Chapter 51
FIFTY-ONE
Alani
I’m dog-tired, and my eyes are so dry I can hardly blink.
I fold my arms on the table and lay my head down on them.
The blanket offers me a modicum of warmth.
The room at least has a clock, not like the timeless dungeon they kept me in before.
I stare at it watching the second hand tick away the time.
It becomes mesmerizing and each time it hits twelve, it gives a little shudder as if reluctant to go around again.
I’m still not sure what’s happening. Will they allow me to go home—and where is home?
New York, my adoptive parents’ house or will Isabelle still want her story told?
Exhaustion grips me and I close my eyes and startle awake when the door opens.
I glance at the clock to see that three hours have passed.
I blink and my throat is like sandpaper.
I push to a sitting position and stare at Detective Watkins and Brunel.
The latter places a to-go cup of good coffee in front of me and a bag of donuts.
“Sorry, it’s the only place I could find open.
” Brunel sits down beside me. “There are parts of your story I needed to tell Detective Watkins about. I also spoke to Isabelle and she gave me some details. She was being blackmailed by Rachel over an incident that happened the night you and Mia were born.”
“We’ve found Damon Barnes and he was doing time when Rachel Stackhouse was murdered, and he wasn’t a passenger or staff member on the yacht.
He is someone we’ll be watching but he’s in the clear as far as we can tell.
” Watkins opens his hands. “We need to know what you found on the flash drives. We obtained a warrant to seize the files and there are no flash drives in your room and your laptop has been reset. It’s literally empty. Who would have reason to do this?”
Shock radiates through me. Who was left at the house? I take a deep breath. “Someone in the house has been tampering with my files since I arrived. Who else is here at the station for questioning?”
“Linc Boswell, Isabelle and their daughter Mia.” Watkins scans my face as if looking for deception.
“You insisted you were with Lucas around the time Allison was murdered. The kitchen staff verified you’d been in the galley at the time you stated.
The DNA clears you, so we believe your story.
Mia insists she checked on Oliver overnight, but we’ll question him later if necessary.
He’ll have login times when he played games overnight. We’ll access them if necessary.”
I gave Lucas an alibi. The thought that Lucas is guilty grips my heart.
I like him and he seems to be such a kind and gentle person.
I suck in a deep breath as something Lucas said to me when we talked about Oliver floats to the surface of my memories.
It’s always the quiet ones. Was he telling me that antisocial Oliver is capable of murder?
I look at Watkins and recount everything I can recall from Jenny’s files and my experience working with Isabelle.
“The problem is, most of the time I can’t believe a word Isabelle says.
She has completely different recollections from everyone else.
I guess she wants her own spin on things but it makes finding out the truth difficult. ”
“Isabelle told me why she was being blackmailed and nothing you’ve told us comes close.
” Brunel squeezes my arm. “Isabelle insisted she told no one, so maybe she was telling the truth for once.” He collects his things and stands.
“I’m going to speak to Mia. I doubt anyone will have more questions for you but, like before, say nothing unless I’m at your side. ”
I nod slowly, so exhausted I want to slide off the chair and crawl into a fetal position on the floor. I look at Watkins. “Can I go home soon?”
“Yeah, Sam Fairchild is in the waiting room.” Watkins shakes his head. “He’s not happy.”
“It shouldn’t be too much longer.” Brunel heads for the door with Watkins on his heels.
One and then two hours drag by. I’ve eaten the donuts and enjoyed the coffee.
I lick the sugar from my fingers and stare at the clock.
It’s become the only companion I have in this barren place.
I’m mentally cheering it on as the second hand climbs to the twelve spot and staggers over into another minute.
The rattle on the air conditioner has become a melody I can make up lyrics to.
A sober thought grips me. If Lucas is the killer, will I be charged as an accessory after lying about our alibi?
It’s bound to be discovered sooner or later.
Lucas is like a flashing beacon; someone would have noticed him moving around the yacht.
The door opens and Brunel walks back into the room with Linc close behind.
I look from one to the other not knowing what to say.
To my surprise Linc sits down beside me and holds my hand.
I gape at his face, still unable to believe he is actually paying for my lawyer.
He looks happy and yet a little sad all at the same time.
I frown, not understanding. “I’m so confused. ”
“I’m not surprised.” Linc is examining my face closely, as if looking for something.
“Sam insisted on speaking to the cops. He informed them that the blood sample he took from you shows traces of the date rape drug ketamine. This is why you were so out of it during the night and fell into the hot tub. It makes recall difficult, gives dreamlike sensations and often causes time distortion.” He shakes his head.
“I’m so sorry that happened but people believe anything goes during a band party.
” He sighs. “It’s just as well Lucas found you or we’d have had two potential murders on my yacht. ”
“I’ve spoken to Mia.” Brunel’s expression becomes serious. “I’ve insisted on her having a psychological examination because what she’s revealed is very disturbing.”
I look from one to the other. The pain in Linc’s eyes is palpable. Whatever Brunel is going to say to me, it’s hurting him. “Can you tell me?”
“Linc has insisted that you get the full story. He was in the room when she opened up to me.” Brunel flicks through his legal pad and then lifts tired eyes to me.
“Mia is totally convinced she has been doing the right thing. She wanted to protect Isabelle at all costs. She discovered that Rachel had been blackmailing her mother for a long time but didn’t know the reason.
Isabelle had planned to meet Rachel at the motel for one last payment.
Mia insisted on going in her place. It seems that Mia planned everything.
She murdered Rachel and then set the scene the same as the ‘Black Valentine’ lyrics and convinced herself that the publicity would be a good thing.
” He blows out a long sigh. “Isabelle has never divulged the reason why she was being blackmailed to anyone, not Linc or Mia, but she did allow Mia to read the manuscripts that Jenny had written. When Isabelle became upset over what she’d written, Mia convinced herself that Jenny had gotten too close to discovering her mother’s secret.
Mia told Jenny she needed to show her something important and told her to meet her at the airport.
Mia and Jenny went to the Everglades. Mia murdered Jenny and then tossed her into the water for the alligators to dispose of her body. ”
I swallow the bile in my mouth. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Oh my God. Is this for real? Mia would never do such a thing.”
“She knows too much about the murders, Alani.” Linc is deadly serious. “Details the cops didn’t reveal.”
“Then you come along and investigate Isabelle’s background.
” Brunel lifts his eyes to me. “You have a curious mind and are well known for digging into the facts about people before you write about them. This was Isabelle’s downfall.
Then Allison gave you the information on the flash drive, which we assume contained the details of Isabelle’s secret. ”
I shake my head. “I haven’t read all the files but the most important information was in the files I read.
Isabelle told me about the night Barnes tried to kill my mother in the hospital but now I know that was a lie.
I doubt the truth about why Isabelle was being blackmailed would be in any of the other folders.
They looked like notes to me and sample chapters.
I still have a copy hidden in my parents’ house.
” I grip my palms so tight my nails break the skin. “Is it my fault Allison died?”
“No.” Brunel shakes his head. “I’ll get to Allison in a minute; we need to follow the timeline.
Mia overheard you speaking on the phone to Susan Bright, about meeting her to get information too sensitive to be risked over the phone about the night of your birth.
Mia heard you repeating the address but then Linc came running up the stairs and she ducked into her room.
” He leans forward on the table and clasps his hands before him.
“She considered you a threat to her mom and the family and went to Susan’s home in the hour before you were due to arrive and killed her.
She knew you’d show and expected you would be blamed for the murder. ”
“They bugged your room.” Linc rubs the back of his neck. “Isabelle spoke to everyone in the family about you and Allison colluding against her. She became very upset because she’d trusted Allison for so long and now you’d turned against her as well.”
I’m shocked. “I never turned against her. I just wanted her to tell me the truth, so her book would be a bestseller.”
“Mia felt she needed to protect her mother again and made plans to set you up for murder. We’re not sure if Isabelle was involved.
Someone put the idea of killing people into Mia’s mind and Isabelle is very manipulative.
” Linc looks at me, and it’s as if he’s reading my mind.
“You’re safe, Alani. We know you’re innocent.
Mia has told us a story only you can confirm, although I believe Lucas stepped up to protect you.
We have always believed in you. In our business it’s really good to be able to see through lies—I’m not saying you’re lying.
Just tell me how Mia tried to set you up for Allison’s murder. ”
“We know she put something in your drink, which has already been proven.” Brunel nods encouragingly. “Tell us what really happened.”
A lump rises up the back of my throat. Tears run down my cheeks in an uncontrollable rush.
“I don’t know what happened to Allison. I spilled my drink, felt dizzy and next thing I know, I woke up on deck at sunrise with a knife in my hand and covered in blood.
Lucas found me before anyone was around.
He made me jump into the hot tub, added more chlorine and then he cleaned the deck and kicked the knife into the sea.
From then on, I told the truth; we were together all night.
I was vomiting and he was trying to keep me awake.
” I sigh. “That’s the truth. I’ve been so scared I murdered Allison because my father and brother are both psychopaths.
I liked Allison, I couldn’t imagine why I wanted to murder her. ”
“You didn’t murder her, Alani.” Linc reaches up and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.
“They held you here because when the DNA results came in, the cops believed the labels on the DNA samples had been switched or mislabeled. Nothing was making sense, but now new samples have been taken, and the DNA has been checked and rechecked. The confusion came about because your sample showed, without a doubt, that you’re Isabelle’s daughter.
The cops believed your sample had been mixed up with one of my kids.
” He smiles. “The thing is, Alani, your DNA proves it without a doubt. You’re my daughter. ”