Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 3) (24 page)

Travis stood and gave Caroline a meaningful look. “Why don’t you come to our suite when you’re ready? In the meantime I’ll call down to the spa and make the arrangements.”

Nodding, Caroline’s gaze rocketed between him, Tom, and Alana before finally settling back on Travis. “I just need to freshen up a little.”

“No hurry. We’ll be waiting. Tom. Alana. Nice to see you. Tell Martin we’re thinking about him.”

“Of course we will, Travis. I know my husband is grateful for everything you’ve done.” Alana opened the door for him and he had a feeling she was glad to see him go.

“Call me if you need anything.”

Travis had a feeling that call was never going to come.

As he walked down the hall to the elevator he couldn’t help but think there was something very strange about the dynamics of those three people. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but in his gut he knew there was something that wasn’t right.

He just needed to figure out what it was.

‡

A
ubrey and Caroline
were down in the spa so that left Travis and Shane to try and find out more about the relationship between Caroline, Alana, and Tom. Travis only had one word for it.

Dysfunctional.

There had clearly been an undercurrent of some kind of history between them and knowing about it might give Travis some insight into Bruce’s murder. He and Shane were in the elevator hoping to catch the resort maid that serviced Tom’s room. Travis wanted to know if Caroline had been seen anywhere in the vicinity. He didn’t want to believe that she was someone capable of murder but he’d ignored her motive for far too long.

“You’re pissed.”

Shane certainly had a way of summing up fucked up situations. But he was wrong. Travis wasn’t pissed off, he was livid.

“Yes, and your point is?”

Shane reached around Travis and slapped the emergency stop button on the elevator and the car came to a shuddering halt.

“My point is you better pull your shit together and fast. I get that you wanted to clear Aubrey’s name because you’re in love with her and now you want to clear Martin because he’s been like a second father, but you’re letting this case get to you. Ultimately it is not your job to find this killer. It’s Prather’s job and while he might not be doing everything you want, he is investigating from what that reporter told me. You just don’t like what he’s found.”

Anger and frustration churned in Travis’s gut. He’d never felt so helpless in his life.

“It’s a good thing it’s not my job because I’m piss poor at it. If it had been Aubrey would be on death row about now.”

“Is that why you’ve got your knickers in a twist? Because you’re not good at catching criminals? You know that’s not your real job, right? You’re a businessman and a damn good one but honestly, Travis, you’re an amateur detective and no, it doesn’t make any difference that two of your brothers are cops. If they were musicians would you book a concert hall for yourself and sell tickets? Give yourself a fucking break.”

Travis’s jaw tightened and he had to swallow a not so pleasant retort. Shane didn’t understand.

“Fine, consider me lectured,” Travis growled. “Can we go now?”

Shane insinuated himself between Travis and the elevator button. “No. In fact, hell no. We are not done here. You’re still being a dick and not listening to me. You’re doing the best you can. That’s all you and I can do. The fact you need to face is that Martin just might be guilty. That’s the eight-hundred pound elephant in the room you’re ignoring.”

Travis slumped back against the elevator wall with a groan. “I just can’t believe that. Not Martin.”

“I don’t want to believe it either. I like Martin. He seems like a good guy but I’ve always believed that anyone is capable of murder if motivated enough. If a mother was protecting her child, you would think she could kill. So if Martin were protecting Caroline he might kill Bruce. All I’m saying is that it is possible and we can’t pretend it’s not true.”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Travis nodded in defeat. He couldn’t fight this much longer and it was making everything more difficult than it needed to be. “Fine. Martin might have done it. He’s capable of it. But so are a lot of people.”

Shane pushed the red button and the elevator lurched as it began its descent once again. “Luckily we aren’t looking at a lot of people. We’re only looking at a few. Right now we want to find out if Tom and Caroline have some sort of relationship that we don’t know about. Something more than friends. Then we can go back and talk about Martin as a possibility.”

The doors slid open and Travis and Shane exited the elevator heading straight down the hall to where a housekeeper and her cart full of supplies was working her way through the rooms. Stepping back, Travis let Shane take the lead on talking to the woman. His cousin could charm the birds from the trees and definitely had some sort of voodoo when it came to females. He was their best chance of learning anything.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Shane gave the older woman a wide smile. “My name is Shane and this is my cousin Travis. We were hoping you could perhaps help us? It would only take a moment.”

The woman lifted an armful of towels from the cart but didn’t go into the room she was cleaning, which wasn’t a surprise. The service in the resort was exemplary and she was certainly in the habit of helping a lost or confused guest.

“How can I help you, sir?”

Shane chuckled as he leaned casually against the cart. “Please call me Shane. I won’t take up much of your time as I’m sure you’re very busy.” Looking down at the floor, somehow Travis’s cousin managed to blush slightly. “I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I’m looking for a woman. One woman in particular and I was wondering if you’d seen her around. I think the man in this room is her brother.”

Shane pulled one of the photos from the party from his shirt pocket and handed it to the housekeeper, pointing to Caroline. “Have you seen the pretty blonde around here? I danced with her once and I simply cannot get her out of my mind. I think I might be in love.”

Travis had to hide his smile at how Shane sighed like a sad Romeo looking for his Juliet. But it explained his amazing success picking up women.

The housekeeper chuckled and took the picture from Shane, examining it closely, before shaking her head. “I’ve never seen her before but she’s pretty.”

Shane’s gaze shifted to Travis then back to the woman. “Are you sure? You’ve never seen her around here?”

The housekeeper tapped the photo. “No, I’d remember someone like her. I’m sorry I can’t help you.”

It still left the question as to what the undercurrent was between Caroline, Tom, and Alana but perhaps it didn’t have a thing to do with Bruce’s death.

“I appreciate that you tried to help.” Shane gave her his best smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch your name, darlin’.”

“Charlotte,” she offered. “My friends call me Lotte.”

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful lady.” Shane tucked the photograph back into his pocket. “Thank you so much for helping me. I hope you won’t mention this to anyone. I’m rather embarrassed about being so smitten with a woman I only danced with once.”

“It’s like Cinderella,” Lotte declared with a laugh. “And you’re her Prince Charming.”

Hiding his laugh with a cough, Travis nodded in agreement. “It is romantic, isn’t it? You just don’t see men going all out to find the woman of their dreams these days.”

“No, you don’t,” Lotte agreed with a harrumph. “Men and women seemed to have lost the romance from life. They’re all too busy staring at their phones.”

“Well, I do thank you again for your help. I just know I’m going to find her.”

“Good luck. I hope you do.”

Lotte waved as she disappeared into the hotel room with a stack of towels. Shane and Travis hightailed it back to the elevator, not saying a word until the doors quietly slid closed.

Another dead end.

*     *     *

Travis, Aubrey, Shane,
and Caroline were sitting in the dining room the next morning eating breakfast and filling in a few stray details from the case. A few gently probing questions to the delicate blonde revealed that she had known Tom Lovell for several years. She’d met him when she’d started dating Bruce and she’d always found him to be a good, loyal friend even when Bruce didn’t deserve it.

Travis had managed to get Caroline in to see Martin the day before after Alana had left the county jail. She reported back that her grandfather was in good spirits but he looked tired and thin. The attorney had another meeting with the judge today so hopefully this time bail would be set and they could get Martin free.

“What do you ladies have planned today?” Shane asked, popping a home fry into his mouth. “Going to see Martin again?”

Aubrey and Caroline were becoming fast friends and were already talking about meeting up with Brinley and Gigi when Caroline joined them in Tremont. It was good to see Aubrey making friends so easily. From what she’d told him, she had a hard time when she was in school with the other snotty girls being so mean to her. Now she knew she had nothing to be ashamed of and with any luck it would bring her out of her shell. She’d been alone too long.

“The resort rents out bicycles so Caro and I thought we’d take a ride up the beach. It’s supposed to be a gorgeous day.” Aubrey and Caroline were all smiles, both dressed casually in shorts and cotton t-shirts, tennis shoes on their feet. “Are you boys interested in coming with us?”

The case was at a standstill. Travis and Shane didn’t have any new information to go on and it was frustrating as hell. It seemed that the cufflink photo might be the only thing they could do to help Martin. West and Jason were always saying that criminals weren’t very smart but it appeared that this one at least might have pulled off the perfect crime.

In fact, it might be time for Travis, Aubrey, and Shane to return to Montana. He was able to do most of the work that needed to be done from here along with Aubrey’s help, but there were some things he needed to be at the office for. If he couldn’t help Martin he might as well go somewhere where he was needed. He’d talk to Aubrey about leaving in the morning.

“Why not? It’s a nice day as you said so we might as well get outside and enjoy it.”

They were finishing up breakfast when Tom strode into the dining room and right up to their table. He was dressed as informally as the rest of them but the hard set of his jaw looked to be anything but relaxed.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere, Caro.”

The strange dynamics at work again. To her credit, Caroline didn’t bark back at him that her whereabouts weren’t any of his business. She composed her features into a sweet smile and dabbed at her lips with the napkin.

“I’ve been here for the last hour so I’m not sure what the mystery is. What’s going on?”

Clearly annoyed, Tom exhaled noisily, his nostrils flaring. “Alana needs to talk to you. The police have been up in your suite questioning her about the cufflinks.”

The dining room overlooked the lobby but Prather must have come in the back door to avoid the press that had started to camp out in front of the building since Iris’s death. Even if Prather didn’t think there was a connection, the reporters had different hopes. They had to sell papers and a double murder would ensure that.

Caroline’s eyes widened at the news and she tossed her napkin aside, beginning to lever up from the chair. “I better get up there.”

Shane put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her back down. “No need. It looks like the detective is coming to you. I’ll stay right here with you. You shouldn’t answer any questions without a lawyer present.”

“I don’t really have one so thank you. I guess I could call Granddad’s attorney. He was with me the last time.”

“That’s not a good idea. It would be a conflict of interest for him to represent both of you,” Travis warned. “It’s best to have your own lawyer. Shane can fill that role until you find a local person.”

Detective Prather was flanked by two other men both in plainclothes which made Travis feel slightly better. If they were there to arrest Alana or Caroline uniformed cops probably would also have made the trip. Their absence was a positive sign.