I stare at him. “So, there was a police investigation? I couldn’t find anything about it in any old newspapers. All I found was the coroner’s verdict.”
“We were all taken away separately and interviewed the day after she fell overboard.” Tom shrugs. “I gave my statement about what had happened. Everyone went over it repeatedly but nothing came of it. She was there one moment and the next she’d vanished.”
I finish my coffee and place the mug on his desk. “I’d really like to know the timeline. I’m aware of a few things. I know Jack had an argument with Laura and she went on deck and then there was a disagreement between you and Jack that evening just before Laura went missing. It was about you having a relationship with Ruby. I know that Laura told him about it. I also know that she’d just finished an affair with you. Do you believe she told Jack about Ruby to spite you? I know about the non-fraternization rule that he insisted be upheld.”
If I ever need an example of the word dumbfounded, I will always think of Tom’s expression at that moment. “Ah, I see. Jack doesn’t know about you and Laura, does he?”
“I always believed that Laura took that information to the grave with her.” Tom’s face drains of color. “How did you find out?”
I lean back in my chair and cross my legs. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to tell Jack. He doesn’t need to know that information and it would only cause you trouble. I’m sure that over the last seven years you’ve put all this behind you and have made a better life for yourself.”
“I’m married with kids.” His hands ball into fists on the table. “It was a stupid thing to do. She was a very beautiful woman and I was just trying to comfort her and things got out of hand. I managed to stop it after a couple of days but she was very clinging and dependent. When she started threatening to tell Jack and told me about missing time and hearing people whispering about her in the walls, I realized how sick she was and ended it. I chased Ruby to show Laura we were over. So yeah, Laura told Jack about me and Ruby out of spite. I was glad to be out of the house. I figured Laura could be dangerous. I know she tried to drown Noah. She hated those kids.”
I lap up the new information and nod in all the right places. “And what happened the night she died? I know who the players are, as in who was there at the party. Let’s start with the weather.”
“The weather was fine when we left but when I went out on deck to speak to Ruby after the argument with Jack, the wind was picking up and it had just started to rain.” He sighs. “Jack fired me and I asked Ruby to speak to him. He does what she says most times. Ruby has a way of handling him, as in she just about wipes his ass.”
I remain silent and allow him to talk.
“Ruby told me we wouldn’t be able to see each other again and that was fine by me.” He picks up a pen and taps it annoyingly on the table. “Laura came out on deck and glared at us and then went to the stern. She often went there and stared up at the stars. It was a favorite place for her. That was the last time I saw her.” He meets my gaze. “The wind was picking up and a squall was blowing in. I saw Jack heading to speak to the captain. After that we changed course and headed back toward the marina.”
So, Jack was on deck at the same time as him and Ruby; that’s interesting but it doesn’t tell me which one of them murdered her. Or is Tom covering his own back?I lean forward. Is he telling the truth? “Who else was on deck with you?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t really take any notice. Laura, because I watched her walk to the stern. Jack, Ruby and maybe members of the crew, or any of the guests taking the air.”
I nod. “So was Laura at the stern when you went inside?”
“I don’t know.” Tom shrugs. “I didn’t look. I didn’t care. She’d just ruined my life. That’s all I can tell you. Later, everyone was inside apart from Laura and then Jack went to look for her. He figured she’d gone to their cabin but she wasn’t there or on deck and all hell broke loose. Jack sent me to wake everyone. Ruby was in her cabin and so were Missy and June. He’d sent the staff to the galley. The men were drinking a special bottle of whisky with Jack.”
I ran everything through my mind. “So at this time, you were heading back to the marina?”
“Yeah, the sea was choppy and we were getting thrown all over, but nobody seemed to care. Jack said we were heading out of the storm.” Tom gives a shake of his head. “That’s all I remember apart from the search. We never found a trace of her.” He checks his watch and then pushes to his feet. He looksagitated as if talking about the night Laura died has torn off a Band-Aid. “Are you ready for the tour?”
The friendly man has vanished. Maybe he has something to hide? I stand. “Yeah, sure.”
“There’s one thing.” He frowns. “Why are you rehashing all this now?”
If he suspects I know the truth, could I be in danger? I smile at him, acting nonchalant as I drop the bombshell.
“I found her diary.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
My words hit Tom like a sucker punch and, as if too shocked to master the impact of what I just told him, his eyes go blank as he stares into space. His mouth opens slightly—but nothing comes out. I can almost see the gears in his mind spinning, fighting for an explanation to give me. All at once his expression hardens. I stare at him, waiting for the denial, the excuse for sleeping with his boss and once best friend’s wife.
“What exactly did she write?” A pulse pounds in his neck as he takes a step closer to me.
I take a step back as he invades my personal space. I choose not to elaborate. “Everything.”
“Do you honestly believe that Laura’s fantasies mean anything?” Tom shifts from one foot to the other. “She had a very vivid imagination.”
I shake my head and meet his gaze. “She writes as if she’s leaving the truth for someone to find. I believe she figured something would happen to her.”
“You have no idea what she was like toward the end.” Tom’s lips press into a thin line. “She said so many things that didn’t make sense. She saw ghosts and heard voices. I was just trying tohelp her is all.” He barks a humorless laugh. “So much for being Mr. Nice Guy.”
I rest one hand on the door handle. I’m not happy with the strange look in his eyes but I raise my chin. What could possibly happen to me in this busy office building? “I know she believed the staff were against her. She mentioned them moving things and spying on her. Do you figure any of them were involved? I understand she might have been a little unstable but I’m certainly not, and some strange things have happened to me since I’ve been in the house too.”
“It’s an old house.” Tom lifts one shoulder in a half shrug. “It creaks and groans. I believed I’d heard voices at one time but it turned out to be coming through the ventilation grates.”
