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“Ms. Sloane, I presume.”
“Considering that you have a file with my name on it filled with public information provided to you by your private investigator, I am confident that we can dispense with the false pleasantries. Shall we get right to the point? Your granddaughter worked directly across from the art gallery where Bella Kadel was employed as a curator. I’d like to speak with Emily.”
“I believe that your colleague has already spoken with my granddaughter. I doubt that there is much more that she could add in terms of information that would be useful to you, Ms. Sloane.” Martin’s mouth curled into a faint, wry smile. “I must say that your tenacity is admirable, though. You’re quite the investigator, aren’t you?”
“Profiler,” Brook amended as she leaned back to give the server more room to pour the freshly brewed coffee. She waited until the rich beverage was filled to the brim to address the waiter. “Thank you. I also spotted a delicious fruit bowl. Since Mr. Kingston and I have quite a lot to discuss, I would love to enjoy some breakfast while doing so.”
Martin cleared his throat, which allowed Brook to catch his slight nod of permission. Such a motion told Brook of the staff’s loyalty to the club’s members.
“Let me be blunt, Ms. Sloane.” Martin never took his gaze off her as he placed the folded section of the newspaper to the right of his place setting. “My granddaughter had some growing up to do. She’s finally come to her senses, ready to join the family business, and this family trip that I’ve scheduled is a way for us to make amends. I won’t allow anything to jeopardize that. It would be wise of you to tread carefully.”
“I understand that you have Chief Rogan on speed dial, but I’m afraid your influence only goes so far,” Brook replied before lifting the coffee cup to her lips. The rim was thin, but there was no denying that the country club spared no expense when it came to the quality of their coffee. “This is delicious, by the way.”
Brook set her cup down with one hand while holding up the other to prevent Martin from saying something that he would regret. They both recognized the unspoken challenge. It was unfortunate that he believed they were in a pissing contest, though. That was far from the truth, and she decided to inform him of such facts.
“You are attempting to outbid Lauren Kim on the property that went up for sale a couple of months ago,” Brook stated matter-of-factly as she leaned comfortably back in her chair. “Piper Zimmer was Kim’s real estate agent.”
“I’m aware of those facts, Ms. Sloane.”
“Bella and Emily had become friends, hadn’t they?” Brook inquired. “They’d connected during Bella’s daily trips into the coffee shop. You weren’t too keen on that friendship, were you?”
Emily hadn’t divulged that information to Sylvie, but it was the only rational reason as to why Emily had been so interested in Theo’s conversation with Sophia Delacroix. Either that, or Emily was more like her grandfather than the young girl wanted to admit.
“Are you suggesting—”
“I’m suggesting that this investigation is complex, and your interference isn’t helping,” Brook asserted, not letting on that she could sense the vibration of her cell phone that was currently in the side pocket of her purse. Once the second vibration came through in succession, Brook was confident that Sylvie had managed to find an entry point into the Kingston’s estate. “As I stated to Chief Rogan yesterday morning, your granddaughter was not even on our radar. She just so happened to be working the day that my colleague was meeting someone associated with the investigation. Your actions brought her to the forefront. I can only assume three things. One, Emily is somehow involved with these murders. Two, you have some connection to both victims, and Emily has knowledge of such correlation. Or three, you believe that your granddaughter is in danger, which is why you have arranged to take her out of the country.”
Martin was prevented from speaking when the server appeared with a bowl of fresh fruit. The waiter set the small bowl in front of Brook, who murmured her appreciation. She waited for him to leave before picking up her fork. The tongs slid into a piece of watermelon with ease, which wasn’t even in season. To say it was mouthwatering was an understatement.
“You’re mistaken if you believe that my intentions were to interfere with your investigation,” Martin finally responded, though he couldn’t prevent his disdain over having to explain his actions. “I phoned Chief Rogan to gain more information about why Emily was seen speaking with one of your colleagues. Nothing more, nothing less. I love my granddaughter, Ms. Sloane. I want her to have the best in life, and I don’t want a miscommunication to ruin her future. And yes, I am concerned for her safety. Who wouldn’t be? Two women who resided in Harbor have been brutally murdered one year apart. I don’t want Emily to be the next name on some bastard’s kill list.”
Brook had continued to enjoy her fruit as Martin carried on his side of the conversation. He’d given her more information than he realized, but she wouldn’t go pointing out such insight. Instead, she decided to switch the topic of discussion altogether with two words.
“Francis Delacroix.”
“Francie?” Martin frowned as he reached for his own coffee. He’d been given a chance to explain himself, and she hadn’t countered any of his explanations. The combination of the two had the tension easing from his shoulders. “She used to work for me. Why? Does this have to do with Sophia? Do you think that she could be in danger?”
“Why does Francie no longer work for you?”
It was obvious that Martin was lost with the numerous lines of questioning, but he still drained the contents of his mug before setting it down next to his empty plate. Brook gently rested her fork next to the bowl of fruit so that she could enjoy the rest of her coffee. She had no doubt that in a few moments Martin would be asking her to leave.
“I don’t see how that is any of your business, Ms. Sloane.”
“Let me hazard a guess then. Your latest wife claimed that Francie stole jewelry from a nightstand, only you and I both know that is not true.” Brook had read through the information that Bit had uncovered regarding Ms. Delacroix’s employment with the Kingstons. “You didn’t want to upset the status quo with the lovely Mrs. Kingston, so you gave Francis Delacroix an extremely generous severance package, as well as made sure that Sophia Delacroix was given a position at the art gallery upon her college graduation. Sophia’s mother accepted the terms, although Sophia has no idea that she didn’t get the job based on her skills. Those favors that you’ve culled over the years came in handy for that particular situation, didn’t they?”
Brook had several reasons for disclosing the knowledge of Francis Delacroix’s employment and subsequent dismissal. Considering that the unsub had been among those guests at the art exhibit last night, they had narrowed those focus on the women connected to both Bella Kendal and Piper Zimmer. Technically, that included most of the women who’d made an appearance, but Sophia Delacroix and Adeline Murphy had risen to the top of their list.
“I think it’s time you take your leave, Ms. Sloane. As I stated previously, we’re leaving for a family vacation. Should you have any questions for Emily, you can reach out to my lawyers.”
Martin moved in an effort to push his chair back from the table.
“Does Emily know that Adeline Murphy is your daughter? Her aunt?”
Once Sylvie had made the connection between Sophia Delacroix and Adeline Murphy, Bit had been able to uncover a lot of information regarding Adeline’s adoption. The trail of breadcrumbs had led directly to Martin Kingston, regardless of how much money that he’d spent attempting to make his past indiscretions disappear.
“I don’t have the slightest idea what you are—”
“Mr. Kingston, I’m good at what I do. And like you, I surround myself with a team of experts. I know that you had an affair with Francis Delacroix that resulted in an unwanted pregnancy. You paid a hefty sum to Ms. Delacroix to give said infant up for adoption many years ago. The two of you continued in your roles, but your latest wife eventually saw through the ruse. She took action, which forced your hand. I have no desire to know if you maintained your relationship with Francis Delacroix in recent years, but I do know that such a tangled and twisted past could offer several motives in the deaths of Bella Kadel and Piper Zimmer.”
