Page 25 of Palace of Betrayal

“I understand.”

“Were you or any of the staff here when my cousin and his friends arrived?”

“Yes, Patty, one of our older crew members, was here. She said she saw them get on board the yacht.”

Leo looked to Bebe who gave nothing away about what she was thinking. “Is Patty here? I’d like to speak with her.”

“Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll get her for you.”

Hector stood and made his way across the marina to one of the floating docks that was beside a yacht he knew belonged to a Hollywood movie star.

“Why didn’t the police mention this?”

Bebe shrugged but didn’t respond, only glanced around as if not trusting this place wasn’t bugged either. She was right to be cautious and he swore inwardly at his loss of focus. Too many possibilities were making it hard for him to piece things together in his mind.

Hector and Patty walked back toward the office, and he recognised the woman from his visits to the marina previously. She was nearing forty if he had to guess and was a competent sailor with a real love of the sea.

She had, in fact, filled in for one of his crew at a party he’d thrown for Alain last year. Did that put her on the suspect list? He figured it did and the list was getting out of control now.

Patty stood just inside the door, shoulders back, hands behind her back in a military position.

“At ease.” He saw her relax and knew he’d been right in that she was ex-military. “What branch?” Although he thought he already knew the answer.

“Royal Navy, sir. Marine Engineers.”

“May I ask why you retired?”

“Medical discharge, sir. I sustained a head injury during a routine exercise, and they deemed me unfit for duty.”

Leo flattened his lips. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I understand you saw my cousin and his friends the night they died.”

Her back was ramrod straight and her chin lifted, not making eye contact with a superior. He’d guess she’d been a good sailor, competent and disciplined.

“I did, sir. I was making some routine repairs when they arrived. I saw him and four men board the yacht.”

Leo frowned she made no mention of Chelsea. “Just him and four men? No women went on board?”

“Not that I saw, sir.”

“And could you have missed anything?”

He saw Patty frown as if trying to remember. “I don’t believe so, no. I was on the floating dock beside them from the time they arrived to when they set off, but it was dark so I can’t be one hundred percent sure.”

“Could anyone have arrived beforehand?”

“Yes, sir, I suppose that’s possible.”

Leo felt Bebe squeeze his hand as if she was trying to tell him something.

“Sweetheart, didn’t you say that you were with Alain before we met that night?”

“Yes, darling, I did.”

He glanced at Patty to see she was watching Bebe before she looked quickly away. Her furtive look at his woman could just be curiosity. He attracted attention everywhere he went after all. “Patty, what time did my cousin arrive?”