Chapter 19 Wren #2
“I heard someone shouting. What the hell is going on?” Lily asks, standing in the open door frame with huge eyes like a worried doe and wearing sodden clothing.
Her hair is wet, the beige running clothing speckled with drops of rain.
A gust of fresh air drifts into the room, the scent of wet forest twisting with dense warm air that is stifling in the countryside.
We’re due to get a dip in the weather and thank god, an early autumn, but the humid air does nothing for how thick the tension grows between us all.
Phin sits up straighter and buries his fingers into his eyes like he’s trying to scoop away the evidence of their argument. She steps closer towards him and with her hands outstretched, like she’s found him injured. “My god, Phin, what's happened? Are you ok?”
I take a large step out of the way as she crashes into him, hands wrapping around his shoulders and her face rests on his head.
He shakes and tries to clear his throat, but after looking over to where his boyfriend now inches away to leave the room, his voice cracks and he buries his face into his sister's shoulder.
She glares at me. Me. Like I’m the one who’s done something to wrong her precious kin. I can hand on heart admit that everyone babies my best friend, mainly the women in his life and it always perturbed me that Robin fell into that category.
Turning to speak to Merle, he’s nowhere to be found. He must have edged out of the room when we were focused on Phoenix.
“C’mon, Darling, I’ll make you a hot chocolate and we’ll see if any of the DVD’s work in the lounge.
I saw a couple collecting dust in the telly unit, you’ll have to get that sorted for when real guests come.
” Her tone is sweet, patting her brother's arm as she hooks underneath him and pulls him up from the chair.
His entire appearance is crumpled and all he can bring himself to do is nod.
I feel so guilty leaving him like this, but despite my feelings towards his sister, she can take care of him.
He still hasn’t answered me or spoken for that matter.
Merle is clearly still angry about all the lies we kept from him, but if it was the only way I could get him help, I’d make the same decisions.
That might make me feel like an arsehole, but it got my best friend clean and he was doing so well up until this fucking joke of a weekend.
Before both siblings leave, Phin’s head snaps in my direction and we share a pained look.
He doesn’t want me to mention Merle’s outburst, especially not to Lily who looks like she wants to rip my head off and offer it to her brother in case that would make him feel better.
She’s still pretty wet from the rain, but on the basis I can’t stand her, I’m not going to offer to help whilst she gets changed. They need time together.
I let out a relieved sigh to see Robin is still in my bed when I get back to my hotel room. Sitting up, her curls are wild from sleep and our heated activities last night.
She looks so beautiful.
She looks so fucking mine.
Using my foot to close the door, I’m already grinning like a cat but then I remember what I’m walking away from, the parallel universe that just opened in the dining room.
“What’s wrong?” She instantly asks, able to read me so easily.
Until I met Phoenix, I never opened up to anyone as a child and even the media paints me as a closed book, unlike others in my life–mainly Ottis or Bran.
They paint me incredibly unfactual actually, the raging alcoholic rockstar who sticks his dick in anything that can get wet.
Seriously, I read those words once in an online article reviewing one of our newer albums.
I stride to the table and place both mugs down, steam rising in the dimly lit corner where the bed is, so I switch on a lamp. Can’t have her straining those pretty eyeballs, she needs them to write books and look at me all day.
“Good morning, Beautiful. Nothing’s wrong with me, but—well, I just witnessed the weirdest thing actually. Have you ever seen Merle completely lose his shit? Cause I just did.” I’m still in disbelief.
I don’t want her to see me so riled up, but I can’t unsee how he practically spat down at Phin. The man who is just a sperm donor to me spoke to everyone like that my entire young childhood, so it itches at buried emotions I hate.
Robin's sharp cackle grounds me. “Merle? The man who cries at animal adoption adverts and can’t decide on which one-pound puppy print tote to go for in Tescos?”
I sit on the edge of the bed with my hands held up.
“Hear me out. I just caught him practically screaming at Phoenix. Face red, pacing—really on edge and completely pissed off. I’ve never even heard him shout before, it was so bizarre.
” My mood seems to darken before I can stop it.
“Actually, it was pretty fucked up. I didn’t like the way he spoke to him at all, and the worst part, he was just sitting there crying. Taking it.”
The light energy Robin seems to emulate dies in an instant, her expression laced with worry and confusion. Probably a mirror expression of my own. “He was shouting at Phin whilst he cried?”
I nod. “He’s, erm. gosh Roo, he took more medications than he should have done. He was livid that not only had he stolen his meds, but it just dragged up his addiction again. I don’t know how they’re going to work this out if we’re stuck in this place.”
Merle came across as the doting boyfriend, great brother and calm soul…But downstairs that behaviour didn’t seem new to Phin, who wasn't reacting.
“We need to get him out of this hotel. I know this is their shared business, but after this weekend I think he needs help.”
I agree, placing a palm on her knee that’s tucked under the covers. I’m surprised to see what I think is apprehension on her face, as she studies me like she’s trying to work something out. Gauge me for something.
“I need to tell you something about Merle,” She starts, lowering her arms and shifting closer to me on the bed.
“I didn’t say anything because we didn’t get much time alone yesterday, apart from well—” her cheeks flush adorably.
“Yeah, that. I found his secret hidden in his office.” She then proceeds to tell me about the debt, the numerous loans given from Corbin, how none of it has been paid back and how he was threatening to take the hotel as payment.
All the renovations, the lakehouse, promised vendors and event space came under the money he'd lent Merle.
The paperwork Robin found showed Phoenix's inheritance money had only stretched for the actual house refurbishments, everything guests would need, staff and mortgage.
I’m floored.
“The worst part, I'm certain Phin has no idea. The only possibility I can think of is he looked alone for the clues and found his secret.” How else could he have gotten away with none of us seeing it?
“What if he did it?” she barely makes a sound, voice pained and I look down at her tiny hand clenching the hem of my t-shirt.
I know what she means, because I'm also wondering if he could have murdered Corbin over this.
I meet her fear-stricken eyes, and I completely understand what she is going through right now because the same guilt is tearing me apart.
Merle is one of our friends. Our best friend's boyfriend. My stomach churns, but if we’re to believe Detective Starling, one of us here is a murderer and this could be a strong motive.
“The detectives said it was one of us. I know we haven’t spoken to everyone yet about their whereabouts Friday or their secrets, but we already know that Merle lied to them. He’s up to his eyeballs in hidden debt that will destroy his relationship and potentially cost him the hotel.”
My fingers brush against her hand and I stroke her soft knuckles, my long fingers slipping through hers. Taking her hand, I bring it up to my chest, forcing her to move closer so I can tuck a messy curl behind her ear.
“If he got rid of Corbin, it could potentially stop him losing the hotel. If it had come out after his death, it may have even delayed it long enough for him to sort things with another lender or whoever his money went to next. I assume it would be Lily, but it may have been left to the next male heir—Phoenix.”
She nods, a small gesture weighed with the same gnawing feeling that twists my insides. “It could have also been a complete accident. A confrontation and Merle hit him in anger. I know how easy it was for him to get under someone’s skin.”
“This is the only solid lead we have. Mavis could have hit him out of jealousy, Bran out of rage, but I do think he only found out last night.” I needed to make a trip to his room to figure out what had happened in the aftermath, but also to check on him.
When I’d gotten Robin into the bath last night, she had told me about Mavis’s affair.
“I don’t think he’d be able to hide that big of a secret if he knew.
The man can’t hide any emotion to save his life.
” You also can’t tell him anything because his lips do not seal; it’s a constant PR nightmare.
“Let’s go get my suspect list and we can write things down. I think it’s time to somehow start connecting some dots or at least a potential theory.”
Nodding in agreement, I rise quickly to make work on my coffee, whilst Robin makes her way to the bathroom. Before heading in, she pauses with her small fingers gripping the door frame, turning her head to me with her lips pressed tightly.
“I think the only way we can do this is if we stay objective. They’re our friends—family, but one of us murdered him and we need to figure out who.” The unspoken words are there; Someone in Nightingale House killed Corbin, and if we don’t stop this the blame would be thrown at her.