Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(60)
Travis held up one of the files, pulling Shane from what he was studying. “This is interesting. These are the statements from the guests at the party. Aubrey and I were dancing at the time of the murder. Caroline was at the bar talking with an old friend of the family. Alana and Tom were sitting outside on the patio chatting and Iris said she went upstairs to her room to change her stockings because one had a run. A waitress said that she saw Iris heading for the elevators.”
Shane shrugged. “So everyone is accounted for. That’s nothing new.”
“The elevators are on the way to the back exit which would take her to the beach.”
Frowning, Shane rubbed his chin in thought. “Okay. So you’re going with the police theory that Iris killed Bruce and then got upset about it and accidentally drowned.”
Travis flipped open the file and tapped on one of the papers. “Stay with me here. That’s not what I’m thinking at all. Look at Alana and Tom’s statements. They alibi each other. Don’t you think that’s strange? They’re off on the patio, no one else sees them, and only they can vouch for each other.”
Shane stood and walked over to the windows overlooking the Gulf, stretching his arms over his head after being seated for so long. “That is weird. But it’s not evidence that they committed a crime and then helped each other cover it up.”
Travis sat back in the chair, remembering back to that morning when they’d visited Martin’s suite after Bruce had been killed. “Bruce had sleeping pills in his system and Alana takes sleeping pills. She admitted it the day after.”
“You think Alana and Tom are working together? For what purpose? Why kill Bruce? And maybe Iris? What’s the end game?”
Scraping his fingers through his hair, Travis groaned in frustration. “I don’t f*cking know. Why kill Bruce? What does anyone gain from it? He didn’t have any money to inherit. He was cheating on his wife but how would that affect Tom and Alana?”
Shane picked up a watered down glass of soda and drank what was left. “Well, whoever did this managed to disrupt many lives while they were at it. You, me, and Aubrey have stayed extra days. Caroline now faces widowhood. And Martin is sitting in the county jail.”
And so far Travis hadn’t been able to do much about that last item.
“So many unintended consequences–” Travis began but then stopped, an idea slamming him straight between the eyes.
Unintended.
I’ve been thinking about this all f*cking wrong.
“You’ve got that ‘I bought a stock and it just went up four hundred percent’ look. Want to share what’s going on in that brain of yours?” Shane asked, his brows shooting up almost to his hairline. “You’re scaring me honestly with the look on your face. I think you had that same expression when West accidentally hit you with a two by two when you were both cleaning out the horse barn. Stunned, I believe is what your mom called it.”
Travis sprang to his feet, a grin spreading across his face. “We’ve been assuming all this time that these were unintended consequences. But what if they were completely intended? Planned, in fact?”
“You think someone planned that Caroline be a widow and that Martin is in jail? Why? Who benefits?”
Leaning back against the windows, Travis tapped his chin, his thoughts going a mile a minute. Finally it felt like he was making progress after days of standing in quicksand.
“West says not to look at the motives. Look at the evidence,” Travis reminded his cousin. “And the evidence says that Alana and Tom have lousy alibis. Not to mention that they’re behavior has been strange as hell. I thought something was weird with them.”
Shane was nodding but he didn’t look convinced. “I know West says to ignore the motives but I still want to know what they gain from all this.”
“Let’s review the usual motives then. Money?” Travis began to pace the small strip between the table and the windows. “Alana has a prenup with Martin so if she leaves him, she gets nothing. I remember Martin telling me about it before they got married. His lawyers insisted on it. But if he goes to prison for murder she gets a fortune to spend as she pleases while he rots behind bars. Remember she had access to the cufflinks. She could have planted it under Bruce’s body to frame her husband.”
“What does Tom get? Or do you think he’s just helping Alana with an alibi? Or does he want Alana?”
Travis thought about the strange dysfunctional goings-on that day when he had talked to Caroline. Tom had been over the top protective and nothing in his demeanor spoke of a hidden passion for Alana.
“Caroline. He gets Caroline. The motive is love and money.”
Deep in his gut Travis was sure he was right. That day he’d been puzzled by the behavior exhibited by Tom but now it made sense.
Tom wanted Caroline. And the money she would have too.
Alana wanted Martin’s money.
“What about Iris?” Shane asked. “How does she fit into this?”
“I’m not sure,” Travis admitted, his mind still whirling with all the possibilities. “Maybe she does or doesn’t. I’m more worried about where Caroline fits. What if she’s in on it?”
“You know what Jason would ask you. What’s your gut telling you?”
Travis considered the question but his instincts had already answered it. “She’s not interested. She barely glances at him when he’s around. There’s no way that she loves him enough to kill her husband. Hell, I don’t think she even hated Bruce enough to kill him and she had ample reason to. No, my gut is telling me that Caroline is innocent.”