginning to dissipate but she still didn’t trust him not to break Brooke’s heart.

  Molly tried her best to convince Brooke to stay home and wait for Travis to call her, but Brooke wouldn’t listen. Molly’s intuition proved correct and now Brooke was sitting in a cell at the local police station.

  Chapter Ten

  Wiley Kent watched the eleven o’clock news on television every weekday evening with his wife, Maddie.

  Wiley is the younger brother of Francis Kincaid formerly known as Frank Kent.

  The brothers hadn’t been close since the day Frank left the tenement he shared with his mother and Wiley. Although the men took different paths, they both succeeded in their own ways.

  Money and power were Francis’s goals. His determination and hard work helped him to build an empire in the city of Hillsboro.

  Wiley put his talent and knowledge into the betterment of his old neighborhood and, as an attorney, helping those in need of legal services. Wiley knew he would never acquire the wealth of his brother, yet he was a happy man.

  Wiley’s ears perked up when he heard the news anchor’s words.

  “Foul play is suspected in the death of Adele Markley Kincaid, the estranged wife of Travis Kincaid, prominent Hillsboro resident. Brooke Hartley, a Kincaid Enterprises employee has been held for questioning in the death. We have a crew standing by at Kincaid Towers and will bring you the latest when we have more information.”

  Wiley turned to his wife, “I hadn’t heard of Travis’s marriage, do you remember reading about
it in the society section of the paper.”

  “No, I never saw anything about the marriage. The other day he was pictured with two beauties on his way out of a benefit. There was no mention of the little woman waiting at home for him.”

  “I’m sorry the boy and I aren’t closer. From what I’ve heard, he isn’t as ruthless as Frank.”

  “Darling, you reached out to him when his father died and several times since then. Travis isn’t interested in a relationship with our family.”

  “The few times we’ve met, it was awkward for both of us. I think Frank’s resentment of our upbringing rubbed off on his son.”

  “Frank was a fool, money was the only thing that mattered to him,” said Maddie.

  “Travis was important to him too. He taught him the business when he was just a little kid. He’d roll over in his grave if he knew his son turned out to be an honest businessman.”

  The landline rang interrupting the couple’s conversation. Wiley was well-known in the neighborhood for his legal aid work and was often called at all hours of the night when someone was in trouble with the law.

  “Uncle Wiley, it’s Travis. Jackson Prescott suggested I call you. Jackson says you are the best attorney in the state and I need to hire the best.”

  “Travis, I just heard about your wife’s death on the news. What can I do for you, son?”

  “It’s not me, it’s my friend, Brooke. They think she killed Adele and it’s simply not true. Will you meet me at the police station and I’ll fill you in on everything I know?”

  Wiley knew if it hadn’t been for the recommendation of Jackson Prescott Travis wouldn’t have called. It would be good if this was the start of a solid relationship with his nephew although he wasn’t depending on it.