Chapter 11 #2
“Dad already seems to have the local chief of police in his pocket, so I don’t think it’d do any good,” Katrina said. “It doesn’t seem like the police are even investigating the murder.”
Katrina expected her former nanny––who always saw the best in everyone––to push back against her cynical assessment of the situation. The fact that she didn’t was probably pretty telling.
So was the way she was chewing thoughtfully on her lip.
“What is it?” Katrina asked.
“Nothing. I’m sure I’m being silly. It’s just that...”
“Just what?”
Francesca sighed. “When I first became a nanny for you and Khloe, your parents didn’t pay much attention to me.
Well, not your mother so much, but when it came to your father, I was essentially invisible.
Which meant I overheard a lot of his business discussions without him giving it a second thought.
And unfortunately, they didn’t exactly paint a good picture of him.
Now, I’m not saying I think he was directly involved in that man’s murder, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he knows who did it. ”
Katrina’s head spun with the implication of what that meant. “If that’s true...”
Francesca took her hand. “We don’t know if it is. But your father has never shied away from dealing with unsavory people if the money was right.”
Knowing her dad, the money was always right.
“The only way to know for sure is to figure out what kind of business deal Dad had with Arthur,” Katrina said. “Maybe if Darwin and I figure out who else is involved, that will lead us to the murderer.”
“Exactly,” Francesca said. “But you need to be careful.”
“We will. Darwin and I are having dinner at my parents’ tonight. We can snoop around my dad’s study while we’re there. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find something.”
Francesca regarded her thoughtfully. “Look for a black ledger book. It has all the details on your father’s business deals. The kind of details he didn’t want recorded in the official company records, if you know what I mean. If he still does use it, the book would be in his office safe.”
Katrina was kind of shocked at how much Francesca knew about her father. “If it’s in his safe, how are we supposed to get it? I’m sure he keeps it locked.”
Her mouth curved wryly. “Unless he’s drastically changed his ways, then the combination will be a six-digit number based on your mom’s birthday. He used it for everything when I was living there.”
Katrina decided to stop being amazed at how incredible her former nanny was––even though she really wanted to know how Francesca knew all of this stuff––and instead, focus on the idea that she and Darwin might actually be able to do this. She wasn’t sure if she was thrilled or terrified.
She was still thinking about that when a familiar voice interrupted her musings.
“Katrina, I’m so glad I found you! I’ve been looking for you all over,” Upton said, appearing at their table, giving them a charming smile. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Francesca, but I need to talk to Katrina, if you don’t mind?”
She stifled a groan. Thankfully, she’d somehow managed to avoid Upton’s company at the wedding rehearsal and subsequent dinner the night before, and really didn’t want to talk to him now, either.
She tried to catch Francesca’s eye, but her friend had already picked up her purse and slipped out of the booth.
“I’m going to find Khloe and see if she needs any help with last-minute wedding preparations,” Francesca said with a smile, leaning over to give Katrina a hug and promise to see her soon before whispering a warning about being careful.
Upton frowned as he sat down beside her. Clearly, he’d heard Francesca’s words of warning. “What are you doing that you need to be careful?”
Katrina panicked for a moment, until she realized Upton probably wouldn’t recognize she was lying if she was convincing enough.
“I told Francesca I was thinking of wearing a different gown to the wedding,” Katrina said, looking left and right as if she were sharing the biggest secret in the world. “It’s a completely different color and style, and Khloe is going to lose her mind, but it’s really more me.”
Upton nodded, his eyes glazing over before Katrina was halfway through the fib.
“So, what did you want to talk about?” she asked.
“Right.” He took a deep breath, like he was working up the courage. “You aren’t going to want to hear this, but you need to, so I’m just going to say it.”
Katrina couldn’t do anything but lift a brow at that big ramp-up, wondering where the heck this was going.
Actually, check that. In truth, she had no desire to know what Upton was thinking, because based on the way he took another deep breath and squared up his shoulders, it seemed like he was about to drop a bomb on her.
“Darwin is dangerous,” Upton said bluntly as he held up his hands to forestall any complaints on her part.
“For your own safety, you need to hear it. I was with him at the shooting range yesterday. I’ve trained with a professional, so I know what I’m doing with a gun in my hands.
But Darwin? He’s different. He’s cold, efficient, deadly.
I have no doubt he’s killed before. Probably more than once. ”
Katrina stared at him. “You know he’s a Navy SEAL, right?”
Upton did a double-take. “I know he said he’s in the Navy, but I didn’t know he was a SEAL. That doesn’t mean he isn’t a hitman on the side.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or groan. She finally settled on a snort. “On the side? Like a second job, you mean?”
“You don’t have to make it sound so absurd. For all you know, Darwin murdered Arthur.”
Was that Upton’s way of deflecting suspicion? There was only one way to find out.
“For all I know, you murdered Arthur,” she said.
Upton recoiled like she’d smacked him. “Me?!”
She shrugged. “You said you know how to handle a gun.”
“Just because I know how to handle one doesn’t mean I murdered Arthur,” he said superciliously.
Katrina pinned him with a hard look. “Exactly my point about Darwin.”
Upton sat there gaping like a fish running a marathon, something that made him seem less and less like a suspect in Arthur’s murder, and more and more like the wealthy social climber he truly was.
“Look,” she said, “I appreciate your concern, but you need to stop butting into my life, or you’re going to destroy the friendship we used to have.”
Upton opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again as something behind Katrina caught his eye. She looked up, smiling when she saw Darwin standing there in jeans and a tee, looking better than any man had a right to, considering he’d probably only slept three hours last night.
Jumping up, Katrina wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The moment their lips met, all rational thought disappeared and she lost herself in the moment, forgetting where they were, and reveling in how amazing his kiss made her feel.
“I’m glad you’re back,” she said softly when she finally pulled away.
His mouth curved as he gazed down at her. “Me, too.”
Behind them, Upton cleared his throat. Katrina had almost forgotten he was there. She turned to see him getting to his feet.
“I have some things I need to tend to. Think about what I said,” Upton said to her before giving Darwin a curt nod. “Darwin.”
“What was that about?” Darwin asked after Upton walked away.
“Just Upton being Upton.” Katrina went up on tiptoe to kiss Darwin again, then took his hand. “Come on. I have so much to tell you.”
Now, did she lead with them having dinner with her parents that night, or save that until after she’d told him everything else she’d learned?