Chapter 17
Abby settled back as their pilot, Cooper Ashcroft—Coop—flew her, Burke, and Victor over the ocean toward the compound.
Long bench seats ran on each side of the chopper in the opposite direction of most commercial aircraft seats.
Coop said they’d customized the helicopter to fit as much equipment and as many team members inside as they could.
Victor and Burke sat across the aisle from her, and everyone wore headsets so they could communicate over the loud rotor thumps.
The moment they’d taken off, Victor had swiveled toward the window, his face nearly pressed against the acrylic pane.
He’d been wound tight, searching through the setting sun around them as they made their way to the helicopter, and while waiting for Coop to explain safety rules.
His unease ended the moment Coop had them winging away from the island.
Victor let out a deep sigh, and his shoulders dropped. This was the most relaxed she’d ever seen him.
Burke, on the other hand, tapped his foot rapidly and had fidgeted since they’d taken off.
He didn’t mention being uncomfortable in a helicopter, but with his need to control, he was no doubt displeased with having no control over their mode of transport.
Or maybe he was second-guessing his demand to stay at the compound tonight.
She’d tried to talk him out of it, but even though he said he trusted her and the Blackwell team to keep Victor safe, he wanted to be on site just in case.
She didn’t like his decision, especially when she learned Gage didn’t have an extra cabin.
Not when he’d already assigned one to her and one to Gabe.
The option was for her, Victor, and Burke to bunk in one cabin or she could share a cabin with Gabe or sleep on Sam’s sofa.
Out of every decision she’d made since starting this investigation, this one was the easiest. Even more so since Gabe snored like a wild animal. Sofa it was for her.
As much as seeing Victor relaxed was wonderful, this would be the perfect time to ask him questions they hadn’t asked. She got out her phone and scrolled to the picture of Estelle’s locket. “Victor, could you look at this picture a minute and tell me if you recognize it?”
He turned, the peace evaporating from his expression. She held out the phone.
He took a quick look and gasped. “Why do you have that picture? It’s Estelle’s locket. Did you find something out about her disappearance?”
“No.” She pocketed her phone.
He sighed, his breath seeming to go on and on. “Then why show me the picture?”
“We found the locket half buried in the greenhouse on your property,” Burke said.
Victor shifted his eyes to Burke. “Why was it there? Why were you there?”
“The night we arrived at your property, my deputies saw a light in the greenhouse. Abby and I went to evaluate it. No light and no one in the greenhouse, but we did locate a fresh footprint and the locket.”
Victor shook his head. “Why on earth would it have been buried there? I gave Estelle the necklace on our wedding night, and I don’t believe a day went by when she didn’t wear it.
Sure, when we went to formal events, she would change it out for any one of her many jewels, and she took it off to sleep, but otherwise it was around her neck.
“Do you think…” He paused and glanced between Abby and Burke. “Do you think this means someone attacked her in the greenhouse and left her locket behind?”
“We don’t have any theories yet.” Burke’s tone was gentle. “Who used the greenhouse when Estelle was alive?”
“She did. She loved gardening, and it was her happiest place. With the help of the gardener she’d hired, she grew flowers and vegetables. After she disappeared, Sylvia continued to grow vegetables for our cook while Juan took care of the landscaping.”
“And then?” Abby asked. “How did it fall to ruins and the landscaping become overgrown?”
Pain lanced Victor’s eyes. “Back then, I couldn’t deal with it—or anything for that matter.
Sylvia took over Estelle’s duties, but after a couple of years said she no longer had time to garden and keep the house unless she worked more hours.
Her family needed her, and she didn’t want to put in the hours she’d been working.
She was just doing it for me. So we compromised.
She would quit raising vegetables and buy them instead from our local farmers’ market when she shopped for her own home.
The greenhouse hasn’t been used since then. ”
“And the landscaping?” Abby asked even though they’d gotten Ugo’s version of what had transpired. “What happened there?”
“I got tired of someone else living on the property. Especially Juan. I think he blamed me for not doing enough to find Estelle. Plus, the guy was half in love with her. So one day he made some unreasonable demand or other, and I got angry and fired him. Simple as that.”
Ugo had told them Victor didn’t want anyone else living on the property, but hadn’t even suggested Juan might have feelings for Estelle.
Abby didn’t know what to make of that, but would be on the lookout for any connection to the theft. “I hate to ask you this, but let’s assume finding the locket means someone hurt Estelle. Do you have any idea who that might’ve been?”
Victor fixed his sorrowful gaze on Abby. “I can’t think of anyone. Everyone loved her.”
“It would be rare for everyone to love someone,” Burke said.
Victor whipped his head toward Burke. “You didn’t know my Estelle. She was an amazing woman. Kind to everyone she met. Sympathetic to those in need. And willing to help them in any way she could.”
Abby still doubted there wasn’t at least one person who didn’t like Estelle, but it was clear Victor wouldn’t be the one to provide the needed information.
Time to try a different approach. “What if someone loved her too much? Someone like Vincent. Maybe, when he learned he couldn’t have her, he didn’t want anyone else to. ”
Victor’s eyes widened. “Maybe. Yes, could be. It would explain why he disappeared not long after Estelle went missing.”
Burke’s gaze intensified. “He disappeared, too, or you just didn’t hear from him after he left here?”
“I guess I misspoke. As far as I’m concerned, he disappeared because after the private investigator tried to contact him and failed, I tried calling him at our family residence.
He’s probably still living there, but the phone number was disconnected.
My father left the French estate to Vincent and the estate here to me. ”
Abby nodded, but made a mental note to have Hayden follow up on Valentino’s will.
“Sylvia told us something interesting. She claimed your father said the combination had been shared often.”
“What?” Victor scrunched his eyes together. “That’s not what he told me. So I guess she could’ve been the one to put those journals in there.”
He seemed to be telling the truth, and hopefully the fingerprints from Sam would confirm it. Until then, Abby needed to ask one more question. “What about guns? Do you own guns?”
“No,” he answered. “I mean, not really. At least not any I’d ever touch. I have no need to. But my father left a display case of antique ones locked up in my bedroom. I haven’t looked at them since the day he showed them to me.”
“Are you the only one with a key to the cabinet?”
“As far as I know.” His eyes narrowed. “Since my father told a different story about the safe to Sylvia, maybe he gave cabinet keys to someone else too.”
“Will you give us the key and allow our forensic expert to process them?” Abby asked.
“Sure. No reason she shouldn’t look at them.” He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and removed one for her.
“Just an FYI.” Coop’s deep voice boomed through their headset. “We’ll be beginning our descent to the compound soon. If you look to the right of the aircraft, you’ll see the lights in the thick stand of trees. Any questions before we land?”
“I’m good, and thanks for such a smooth flight,” Abby said.
The others didn’t speak.
“Since there aren’t any questions, I’m Cooper Ashcroft, your pilot for the evening and at your service. I hope you’ve had a pleasant flight and will fly with us again, but for now sit back, relax, and enjoy the remainder of your flight.” His deep laugh rumbled through the headsets.
Abby laughed along with him, even more so, because much like Burke, Coop was often extremely serious. He’d mellowed a lot since he’d married Kierra, and they’d had three children.
Abby glanced at Burke. Would he chill out too if he got married and had kids? The smiling faces of a little boy and girl popped into her mind. The boy, a spitting image of Burke, and the girl looking like her. She quickly shook her head to erase the picture from her mind and looked out the window.
Stars sparkled in the distance as the lights from the compound lifted up to welcome her. The site was breathtaking at night. She’d only ever arrived at the compound via ground transport, and breathtaking was the last word she would have used to describe the secured entrance. More like alarming.
The helicopter slowed and began a gradual descent, soon engulfed in a layer of clouds.
“It’s quite the sight, isn’t it?” Victor glanced over his shoulder at her. “At least until we got stuck in the clouds, but it’s even impressive.”
“It’s interesting you feel so at home in a helicopter,” she said.
“I know it seems odd because I’m not the pilot and in control, but for some reason when I’m in a helicopter, I feel like I have control over my life.”
Burke mumbled something she couldn’t make out. She glanced at him, giving him a questioning look.
“It’s nothing,” he said, his tone warning her not to ask any additional details.