Stiff in the Sand Page 13

Joe slowly turned to me, unblinking. The man was flat-out unnerving. “Looking around at what?” he asked, his words clipped and precise. “What could you possibly be looking around for in the dark, when there is nothing to see out here but a covered pool and empty lounge chairs?”

  “I only wanted to get an idea for how long I was out here exactly before I stumbled over James’s body. That’s all. That’s literally the only reason we were here. I wanted to be precise. I thought maybe I could pace around the patio the way I did that night, try to remember the things I thought about and how long I thought about them.”

  I folded my hands in front of my chest like I was praying. “I’m serious. You have to believe me, please.”

  He snorted, his mouth a thin line of disapproval. “It didn’t look like you were pacing the patio when I found you. You were squatting behind these plants like Lucy and Ethel, only not half as funny.”

  “You need to update your TV references,” Raina whispered.

  “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Joe snickered, surprisingly good-humored. Maybe he liked Raina better than he liked me. “You know what I mean. What were you doing when I found you? You weren’t walking around.”

  “Well, I couldn’t very well pace around the patio while Kyle and those other people are in there. I didn’t expect anybody to be inside except for maybe a few guards.”

  “Guards who would have considered you trespassers and probably would’ve called the police had they discovered you. Did you ever think about that? Do you ever think at all?”

  “Do you always need to get personal?”

  He scowled, dropping the amused act. “I take it personally that you don’t think I can do my job, Miss Harmon.”

  I didn’t dare glance Raina’s way since I knew she would have a smug look on her face after predicting exactly how Joe felt. “I only wanted to give you the most precise information I could. That’s it. Anything to help Robbie.”

  “Yes, well, there are plenty of people who want to help Chef Klein. Including his wife and his brother-in-law.”

  “What do you mean?” Raina asked.

  “Chef Klein signed power of attorney privileges over to his wife earlier today, and she’s now moving forward with the opening of the restaurant. Since the partnership between the two men included a clause granting full rights to the surviving partner should something befall the other, Aubrey Klein is now single-handedly in charge of opening and maintaining the resort. She plans to do so within the coming week.”

  I needed to sit down. There was a low, stone wall edging the patio on two sides, and it was lucky that I happened to be standing near it. I sank onto the cold, hard stone, shaking my head. “I guess that’s a good thing.”

  Joe burst out laughing. “Yes, that’s a very good thing. There are hundreds of people whose livelihoods depend upon this resort opening. Not to mention Mrs. Klein, and the chef. He’ll need the money for legal fees, at the very least.”

  “Maybe you can finally get your article published!” Raina’s voice was filled with hope and relief.

  Yes. I might be able to do that now that the restaurant would be opening, even if it opened without Robbie being present.

  I just wished I could feel better about the whole thing. Something didn’t sit right with me, leaving a pit in my stomach. I looked up at Joe, only to find him staring down at me. “Well? Right now, this is as good as things can be. Considering that I haven’t arrested you for trespassing, your night is looking better all the time.”

  “I wonder why they had that clause in their agreement,” I murmured. “Doesn’t that seem strange to you? I mean, I’m no legal brain, but I wonder which of them came up with that idea.”

  “When will you learn to leave well enough alone?” Joe scowled, glancing at Raina. “Is she always this impossible?”

  “Only when an old friend is in jail for murder.” No matter how hot she thought he was—and he was hot, no doubt about it—Raina was not about to take any such talk from anybody. Not when it was me being talked about that way.

  Joe turned to me again. “You’re right. It is strange that clause like that was in their agreement. Especially considering that James ended up dead. I wonder, if I did a little digging, whether I would find it was Robert’s idea to include it. Wouldn’t that be something?”

  That was the thing. That was what bothered me most. Knowing how bad it looked for Robbie that the two men had already agreed to transfer ownership of the business to the other should an accident or some other tragedy befall them.

  It was enough to make me wonder about James’s other business partners. Whether they had the same sort of clauses in their contracts, or if this was unique to Robbie and him.

  I thought I knew who I could go to if I really wanted to find out.

  “Well, okay. I guess that settles that.” I sprang to my feet, taking Raina by the wrist. “We’ll be on our way.”

  “Hold on a second. I wasn’t born yesterday. What are you up to?” Joe stood before me with his hands on his hips. I wondered if I feinted to the left, he would try to block me.

  So I did it, and he did. His reflexes were as sharp as I would expect a fit detective’s to be. Mine reflected a great love of sugar, baked goods and appetizers.

  I shrugged. “I’ve seen all there is to see. And you’re right. You don’t need my help, it doesn’t matter exactly how long I was out here because we already know was between five and ten minutes. What difference does it make whether it was six or eight?”

  In the moonlight, I could just make out the arching of one eyebrow. “Exactly what I was thinking, but what made you change your mind so quickly?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe knowing you’re here, taking care of things.” I gave him my biggest smile. “By the way, Detective, what brings you here? Did somebody request your presence? Or do you make it a habit of cruising past old crime scenes, reliving the excitement?”

  I thought he might have been trying to hide a smile. It was pretty dark out there, so I could’ve been wrong.

  “That’s my business.”

  “Fair enough. Then I’ll let you get back to it, and we’ll get back to ours. As always, it’s been a pleasure to see you.”

  “No offense,” he called out to the back of my head as I tried to get away, “but I hope I don’t have the pleasure again for a long time.”

  “Oh, no offense taken. As the same goes double for me.” I pulled Raina along beside me, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and barely controlled frustration.

  “Be careful of those book club meetings!”

  I didn’t bother favoring him with a response. It wasn’t worth it.

  My best friend managed to wait a few minutes before exhaling loudly. “Gosh, it got so hot out there I thought I might have to jump in the pool to cool off.” Raina elbowed me in the ribs.

  “Oh, hush.”

  “I’m serious! There was a second there where thought he was gonna reach out and grab you. And not to put handcuffs on you, though even that could be fun if done in the right spirit.”

  “Are you trying to make me furious? Because it’s working.”

  “Lighten up! He’s so cute, and you get him all hot and bothered. You know there’s a thin line between love and hate.”

  “Yeah, I’m nowhere near the line. I’m well over into the hate side, thanks very much. I can’t imagine anything pushing me over.”

  She shook her head. “You have no imagination.”

  “I have plenty of imagination, thank you very much. And you know I do, or you wouldn’t keep accusing me of it being overactive.” I looked over my shoulder, like I was expecting him to have followed us. That wasn’t the case. Even so, when I spoke again, I kept my voice low. “I wonder if my father could find some of the other contracts on file for James’s properties in Cape Hope. If he had other partners, did they have that same sort of clause, or was it just Robbie and him?”

  “Oh, because it sort of looks bad for him if this was a one-time
thing, doesn’t it?”

  “Exactly. I really hope that isn’t the case.”

  “Don’t you think the police would’ve looked into it already?”

  I nodded, chewing my lip. Sure, I thought they would’ve looked into it.

  But what I was beginning to understand, slowly but surely, was that I not only needed to prove Robbie’s innocence to potentially save his life.

  I need to prove his innocence for myself, too.

  I needed to know if I was ever going to be able to sleep well at night again whether Robert Klein had it in him to come up with a scheme like this.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “Emma! It’s so nice to see you.”

  Holly Vaccaro could not be more different from my mother if she tried. Mom was petite, golden-haired, blue-eyed. A peaches and cream complexion. She always spoke gently, her voice lilting like music. Yet at her core was solid steel, evidenced by how hard she’d worked to build a thriving business.

  The woman in front of me, a woman who had not yet celebrated her fortieth birthday, was tall and willowy. Olive skinned, with riotous black curls and big, dark eyes. She’d grown up on Staten Island and spoke with a stereotypical twang in her voice. You became yah, for instance. It’s so nice to see yah.

  Still, she seemed genuine, stepping back from the open door and waving an arm to invite me inside. “Come on in! Your dad’s back in the den. He told me you were stopping by. I’m so sorry to hear about what happened with your friend.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate it.” The house they shared was smaller than the one I grew up in, which Mom still owned. It was closer to the beach, too, and decorated in a bright, breezy theme fitting its location. Lots of blues, tans, a hint of pink and grey. Tasteful, if a little kitschy with all the seashells and lighthouses.

  Dad had always loved lighthouses.

  She lowered her voice, holding one hand up to the side of her mouth like she was telling me a secret. I couldn’t help but take note of the blood red nails that looked like they had been freshly manicured, and the seven or eight bracelets she wore on one wrist. “I bet some of the old gossips around here hounded you for days, didn’t they?”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, they did. And still are,” I groaned. “It’s been a week, for sure.”

  We came to a stop in the kitchen, where Holly offered something to drink or a snack. “Maybe you could come by for dinner sometime? I always make a pot of gravy on Sundays. I love having it left over in the freezer, but it would be nice to have some more people to eat it with us on Sunday night.”

  It occurred to me then that Holly might be a little lonely. It probably wasn’t easy, coming into Dad’s life when most of the town knew everybody else’s business. Everybody was aware of and shocked by my parents’ divorce when it happened. Not only because there had never been a hint of trouble between them, but because they’d been married for twenty-five years before divorce was even hinted at. It wasn’t common for a marriage to last that long, only to end so suddenly.

  I suspected Holly received more than her share of side-eye and catty whispers as she went about her grocery shopping. From what I understood, she was a successful interior designer, an entrepreneur in her own right. And she could probably hold her own when it came to standing up for herself.

  That was the thing. Nobody in town would come right out and tell her they thought she was a homewrecker. Even if she wasn’t, even if she hadn’t entered Dad’s life until well after the divorce was finalized. They would be civil to her face, but nothing more than that. She couldn’t curse them out and tell them what she really thought of them when they weren't outright hostile.

  Instead, she had to take it with a smile for Dad’s sake. And I believed she would, all for him. She deserved a little friendship. “I would love to. I really would. I’ll have to see if I can make it… maybe next weekend?”

  And she looked so happy, too. But what she said next really struck me. “I know that would make your father so happy,” she whispered.

  I was struck with the impulse to hug her, and I did. She squeezed me back, and that felt good. I only wished Darcy would come around. It was easier to let go of grudges.

  Dad must’ve heard our voices and decided he didn’t feel like waiting for me. “I got a call from a certain detective in Paradise City earlier today,” he announced in a growl. “Can you guess what it was about?”

  I winced, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “You might’ve mentioned that when I called you.”

  “No, I didn’t want to give you an excuse not to show up. You need to be set straight, young lady, and I didn’t want you to get out of it.”

  “She only thinks she’s doing what’s right,” Holly argued on my behalf, though in a gentle voice. “Just like you would if you were in her place.”

  “No offense, sweetheart, but this is between Emma and me. I told her in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want her getting involved in this, and what does she do?” He turned to me, his face stormy. “She gets herself caught lurking around outside the resort in the dead of night!”

  “I was only there to see if I could—”

  He held up a hand. “Spare me the explanation. Besides, Sullivan told me all about that himself. Emma, leave it alone. Nobody needs you to be involved in this. The investigation is proceeding the way investigations proceed. End of story.”

  “Just tell me one thing, please. The reason I called you today in the first place, the reason I came over. Did you ever look at any of the contracts between James Flynn and his other partners here in Cape Hope? He must’ve had partners, didn’t he? Like when he wanted to open the big shopping center that ended up not going anywhere. Remember that?”

  Dad looked pained when he nodded. Like he didn’t want to admit anything but couldn’t help himself. “Yeah, I remember. Of course.”

  “He was partnered up with a few other people in town, wasn’t he? He certainly wasn’t funding it by himself. And he must’ve had some sort of contract with them, an agreement on file somewhere. Did you see any of those? Was there anything included in any of those papers that had to do with what would happen to the partnership in the event that something befell one of the partners? Like an accident or death or illness or something?”

  “Most contracts include something like that, sweetie. That’s nothing new. If something happens to one of the partners, the others don’t want to be left in the lurch.”

  “Yeah, but something about this doesn’t sit right with me. Is it common for the entire ownership of a project or business or building or anything like that to go straight into the hands of the other partner? Wouldn’t it go to the family? Into a trust? Something like that? Why would the other partner retain sole ownership?”

  “That does seem like a pretty specific clause,” Holly agreed, looking up at Dad. “It’s one thing to make allowances in case of an unforeseen event, but…”

  He leaned against the sink, looking troubled and more than a little put out by the two of us asking questions at once. “All right, all right. I’ll tell you one thing. Yes, all of James Flynn’s contracts had that clause attached.”

  My heart soared. “Really? Then at least the police can’t say Robbie planned it all on his own.”

  “Not so fast,” he was quick to counter. “Certainly, it proves it was not Chef Klein’s notion, transferring full ownership of the resort to him in the event of James’s death. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t plan this with that in mind. Do you see what I mean?”

  Just like that, my heart sank again. “Right.”

  “What about his other partners?” Holly asked.

  “Hon, please.” His eyes widened when he stared at her, like he was trying to warn her not to get me started.

  But it was too late. I was good and started now. “Yeah! What about those other partners? Did anything ever happen to them? You never did tell me what you found when you were investigating him. Why were you investigating him in the first place? What was it all about?” />
  “Believe me when I tell you, I have already given the information to the Paradise City Police Department. They are well aware of James Flynn’s business history. And if there’s anybody who needs to be spoken to, they will have spoken to them by now.”

  “I haven’t spoken to them! And if any of them has any information that could help Robbie, it obviously hasn’t been enough to get him out of jail!”

  I expected him to yell at me. Or to at least tell me again to mind my own business. Instead, he crossed the kitchen, lowering his hands to my shoulders and looking me straight in the eye. “I know. That’s my point. Nobody has information that’s enough to clear your friend of these charges.”

  “They’re just not asking the right questions, that’s all.” I stared up at him, unblinking. “I will not believe he is guilty. I can’t. I know he didn’t do this.”

  His head lowered, swinging back and forth. “I wish there was something I could say to get through to you. I just want you to prepare yourself for the very real possibility that Robbie is not going to be cleared of this.”

  “Don’t you want to help him if he’s innocent? Don’t you care?”

  “Sure, honey. I care. But I care more about you, and I see how worked up you are over this. It pains me, truly it does. You’re my daughter. You’re always going to come first.”

  I leaned against him, heartsick and sad. Poor Robbie was in jail and I knew he didn’t do it. I was as certain as could be. “Do you think I could visit him?”

  “I don’t know, honey.”

  “Please, could you see?” There I was. The girl who got annoyed when anybody suggested she should listen to her father. Begging my father for help. “Maybe pull a few strings? You gave them all that information you’d put together down here, regarding James’s business records. They owe you one, don’t they?”

  He chuckled. “It doesn’t work like that. Not really.”

  “Oh, come on,” Holly insisted.

  I had the feeling this was partially a ploy to get on my good side, but I was willing to accept all the help I could get. Besides, I’d never felt as strongly about her as Darcy had. The woman had a good heart, and she loved my dad. That was enough for me.