Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(10)

He knew enough about cops to know to keep his answers brief and to the point. No extra details. No editorializing.

“Why were you going to the beach?”

“We wanted a quiet place to talk.”

The detective’s brows lifted and his lips twisted into a smirk. “Talk? May I ask what about?”

Aubrey’s shoulders jerked in response to the question but Travis simply pulled her closer to his own body. “How is that relevant to the investigation, Detective?”

The man’s flinty blue eyes iced over and his jaw hardened. “I’m just trying to get all the facts, Mr. Anderson. Two people at a party go out to the beach to find a quiet place to talk when they have a fifteen hundred square foot suite upstairs? That brings questions to my mind.”

“We didn’t want to leave the party. We wanted a few moments to talk. That’s all.”

The detective tapped his stubby pencil against the pad of paper. “How well did you know Mr. Livingston?”

Travis shrugged, expecting that question. “I saw him once or twice a year at parties like this one. He’s the grandson in law of a good friend.”

“Martin Guinness?” Travis nodded wondering how his friend was holding up. “So how would you characterize your relationship with the deceased?”

“Acquaintances,” Travis answered easily. “We didn’t keep in touch other than seeing each other at these events. We weren’t friends if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That is what I’m asking. So you didn’t communicate in any way with Mr. Livingston? If I check his phone, your number won’t be there?”

“I have no clue what will be in his phone but I’ve never received a call from him.”

It took every bit of willpower he had to keep the sarcasm out of his tone. There was a murderer running around and this clown was acting like he and Aubrey were suspects. They had nothing to do with Bruce’s death but Travis could name a few people off the top of his head that hadn’t thought much of the man. He didn’t like to speak ill of the dead but finding those with motive wasn’t going to be a problem.

“When was the last time you saw Mr. Livingston?”

“Earlier this evening. Right after dinner. About nine or nine thirty.”

The detective abruptly swung his attention to Aubrey. “What about you Miss Grayson? What time did you last see Mr. Livingston?”

Her hands were twisted together in her lap, the knuckles white. “I–I guess it would have been a little later. About ten thirty.”

Travis could feel the tension vibrating through Aubrey’s body.

“And where did you see him?”

“Out–Outside the ladies’ room.”


Her voice quivered and Travis wanted to pick her up and cuddle her to his chest. Clearly she was terrified of the police. She’d had a very different upbringing in Chicago than he’d had in Montana. Perhaps her memories of law enforcement weren’t as positive as his own.

“Did you speak to him, Miss Grayson?” the detective pressed, his lips a straight line. Travis didn’t like the way the man was looking at Aubrey.

“She doesn’t even know–” began Travis but she shushed him, shaking her head.

“Yes, I did speak to him but only for a moment.”

She hadn’t mentioned anything about it when she’d rejoined him. As shy as she was there was no way Aubrey had approached Bruce. He had to have talked to her first.

“And what did you talk about?”

That was a really good question. One that Travis wanted answered as well. Bruce had considered himself something of a ladies man and Travis had an idea of what might have transpired between them.

More trembling and then Aubrey took a deep breath. “He recognized me across the room. We went to school together in Chicago.”

Travis froze and stared down at the beautiful woman next to him. “You knew him?”

Nodding, she placed her hand on his. “That’s one of the things I wanted to tell you. We went to the same junior high and high school.”

“Did you date Mr. Livingston, Miss Grayson?” the detective asked, obviously trying to get their attention back on him.

Aubrey wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. “No! I barely knew him. He was two years ahead of me but I knew of him I guess you could say. But I’m not sure we ever even spoke to one another although we had some mutual…friends.”

Prather’s gaze flickered to Travis and then back to Aubrey. “We have witnesses that place you and Mr. Livingston in the alcove outside the ladies room arguing about an hour before his body was found. Is that true?”

Of course it wasn’t true. Eye witness accounts were notoriously faulty and should never be relied upon.

Sagging against him, her lips turned down in what looked like defeat.

“Yes. Yes, it is true.”

* * *

Aubrey had managed to shock Travis, the unshakable man.

She hadn’t wanted him to hear about Bruce and her past…this way. Her mind raced as she tried to find a way to explain the situation without spilling her guts about things that didn’t – or shouldn’t – matter. Her past was none of the detective’s business.

But she better think fast because it was obvious she was a suspect.