Virals(89)

"Cole Island was all my father had left." He laughed mirthlessly. "He's a terrible investor. By 1969 the family fortune was gone, and he was up to his ears in debt. Only the Claybourne name was keeping the creditors away."

"That hardly justifies murder."

"My father claims it was an accident. " Chance avoided looking at me. "That he didn't mean to kill her."

"And you believe him?"

"Not for one second."

"Then why cover for him?"

"Heaton should not have been there!" Chance's fist slammed the arm of his chair. "Cole Island was private property. Our property. If she'd reported the eagles, it would've killed the sale. My father couldn't allow that. Too much was at stake."

"He could have tried other things," I said. "Maybe the birds could've been relocated."

Chance shook his head. "The publicity would've forced Candela to back out. There would have been no cash and no position for my father. Our whole future depended on that sale."

I looked down in disgust. "So it was all about money?"

"My father would've been forced to sell Claybourne Manor!"

"So?"

"So?" Chance looked up, appalled. "A Claybourne has owned this house since the Civil War. It belongs to us, and no one else. We could never sell it. We'd be disgraced!"

For the first time, I was seeing the true Chance. It sickened me.

"Money isn't everything," I said.

Chance laughed bitterly. "Have you even met my father? He'd never take a downgrade. He'd rather die than live a middle-class life."

"You're revolting!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You approve of what he did."

"Watch your mouth." Chance jabbed a finger in my direction. "I'm not my father. I'm nothing like him."

"That's crap. You're helping Hollis get away with murder."

Chance nodded. "These things happened when my father was twenty-four years old. One day he'll answer for his actions. But done is done. I have no intention of losing my inheritance because of events that took place before I was born."

"Then you're just like him," I said.

"Coming from you, that hurts."

"Go to hell!" My blood boiled. "You've been playing me this whole time. Pretending to worry about me. Calling me the prettiest girl in the room. Please. You never cared about me. You manipulated my feelings to protect yourself."

Chance shrugged. "And it worked."

"You lied to me."

"So I gave you a fake name," he said airily. "You had my driver's fingerprints. What was I supposed to do?"

"But why have him follow us in the first place?"

"We have a mole at the public library. He tipped my father to your research on Heaton. Hollis sent Baravetto to determine exactly what you'd learned."

A mole at the library? That weasel Limestone!

"Of course, Hollis didn't share any of that with his son." Chance's jaw muscles bunched. "God forbid he confide in me before confiding in my driver."

"But he did tell you," I said. "You're just as guilty as he is."

"Only when he had to. When Baravetto reported back, my father got nervous. Guess he decided I was man enough to dig up a skeleton. Otherwise, he'd have kept me in the dark."

"Poor baby," I mocked. "Sorry about your daddy issues."

Chance glared. Then smirked. "Your stolen laptop story fooled me, you know. I didn't guess what you were up to until I saw the report." He waggled a finger. "Very clever."

"This isn't a joke!" I shouted. "You tried to kill me that night on Loggerhead."

"Kill you? Hardly. I shot way over your head."

"Yeah. Right."

"It's true. My father ordered me to recover the skeleton. Nothing more. You happened to be there, so we had to scare you off." The nervous foot was pumping again. "I couldn't believe you'd already found the bones. Good thing we didn't wait another night. Thanks, by the way." The famous Chance wink. "You saved us hours of digging."

"Screw you," I said. "The only reason I'm standing here is because you're a lousy shot."

"Don't be so dramatic." He smiled. "Did you like the monkey bones? That was my idea. Hollis told me where to find them. He knows people at LIRI."

Spies on Loggerhead?

"Who?"

Chance ignored my question. "The bones were packed in a box by the dock." He laughed. "I wish I could've been there when you showed the police."

"You think this is funny? You murdered Dr. Karsten in cold blood!"

The taunting smile faded. "What?"

"Enough games, Chance! I know you're a murderer. I was there."

"I didn't murder anyone. I told you. I shot over your heads. You're lucky it was me out there. My father was furious I let you escape."

"Not Loggerhead. I'm talking about when you attacked us at the bunker."

"What bunker?" Chance frowned. "Wait. Are you're saying someone was killed?"