Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(35)

She flipped the lock after he shut the door behind him and leaned back against it. Sighing loudly, she let her head fall back against the gleaming wood, her eyes closed as she replayed the events of the last few days. She didn’t think she was in any danger but she would be careful. She didn’t want to give Travis anything else to worry about. He already had the difficult job of clearing her name as a murder suspect.

He was one hell of a man to stick beside her through all of this and she vowed to make it up to him when this was all over.


Hopefully soon.





Chapter Eighteen




?


Travis settled into a chair opposite Martin and poured himself a cup of coffee from the carafe on the table. They were sitting outside on the patio again, the sky overcast with more menacing clouds rolling in for the afternoon. The humidity had risen to an uncomfortable level and not even the breeze coming off the Gulf could keep the sweat from gathering on Travis’s back, the cotton fabric clinging to the damp skin.

“You’re wearing a troubled expression, my friend.” Martin pushed a tray of cookies toward Travis. From what Caroline had said when she let Travis into the suite, food was still being delivered all day long by the resort. “Do you want to tell me why?”

Not knowing how to bring up the topic delicately, Travis simply decided to lay it all out on the table. He and Martin had never *-footed around one another. They had enough respect to be honest and this time needed to be no different.

“I talked to Tom Lovell, Martin. He said he saw and heard you arguing with Bruce before the party.”

Martin appraised him over the rim of his cup, his face devoid of any emotion. “That’s absolutely true. But then you can’t expect a conversation to be pleasant when you’re accusing someone of breaking the law. Bruce was angry and defensive and I didn’t hold onto my temper.” The older man leaned forward. “Is there a reason you’re bringing this up? If there is something you want to say, then say it.”

“I can’t f*cking help you if you aren’t truthful with me,” Travis growled. “I want to find the real killer but you being vague isn’t helping things.”

“All you had to do was ask. Yes, Bruce and I argued. Of course we argued. We don’t like each other and haven’t since the first day I met him. You know as well as I do that I had motive for killing him. But I didn’t do it.”

Stirring his coffee, Travis didn’t let up on the pressure. He needed to know it all. “Tom said you left the table to take a call but that your phone was dead or turned off. Where did you really go?”

The formally emotionless expression Martin wore turned embarrassed, his cheeks ruddy as he rubbed his right temple. “Shit. Okay, yes, I lied about there being a phone call. I was meeting Bruce out on the beach to continue our conversation. When I threatened him with exposure he said that he would name his accomplice which I assumed was Iris Perry. Then we were interrupted so we agreed to meet on the beach during the party around eleven.”

This was bad. What else had Martin lied about? Obviously Prather knew nothing about this or he would have already arrested Travis’s friend. “What did you talk about? Did you argue again? Was anyone else there?”

Martin shrugged, his lips pressed tightly together so they were a thin line. “We didn’t talk about anything because he wasn’t there. I waited about ten minutes then went up to his room to find him. He wasn’t there either so I came back to the party. I didn’t see him again.”

“Did you tell the police?”

“Are you kidding?” Martin scoffed, his movements agitated at the suggestion. “If I told them they would have slapped the cuffs on me and tossed me behind bars. No, it’s better this way. Eventually they’ll move on from me and find who really did it.”

For a man as smart as he was, Martin was incredibly naive.

“I think you’re being overly optimistic. I’ve seen people who live under a cloud of suspicion for years and it ruins their lives. That’s why I won’t wait around for the police. I’m going to work my own investigation.” Travis clanged the spoon on the side of the cup. “Let’s not even mention what will happen if the cops find out you’re lying. They’ll make your life a misery, ripping it apart and exposing it to the public. No one can stand that kind of scrutiny. They and the press will make a meal out of every little thing you’ve ever said or done.”

Wringing his hands together, Martin nodded, hopefully understanding what Travis was trying to tell him. This could get serious very quickly.

“What can I do to help you?”

“You said Bruce had a bookie. I need his name. He had more motive than anyone to do this.”

“I don’t know but it’s probably in the file the investigator gave me. It’s in the bedroom.”

Martin rose and entered the suite, leaving Travis out on the patio. The sky had turned almost black and the distinct smell of rain was in the air. He also stood and went back inside as Alana was coming through the door, shopping bags in hand.

“Travis! It’s so lovely to see you.” She dropped the bags on the couch and then reached up to kiss him on each cheek, European style. The aroma of expensive perfume assailed Travis’s nostrils and he had to take a step back to keep from coughing. “Where’s Martin?”