8. CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
T he morning sun streamed through the large bay windows of Aunt Betty’s kitchen, casting a warm glow over the breakfast table where Harper and Lila sat. They were nestled in the cozy nook of the kitchen, with a panoramic view of Cobble Cove’s picturesque cliffside that overlooked the sea and across to the Cobble Cove Lighthouse.
As they nibbled on fresh toast and fruit, their conversation gravitated toward the unexpected message they had received from Dawn and Liam about the eerie events at the hotel.
“Can you believe all that happened?” Harper asked, her eyes wide with a mix of excitement and concern. “With secret passages and mysterious thieves?”
Lila nodded, her expression thoughtful. “It’s like something out of one of the mystery novels Aunt Caroline writes. But I’m glad they’re okay. It must have been terrifying.”
Just then, Aunt Betty returned to the table with a plate of steaming toast and another bowl of vibrant fruit salad. “Here you go, girls. Eat up,” she said cheerily, setting down the food. She wiped her hands on her apron and sat down with them. “I just got off the phone with Liam. He asked if you could stay here for another day or two, just to be safe.”
“That’s perfect,” Harper exclaimed, unable to hide her delight. “More time for adventures at Betty’s!”
Lila chuckled, sharing Harper’s enthusiasm. They whispered excitedly about their extended stay when they thought Aunt Betty had left the room.
“It’s great because it means Aunt Dawn and Liam will get to spend more time together,” Harper whispered, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Lila nodded in agreement. “True, but they also need to do something normal, you know? Not just high-stakes situations that throw them together.”
Harper contemplated this, tapping her fork against her plate. “Yeah, they need a chance to just... be.”
Unbeknownst to them, Aunt Betty had lingered by the doorway, her presence unnoticed. She smiled softly, overhearing their conversation. “You know,” she began, walking back into the room, “a family outing like going to the movies or ice skating might be a nice, normal thing for a group. It’d give Dawn and Liam some space, too, which is perfect for your parent trap matchmaking scheme.”
Caught in their matchmaking scheme, Harper and Lila exchanged embarrassed glances. “Busted,” Harper muttered under her breath.
Aunt Betty chuckled, her eyes twinkling with a mix of amusement and fondness. “I know what you’re up to, but while I want you to be careful about meddling too much, I do want Liam to find happiness.” She smiled at Harper. “And Dawn, as I’ve grown very fond of her this past year.”
“That’s why ice skating would be perfect!” Harper suddenly said, inspired. “Aunt Dawn is hilarious on the ice. She’s not... the most graceful.”
Lila laughed, adding, “And my dad used to play ice hockey when he was younger. He’s an excellent skater.” Her eyes lit with excitement. “Which is perfect because my dad will need to help Dawn.”
“Yeah, that will most certainly bring them closer ,“ Harper agreed as enthusiastically as Lila.
“Then it’s settled,” Aunt Betty declared with a nod. “I’ll take you girls ice skating this afternoon, but oh dear,” she feigned a sudden realization, “I just remembered I have an appointment I can’t miss. Maybe Liam and Dawn could take you instead?”
The girls grinned, their plan falling perfectly into place. “That would be amazing, Aunt Betty,” Lila said, playing along.
“Excellent,” Aunt Betty agreed. “I’ll make the arrangements and give them a call later after they’ve had some rest.”
With their plot in motion, Harper and Lila finished their breakfast, their hearts light with the excitement of both their secret matchmaking and the promise of more days under Aunt Betty’s caring watch.
“Aunt Betty, we’re going to go to the cove after breakfast,” Lila told her.
“Okay,” Betty said with a nod. “You know the rules.”
“Yes, Aunt Betty,” Lila and Harper chorused, finishing their breakfast and helping to clear the table before getting ready to go down to the cove.
Liam stood on the balcony of his bedroom in his house, which offered a sweeping view of the beach extending toward the hotel. The gentle sound of waves breaking on the shore was a soothing contrast to the whirlwind of events that had engulfed his life recently. After ensuring that Dawn and Wade were settled in their new accommodations at the hotel, he had retreated to the solace of his own space to gather his thoughts.
Liam checked his watch, noting the relentless march of time, and decided it was best to catch some sleep while he could. He had set aside a lot for reflection, but practical needs beckoned. With another meeting scheduled with the detectives at the hotel in a few hours, rest was not just a luxury but a necessity.
Stepping back from the balcony, he left the glass door slightly ajar, allowing the rhythmic sound of the waves to permeate his room. The salty breeze was comforting, a natural lullaby. He set his alarm for four hours—11 AM would come soon enough. With that, he climbed into bed, the sheets cool against his skin.
As he lay there, his mind wandered back to Dawn and her brother, Wade. There was a tension there, a history that was palpable even in their brief interactions. Dawn’s words, tinged with a mix of concern and mistrust, had clearly struck a nerve with Wade, his momentary flash of pain swiftly masked by a well-practiced facade. Liam sighed, pulling a pillow over his head in a feeble attempt to block out the cascade of thoughts. He reminded himself not to get too entangled in Dawn’s family dynamics unless explicitly invited. Yet, the nagging feeling persisted that there was more to their story, layers that neither Dawn nor Wade seemed ready to peel back.
Being close to his sister, he knew the importance of family, and it always bothered Liam when he saw that amount of tension between siblings. Just as he was about to push these thoughts aside, the memory of Dawn’s impromptu kiss surfaced, unbidden. His fingers brushed his lips reflexively. He knew it was likely a spur-of-the-moment act driven by adrenaline. Yet, he couldn’t ignore the noticeable shift in their dynamics since that moment. It had affected him more than he expected, a confession he only dared make to himself in these quiet hours.
Shaking his head as if to dispel the thought, Liam tried to settle into sleep. He told himself not to read too much into it, to maintain the boundaries he had always guarded so carefully. But as sleep finally claimed him, it was Dawn’s laughter, the sparkle in her eyes, and the warmth of her presence that filled his dreams, leading him softly into the realm of sleep where the complicated threads of reality couldn’t quite reach.
The persistent ringing of his phone dragged Liam out of his peaceful slumber into the harsh light of day. Groaning, he reached blindly for the device, his fingers grazing the illuminated screen before he finally grasped it, bringing it to his ear without bothering to check who was calling.
“Hello?” His voice was thick with sleep, muffled slightly by the pillow still half covering his face.
“Liam, dear, did I wake you?” Aunt Betty’s voice was chirpy and slightly surprised. “I’m sorry, love, but I thought you’d be awake by now, as it’s nearly one in the afternoon!”
At her words, Liam jolted awake, suddenly aware of the sunlight streaming through the half-open balcony door. He swung his legs out of bed, phone pressed against his ear as he stood up in a rush. “Hi, Aunt Betty, I—yes, you did wake me. But thank goodness you did. I should’ve been up two hours ago.” He frowned, looking at his alarm and wondering why it hadn’t gone off. “What’s up?”
“Then I don’t feel bad for waking you.” Betty laughed. “I was wondering if you and Dawn would take the girls ice skating this evening?” She sighed dramatically. “I had planned to, but I just remembered about the committee meeting for the food club for the surfing competition. As you know, that’s coming around soon, and we’ve already put off the meeting too many times.”
Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, the remnants of sleep rapidly disappearing as he processed her request. “With everything going on, I’m not sure I’ll have the time, Aunt Betty,” he replied, though his tone left room for negotiation, which his aunt was quick to seize.
“Oh, Liam, it would mean so much to the girls. And Dawn could probably use a nice evening out after everything she’s been through as well,” Betty cajoled, her voice taking on that familiar, persuasive lilt that Liam found almost impossible to resist and he knew, after many failed attempts, that he’d lose.
He sighed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite his reluctance. “Alright, Aunt Betty, we’ll take them. It sounds like it could be fun. But I’d have to clear it with Dawn first.”
“Marvelous!” Betty exclaimed, relieved. “Thank you, dear. I’ll let the girls know. They’ll be thrilled!”
After hanging up with his aunt, Liam quickly called Mary, the hotel manager, to catch up on the situation at the hotel.
“Hey there, sleeping beauty,” Mary teased.
“Funny,” Liam said as he pulled clothes from his closet. “Why didn’t you call me? I had that meeting with the detectives from Newbury Port.”
“Not to worry,” Mary told him. “I knew you needed the rest, and I told Inga to switch off your alarm and wake you at two and rescheduled the appointment with the detectives for three.”
Liam suddenly remembered it was housekeeping day, and Inga, his housekeeper, must’ve switched off his alarm. His stomach growled, reminding him he’d not eaten since the pizza the previous evening. Hopefully Inga would have something ready for him. His mouth instantly watered as he thought of the protein pancakes and homemade syrup she usually made for him and Lila.
The relief in his voice was evident when Mary informed him that she had rescheduled the detectives. “As always, Mary, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Then you’re going to be doubly pleased to know I’ve also managed to rehouse most of the guests from the old wing to the new wing,” Mary informed him. “Well, with some help.” Before her voice turned smug. “Bet you’re glad I pushed for that new wing now.”
“I am, Mary. You were right, as usual,” Liam conceded, chuckling. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Have you seen Dawn yet, by any chance?”
“Actually, she’s been here since eleven, getting stuck into her role,” Mary replied, her tone indicating she was as impressed as Liam was surprised. “And she helped me with the rehousing of the guests, thank goodness. You won’t believe how much people respond to her.”
“I bet,” Liam said, knowing what Mary meant. While Dawn appeared reserved when she stepped forward to take charge, people instantly jumped. “Dawn can be quite commanding when she wants. Thank you, Mary, for helping get Dawn started,” he told her.
After confirming a few more details with Mary, Liam ended the call and hurried to get ready. As he showered and dressed, his thoughts drifted to the ice skating outing. It was an unexpected break from the chaos of the past few days, and perhaps it was precisely what they all needed—a chance to breathe and just enjoy a simple evening out.
Liam rushed downstairs to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, bacon, and pancakes.
“Good afternoon, Liam,” Inga greeted him with a warm smile.
Inga was one of his aunt’s friends and a member of her book club. She was tall and looked half her age of sixty-two. When his aunt had first insisted he hire her to help out with Lila and the house, he’d felt uncomfortable having one of his aunt’s friends cleaning his house. But Inga had turned out to be invaluable to him and Lila. She was also accommodating with Lila’s homework and someone his daughter was comfortable talking to about her teenage girl’s stuff.
“Hi, Inga,” Liam greeted her with a warm smile. “Thank you for keeping breakfast for me.”
“It’s more like lunch,” Inga said, laughing. “I’m sorry I turned your alarm off, but when Mary explained what had happened last night, I knew you needed your rest to get through today.”
“I did need it,” Liam admitted. “I just didn’t have time for it.”
“Time is something we have to carve out for things that matter,” Inga warned him as she dished up a plate of food for him and filled his mug with coffee. “As it’s not something we can ever get back.”
“You’re right,” Liam said, digging into his food. “That’s why I’ve agreed to take Lila and her new friend Harper ice skating tonight.”
“I met Harper at your aunt’s house yesterday,” Inga told him. “What a lovely young lady she is.”
“I know,” Liam agreed, sitting back with his coffee. “Dawn, her aunt, told me she was rebelling and causing problems back home.”
“Really?” Inga frowned. “Harper seemed perfectly mannered and grounded to me.”
“I guess kids from the Hamptons rebel differently to how we do it here.” Liam laughed, voicing his thoughts on when he’d first met Harper.
Liam finished his meal and coffee.
“Mary told me that Hicks and Ritz are staying at the hotel?” Inga enquired.
“Yes,” Liam nodded. “Hicks has become Dawn’s personal bodyguard while her brother is taking care of Ritz.” He was on his way to the door with his car keys in hand. “It’s better for the animals to have some company as we’re not really here during the day.”
“And a lot less messy,” Inga said with a soft laugh. “Hicks loves attention, so trying to get the house clean around him becomes a dance of playing and working.”
“I’m sorry about that, Inga,” Liam said.
“It wasn’t a problem,” Inga assured him. “But I, too, am glad the animals have company. They’re used to having Finn’s children with them and following them wherever they go.”
“True.” Liam nodded. “I must get moving. I’ll see you on Monday?”
“Of course.” Inga nodded. “I’ll be going early today as there’s the surf contest committee meeting tonight.”
“Yes, Aunt Betty mentioned that,” Liam said. “You know your timekeeping is up to you, Inga.”
They said goodbye, and Liam dashed to his car and then drove to the hotel. He always felt so lazy whenever he drove to the hotel, as it was only about three miles away, but he often needed his car during the day.
Liam had just walked into the hotel, and his heart leaped in his chest when he heard Dawn’s laughter coming from the front desk. His head turned, and his breath caught when he saw her move a stray hair that had escaped her up-do. She animatedly spoke to one of his staff members who manned the desk. Dawn was breathtaking, and his heart dropped as the thought of her leaving Plum Island flitted through his mind.
He gave himself a mental shake, squared his shoulders, and walked toward the desk.
“Hey,” Liam greeted her.
“Hi,” Dawn greeted him back with a smile. “Jenna has been showing me the booking system.”
“Ah,” Liam nodded. “Jenna doubles as our IT support for it as well.” He smiled at Jenna. “I hope there were no problems with moving the guests’ bookings to their new rooms?”
“No, sir,” Jenna assured him. “All went through smoothly. We also put new complimentary welcome baskets in each room to apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Great, thank you,” Liam said, nodding and looking at Dawn. “Can I steal you for a moment?”
“Sure,” Dawn said with a nod and excused herself from Jenna.
She walked out from behind the desk with Hicks by her side.
“Hey, boy,” Liam laughed, patting Hicks’s head. “I see you have a new sidekick.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Dawn said. “I couldn’t leave him alone in the suite.”
“Not at all,” Liam said. “I’m glad he’s here looking out for you.”
Liam and Dawn walked to his office, where he opened the door and stepped back for her to enter before he followed her, closing the door behind him. Dawn took a seat in front of his desk, and Hicks flopped down beside the chair.
“How are you today?” Liam asked as he sat in front of her in his office chair.
“Full of ideas for a new script,” Dawn told him, grinning. “And dying to get stuck back into researching those journals and everything we found in the secret room.”
“Yeah, we need to get through those as quickly as we can,” Liam told her. “We’re going to have to hand them over to the police at some point.”
“And hope we don’t get into trouble for withholding evidence,” Dawn said, her eyes lighting with mischief.
“You’re enjoying breaking the law a little too much,” Liam teased. “But I have to agree that I’m also eager to get stuck into the research.”
“I can order the pizza and wine tonight if you’re not busy?” Dawn invited.
“Ah!” Liam said, sitting forward and leaning his elbows on his desk. “That was why I wanted to talk to you. Aunt Betty called and asked if we could take Lila and Harper ice skating.” He smiled as her eyebrows rose. “I thought that we could have an early dinner and ice skating evening. Then drop the girls at Aunt Betty, who has agreed to look after them until things are under control here, and come back to go over all we found.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Dawn agreed and glanced at Hicks. “I can ask my brother to look after Hicks.” She looked at Liam, and something flashed in her eyes. “The one thing a person can rely on Wade for is looking after animals. He tends to value them more than anything else.”
Liam’s brow furrowed at the catch in her voice. “I’m sure Hicks won’t mind staying at my house if you’d rather not have to ask Wade for help.”
“No.” Dawn shook her head. “I trust Wade with animals.” She gave a soft laugh. “And it will give me an excuse to check up on him.”
“Ah!” Liam nodded. “That’s settled then.”
“What time do you want to leave?” Dawn asked.
“I should be finished here at around five-thirty, so let’s say six?” Liam looked at her questioningly.
“Perfect,” Dawn agreed. “Oh, and I have some information about the staff for you.”
“Already?” Liam’s brows rose, impressed.
“Yup!” Dawn grinned. “I’ve been working with them this morning. Helping them move the guests; I even had lunch with some of the staff.”
“You’re already integrating yourself nicely,” Liam chimed, smiling.
“My father always said that pulling up your sleeves and showing your staff you are just as invested in getting things done as they are building a good rapport,” Dawn told him. “He believed that it was imperative that as a boss, you knew what it took to do each job in the company.”
“Your father sounded like a great man,” Liam said.
“He was.” Dawn nodded, and her eyes misted over before she took a breath. “Anyway, I learned that last night was one of the waiters’ birthdays and nearly everyone went to his party after work.”
“Which staff members weren’t there?” Liam asked. “Were you told?”
“The night manager, Simon, the head chef Pierre, the sous-chef, and Donna,” Dawn said.
“Simon was working until seven this morning,” Liam explained. “Pierre would never go to a party. His wife would kill him as she is the sous-chef.” He smiled as he saw understanding filter through Dawn’s eyes. “They value what little time they have off, and Donna was on night duty.”
“With that in mind, unless it was Donna, Pierre, his wife, or Simon,” Dawn said, “I don’t think it was any of the hotel staff. But we can still look into housekeeping. I believe you contract that out?”
“I do.” Liam frowned. “We keep a roster of the staff from Housekeeping Inc. who are contracted to do it.” He sat back in his chair, looking thoughtfully at Dawn. “Although I’d really hate for it to turn out to be someone from them.” He shook his head. “They’ve been excellent so far. We had so much housekeeping turnover when I first bought the hotel. I decided to contract it out. The first company we used, Spic and Span Hospitality, was a disaster.”
“I’ll get the roster from Mary and start working through it,” Dawn said. “I’ll ask Carl to help me look into each person that’s worked here if that’s okay with you.”
“Of course it is,” Liam said. “I can imagine Carl has the contacts and means to do something like that covertly.”
“Yes, he does,” Dawn said with a sigh. “He’s already got some more security here to look after both Harper and Lila as well as Wade and us. ”
“Us?” Liam’s brows rose.
“Yes.” Dawn nodded and looked at him apologetically. “Now that Harper and Lila are friends, I’m afraid that your family now falls under the protection of Vanderbilt security.”
“Geez,” Liam said, not able to help a smile forming on his lips. “Wow, I feel like I’m doing the surfing circuit again, having a security detail.”
“That’s right,” Dawn said, returning his smile. “I forgot you’re no stranger to the limelight and are used to having been protected from screaming fans.”
“I had Finn to hide behind,” Liam admitted. “I tried to hide in his shadow, but I guess I had a few of those.”
“More than a few,” Dawn guessed. “I have to admit to having Googled you and Finn.”
“I thought Harriet was one of Finn’s fans?” Liam looked at her questioningly. “I didn’t think you’d need to Google him.”
“I never followed surfing as closely as Harriet did.” Dawn shook her head and laughed. “Although she never surfed herself. In fact, for someone who loves boats as much as she does, Harriet is surprisingly afraid of the ocean.”
“Oh?” Liam said, looking surprised. “Then it is a big achievement for her to be letting Finn and his kids teach her how to surf.”
“I feel sorry for them.” Dawn snorted. “They’ll soon find what a challenge it is to try to teach brainiac Harriet anything. She’ll have read up everything she could about how to do it and then they’ll be questioned about every technique, with her throwing in her own suggestions on how to teach her.”
“I think I can actually picture that,” Liam said. “Especially after Harriet helped Jennifer learn how to whitewash a wall.”
“Harriet means well and tries hard to live in a world of those not on her intellect plane,” Dawn stated. “Growing up with her was like having a human shield. No one messed with me as they were so scared of Harriet.”
“She is very protective over her loved ones,” Liam stated. “So is Finn.” He laughed. “It’s like the clash of the titans with those two.”
“I don’t think clash,” Dawn said. “It’s more like the joining of the titans. I think they complement each other nicely. And it’s so great to see Harriet trust someone as much as she does Finn to put her heart in his hands.”
“I’d say ditto for Finn,” Liam added. “No two people deserved the happiness they’ve found with each other more.”
“Plus, Maggie is really excited about being a real princess.” Dawn laughed.
“Yeah, Maggie is in her element,” Liam agreed. “Although I think Tucker makes an awesome prince, like in a Disney movie.”
“Ooh!” Dawn’s eyes widened, and Liam saw a light switch on in her eyes that he’d come to think of as her creative spark. “I’ve just had an incredible idea for a movie script.”
“Do you want a pen and paper?” Liam asked.
“No, but thank you. I’ll remember it,” Dawn assured him, glancing at her wristwatch. “I’d better get moving if I want to finish going through the guest lists and get the information on the housekeeping roster.” She stood, and Hicks instantly got up too. “I’ll meet you in the lobby at six?”
“Yes,” Liam said, nodding. “We’ll fetch Lila and Harper, then go to the rink. There’s a nice restaurant near it for when we’re finished ice skating.”
“Great.” Dawn nodded and walked to the door with Hicks. “I’ll see you later.”
Liam watched her and Hicks leave, closing the door behind them. He sat staring at it for a few minutes and was looking forward to seeing her later. Liam hoped that he still knew how to skate and didn’t end up making a complete fool of himself, as he hadn’t been on the ice in years. He’d given up ice hockey when he was nineteen for surfing. Liam couldn’t do both, and he didn’t think he’d ever become a pro hockey player, so he dropped it.
A few minutes later, the detectives arrived. They were a man-and-woman team that filled up his office with their imposing presence. If he hadn’t known better, Liam would’ve pegged them more for the FBI than police detectives.
“We’ve gone over the guest list for the past two weeks, and your employee list,” Detective Pauline Winslow told him. “No one jumps out at us as they’re all clean.” She frowned. “What do you know about your newest guests?”
“Are you referring to the captain and crew of the Black Ocean Two?” Liam asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes,” Detective John Rickshaw nodded. “Did you know two of them have criminal records?”
Liam felt they were testing him and trying to fish information from him. “Oh?” He feigned ignorance. “No, I did not.” That was the truth, as Dawn had hinted that her brother had been in trouble, and Liam had a feeling he was one of the two the detectives were referring to. “Are you going to tell me which guests you are referring to from the Black Ocean Two?”
“We’re waiting for their juvenile records to be unsealed,” Detective Winslow said, putting two files in front of him. “Obviously, what we tell you about them stays between us.” She indicated toward the folders. “They are from very prominent families.” She tapped the top folder labeled Hardy, B . “His father is a supreme court judge.”
“And his mother is also a judge,” Detective Rickshaw informed Liam. “Then there’s this guy.” He moved the top folder, and Liam’s eyes fell on the name Vanderbilt, W . “I think you already know just how powerful this family is.”
“They only arrived here late last night,” Liam told the detectives, pushing the folders back towards them. “It couldn’t have been them.”
“Actually…” Detective Winslow put another folder on the desk that she’d had on her lap. “They docked at the Newbury Port Harbor Marina a week before you reported the first theft happened.”
Liam’s brows creased, and he leaned over to look at the folder. In it was a copy of all the information Liam now knew a yacht had to submit to the dock, including payment information, which listed the yacht’s arrival and departure date. The yacht had been docked in Newbury Port for a week and left late yesterday to arrive at his dock.
Liam’s jaw clamped as a nerve ticked at the side. This was not good. The interaction between Dawn and Wade flashed through his mind, along with the wound on her brother’s hand.
“Do you know that Judge Hardy has a holiday home in Newbury Port?” Detective Winslow asked. “If you look at a photograph in the file, you’ll see that a vehicle registered to the judge has been seen on Plum Island on both nights of the thefts here in your hotel.”
Liam’s heart jolted as he thought it made some sort of weird sense as the items that were still missing belonged to Dawn. His brow creased some more as he thought about Lila’s locket and wondered if it was Wade and his crew, why would he keep the locket? Something Dawn had said earlier flashed through his mind: Now that Harper and Lila are friends, I’m afraid that your family now falls under the protection of Vanderbilt security.
Wade could believe that Liam and Dawn were more than just friends. Liam swallowed, trying to make sense of what he was looking at. His eyes fell on the other two folders.
“Who is B. Hardy?” Liam asked.
Detective Winslow pushed the folder toward Liam and turned around, then opened it for him to see. “Ben Hardy.”
“He and Wade Vanderbilt have been best friends since they were teenagers,” Detective Rickshaw told Liam. “They’ve been causing trouble ever since they met as well.”
“Including…” Detective Winslow turned a page in front of Liam and tapped the criminal record. “Kidnapping, for which he spent nine years in prison. He was released early last year. Guess who was there to pick him up from prison?” She pushed Wade’s file toward him. “His long-time pal, Wade Vanderbilt. The black sheep of the Vanderbilt family.”
“This file is redacted,” Liam pointed out, noting that the only visible charge against Ben was for kidnapping before the text was blacked out. His eyes then caught another entry: a charge of attempted murder had been downgraded to grievous bodily harm.
“I’m sorry, we’re not allowed to reveal more than that,” Detective Winslow told him.
“Was Wade involved in the kidnapping?” Liam’s chest started to feel tight.
She pushed the other file toward him and opened it. “See for yourself.”
Liam skimmed the file, which was heavily redacted. From the visible information, it was clear that Wade Vanderbilt had been charged with withholding evidence and aiding and abetting the kidnapper, identified as Ben Hardy, who had assaulted a bodyguard. Although the bodyguard refused to press charges, witnesses reported that Mr. Wade Vanderbilt had helped disarm the bodyguard. Consequently, Mr. Wade Vanderbilt was placed under house arrest for a year under the supervision of Mr. Scott Vanderbilt.
Liam looked up at the detectives. “Just because they have criminal records and were in the vicinity doesn’t mean they had anything to do with what’s going on at my hotel.”
“We realize that,” Detective Winslow said. “But Wade Vanderbilt is a master of disguise as he’s had a fascination with magic, he is a gold medalist gymnast, has an IQ that’s not normal, and a grudge against his siblings.” She glanced at Ben’s file. “Ben was also a champion gymnast.”
“So?” He shook his head. “Just because they’re good at a sport that I would think most cat burglars are, it doesn’t mean they’ve turned into thieves.” He shrugged. “We all hold grudges against our family members at some time or another.”
While his mind was now reeling, doubt was starting to creep in. Liam wasn’t one to judge a person on past mistakes. Okay, maybe he’d judged his father and his father’s family that way, but that was because of his personal childhood grudge.
“Yes, but did your family try to put you into jail and were then instrumental in locking up your best friend, which led to your fiancée leaving you?” Detective Rickshaw looked at him with raised brows.
“Oh, and to make matters worse, Wade’s fiancée left him and walked straight into the arms of one of Wade’s and Ben’s worst rivals,” she gave him a smug smile. “The same rival that testified against them and was the cherry on top of the evidence cake that put Ben away.”
“Why would they be targeting my hotel?” Liam asked.
“First, Dawn has been here for over a year,” Detective Rickshaw stated. “Along with a whole lot of others these two have a grudge against.”
“Such as Alex and Ethan Blackwell,” Detective Winslow added. “Brad Danes, and then there’s your highly anticipated superstar guest who is set to arrive to take over a major part in The Cobble Mysteries.”
“A few superstars are starring in that show and staying here,” Liam told them.
He was desperately trying hard to find a way to dispute the dots that detectives were connecting that led to Dawn’s brother and Ben Hardy, whom Liam knew was a part of Wade’s crew that checked in the previous night.
“This one is only arriving in a few days.” Detective Winslow flipped a page in Ben’s file, and Liam’s eyes widened. “Arno Littleford.”
“He was the key witness in Ben’s trial?” Liam looked at the name.
“And the man that married the love of Wade Vanderbilt’s life,” Detective Rickshaw told him.
“Arno is arriving tomorrow.” Liam stared at the file. A cold feeling enveloped him as he realized how this was going to affect Dawn. His jaw clenched while he shut the files, pushing them back to the detectives. “This still doesn’t mean anything and is all circumstantial.”
“You must understand, Mr. Gains,” Detective Winslow warned, “we have to look at this from every angle, and right now, our lens is pointed at Wade Vanderbilt and his crew, which include Ben Hardy.” She pushed the folders back toward him. “These are for you to go over.” Her eyes locked with his. “We’ve been asked to keep a close eye on these two guests of yours.”
The two detectives stood, getting ready to leave. “Especially as we’ve just learned that Bailey Blackwell will be arriving a few days after Arno, whose brother Marco, is Bailey’s best friend.”
Liam’s brows knitted together as he realized what they’d just hinted at, and he remembered a conversation with the Blackwells about why they needed such tight security—their younger sister had been kidnapped when she was eighteen.