Chapter 50
“That’s bullshit!” Eddie snapped.
There were perks to rousting people out of bed and riling them up before they’d had their morning brew.
“Tell me what happened,” I said. “Work with me, and maybe you don’t do life in prison.”
His mouth tensed. “I didn’t know what she was going out there to do. She told me she just wanted to talk to Eden and see if she could get her to settle. The whole suit was just to put pressure on her and get her to recant.”
“Go on.”
“We got to her boat. They had a long talk.”
“Lisa and Eden.”
“Yeah. Lisa said she would drop the suit if Eden would go on stream and take back everything she said. From what I understood, Eden was in dire straits financially. Lisa gave her the drugs as a token of her appreciation. I had no idea it was fentanyl. Eden said she had quit. Said she was clean. Next thing I knew, Lisa pulled a gun from her purse. She shot Eden in the head, point-blank.” He still looked a little traumatized.
“I couldn’t believe it. She wiped the gun down, put it in Eden’s hand, and staged the scene. ”
I wasn’t sure if I was getting the whole truth, but it was the closest thing I’d gotten yet. “Where did the gun come from?”
Eddie’s lips tightened. “I got it for her. But I swear, I didn’t know what she was going to do with it. She just said she wanted a clean, untraceable gun for protection.”
“Where did you get it from?”
“I know a guy.”
“I need his name?”
Eddie’s face tensed.
“You want to spend time in prison? I need a name.”
“Look, I need a deal. In writing. I want immunity. I’ll tell you everything and testify.”
“I’ll talk to the state’s attorney. I’m sure we can work something out. But I need evidence to corroborate your story. ‘Cause right now, you’ll both say whatever it takes to save your ass.”
“I can get you proof.” He dug into his pocket.
“Easy,” I said, reaching for my gun.
“I’m just getting the keys to the house.”
With a slow, fluid movement, he dug into his pocket and pulled out the keys. Eddie walked to the back door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. He clicked the key fob on his keychain to disable the alarm.
He led the way through the kitchen and across the living room with vaulted ceilings.
Bleached hardwoods lined the floor, and elegant furniture decorated the living room. Expensive modern art hung on the walls. Underwater lighting from the pool glowed the patio, casting caustics on the ceiling. It felt like walking through an aquarium.
"After she staged the suicide, what happened?"
"We left Eden’s boat, boarded Lisa’s boat, and returned to Stingray Bay.”
"Is that her boat?" I asked, looking through the window walls, past the pool to the canal beyond. A 37-foot motor yacht with white trim and a gray hull floated at the dock.
"Yeah, that's Lisa's boat. The Wellspring,” Eddie replied as he climbed the steps.
"And you didn't see a need to report the murder?"
"What was I going to do? I don't exactly have another job lined up. I like this one.”
"So you were willing to become a co-conspirator.”
"I didn’t conspire to do anything. I told you, I had no idea what she was going to do. After it was done, I was in a state of shock. I needed some time to consider my options.”
I regarded him with a healthy dose of skepticism. He would never have come forward unless I had confronted him.
We reached the second floor, and I followed Eddie down the hallway to the master bedroom. He stepped inside and flipped on the light, then crossed to the closet.
I followed behind, keeping a close watch on him. I didn't trust this guy.
Eddie reached a hand into the darkness. Anything could have been hidden in there—a shotgun, a pistol.
With my hand on the grip of my pistol, I was ready for anything.