Chapter 45
FORTY-FIVE
The subdued tone that arrived with the cops hung over everyone like a cloak of doom all through dinner. I can’t wait to get away and slip out of the dining room. I turn at the sound of footsteps running up the stairs behind me. “Did you want to speak to me, Lucas?”
“After everything that’s happened, I doubt I’ll be able to sleep.” His full mouth curls into a smile. “If you need some company, I’m going to work on a few songs. Music is a great way to relax from the stress of what’s going on around us.”
I smile back at him. “Thanks, I appreciate it. I was thinking of working on the book for a while. I need something to distract me as well. I might see you later.”
“Sure.” He nods and lopes back down the stairs.
Once inside my room, I lock the door behind me.
This has become a habit of late, because people in this house don’t knock, they just walk right in.
I want to take another look at the flash drive that Allison gave me.
I’ve read most of the files but there are so many folders, I don’t want to miss anything.
My purse is on the bedside table exactly where I left it.
I pick it up and lay it down beside my laptop.
I wait for the computer to boot up, enter my password and then search through my purse for the flash drive.
I’m sure I slid it inside a zipped compartment, where I keep my ID.
It’s not there. I take out my phone and car keys, turn my purse upside down and shake it.
An assortment of coins and a credit card holder containing a few bills scatter across the desk but all the flash drives are missing, Jenny’s and my two backup copies.
I drag in a deep breath, glad I’d taken the precaution to make copies and hide everything at Sam and Willow’s house.
The horrible feeling that my privacy has been invaded again crawls around my throat in a chokehold.
I stare at the computer screen and a sinking feeling grabs me.
I go to my recent files and check the dates on each one only to find them all with today’s date.
Since the last time someone tampered with my files, I encrypt them and save them to the cloud, fully aware that someone might be watching me.
I retrieve the files and compare the original documents to the ones on my computer using the compare function.
I gape in astonishment at the number of changes that someone has made to my work.
Anger crawls up my spine, I send the documents back to the cloud and lean back in my chair, not sure what to do.
Why are they doing this to me? No, I tap my fingernails on the desktop—who is doing this to me—and what reason could they possibly have?
Why would Isabelle tamper with my files?
She has the absolute right to make any edits that she requires.
I made it very clear when I took this position that she was in the driver’s seat.
Or is it her? Is someone else meddling with my work or are they trying to send me crazy?
It seems to be a common thing around here, to tell me one thing and mean something else.
Every person in this house tells the same story in a different way.
What was on Jenny’s flash drive that was so important and what did I miss?
Whoever took the flash drive must figure I’ve read all of Jenny’s files and I’m a threat.
I stare at my hands, seeing the blood and feeling the knife.
Have I been set up to be blackmailed—or am I next on the list to be murdered?
If Isabelle didn’t want the truth to come out—or has a dirty little secret that would ruin everyone—why did she decide to have someone write her memoirs?
It seems crazy to me. So, who would gain by keeping the secret?
I snort with amusement. Everyone surrounding the Linc Boswell fame.
Not only the family, but the band, the entourage, the manager and other family members who benefit from a very generous man.
Who came back to the house first? I try to recall the conversations everyone had after we discovered that Allison was missing.
The guests, entourage, manager, recording executives, the other band members then Mia and Oliver returned followed by Isabelle.
Linc went next and sometime after, I followed with Lucas.
I recall Lucas mentioning they spread us out so that the full security team can be with everyone on the walk back to the house.
With the crazy people bobbing around in boats, watching our every move, it is apparently safer that way.
I guess the staff remained behind to make sure everything was shipshape.
This would give any number of people who milled around the house before leaving the opportunity to get into my room.
I swallow hard. Two things I need to do—go home and ask Sam to take a blood sample from me and have it analyzed for drugs, and then grab a copy of the files I missed on Jenny’s flash drive.
They’d have no idea I made a copy and wouldn’t search for another.
I stand, push everything back into my bag and head downstairs.
I hear music coming from Lucas’ room and walk toward it, drawn by the melody.
The door is open as usual and he is sitting on the sofa.
He looks up at me and smiles. I hold up my car keys.
“I need a few things from home. I’ll be back in a little while—is that okay?
Linc told me to tell him or you if I’m leaving. ”
“Do you want me to come with you?” He indicates with his chin toward the outside. “There are fans at the gate and paparazzi. It’s all over the news that someone fell off the yacht. I can send a bodyguard with you.”
I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. They don’t know me. I’ll go past unnoticed like a member of the staff but if you come it will be pandemonium and they’ll likely follow us to my parents’ house and, trust me, they wouldn’t like the notoriety.”
“Okay, lock your doors, and drop by when you come back. There’s a tune I want to share with you.
” Lucas meets my gaze. “You look so worried. Don’t be.
I’m sure this will all blow over soon. Dad is convinced once the autopsy comes back that it will prove that Allison went under the prop of one of the paparazzi boats. ” He shrugs. “Who’d want to kill her?”
I nod and turn to go. “That’s exactly what I’d like to know.”