Death in the Family

by Tessa Wegert

  “What?”

  “Before she scarred me in the kitchen, Jade was smoking a cigarette up in her room.”

  Tim’s eyebrows tilted. “No,” he said. “She was in the bathroom.”

  I chuckled. “Thought as much. Watch out for her, that one’s smarter than your average bear—and she has a thing for our leading man.”

  “Jade and Jasper? Come on. Christ, she’s a kid.”

  “Age is just a number, Tim. Obviously Jade didn’t schlep Jasper’s body out of the house by herself, but I feel like she’s involved somehow. She’s been reading up on us online.”

  “What? When?” Tim’s face was getting red.

  “No doubt she’s had plenty of practice surreptitiously texting in the classroom. Don’t worry about it. I checked her social feeds and texts and she hasn’t shared how she’s spending her Saturday at the river.”

  “You confiscated her phone?”

  “She said something that bothered me.” I relayed the words she’d spoken in the kitchen as my eyes traveled to the parlor, where Jade now lay curled up on the sofa with her head in her dad’s lap.

  “I know what she did,” Tim repeated. “Does she mean Bebe, or Abella?”

  “Didn’t get that far. But she’s got a good view of the shed from her bedroom window.”

  Tim rubbed his chin. What I needed from him was encouragement. I wanted to hear him agree this was all extremely fishy and warranted caution—to admit at least one of the people on the island was likely a dangerous criminal. What Tim said was, “That might be relevant, if Jasper’s actually hurt.”

  “If?”

  “We still don’t have proof the blood’s even his.”

  “We’ve been over this,” I said, louder than I intended. “The blood is in his bed. The man is missing. The storm—”

  “Okay.” Tim showed me his hands. “Just playing devil’s advocate. I’ve gotta do it, you know?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Knock knock.”

  Miles, who seconds earlier was in the parlor, now loitered in the hall. “Sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but can I have a minute of your time?”

  After my altercation with Bebe, I fully expected Miles to give me hell. Hours earlier he made sure to let me know he was a practicing lawyer. I had no doubt that after Bebe barged into the kitchen, she went straight to Miles to recount all the injustices Jade endured by my hand. I should have gone after Abella, but my desire to know more about the inner workings of this couple’s relationship kept me rooted in place.

  Miles said, “I hear you had a talk with my wife and daughter.”

  “If you can call it that.”

  “They weren’t cooperative?”

  “Not in the least,” I said. “Your daughter was surreptitiously using her phone, despite the fact that you were all instructed not to.”

  Miles nodded. This news didn’t surprise him. “Did it interfere with your investigation?”

  I wasn’t sure what to say. Jade hadn’t told anyone about Jasper going missing. So far her worst offense was inflicting my burn. “That’s not the point, Mr. Byrd.”

  “No, of course not.” Miles sighed. “Teenage girls.”

  “Bet she’s a handful. Where’s her mother?” said Tim.

  “We divorced when Jade was five.”

  “And you got custody?”

  Miles gave Tim a sharp look. “Full. I was raised by a single parent, and I turned out just fine. My ex-wife, on the other hand, left us for a prick with a production company in L.A. She was a terrible influence on Jade, obsessed with money and status.”

  “No offense,” I said, glancing back at the parlor, “but I’m not sure you traded up.”

  My intention was to hack away at his relationship with his cheating wife and wild daughter, a task that shouldn’t have been easy. To my surprise, Miles laughed. “You’re telling me. If Camilla hadn’t insisted, we wouldn’t be here this weekend.”

  “Camilla, or Jade?” I said. “I get the impression Jade and Jasper are pretty close.”

  Miles blinked at me. “She’s a child. He’s a twenty-six-year-old man, not to mention her uncle. If Jade told you they’re close, I assure you that’s wishful thinking. He humors her because he’s a nice guy. Maybe she likes the attention—I won’t pretend to understand girls this age—but that’s all there is to it. Believe me, Jade has plenty of boys her own age chasing her back home.”

  “Got it,” I said. There was no way I couldn’t. In a single breath Miles had used three different arguments to make his point. There was absolutely, positively nothing weird going on between Jade and Jasper. Talk about wishful thinking.

  “You have to remember she’s upset,” Miles went on. “Something like this can do a real number on a kid—especially with everything else going on. We’re moving next week.”

  “Oh?” Tim said.

  “Bebe and I are separating.”

  All of the emotions I’d expect from the delivery of a statement like that were present and accounted for. Miles looked equal parts confused and pissed off. I kept my eyes off Tim, didn’t want Miles knowing this was news we could use. “Sorry to hear that,” I said. “Can I ask why?”

  “Sure thing. My wife is cheating on me with Ned Yeboah.”

  I couldn’t help it—my eyes went wide. Miles adjusted his glasses, and despite his matter-of-fact delivery I noticed the bridge of his nose was shiny with oil. “That’s why I came in here,” he said. “I know Bebe doesn’t want to talk to you, but frankly, I don’t give a shit. I think you should interview her. I’d like to be there when you do.”

  It was all I could do not to poke Tim in the ribs and hiss, Are you hearing this? in his ear. “Mr. Byrd, do you think Bebe knows something about Jasper’s disappearance she isn’t telling us?”

  “I know she does. And for the sake of Jasper, my daughter, and everyone else on this island, it’s time she came clean.”

  If Bebe was concealing information, I didn’t see why she’d open up to us with Miles in the room, especially given they were breaking up, but I was happy to oblige this man if it meant we might finally get somewhere with finding Jasper. “That works for me,” I said. “Why don’t you bring her in?”

  “Good,” said Miles, and left the room.

  Tim and I traded glances and he whistled, low and slow.

  “That was weird,” I said.

  “Can’t hurt to try. What are the odds she’ll talk?”

  I shrugged. “Slim to none, but I’m dying to know what she says.”

  “At least there’ll be coffee, right?”

  I didn’t return Tim’s smile. I couldn’t stop thinking about Abella. I had my choice of interviews, both of which could be vital to our search for answers—but I also had time. What had Tim said? It’ll keep. With that in mind, I sent Tim back to the parlor and prepared to turn my attention to the unhappy couple.

  SIXTEEN

  I prefer to interview people alone—no distractions, no intrusions. There are times, though, when tackling witnesses as a group has its perks. You can learn a lot from watching people interact. Some witnesses egg each other on, and I was hoping for that from Bebe and Miles. No, I was counting on it.

  I knew interviewing Jasper’s sister would be a challenge. She gave off an air of superiority that implied she did what she pleased and gave zero fucks about anyone else. On the library’s butter-soft leather couch Bebe crossed her legs and stared at me with revulsion. When Miles sat down he left a foot of space between them. The energy in the room felt lethal.

  I had just closed the door when my phone buzzed in my pocket. McIntyre. Had to be. She probably had something to report about our witnesses. I was dying to check the message, but with Miles and Bebe right in front of me and Abella waiting across the hall, it would have to wait.

  “I’d like to make it clear I
’m here under duress.” Bebe shot a glance at Miles as she said it. Before we sat down Norton had brought us each a coffee, and while Bebe’s sat on the table untouched, Miles took slow, noisy sips while eyeing her over the rim of his cup. “I have no interest whatsoever in speaking with you about my brother.”

  “Duly noted. This is all standard stuff, Mrs. Sinclair. We need to get some timeline details for his file. So.” I tapped my lip like I was thinking hard. “Yesterday. Miles and Jade arrived at the island first, but you came later. That right?”

  She sighed emphatically. Bebe’s foundation, two shades too light and applied with a trowel, wasn’t looking as fresh as it once had. When she spoke, deep pleats formed at the sides of her mouth. “What an amazing display of deductive logic.” Bebe’s voice was as rough as a jazz-club singer’s, all smoke and sex. As she spoke she tucked a lock of short, shiny hair behind her ear and I thought, No dollar shampoo there. Rather than Jasper’s fine features, Bebe’s face mirrored Flynn’s, with oversized lips and a bulbous nose. One could argue Jasper had his siblings beat in the looks department, too.

  “And you came here with Ned?” I said.

  “He happened to be in the office picking up his check. We were both ready to go, so we went. Believe me, I would have loved to be here sooner to spend more time with Nana, but I had to work.”

  I hadn’t seen Bebe so much as acknowledge Camilla, let alone engage her in conversation. “Let’s move on to last night. You had cocktails. What was that like?”

  “Refreshing.”

  “Try to be more specific.”

  Bebe sighed again. “We did our duty and chatted with Abby. Philip served roast pork with dried prunes for dinner and pie for dessert. It was a typical night up here.”

  “Your chat with Abella included throwing around the idea of her coming to work for you, yes?”

  Bebe laughed, but her expression clouded. “Please. Nana was kidding. It’s never a good idea to mix business and pleasure. I’m sure Abby knows that.”

  It was an absurd statement coming from a woman who was currently sleeping with an employee, but I let it go. “What about after dinner?”

  “I went to bed.”

  “Together?” I said, eyeing each of them in turn.

  She set her jaw. “I went up first. Dealing with him is exhausting.”

  Miles shrugged.

  “Did Jasper seem normal to you yesterday?” I asked. “Did you see anything that seemed out of place?”

  “This is a complete waste of time. I have nothing to do with Jasper’s absence.”

  Absence. Another odd choice of words for a sister with a missing kid brother. She was acting like Jasper went home to watch Netflix and chill. “Where do you think he is?” I said.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say he got sick of Abby and went back to the city.”

  “With a serious wound? Without telling you?”

  “My brother’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”

  “Then why bother calling us?”

  “That was Nana’s idea. She worries too much.”

  “You aren’t worried about your brother?”

  “No,” Bebe said, “I’m not. Are you even sure that’s real blood up there? My brother has a flare for dramatics.”

  I inclined my head. “Hang on. Are you suggesting Jasper staged that accident himself?” The idea was almost as cracked as Tim’s theory about Abella’s female trouble. I glanced at Miles, who leaned back and smiled. He seemed to be enjoying himself.

  “How should I know what he did?” said Bebe. “I wish you’d leave us alone to deal with this for ourselves.”

  “We’re investigating Jasper’s absence as a missing persons case. But Norton called it in as a murder.”

  “Again, that was Nana’s idea. Philip just does what she says.”

  “Everyone else I’ve talked to seems convinced Jasper fell into some kind of harm. You don’t agree?”

  “How many times do I have to say it? No, I don’t agree. It’s totally feasible he’d take off and leave us to sort out his mess. Jasper gets a kick out of tormenting us.”

  “Us?”

  “Me,” said Bebe. “Flynn. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was Jasper’s idea of a joke. He’s probably waiting until we feel good and guilty before he shows up laughing. What a lark. Ha, ha.”

  I contemplated what she was saying. Norton reported Jasper missing that morning. The nor’easter arrived the previous afternoon. The skiff was still in the boathouse. Could Tim be right? Could someone have ferried Jasper to shore before the weather got bad? Was it actually possible the man was hiding out somewhere, right as rain? Again my cell phone vibrated, another text message coming through. Again I forced myself to ignore it.

  Back in the boat on our way to Tern, Tim had said there were easier ways to take your own life on an island. There were easier ways to fake your own death, too. That didn’t mean it was impossible—but if all this was a ploy designed to goad Bebe and Flynn, why would Jasper bring his girlfriend along for the ride? Why set the scene in the bedroom and risk Abby getting the blame?

  I gave a small shake of my head to clear my mind. There were buckets of blood upstairs on that bed, and it was the real thing. The smell of it hung in the room like a fog. Of course it was Jasper’s. Wasn’t it?

  I reached for the mug Norton had left for me. Earlier, he’d served the family coffee with a side of cream, but to mine he added the cream in the kitchen. It lay on the surface of the coffee, refusing to blend in, and when I took a sip I found it oddly bitter. Flustered, I set it down. I didn’t know Philip Norton. Why should I trust him? What if the drink was spiked?

  I tried to chase the idea from my mind. It wasn’t logical. I’d already eaten an entire meal cooked by Norton and was fine, but that didn’t matter. It was happening again. This time the flashback was physical, moving like a worm under my skin. I was light-headed and itchy. My skin crawled, just as if there really was a drug back in my veins.

  The room was unfamiliar, with no windows. A bare bulb hung above me, its pull string emitting a tinny clink as it swayed. It felt like someone cracked open my skull and filled it with hot, shifting sand. I tasted blood and realized my lips were chapped and split. Where was I? What day was it? I didn’t know.

  “Shay.”

  It took me a minute to find him in that too-bright room. Bram shifted his messenger bag and took out a bottle of water. “You thirsty? Hey, don’t be scared. We know each other. Remember, Shay?”

  “—support the family business our entire careers, and Jasper swoops in and starts derailing all our work.”

  “What?” I blinked, and Bebe’s face swam into view, but I couldn’t process her words. Meditation. That’s what Carson would prescribe at a time like this. See these anxious thoughts, acknowledge what they’re doing to my body, and zero in on my breathing. Give the brain an object to focus on. Quiet that jumpy monkey mind.

  “I said Jasper’s already tried to sabotage Sinclair Fabrics,” said Bebe, “and now he’s moved on to sabotaging our private lives.”

  Mindfulness. Awareness. A crazy woman in my face. Snap out of it, Shay. “Just . . . slow down.”

  “Try to keep up,” Bebe said with a roll of her eyes.

  “What she’s saying,” said Miles, studying me with an expression of concern, “is Jasper isn’t following Flynn and Bebe’s rules and they’re pissed as hell.”

  He’d hardly spoken a word since we sat down. Miles obviously expected me to glean some information from Bebe’s account. Either she wasn’t getting there fast enough for him, or he was starting to worry she wouldn’t get there at all. “What she’s not telling you,” he said, “is without Jasper the business would already be sunk.”

  Bebe looked aghast. “That’s a lie.”

  “It’s really not.”

  “Business isn’t going
well?” I said, finally coming around.

  “We’ve had our ups and downs. At the moment we’re down. It won’t last.” Bebe retrieved her coffee. Took a sip, made a face, put it back on the table.

  “I thought Jasper’s marketing campaign was working. Ned’s a big star on social media, right? That must be good exposure for your brand,” I said.

  “Ned’s good at what he does,” said Bebe.

  “Can’t be that good if the company’s tanking.” If I wanted to get anywhere with her, I couldn’t go easy anymore. My cut-to-the-chase strategy inspired a reaction, at least. Bebe shot me a venomous look.

  “Come on, Bebe,” said Miles, “you think she won’t find this out for herself?” He turned to me and squared his shoulders. “Sinclair Fabrics is on the brink of bankruptcy. The problem is the competition. The Sinclairs are getting crushed.”

  Bebe’s mouth dropped open in shock. “They’re a flash in the pan. It’s dumb luck. They don’t have the selection we do, or the expertise.”

  “She’s talking about Attitude,” said Miles. “They’re a new fabric retailer in the Garment District. They have a partnership with a reality-TV show, and every episode the contestants shop at the store for their fabrics. Attitude signage is front and center. Their sales are through the roof.”

  A competing business muscling in on the Sinclairs’ turf. Jasper’s area of expertise was marketing and PR. “Is that why Jasper joined the company when he did?”

  “Bebe and Flynn tried to stop the bleeding on their own. Tried and failed,” said Miles. “Jasper thought he could save the day, and he boosted sales by a lot, but the company’s too far gone. Not even Ned’s gorgeous face can pull it back from the brink now. Such a shame.”

  Flynn hadn’t mentioned any of this, but neither sibling seemed the type to admit failure, especially if their little brother came out ahead. How had Camilla described it? Things come more easily to Jasper than the others. It puts a strain on their relationship. Bebe and Flynn may have needed help, but I couldn’t imagine they’d be thrilled to get it from their faultless little brother.