Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
NATE
N ate paced the floor of the library, his lower lip aching from the amount of gnawing he’d already done on it. Stephen’s admission about leaving the house and going near Chloe’s apartment last night had been enough to put him over the edge.
But the second bit of information had sliced at him like a knife. “Mom was there.”
His heart thudded against his ribs again. What was his mother doing at Chloe’s in the middle of the night…just before the woman was murdered?
He didn’t want to suspect the woman who had raised him to be kind, compassionate, and caring, but Chloe had come close to ruining the lives of both of her sons. Had she snapped and wanted to put a stop to it before things got worse?
He ran a shaky hand through his hair, wondering if they’d be facing a trouble none of them had ever seen coming .
His father fully expected Stephen to be a suspect, but what if surveillance video made his mother the target.
With a shaky hand, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and pressed the call button next to Elena’s name.
She answered after two rings, the sound of her familiar voice already easing the tension between his shoulder blades. “Nathan, how are you? Has there been any developments?”
“Yeah, I…really needed someone to talk to. I’m sorry to dump this on you, but–“
“You’re not dumping anything, darling. We’re a team.”
He turned sharply, his footsteps sinking silently into the thick, ornate rug that sprawled across the library’s floor. “Right.”
“What’s happened? Has Stephen been accused?”
“No, uh…not yet. But…”
“Nathan?” she prodded gently.
He froze, sliding his eyes closed as he tried to find the strength to say the words aloud. “Stephen admitted he went out last night–to Chloe’s. He swears he never went inside.”
“Oh, no. Do you believe he was caught on any cameras? Will the police assume he was involved?”
He inhaled sharply, his hand clutching at the fabric over his stomach as a tight knot of anxiety twisted within. “I’m not sure, but there’s something else.”
“What is it?”
“He says while he was there, he saw someone else at Chloe’s.”
“Oh,” her voice said, sounding hopeful, “well, that’s a good thing, right? There is another suspect then.”
Nate eased into a leather club chair, perching on the edge as he let his forehead fall into his palm. “Yeah, that’s the thing, though,” he answered, his voice breaking. “It was my mom. ”
“What?” The shock in her voice was apparent. “Oh, Nathan, you cannot believe that–“
“I don’t. I mean…I don’t want to, but…she was so upset, Ellie. She was so upset that Chloe was still causing trouble. She was just…beside herself about what was going on. And I just…can’t help but wonder if…”
His voice trailed off as he sucked in a deep breath, unable to say the words out loud because they felt like a betrayal.
“Nathan, you cannot go there. Your mother would not do this.”
“What if she did, Ellie?” His voice broke again as he held in conflicting emotions.
“Then she had a reason. But I refuse to believe your mother is a cold-blooded killer. I can’t even believe things turned heated, and she lashed out. But I absolutely do not believe she went over there with the intention to harm Chloe. Have a strong word with her, yes. Harm her? No.”
He sucked in a shaky breath as he latched on to her statements, repeating them over and over in his mind. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”
“Of course, I am.” Her voice, light and teasing, lifted his mood slightly.
“But even if you are, this could be…trouble we never saw coming.”
Elena clicked her tongue, her voice turning wistful. “Oh, darling, how I wish I could be there to wrap my arms around you and make you feel better.”
“I wish you could do that, too.” His mind flicked to his surprise visit to Eldoria that had now been postponed thanks to this mess. Even in death, Chloe continued to haunt them. “How are things looking there? Are you still going to be a peasant if you marry me?”
She chuckled at the words. “So far, yes. But my father is working on it full steam, so we hope to have results soon. ”
His heart sank at the words. He’d asked her to walk away from her crown for him once before, and now he felt awful that she may face that exact fate if they married. “Oh, Ellie, I am so sorry. I feel…so responsible.”
“You’re not. King Ed-dumb from six hundred years ago is responsible for this. Not you. And it’s a ridiculous farce of a decree, anyway. Are royals somehow better than others? Nonsense.”
He sucked in a breath, his head shaking. “Well, they may regret your choice in commoners if this all hits the papers.”
“I am hoping for your sakes it doesn’t. Though…I promised to keep this quiet, but…I told my father.”
His heart didn’t just drop, it plummeted. Perhaps their engagement would soon be called off.
“He was incredibly supportive, so please do not worry. I hadn’t planned on it, but thought it was important that he should know in case we must postpone our announcement.”
“He didn’t ask you to rethink the marriage?”
“No, he did not ask me to rethink based on your circumstances. Did I tell you that Prince Eric is about to become just regularly old commonplace Eric?”
“Huh?” Nate screwed up his face at the words.
“Yes. Apparently, the Corinthian government is considering removing the royals. That would strip Eric of his title entirely. An interesting tidbit from my cousin, Isabelle, who has been surprisingly helpful.”
“Wow, sounds like things are really interesting over there.”
“They are. And I hope they will become uninteresting soon. I would very much like our biggest problem to be white or off-white.”
He chuckled at the words. “I’m told by my father to leave those decisions entirely to you.”
“Have you no input on white versus off-white? ”
“I don’t.”
“What about ivory versus alabaster? Or porcelain versus beige.”
“Whatever color you think is best, I am one hundred percent on board with.”
“Lazy,” she teased. “Well, I’ve got to run, darling. But I do hope you get good news soon. Keep me updated via text?”
“I will. And, Ellie…”
“Yes?”
“Thanks.” He ended the call after they expressed their love for one another and eased back into the leather cushion. She’d lifted his mood somewhat. At least they had hope for their future, but the mess in Sterling City continued to plague him.
He needed to speak with his father about it. They shouldn’t have any surprises.
He forced himself from the chair, leaving the library behind and striding through the halls to his father’s office. He poked his head in, expecting to find his dad staring out the window. Instead, it looked like command central during a war.
Legal assistants hurried around the room, taking notes or receiving instructions from Clifford.
“What’s going on?” he asked as he stepped inside.
“Hi, Nate,” his father answered. “Friend on the force says to prepare for some questions to come our way. I don’t expect it to stop there. I’m guessing there will be charges. We’re trying to strategize.”
He glanced around the room, finding Stephen absent. “Has Stephen talked to you about anything?”
Charles squashed his eyebrows together as he snapped his gaze to Nate. “Should he have?”
“I think so,” Nate answered. “Can we speak privately? ”
“Give me a second, Clif,” Charles said, patting the man on the shoulder as he skirted his desk.
They left the office behind, heading for the living room. Charles crossed to the drink cart with a heavy sigh, pouring himself a bourbon despite the early hour. “Please don’t tell me you have some dirt on your brother you plan to use.”
“No,” Nate said with a shake of his head. “No, I…Dad, I’d never do that. Stephen and I have had our differences. We've clashed in both our business and personal lives, but this is different. We've talked and we're trying to put the past behind us."
“Good. That’s good. We may need to band together as a family behind your brother. He’s going to need all of our support.”
“Yeah, I understand that, but Dad…there’s something you should know.”
“What is it?”
“Well, first of all, Stephen did leave the house last night. He went to Chloe’s, but he says he didn’t go inside. I’m the only one who knows that, I think.”
“Someone else knows it because the cops are looking to bring someone in for questioning. That’s the scuttlebutt, anyway.”
Nate tugged his lips back, the weight of the next piece of information crushing him. “Yeah, I’m a little worried it won’t be Stephen.”
His father eyed him over the rim of his tumbler. “Nate, please don’t tell me you went to see her.”
“Not me,” Nate said, a lump forming in his throat. “Dad, when Stephen and I spoke…he said he…”
“What? Spit it out, Nate.”
Nate centered his eyes on his father, his stomach twisting. “Stephen said he saw Mom there. Dad, I’m concerned the questions coming aren’t for Stephen. They’re for Mom. ”
His father choked on the bourbon he sipped before he slammed the glass down on the table. “What? Is he sure?”
Nate lifted his shoulders. “He seems to be sure. He said he went by and saw Mom there. And she was…beside herself yesterday about this, Dad. I mean, she was really upset.”
“Watch what you’re saying. Even the implication–”
“No, I know.” Nate held his hands up. “I know. I don’t think she did anything but…Dad if there are surveillance cameras…”
“I need to discuss this with Clif, see if we can get some information from his source.” He strode toward the door, leaving Nate behind in the living room.
He blew out a breath as his eyes fell to the half-full glass of bourbon. The pressure made him want to dull the intense emotions coursing through him with a drink.
He crossed to the tumbler, his fingers lingering on the cool glass as he stared down at the amber liquid. His own distorted reflection stared back. Memories of the damage he’d done when he’d been drinking before taunted him.
With a sharp inhale, he yanked his hand away, pushing his thoughts to Elena. He didn’t need alcohol to numb his pain. He had the support system he needed now.
He strode from the room, leaving the drink behind and climbed the stairs, hoping to find his mother. A conversation about what happened when she visited Chloe may set his mind at ease.
Before he reached the first landing, a knock sounded at the door.
A shiver snaked down his spine, and he froze, twisting to view the door as a maid hurried to answer it.
“Nate? What’s going on?” Maddie asked as she bounced down the stairs toward him.
He didn’t answer as the woman stepped back to allow two plainclothes police officers into the foyer. The man scrolled through something on his phone as the woman let her gaze scan the room.
“Uh, I’ll take care of this,” Nate said as he hurried down the stairs toward the maid who offered to set them up in the living room and find his father.
The woman nodded before she scurried into a back hall.
“Hi, I’m Nate Kingsley. Can I help you?”
The female officer stuck her hand out. “I’m Detective Nelson, this is my partner, Detective Horner. We’re investigating Chloe Danvers-Kingsley’s death.”
Nate set his hands on his hips, his heart tapping a frenetic beat against his ribs. “Right. Terrible shame.”
The woman arched an eyebrow. “Is it? It’s my understanding you and she did not get along.”
Nate shifted his weight from foot to foot. “We, uh, had our differences. We were a couple but broke up.”
“She slept with your brother, right?”
Nate tried to stop himself from grimacing. “Yes, she did.”
“And did that make you angry?”
“I’m not…angry about it, no. I have moved on.”
“Oh, great for you. Well, we’re not actually here to dredge up your past with Chloe. We’re here to speak with someone else. Is Victoria home?”
“My mom?” Maddie asked as she descended the stairs, her features twisted with confusion.
“Maddie, I’ll handle this.” Nate held up a hand to stop her.
“Have you seen your mom today?” the woman asked Maddie.
“Whoa,” Nate said, stepping between them. “Why don’t you have a seat in the living room, and I’ll–”
“Why would you be looking for my mom?” Maddie asked.
“Maddie, please.”
Before Nate could send the detectives into another room and prepare the family, Victoria appeared on the landing. “ It’s okay, Nate and Maddie. I’m here. I think it’s me you’re looking for.”
“Victoria Kingsley?” Detective Nelson asked.
Victoria nodded as she descended the stairs, her features stoic. “Yes.”
“We’re going to need you to come down to the station with us to answer some questions.”
“Why?” Maddie questioned. “Why are you asking my mom questions?”
“Maddie, please,” Victoria said as she slid a lock of Maddie’s hair behind her ear. “I’d be happy to come down, but I’d prefer my legal counsel to be with me.”
Detective Nelson arched an eyebrow again. “That’s your right, though you aren’t being charged with anything…yet.”
“Yet?” Maddie’s voice turned into a high-pitched squeal. “Why are you questioning my mom?”
“Because,” the detective answered, “your mother was quite possibly the last person to see Mrs. Kingsley alive.”
Maddie’s eyes went wide as her knees started to buckle. Nate grabbed her to steady her as tears rolled down her cheeks. “No, Mom.”
“Maddie, it’s okay. I’m just going to answer their questions. Nate, can you tell Clifford to meet me there?”
“Yeah,” he answered, his voice just above a whisper.
The detective motioned for Victoria to follow them.
“No!” Maddie whined, clinging to Nate as her mother calmly followed the police from the house.
Nate stroked her hair, holding her close to him as the door clicked shut. The implication of the officer’s last words was obvious. They may not have slapped the handcuffs on her, but she was their top suspect. They thought Victoria Kingsley was a murderer.