The Inheritance (Happy Endings Resort Book 1) Read online

  “Yes, please come in.” Jason said, sounding nervous and distraught as he appeared beside me. I stepped back and he lead the way back to the kitchen table. Jason held out a chair for me and then took the seat closest to me. The two detectives took the opposite seats and the two uniform officers stood closer to the front door.

  “Ms. London I understand that you are the new owner

  of . . .”

  “Actually, Rory has . . .”

  “Yes, I’m the new acting owner. We are still in the process of getting all of the papers signed and finalized.” I squeezed Jason’s knee under the table. He covered my hand with his own and squeezed it. “Do we need to go out . . .”

  “No. We actually have a photo of the victim. We need to keep the crime scene clean. The fewer people in the area the better. We have everything taped off. The crime scene investigators are already out there,” Detective McDonald said pulling out a file folder.

  “These pictures are graphic, but we do need to get a photo ID.” Detective Hall offered before her partner opened the folder.

  “If it’s a resident, Rory hasn’t met everyone who lives here, and if it was a guest, we would have to ask . . .”

  “Rupert Hendrix said he believed it was a resident, but he couldn’t be sure because he refused to look at the photograph or the body. He asked that someone else be asked to do the identification.” Detective McDonald slid the folder in front of Jason. “If he is a resident, then you’ll be able to give us a positive identification?”

  “I’ll do my best.” Jason released my hand for just a moment, wiped his sweat dampened hand down the leg of his jeans, then returned his hand over mine.

  He took a deep breath, then opened the folder. I tried not to look. I really did try. I didn’t want to see a dead body. I had only met a few residents. When Jason squeezed my hand and he shoved the folder away, my eyes landed right on the picture of Drew Parker. I couldn’t hold back the gasp the came out of my mouth.

  “Oh my God! Oh my God! That’s Drew! That’s Drew! Drew is dead! Oh my God! Jason! Jason that’s Drew!” I started shrieking. “Somebody killed Drew. Why? Why would somebody do that?” Tears were rolling down my cheeks. I knew I really didn’t even know Drew, and he had been investigating me for Betty, but he was dead.

  “Rory is right. That is Drew Parker.” Jason sighed. “We just saw Drew last night. We were at High Bar.”

  “Were you there together?” Detective Hall asked.

  “No. I was in the restroom and came out and he was sitting with Rory.” Jason looked over at me.

  “Was he bothering you?” Detective McDonald asked.

  “No. He wasn’t bothering me. It was only the second time I had ever even met him.”

  “Can you tell us exactly what your contact with Mr. Parker was?” Detective McDonald sat up a little straighter like he didn’t want to miss anything I was about to say.

  “It was really nothing. The day before I had met with Jason.” I glanced at Jason who smiled reassuringly at me. “I found out about my inheritance of the resort. I went to High Bar and had a bit too much to drink. Drew and Stixx kept an eye on me and then called Jason to pick me up. Then last night he came over to the table and asked if I remembered him. I hadn’t because I had been pretty lit.” I giggled nervously, embarrassed by my behavior. “He was taking credit for keeping an eye on me at the bar until Jason came to pick me up,” I stated matter-of-factly. Detective Hall excused herself when her cell phone rang.

  “And you Mr. Duke?”

  “I’ve known Drew since he moved in here about five years ago. He is a private investigator. I’ve never used his services personally, but clients have.” The detective must have noticed our exchange of glances.

  “Have you used Mr. Parker’s services, Ms. London?”

  “No. As I said I just met him the day before yesterday.” I paused. “That was the first time I had ever met him.”

  “But not the first time he met you.” Detective Hall stepped back to the table and we all looked up at her. “There were files found in Mr. Parker’s trailer of you Ms. London.” Then all eyes turned to me.

  “I just found out about that last night, myself.” I looked at Jason.

  “Betty had Ms. London investigated before she came to me about leaving the property to Rory. I was actually planning on calling Drew this morning to ask him to bring the files over here for Rory to see. As Rory said, she only found out the other that not only had she been left the resort, but had been investigated. Drew had made a comment last night that he had been the investigator.” I was feeling almost as if Jason were trying to defend me, but wasn’t sure why.

  “Ms. London, can you tell us where you were last night?” Detective McDonald looked directly at me, almost challenging me. I looked at Jason and he nodded.

  “I was here with Mr. Duke last night.”

  “The whole night?” Detective Hall questioned.

  “After I left the High Bar, I called a cab to bring me back here. Buddy, the night guard, brought me here to Jason’s cabin to get my car and I drove out to Betty’s place to think. That’s where Jason found me and we came back here and we talked.” I felt myself blush at what else we did. “Then we watched a movie and fell asleep. I woke up on the couch this morning just after Jason got the call that you were headed here.”

  “So you were here all night?” Detective Hall raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes I was.”

  “And how long were you out at Ms. Moss’ house?”

  “I have no idea.” I looked them each in the eye. “I sat in my car for a while and actually fell asleep. Jason woke me up.”

  “You were out at Mrs. Moss’ house as well? And how long were you out there before you woke Ms. London in her car?” Detective McDonald interjected.

  “Are you accusing me of something?” Jason sounded defensive now. “I left the bar after paying the bill. Then I spoke to Buddy at the guard shack and asked if he had seen Ms. London. I wasn’t entirely sure where she may have gone. Buddy confirmed he had taken Ms. London back here to my cabin to retrieve her car and that she had not left the resort. We were going to head out to Mrs. Rodwell’s cabin earlier, but went to dinner instead. That’s where Drew had told Ms. London he had been the one to investigate her. When I got back out here, I figured I’d take a drive out to see if she was out there, and she was.” Jason looked over at me. “Ms. London was asleep in her car and I tapped the driver’s side window to wake her up. I told her I would get her all of the files I had on her inheritance, as well as the files from Drew, and she could go through all of them.”

  “You sound like a lawyer Mr. Duke.” Detective Hall squinted her eyes at Jason.

  “I am.”

  “And how long were you out there at Mrs. Rodwell’s cabin?”

  “No more than thirty minutes,” he quickly answered.

  “And you returned here together and spent the night together?” Detective McDonald said almost with a hint of asking if we had sex last night.

  “Jason and I just met the other day and he is the only person here that I know. He took care of me when I was intoxicated the other night. I spent last night here because I had nowhere else to go, and like Jason said, he was going to get me the files Betty had collected on me.”

  “And how well did you know Mrs. Rodwell?”

  “I didn’t know her at all. Apparently, she was my aunt,” I sighed and was getting a bit annoyed that they were sitting here wasting time while there was dead body across the lake that needed to be taken care of.

  “So a woman you had never met left you trailer park and campground? Why?” Detective Hall asked.

  I looked at Jason. “I honestly have no idea.”

  “Ms. London was Mrs. Rodwell’s only living relative. That was the reason for Mr. Parker being hired. He was asked to find all of Mrs. Rodwell relations. Ms. London was the only one.”

  “We’ll need those files,” Detective McDonald almost demanded.

  “I can have
copies sent over or, if you would prefer, you can send an officer over to the office. I will have my secretary meet them over there.” Jason answered and looked over at me. “I’d rather not leave Rory alone.”

  “We’ll send an officer over there. Please ask your secretary not to retrieve the files until our officer is there and we have someone to witness the copying of the files. We are not leaving anything to chance this time.” Detective McDonald sighed.

  “This time?” I looked between the detectives and Jason. No one answered me. “This time meaning what?” I asked again with a bit more concern.

  “The body I told you about last night,” Jason almost mumbled.

  “The body? You mean the one marked on the map?”

  “Excuse me? You have a map with a body marked on it?” Detective Hall asked.

  “It was on my windshield when I came back to pick up my car. I sat here for a couple of minutes looking out at the lake before I left, and that was actually what drew me out to Betty’s cabin.”

  “An where is this map?” Detective McDonald inquired.

  “I left it in my car.” I moved to stand up, but Detective McDonald, who was sitting closest to me, stopped me.

  “We’ll send an officer out with you to your car to bag that map.”

  The map was still sitting on the passenger seat where I had tossed it. My stomach turned when I saw the spot where the body had been drawn.

  When I returned to my seat at the table, Detective Hall looked at me. “Are you the only one who touched the map?”

  “I showed it to Jason while we were at Betty’s house. I told him that was why I had gone there.” I looked at Jason.

  “I grew up here, so I had heard the stories about a body being found. I figured it was a scary story that got passed around over the years.” He shrugged. “And before you ask, yes, I touched the map as well, when Rory showed it to me.”

  I noticed the detectives looking over the map and exchange a look. They whispered something and then looked back at the map.

  “Mr. Duke, when was the last time you were over at the boat dock area on the other side of the lake?”

  “Been a while. I only stay in the cabin on some weekends and in the summer. Mrs. Rodwell always came to the office to discuss her arrangements.”

  “And you Ms. London?”

  “The only places I’ve been are here and Betty’s.”

  “Was Drew’s body at the dock?” I covered my mouth. I couldn’t stop seeing his body in the picture that was shown to Jason. Jason and I both looked toward the detectives for an answer. They looked at each other.

  “Actually, Mr. Parker’s body was found right here.” Detective McDonald pushed the map from my car in front of us and pointed to the spot on the map where the body figure had been drawn.

  “Oh my God!”

  “Are you saying that someone killed Drew and then drew on a map for Rory to go out there and find him?” Jason sounded angry.

  “We aren’t sure which happened first,” Detective Hall stated.

  “Ms. London, we are going to have to ask you not to leave town. You either Mr. Duke.”

  “I have nowhere else to go.” I said sadly, wishing I had any other place to go but here.

  “This is my home. I’m not going anywhere.” Jason nodded.

  Chapter Eight

  I WENT WITH Jason to his office in order for the police to retrieve their copies of the requested files on the resort. After the police left with their copies, I got my copies and headed back to the resort.

  “There’s an envelope here for you,” Jason said as we stepped back into his cabin. The square, white envelope was on the floor just inside of the door. Someone must have slipped it under the door. “I’ll make us something to eat and then we can head on over to Betty’s.” He left me standing in the living room holding the envelope.

  I looked over at him then back down at the white square in my hand. I was a bit fearful about opening the envelope after knowing the last thing someone had left me was a map with a dead body drawn on it. A dead body that turned out to be Drew Parker.

  “I’m going to sit outside for a bit.” I took the envelope with me as I moved out to the deck and sat down in the Adirondack chair. Looking out at the water, I could see the crime scene tape across the lake where they had found Drew’s body. I looked around the lake trying to avert my eyes from the tape, from the canopy that covered the ground, the cars that were parked blocking off the area. Then my eyes went to the left. That was Betty’s cabin. That was where I needed to go.

  “So what was in the envelope?” Jason asked stepping out onto the deck carrying a small tray with two glasses and two plates. “I figured sandwiches would be the quickest and easiest so we”—he paused and looked at me as he handed me a glass—“uh, that is if you want me to go with you.”

  “I think I’d actually like the company.” I smiled with a bit of relief that he was going to go with me. I thought I wanted to go alone, but looking back up at the crime scene tape, and with Betty’s house being in almost the same line of vision did freak me out and made me more than leery about going by myself. “You going to open that envelope or just let it sit there?”

  “After the map being left on my car last night, I’m pretty hesitant to open it.” I flipped the envelope over in my hands.

  “Want me to open it?” he took the seat across from me.

  “I’d say yes, but what if there is something poisonous in there? I’d feel terrible if it was intended for me and you got it.”

  I started tearing open the corner envelope. He moved up to the edge of his seat as I moved the envelope away from my chest and peeked inside. All I saw was a piece of paper. I spread the envelope sides apart and pulled the slip of paper out.

  Rory,

  When you have a moment, please stop by my trailer. I need to give you something. I’ll be around all day today. Please come by yourself. I was told to give it to you alone.

  Stixx

  “It’s from Stixx.” I wondered what she could possibly have to give me. I just saw her last night and don’t remember forgetting anything at the bar.

  “We can stop by her place on the way over to Betty’s.” Jason bit into his sandwich.

  “Actually, she said that she needs to give it to me alone.” I thought it was weird, but she had kept an eye on me at the bar the first night.

  “Okay then. Take my golf cart over after we eat. I’ll clean up here and then you can swing back by and pick me up. Cyber should be working anyway. Sometimes those two together can be . . .” I looked up at him over the rim of my glass of iced tea. “Well, let’s just say Stixx and Cyber are a perfect match for each other.” he laughed.

  “What or who is a Cyber?” I asked, my concern of going over there alone was rising again.

  “Oh, sorry. Cyber is Stixx’s man. He owns the tattoo parlor over in town. He was really good friends with Drew, too.” He dropped his head in thought. “Drew got a lot of business from over there.”

  “I’m sorry about Drew. I don’t know if I said that earlier.” I slipped the paper back into the envelope. “He seemed like a pretty nice guy.”

  “Yeah, he was.” He shook his head. “Was. I can’t believe he’s gone. I still don’t think it has hit me yet.” He sat back further in his chair and ran his hand down his face then looked out over the water. I could tell by his face that he was looking at the same thing I had been looking at earlier.

  “I think I’m going to head over to Stixx’s so we can head over to Betty’s. Hopefully something either in your files or over at Betty’s will shed some light on the murder that happened years ago and maybe if there is a connection to Drew’s . . .to . . . to what happened to Drew.” I felt terrible for him losing his friend.

  ***

  “Sweets don’t just stand there with the door open. Either get the fuck out, join in or say why . . . ah, yeah, that’s right, you like it like that. Don’t you Stixx? You like that.” Cyber was standing behind Stixx whose a
ss was pressed against his thrusting hips. Stixx was on her knees rocking back and forth with her face buried in the crotch of a completely naked man standing in front of her.

  “I . . . Sti . . . I . . .”

  “Seriously, ah. Sweets, say what you have to say.” Cyber thrust again, digging his fingers into Stixx’s hip. I could see the impression of his fingers leaving white marks on her skin. “You are messing with my rhythm.” He swiveled his hips, thrust his body and threw his head back with a growl. “That’s right Stixx, ride it. Ride my cock. I feel that wet pussy clenching.”

  “I’m close.” The man standing in front of Stixx, now obviously with his cock in her mouth, pulled my stare from Cyber’s muscles flexing as his tanned skin was breaking out in a sweat before my eyes. I couldn’t get my feet to listen to my brain telling it that I had to move. That I had to turn around and run the hell out of Stixx’s trailer.

  “No! No, you don’t come until I say you can come.” Cyber pointed a finger at the naked man. “Stixx baby, find out what Rory wants. You’re Rory, right?” Cyber looked over at me again and I nodded, that was all I could do. I couldn’t even think how to speak. “If you don’t take care of your business with her, she is going to have to either join in or get the fuck out.” He pumped her from behind again.

  Stixx pulled her mouth from the other man’scock with a pop of her lips and smiled widely over at me. “What can I, oh yeah, fuck don’t stop. Harder. Yeah. Christ Cyber, I’m right there. No!” she whimpered out of breath and turned back to look over her shoulder at Cyber. “You’re an asshole.”

  “And you love it. You’ll come when I tell you to.” He smacked her on her bare ass leaving a pink spot on her cheek. “You love that, too.” He laughed. “Now get Rory what she needs so her she can close her mouth and put her eyes back in her head.” He winked at me and began to stroke himself blatantly, drawing my eyes from his and to his well-endowed length. I couldn’t help but notice the piercing in the tip that his hand was rolling over or the few links at the bottom that looked like a ladder. “Sweet Rory. Oh sweet, sweet Rory.” He ran his tongue over his lower lip. “Ever been with a man whose cock is pierced?”