Chapter 43 #2
“You’d better add DNA samples to that warrant.
” Brunel makes more notes on his legal pad.
“It seems to me that you’re narrowing this murder down to my clients and forgetting about the other people aboard the yacht.
Do you honestly believe that one of the people in this room murdered someone on a yacht where no one can get on or off over a period of fourteen or so hours?
Every single suspect would have been on the vessel.
It’s up to you to decide who is guilty. Should you return to question my clients again, if I’m not here to represent them, nothing they say can be used in evidence against them. Have I made myself clear?”
“Perfectly.” The male detective nods slowly. “In cases like these the perpetrator is usually someone close to the victim, someone they know.”
I push my knees together to stop them trembling.
What if they find something? What if my DNA is under Allison’s nails?
I need to check myself all over to make sure there’re no scratches.
What if they find blood traces on the deck, or on my clothes that were in the hot tub?
Sweat trickles in rivulets down my back.
I feel guilty and from the expression the female cop is giving me, I look guilty as well.
“I’m taking Alani up to her room. You can see she’s not well.” Lucas stands and looks down at me. “Maybe we should call your dad. You might have food poisoning?”
I nod. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.” I take his hand and he pulls me from the chair.
“Her father is a medical doctor.” Isabelle stares at the cops with distaste. “If you’re done here, I’d like to get some fresh air.”
“Okay.” The male detective closes his notepad and stands. “We can see ourselves out.” They both leave.
“We’ll need to fumigate this room.” Isabelle goes straight to the house phone and calls her staff. “I’m going out on the deck. I can’t breathe the stink of them any longer.”
“Just a minute, Isabelle.” Brunel looks at her. “Is there anything I should know?” He scans the room. “From any of you? What you told the detectives, was that the truth?”
“We’ve got no reason to lie.” Linc runs a hand down his face and stares at the floor. “We were surrounded by people every second. How could any of us slip away and murder Allison without someone noticing?”
“Well, someone murdered her.” Brunel looks at me and then moves his attention to Oliver. “There are three people here who will become potential suspects. Isabelle because she left the party at midnight, Oliver for the same reason, and Alani—because she would blend in just like another fan.”
“She was with me.” Lucas shakes his head.
“I honestly don’t recall if anyone watched us in the hot tub or the exact time.
It was windy and cold and everyone had moved upstairs.
I could hear the music playing, Dad singing and everyone going nuts.
” He sighs. “What I didn’t mention to the cops is that someone slipped something into her drink.
I went down to the party deck to get my guitar.
I heard a splash and went to check the hot tub and pulled her out of the water.
I could see she was out of it so I stayed with her. We were awake all night in my cabin.”
I swallow hard. Lucas lies so easily and makes up stories on the fly.
He is so convincing and says he is protecting me—but is he using me for his alibi?
Is he capable of murder? I’m so confused.
He seems so nice but psychopaths have charm in spades.
Did he spike my drink and make me look guilty to cover his own crime?
Is his friendship a lie? I bite my lip so hard I can taste blood but the lawyer nods slowly as if digesting his story.
I wait, holding my breath for him to speak again.
“Okay, but I need you to think back. Can anyone verify you were in your cabins?” Brunel swings his attention back to Oliver. “Anyone at all?”
“I ordered a burger, must have been between eleven and twelve, I guess.” Oliver shrugs. “Security escorted the waiter to my cabin. No one gets onto our private deck. It has a keypad and only our bodyguards and the head of security have the code.”
“That’s good.” Brunel makes notes. “Isabelle?”
“I’m sure someone saw me leaving the deck.” She plants her hands on her hips and huffs. “You’ll just need to ask everyone. I didn’t see or speak to anyone until Lucas woke me at six-thirty. I’d had plenty to drink and I slept like the dead.”
“If any of you can remember anything else or recall anyone who you saw before you went to your cabins, write it down.” Brunel stands. “Call me if the cops return. I’ll get back to my golf game.” He shakes Linc’s hand and heads for the door.
I heave a sigh of relief and stand on wobbly legs. I look at Lucas. “They’re going to be back.”
“Yeah, it looks that way but we’ve got nothing to worry about.” He smiles at me. “Go and get some sleep. Unless you want me to call Sam?”
I shake my head. “No, don’t call him. He’ll make a big deal out of it and I don’t need that right now.
I’m so tired. I’ll see how I feel later.
” I need to get away from Lucas. If he is a real friend, why didn’t he tell me my room was bugged from the get-go?
He’s been lying to me since the moment we met.
“Thanks, Lucas. You don’t need to come with me.
I’ll be fine.” I head for the stairs. Right now, I need answers.
The first thing I’ll do is check my body for injuries.
I need to know what happened to me last night.