All Dressed in White (Under Suspicion #2)(39)

“Were you ever in the rental car?” Alex asked.

Henry nodded and then laughed. “Believe it or not, the guys had to take a shopping trip, too. We all managed to forget something—a belt, socks, shaving cream. The four of us drove downtown Wednesday afternoon.”

“Just to be clear, was this the same car that was missing when Amanda disappeared?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Did anyone else in the wedding party have a rental car?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay, returning to the subject of the photography intern, did you notice anything unusual about him?”

“Like what?”

They always tried not to lead their witnesses, but in a cold case, it was often necessary to refresh a person’s memory.

“Did he maintain a professional demeanor during your interactions?”

“Yeah, I’d say so. But, now that you mention it, I remember Kate saying that he was being a little too chummy.”

“How so?” Alex asked.

“Nothing striking. More like, he was around our age, especially compared to the head photographer, and seemed interested in hanging out with us, like he was part of the gang or something. I didn’t notice it, but I’m not exactly an expert on social etiquette.”

“You seem like an upbeat person,” Alex said.

“I like to think I am.”

“Is that part of the reason you wanted to go your own way and not work in the family business? I imagine that with siblings trying to run a company together, it could get a bit tense.”

“I went my own way because I like making wine more than ladies’ ‘foundational garments.’?” Henry made air quotes with his hands. “I can actually partake in the merchandise.”

“But you’d agree, wouldn’t you, that there could be some rivalry between your sisters?”

Laurie could tell that Henry didn’t approve of the question, but in Laurie’s short phone call to him last week, he had alluded twice to the work drama between his sisters. He couldn’t deny it now.

“All siblings compete for their parents’ affections, and the way to my father’s heart was always his business. And, sure, everyone wants to be respected at work, and my sisters were no different.”


“But the rivalry didn’t always cut both ways, did it?” Alex asked.

“Amanda was always more confident than Charlotte.”

“Is it fair to say that Charlotte could be jealous of Amanda at times?” Alex had slipped into cross-examination mode. He was in complete control.

“I suppose.”

“Even angry?”

“At times.”

“In fact, didn’t Charlotte resent the fact that your father allowed your sister to open a New York office and expand the company’s operations, even though she expressed doubts about the idea?” Laurie had gleaned that tidbit from Amanda’s former assistant.

“Yes, she was very upset. But if you’re suggesting that Charlotte hurt our sister, you’re crazy. See? That’s why I didn’t even want to do this stupid show.”

“We’re not accusing anyone, Henry. We just want to get a better understanding—”

Henry was pulling off his microphone. “You said I’m an upbeat person? That’s because I call things how I see them, and this is what I see: you’re pointing the finger at everyone Amanda knew and loved, when what you should be doing is tracking down the local creeps. I’m out of here.”

Alex shrugged once they realized Henry wasn’t coming back. “Sometimes that’s going to happen.”

Given the nature of her show, Laurie was used to being accused of aiming her suspicions in the wrong direction, but this time, Henry’s words stung. Everyone they had brought here was someone Amanda loved enough to include in her wedding. Most murder victims were killed by someone close to them, but Amanda could have been hurt by someone she never knew before she came to this beautiful place, Laurie thought.

Maybe that someone was Jeremy Carroll.





37





Sitting in the resort’s cocktail lounge, Laurie perused the adventurous options on the list of “signature drinks.” According to the menu, they were all handcrafted by the resort’s in-house mixologist. With the art deco surroundings, she felt like she had stepped into a speakeasy.

She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Alex. He gave her a quick kiss. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

“I just sat down myself. So who won?” Alex and Leo had sneaked off to a nearby sports bar to watch the Yankee game on a big screen. Leo had vowed to stick to the heart-healthy diet he’d been following since having two stents inserted in his right ventricle last year, but Laurie would bet her life that he’d been unable to resist a few chicken wings.

“The Red Sox,” Alex groaned. “Nine to one, a complete blowout. How was your mother-son dinner?”

“Excellent. Timmy ate an entire plate of spaghetti and meatballs, as well as half of my lasagna. My little boy has a very big appetite. And he’s still pestering me about getting you to go on that water slide with him.”

“I’m happy to take him,” Alex said. “We could go early in the morning before we’re shooting for the day.”