Chapter 30
THIRTY
I find Allison waiting outside in the hallway as usual. “I’ll need to organize another time to speak to Isabelle. Maybe on Wednesday? I need to start work on the next couple of chapters.”
“I’ll walk with you to your room.” Allison stands and walks beside me along the hallway.
“Earlier this morning I tried to call Jenny again but the phone doesn’t seem to exist anymore.
I’ve been suspicious about the reasons she left for a time.
” She glances back and forth along the hallway as if concerned someone might be listening.
“I know they had an argument about someone tampering with her notes but it seems very strange Jenny has disappeared from the face of the earth.” She lowers her voice to just above a whisper.
“I even looked online at the national missing and identified persons system, and found the missing persons’ report a relative lodged. She is still missing.”
When we reach my bedroom I look at her and frown.
“If you want to speak to me, I suggest we go out into the garden. There’s a CCTV camera in my room and I’m sure it’s wired for sound.
I’ve stuck a piece of tape over the camera lens, but I don’t know about the sound.
On second thoughts maybe it’d be safer if we go and sit in my truck. ”
“That sounds like a plan.” Allison smiles at me. “Maybe we can go for a drive?”
I stare at her. “You’re allowed to go out when you want to?”
“I’m staff.” Allison shrugs. “They don’t care what I do. They like to protect their guests from the paparazzi and it seems like you’re a guest.”
I hurry to my room and grab my purse. “I can’t wait to get out of here for a while. Let’s go.” I lead the way downstairs to the garage and we climb inside my vehicle.
“We can say we’re going to the store for some candy.” Allison buckles up.
I drive out of the estate without a problem the moment the guard on the gate sees Allison and head toward the coastline and the stores. “Okay, what’s on your mind?”
“I overheard the Boswells saying how suspicious they were of you.” Allison turns in her seat to look at me.
“I believe Oliver and Lucas have your back but Mia and Isabelle have some reason to believe any sensational information you get about them will be used to blackmail them.” She blows out a long breath.
“I wasn’t going to tell you because if Isabelle finds out it will mean my job.
A week or so after Jenny went missing—or left, depending on what story you want to believe—I went into her room to check that everything had been removed.
There were things still there belonging to her which I put into a box and we handed that to the police when they came around.
Recently, I noticed a piece of paper sticking up from behind the nightstand.
When I moved it away from the wall, I discovered a notebook and a flash drive. ”
I pull to the curb outside a convenience store and stare at her. “Why didn’t you give it to the police?”
“What and admit I hadn’t done my job properly?
Do you know what Isabelle would have done?
” Allison looks aghast. “She’d have not only fired me but she would have made sure I could never work again.
I have no idea what’s on the flash drive, but in the notebook are random notes made during her interviews with Isabelle.
They are the same as the other notebooks, filled with nothing, really, just references mostly.
I haven’t read all of them, just the first couple of pages.
I gather the flash drive will be a backup of the chapters she wrote, and I’ve read most of them.
Isabelle would make me read them and report to her if there was anything there that didn’t sound right.
I’d hand over the chapters that I believed were a bit controversial and then she’d read them for herself and make a decision.
“Here.” Allison pulls a small notebook and a flash drive out of her pocket. She offers them to me. “If there’s anything else there, I don’t want to know about it, and I’ll deny giving these to you.” She frowns. “It’s nothing personal, Alani. I need this job. Keep me out of it, okay?”
I don’t like the idea of being involved in something shady, not when people are murdering my family members.
If the notebook and flash drive prove the Boswells’ involvement with Rachel’s death, I’ll need to watch my back.
I don’t want my fingerprints on the potential evidence.
“Sure, not a problem. Can you just put them into the glovebox for me please? I’ll carry them inside with the candy.
My purse isn’t big enough to fit the notebook.
” I smile at her. “I doubt very much there’s anything on there for you to worry about.
I figure you’re making too much out of this.
The family has been very candid with me.
When I’ve taken a look, I’ll let you know so you can have some peace of mind. ”
When we return to the house Allison jumps out and gives me a wave.
I take a pen out of my purse and use it to ease the notebook and flash drive into the plastic bag carrying the candy.
I’ve seen enough cop shows on TV to know how to protect evidence.
I go to the back of my truck and open the hatch and find the first aid kit.
Inside I open a packet of examination gloves, grab a couple and shove them into my pocket.
As I walk into the house Linc comes out into the hallway. I go to walk past him.
“I watched you drive away.” Linc smiles at me. “I figured you’d abandoned ship again.”
Nervous as his eyes slide to the plastic bag, I laugh. “No, I just needed a couple of things at the store. I did have Allison with me and she said it would be fine.” I scoot past him. “I need to get back to work. See you at dinner.”
“Wait up.” Linc follows me. “While you’ve been chatting with Isabelle, we’ve been working hard recording the new album.
The single has already been released. The place is going to be crammed with media over the next few hours, so you’ll see TV trucks arriving soon.
The caterers and staff have arrived and the paparazzi are already circling the yacht.
The fans are screaming for a new album and it will be released soon, but the single has already hit number one on the charts. ”
His enthusiasm is contagious and I smile. “That’s wonderful. Congratulations. You must be thrilled.”
“I am. We always make a big deal out of the release of a single.” Linc grins at me.
“We’re having a party on the yacht tonight to celebrate and I hope you’ll come—of course we’ll have another massive celebration when the album is released but I allowed one track to be sent to a few select DJs as a teaser—you recall the track we wrote and sang to you?
Well, the fans are going wild and so we rushed to get the album finished but we had this party planned for tonight for the single.
It’s something you can write about in the book—the other side to Isabelle’s life. ”
This is the last place on earth I’d like to be but not wanting to be rude, I nod in agreement. “Smart casual?”
“You wear whatever you want but be mindful that it gets a bit windy out there at night.” Linc smiles.
“We cast off at nine.” He turns and then stops.
“If you want to leave here alone at any time, come and speak to me, or Lucas. It gets crazy outside the gates and everyone who lives here is a target. I want to keep you safe, Alani.” He gives me a long searching look and then walks back through the doorway.
I stare after him, feeling trapped, and head back to my room.
I won’t have time to go through the files on the flash drive.
Finding a secure place to hide them is another matter.
My heart pounds as I climb the stairs. This morning, I had reason to believe my brother is a threat to my life and now, after speaking to Allison and discovering Jenny is still missing, writing Isabelle’s memoirs is becoming a nightmare and I no longer feel safe here.